Quarrystone Loans, a small-business funding broker in Sumter, South Carolina, moves a request through four steps: a first call about purpose, matching the purpose to a funding type, a lending partner's review, and your decision on any offer. The partner makes the credit decision and sets every rate and term; you can decline any offer.
What separates a loan broker from a lender
A lender puts up the money, decides the application and sets the terms. A broker does not do any of them. Quarrystone Loans is a broker, not a lender: we clarify the request, match it to the right kind of funding and introduce it to lending partners.
Step 1: A call about purpose
You call, or leave your contact details and a few range picks on the short form and we call you. We ask what the money is for, roughly what it costs, how long the business has been running and how the funding would be paid back. Leave the paperwork in the drawer for now.
Step 2: Picking the structure that fits the purpose
The purpose drives the structure. A payroll gap points to working capital; a fit-out to a term loan; recurring bills to a line of credit; stock to inventory financing; a machine to equipment financing. If you already hold a merchant cash advance offer, we explain what it will collect. With your permission, the request then goes to partners that offer that structure.
Step 3: A partner studies the file
The partner asks for what it needs, usually from this list:
- Statements from the business bank account, latest few months
- Business tax returns and financial statements for larger requests
- Formation documents and state standing for an LLC or corporation
- A quote or invoice for the item or project
- Owner credit information, often with a personal guarantee
The partner may check credit and decides on its own criteria. It can approve, decline or offer different terms from the ones requested.
Borrowing as an LLC or corporation in South Carolina
Yes. LLCs and corporations apply in the company's name, and partners usually want proof the entity is active on state records plus a personal guarantee from the owners. In South Carolina that proof is commonly a certificate of existence; our guide to the certificate explains what partners check. Sole proprietors apply under their own name. The license your business holds also matters; the Sumter license guide covers the city-or-county question.
Step 4: Weighing one offer against another
| Offer is priced as | Ask for | Then compare |
|---|---|---|
| An interest rate or APR | Total of all payments, plus all fees | Total cost and payment calendar |
| A factor rate (advances) | Purchased amount, plus all fees | Total cost and expected collection pace |
| A lease payment | Total payments, buyout and end-of-term terms | Total cost, including any buyout |
APR, factor rate and lease payment are not interchangeable. Put every offer into the same terms: what you receive, what you pay in total, and when. Then weigh that against the purpose. Turning an offer down leaves you free to keep looking.
Red flags while you shop
- Anyone promising approval before seeing your file
- Money demanded before any offer is on paper
- A push to sign before you have read the terms
- Offers that will not state the total cost in writing
- Requests to send passwords or full account logins
Those warning signs apply to any broker, lender or funder, us included. More detail sits in the FAQ page and the broker disclosures, and free independent advice is listed in the Sumter County directory.
By Quarrystone Loans · Updated