The stories of various merchant loan users have been combined to create this fictional story, in order to show you how a merchant loan can help your business

When I first opened Family Gym, it was the talk of the town. Having a place where the entire family, from babies to grandparents, could go to focus on health and fitness was a dream come true for the countless, health conscious families in the area.

By the outcome of the gym's grand opening, I knew my in-depth research, dedication and patience would soon pay off and I was looking forward to profitability and longevity.

Little did I know the economy would take a turn for the worst, causing consumers to cut back on spending, thus eliminating purchases and payments that they do not consider necessities.

Flipping through the pages of a well-known industry magazine, I came across a consumer survey, explaining the areas that consumers are cutting back on in order to save more money. This survey identified areas that consumers consider "expendable" as well as those that consumers felt were "untouchable." Though gym memberships did not make it into the "expendable" category, they also did not land in the "untouchable" category, meaning it was up to me to make sure that I kept my current customer base and reached out to as many new customers as possible.

That was when I remembered speaking with a family friend a few years ago. He spoke of how he wanted to renovate his fashion consulting business, but was having trouble getting funds from a bank. He decided to check out a company that utilizes credit card factoring to provide merchant loans. He said they called it the "small business loan alternative." He was able to get $35,000 to put toward financing his renovation.

"I could really use the extra money to do additional research and boost my marketing," I thought. I had been keeping up on the latest economic news, and I knew that with my less-than-perfect credit score and my lack of collateral, I would never be approved for a bank loan. So, I decided to find out what these merchant loan people could do for me.

I have to say, choosing a merchant loan was one of the best decisions of my life. I had owned my business for over six months, my business processed over $5,000 in monthly credit card sales and I had over a year remaining on my business's lease at the time of application, so I was approved in 48 hours. Then, I had the funds wired into my account in 10 days! I have been able to put my funds to good use, and the flexible repayment plan is amazing. Only a small percentage of my daily credit card sales is automatically deducted to take care of the repayment. And the best part? I was given the option to renew my funds in four months.

I would definitely recommend the merchant loan to anyone who needs funds for his/her business. If it worked for me, it can work for you.