Among the many success stories we hear, and often participate in, there are also far too many disappointments that small business owners experience in their quest for capital to grow their businesses.
Having realistic expectations for what you will qualify for is a great start. As it relates to unsecured working capital, a general rule of thumb is that a business will qualify for between 10%-20% of their annual revenues. So, if a business grosses $400k per annum, they will most likely qualify for between $40k - 80k in new money at the most.
Now of course, there are a multitude of variables that factor into the algorithm that determines the amount of capital your business can access. These include: quarterly performance vs. yearly, industry type, seasonality, business trends, active revenues, money type (new or renewal), existing exposure, current UCC liens, etc.
Also, please remember to calculate any business loans that you presently have when requesting new capital. Those current obligations typically either have to be satisfied with the new loan or backed out of the maximum approved amount.
In closing, when reaching out to your commercial lender of choice, temper your expectations a bit, prepare yourself, ask the right questions, don't overreact, and you'll be much happier with the process, regardless of the outcome.