Garden Funding publishes firm guidelines: more than $20,000 a month in revenue, at least one year in business, no more than six negative days, and 14 restricted categories. If your business falls short on one of those, look for a company whose published guidelines you actually meet. Merchant Fund Express's advance guidelines commonly start around $7,500 a month and 3+ months in business, but MFE does not fund every industry Garden restricts and does not offer SBA loans.
Review My Funding Options →According to gardenfunding.com, checked October 15, 2026, Garden Funding LLC of Dania Beach, Florida, lists three products: revenue-based funding (MCA) up to $500,000, a business line of credit from $5,000 to $250,000 with weekly payments and terms up to 18 months, and SBA-backed loans from $50,000 to $5,000,000 over 10 to 25 years.
Its guidelines page asks for monthly revenue above $20,000, no more than 6 negative days, at least 1 year in business and, for California businesses, a net of $5,000 after fees. Submissions need 3 months of bank statements (4 in California), a month-to-date statement preferably after the 15th, and an application with EIN, owner SSN, date of birth and home address, signed within the last 30 days.
Its terms say Garden is not a lender, loan provider or credit decision-maker. It describes itself as a business consulting and referral service, and third-party providers make the funding decisions.
Garden's one-year minimum rules out a business in its first twelve months. MFE's guidelines are staggered by product: a merchant cash advance or revenue-based funding often from 3+ months, a working capital loan often from 6+ months, and a line of credit usually from 1+ year.
Illustrative example: a mobile detailing company eight months old, depositing about $14,000 a month, misses Garden on both time and revenue. On MFE's published guidelines it can be reviewed for an advance. A short history usually means a smaller first offer and a shorter term, so request what the business needs now rather than the largest number possible.
MFE's advance guideline commonly starts around $7,500 a month; working capital loans and lines of credit start around $17,500. That gives three bands:
See how much can I borrow for how deposits translate into offer size.
$5,000 to $5,000,000. Scores from 500 considered. Same-day decisions are common on complete files.
Review My Funding Options →Here MFE has to be plain with you: it does not fund every industry that Garden restricts. The table shows what each company says, as published.
| Category on Garden's list | Garden | MFE |
|---|---|---|
| Non-profits | Restricted | Not eligible |
| Roofing | Restricted | Reviewed program by program; residential roofing work may fall under the residential remodeling restriction that many funders, MFE's programs included, apply |
| Bail bonds, pawn shops, cannabis, crypto, financial firms, real estate/mortgages | Restricted | Reviewed program by program; no program is promised |
| Auto sales, gas stations, solar/energy, farming/agriculture | Restricted | Reviewed program by program; no program is promised |
| Companies based in Canada or Puerto Rico | Restricted | Ask before applying; this page does not promise a program |
The reverse also holds. Many funders, MFE's programs included, restrict new residential construction, residential remodeling and long-distance trucking, none of which appear on Garden's published list. If you are in one of those trades, Garden's providers may look at a file that MFE's programs would not. Check the industries page and ask before you submit.
Garden lists SBA-backed loans of $50,000 to $5,000,000 with 10 to 25 year terms and describes them as carrying the lowest rates available to small businesses. SBA loans are made by banks and other approved lenders under SBA program rules, and Garden's terms say a third-party provider makes the decision.
MFE does not offer SBA loans. If a long-term, lower-rate loan is what you need and you can wait for the process, an SBA lender is the right place to go. MFE's products are shorter-term and generally cost more per dollar than a long SBA loan, so they fit needs that pay back quickly: a stock order, a repair, a payroll gap, a contract that starts paying in weeks. Some owners use one while an SBA application is in process; if you do, confirm the SBA lender is comfortable with the extra payment on your statements.
Garden caps negative days at six. MFE does not publish a single number; it looks for steady deposits, limited NSFs and a manageable existing payment load. If overdrafts come from an advance that is draining the account daily, more money on top rarely helps. A refinance or buyout or consolidation may be the better request.
Garden fits an established business, a year or older, depositing well above $20,000 a month with clean statements, outside its restricted list, that wants SBA options alongside faster products. Read our Garden Funding review and the MFE vs Garden comparison for the full picture.
If you missed Garden's screen on time or revenue, send MFE the short application with 3 to 4 months of business bank statements, an ID and a voided check. Complete applications commonly receive a same-day decision; the deposit often follows a business day later. Sole proprietors are eligible, and credit scores from 500 are considered.
Merchant Fund Express reviews merchant cash advances, working capital, lines of credit, equipment financing, invoice factoring and refinancing of existing advances, from $5,000 to $5,000,000.
Review My Funding Options →Or call (305) 384-8391. English and Spanish.
According to gardenfunding.com, checked October 15, 2026: monthly revenue above $20,000, at least one year in business, no more than six negative days, and a business outside its restricted list. California businesses must net at least $5,000 after fees.
Some may be reviewed, but not all. Non-profits are not eligible at MFE, and residential remodeling and long-distance trucking are restricted in many programs. Other categories are reviewed program by program, so ask before applying rather than assuming a program exists.
Garden requires a year. MFE's advance guideline often starts at 3+ months and its working capital loan at 6+ months. A younger business can be reviewed, but expect a smaller first offer while history builds.
No. Garden lists SBA-backed loans of $50,000 to $5,000,000 through third-party providers. MFE offers shorter-term products such as advances, working capital loans, lines of credit, equipment financing and invoice factoring, which fit faster needs rather than long-term financing.
Its terms say it is not a lender, loan provider or credit decision-maker. It describes itself as a business consulting and referral service whose third-party providers make all funding decisions. Ask which company would fund and service your deal.
Sources. Garden Funding guidelines; Garden Funding business financing; Garden Funding terms and conditions; Garden Funding application. Competitor details checked October 15, 2026. Merchant Fund Express publishes this page and offers competing business funding; it has no affiliation with the companies named. Terms change, so confirm them with each company. Spotted an error? Call (305) 384-8391.