Georgia business funding, from Atlanta to the coast.

Georgia's economy and the businesses behind it

Metro Atlanta is home to more than half the state's population and a dense mix of restaurants, medical and dental practices, salons, contractors and professional services. Beyond it, Georgia's small-business economy is shaped by a few big forces.

• Film and television production. Georgia became one of the busiest production centers in the country on the back of its film tax credit. Caterers, equipment rental houses, set builders, prop shops and security firms work production by production. When productions pause, as they did across the industry during the 2023 writers' and actors' strikes, those vendors feel it immediately.
• Trade and distribution. The Port of Savannah and Hartsfield-Jackson make Georgia a major distribution hub, supporting wholesalers, importers and suppliers. Trucking and logistics firms are outside what we fund; many of the wholesalers and distributors around them aren't. See wholesale and distribution.
• Manufacturing. From the flooring mills around Dalton to suppliers serving the state's auto and battery plants, manufacturers buy materials up front and wait on net terms. See manufacturing funding.
• Agriculture. Poultry, peanuts, pecans, cotton, peaches and Vidalia onions put the businesses that serve farms on a harvest calendar, with spending in planting season and revenue arriving later.

How these cash-flow patterns fit an advance

Most of these businesses don't look like a coffee shop on a bank statement. A production vendor might receive three large payments one month and none the next. A farm-supply dealer has a big spring and a quiet stretch after harvest. A manufacturer's deposits track its customers' payment terms, not its own workload.

That's fine for a merchant cash advance, which is underwritten on total deposits, not just card sales. It does change how you should size one:

• Use your lowest realistic month. If your deposits are lumpy, check the payment against a slow month, not the average.
• Consider weekly payments. They're available in many cases and match businesses paid a few times a week. See weekly payments.
• Show your receivables. If you invoice studios, general contractors or distributors on terms, a current A/R aging report shows the money behind the gaps.

Georgia's commercial financing disclosure law

Georgia requires providers of commercial financing to give a business a standardized disclosure before a transaction is completed. The law covers commercial financing of $500,000 or less, including accounts receivable purchase transactions, and applies to providers that complete more than five commercial financing transactions in Georgia in a calendar year. Banks and certain other institutions are exempt.

The Georgia disclosure is stated in dollars rather than as an estimated APR. It shows the total amount of funding, the amount actually disbursed after any fees, the total amount to be paid, the total dollar cost, the payment schedule and any prepayment penalties. InstaFunders provides the disclosures Georgia requires. The figures should match your offer, including the purchased amount, which we call your hard stop number.

The same law protects you from a common broker practice: brokers may not charge or solicit an advance fee from a business for their brokering services. If someone asks you to pay up front to "secure" funding, treat it as a red flag.

Laws change, and this is general information, not legal advice. Our state disclosures guide explains how to use a disclosure to compare offers.

Requirements and what to send

Georgia businesses need 12 months+ in business, $50,000+ in average monthly deposits across at least 5 deposits a month, a credit score of 500+ and an average of 5 or fewer negative-balance days a month. To apply, send:

• A signed and dated application.
• Your last three months of business bank statements plus month-to-date, for every business account and associated business.
• Before funding: a driver's license and voided check for all owners, and a current A/R aging report and/or your most recent card processing statement.

The full list, including industries we don't fund, is on the requirements page. Already have an advance? Second position and onward is our strong suit.

When a Georgia business should choose something else

• Waiting on a single large invoice. If one studio or distributor owes you most of the gap, invoice factoring may cost less.
• Equipment you'll use for years. Cameras, lifts, ovens and trucks are usually cheaper on equipment financing.
• An industry-wide shutdown. If your customers have stopped working with no restart date, an advance adds a payment to a revenue gap it can't close.

Frequently asked questions