Banks have a playbook.
And if your project doesn’t fit neatly into their risk boxes, solid credit, decades in business, traditional collateral they can liquidate, you’re going to hear “no.” Or worse, you’ll spend three months in underwriting purgatory only to get rejected anyway.
That’s where alternative business financing comes in.
It’s not a consolation prize. It’s a different game entirely, one built for projects that don’t check the traditional boxes but still make solid business sense.
What Alternative Business Financing Actually Means
Alternative business financing is capital that doesn’t come from a traditional bank.
It’s private lenders, institutional funds, and specialty finance companies that underwrite deals based on the project itself, not just your FICO score or how long you’ve been filing taxes.
Here’s the difference: a bank looks backward. They want to see years of profitability, predictable cash flow, and assets they can seize if things go sideways.
Alternative lenders look forward. They evaluate your business plan, your market opportunity, your team’s experience, and the upside potential of what you’re building.
That shift in perspective changes everything.
When Traditional Banks Walk Away
Banks are great, until they’re not.
They’ll fund your widget factory expansion if you’ve been in business for 15 years, have pristine credit, and own the building outright. But what about the ambitious projects that don’t fit that mold?
Startups with serious traction but limited financial history. You’ve got customers, momentum, and a killer product, but not three years of tax returns.
Real estate developers tackling unconventional projects. Mixed-use developments, adaptive reuse, or properties in emerging markets that don’t fit the bank’s geographic comfort zone.
Business acquisitions that move fast. When you’ve got a limited window to close on a competitor or a strategic asset, banks can’t keep pace.
Industry-specific plays. Certain sectors, cannabis, automotive, hospitality ventures in transitional markets, are automatic passes for traditional lenders, regardless of the fundamentals.
Alternative business financing exists because opportunity doesn’t wait for bank committees to reach consensus.
The 90/10 Funding Structure: Your Capital Stays Where It Belongs
Here’s where it gets interesting.
Most private business loans require you to have significant skin in the game, sometimes 30%, 40%, even 50% of the total project cost. That’s a massive capital drain, especially when you’re trying to scale or execute multiple projects simultaneously.
Grammont’s 90/10 project funding model flips that script.
We provide up to 90% of the capital. You bring 10%.
That means on a $5 million project, you’re contributing $500,000, not $2.5 million. Your capital stays liquid. Your runway extends. You can pursue the next opportunity instead of tying up everything you’ve got in one deal.
This isn’t about lowering the bar. It’s about structuring deals that make strategic sense for business owners who think beyond a single project.
We’re backing the deal based on its merits, the projected returns, the market dynamics, your execution capability. Not draining your reserves to prove commitment.
No Personal Guarantee Business Loans: Your House Isn’t on the Table
Let’s talk about the elephant in every loan closing room: personal guarantees.
Traditional banks want them. It’s standard operating procedure, you sign your name, pledge your personal assets, and if the business falters, they come after your home, your savings, everything.
Alternative business financing through non-recourse structures works differently.
With no personal guarantee business loans, the lender’s recourse is limited to the project itself. We’re betting on the business plan and the asset being financed, not putting a lien on your personal life.
That’s not recklessness. It’s alignment.
If we’re truly confident in the deal, we shouldn’t need to threaten your mortgage to feel comfortable. We evaluate the opportunity, structure the deal accordingly, and move forward without putting your family’s security on the line.
It’s a cleaner partnership, and it lets you take calculated business risks without gambling everything you’ve built personally.
Who This Is For: The $1M to $100M+ Project Range
Here’s the straight answer: alternative business financing through Grammont isn’t for everyone.
Our minimum deal is $1 million. We’re structured for substantial projects, acquisitions, developments, expansions, and capital-intensive growth plays.
If you’re looking to finance a $50,000 equipment purchase or a small working capital need, we’re not the right fit. That’s not a judgment, it’s just operational reality. Our underwriting process, deal structures, and capital sources are optimized for larger-scale opportunities.
The sweet spot runs from $1M to $100M+. Projects at this level require serious due diligence, custom structuring, and the kind of capital deployment that traditional banks either can’t or won’t handle.
These are deals where speed, flexibility, and creative structuring create measurable competitive advantage.
The Timeline Reality: Fast Approval, Realistic Funding
Let’s set expectations clearly.
You’ll see “fast business funding” claims all over the internet, lenders promising cash in 24 hours, instant approvals, money by Friday. That’s usually merchant cash advances or high-cost bridge products with crushing terms.
Here’s how serious alternative business financing actually works:
Approval timeline: approximately 15 days. We move quickly because we’re not a committee-driven bureaucracy. You’re dealing with decision-makers who understand business and can evaluate deals without endless red tape. There’s still due diligence, documentation, structuring, and coordination with title companies, attorneys, and third parties. This isn’t instant gratification, it’s institutional-quality capital being deployed correctly.
Funding timeline: approximately 60 days.
Compare that to traditional banks, where you’re looking at 90 to 120+ days just to get through underwriting, and another 30 to 60 for closing.
We’re faster where it counts, getting to “yes” or “no” quickly so you’re not in limbo. But we’re realistic about the fact that moving $5 million or $50 million requires proper process.
Is Alternative Business Financing Right for You?
Here’s the gut check.
Alternative business financing makes sense if you’re pursuing a legitimate, substantial opportunity that traditional banks won’t touch: not because the deal is weak, but because it doesn’t fit their conventional risk profile.
It works when you need capital structured around the opportunity itself, not around decades of tax history or perfect credit scores.
It’s the right move when keeping your capital liquid and avoiding personal guarantees creates strategic flexibility that matters more than shaving a point off the interest rate.
It’s not right if:
- You’re looking for the absolute cheapest cost of capital and can qualify for traditional bank financing
- Your project is under $1 million
- You need cash in days for an emergency rather than strategic growth
- You’re uncomfortable with private lender structures and would rather deal with a familiar bank relationship
It is right if:
- You’ve got a solid opportunity that banks pass on for reasons unrelated to deal quality
- You value speed-to-decision and partnership over bureaucracy
- You want to scale without tying up all your capital or pledging personal assets
- You’re ready to work with a lender who evaluates the forward-looking opportunity, not just the rearview mirror
The traditional banking system serves a purpose. But it’s not built for every opportunity: and the best ones often fall outside those narrow lines.
That’s why alternative business financing exists. Not as a backup plan, but as a primary strategy for business owners who think bigger than the bank’s playbook allows.