If you have ever run a business on your own, or are doing so, you are probably aware of those sudden needs for cash that rise from time to time. These needs, most often, are of a critical nature and can significantly impact the future of a business. In some cases, unavailability of cash can lead to an abrupt termination of the business. It is very typical to find oneself passing through a particularly tight phase. Funds are short and you could really do with some emergency funding. To make matters worse, the banks have turned their back towards you. You need some cash, and you need it fast. Who should you turn to? This article will show you.

If you are ever faced with such a predicament, a business cash advance is the solution. Let's start with the basics. A business cash advance, as the name itself suggests, is a sum of money forwarded to you to facilitate the operation of your business.

Frankly, for somebody owning and running a small to medium business, the need for funds may arise all of a sudden. The needs could be varied – such as advertising and promotional costs, debt consolidation, cash flow, adding to inventory or purchasing new equipment, business expansion or remodeling, payroll and so on. To help one realize these goals, one needs to have some ready cash to get started. A simple business cash advance can take care of every such need in the most satisfactory and timely manner.

The significance of a cash advance extends beyond this. More than just being a financial genie in your hour of need, a cash advance can also assume the role of a veritable life-saver. It can play a critical role by which it saves a business from stopping its operations. In other words, a cash advance not just improves operations, but also keeps the business operating in the first place.

So how does cash advance work? How is the amount forwarded as a cash advance determined? The cash advance amount is usually based on the average monthly Credit Card sales and the merchant's need for capital. It can also be dependant on the average credit card volume and the past business history. In recent times, however, the process of securing a cash advance for your business has become a lot simpler than ever. Most financial bodies offering such advances require a business to comply with just a handful of norms in order to deem it qualified to receive the loan. These include being in the restaurant, service or retail business for an appreciable length of time (like 9 months or more), having a moderately good to excellent personal and business credit history, no open tax liens, judgments or bankruptcies and the like.

However, the most important prerequisite is that a business must have a merchant account, or in other words, must be accepting credit cards as a form of payment. This is because repayment of a business cash advance is closely linked with the credit card transaction of the business. A cash advance is never tied to a fixed repayment schedule. Rather, the repayment is done from credit card sales receipts and as such, the business generally does not feel the pinch. This is an agreeable departure from the working capital loans which require a fixed repayment schedule. If the borrower fails to repay the working capital loan according to this schedule, it might affect his credit score and he also stands the chance of losing his collateral.

The process of applying for a cash advance and getting an approval has been streamlined substantially over the last few years. Most lending authorities now can provide ready funds for a business without any upfront fees or closing costs, any collaterals and often, in as little as 10 days.