Guides
The questions worth answering before you sign anything — written plainly, with the arithmetic shown.
Looking for something else? Help centre — How to apply and how to use Spark, on the website and in the app. · Writing — News and argument about Canadian small-business lending.
Getting a loan
The route from first question to signed offer, and what gets read along the way.
- September 24, 2026Business loan requirements in Canada, and whether you need collateralWhat lenders actually ask for, what changes the list, and when a loan needs security behind it — and when it does not.4 min read
- September 24, 2026Can you get a business loan with bad credit in Canada?What a low score actually changes, what it does not, and how to put the strongest file forward when your credit is not.3 min read
- September 24, 2026How to get a business loan in CanadaThe whole route, start to finish: which door to knock on, what gets read, what to send, and how to compare what comes back.6 min read
- September 8, 2026How much can my business actually borrow?Why the number comes from your deposits rather than your revenue, and the four things that move it up or down.3 min read
- September 8, 2026Why we ask for six months of statementsWhat an underwriter actually reads in your bank statements, and why it is usually better for you than a credit score.2 min read
Kinds of financing
What each one is, how it is repaid, and when it is the wrong answer.
- September 24, 2026Construction equipment financing in CanadaExcavators, loaders, lifts and trucks — how financing heavy equipment works, new or used, and what gets a file approved faster.4 min read
- September 24, 2026Invoice factoring in Canada: how it works and what it costsSelling your invoices for cash now, explained plainly — the advance, the fee, recourse, and when borrowing against receivables is the better deal.4 min read
- September 24, 2026Merchant cash advances in Canada: how they work and what they costA factor rate is not an interest rate. How a merchant cash advance is priced and repaid, what it really costs, and what to compare it with.4 min read
- September 24, 2026Revenue-based financing in Canada, explainedFunding sized against what your business brings in rather than what it owns. How it is priced, how it is repaid, and who it suits.3 min read
Costs and rates
How to read what an offer really costs, in dollars.
Programs and alternatives
Government programs, grants, the banks and BDC — and where each one fits.
- September 24, 2026Bank, BDC or broker: where should a Canadian business borrow?What the big banks, BDC and alternative lenders each look for, what they cost relative to each other, and how to pick the one your file actually fits.4 min read
- September 24, 2026The Canada Small Business Financing Program (CSBFP), explainedHow the federal government-backed small business loan works: who qualifies, how much, what it costs, what it cannot pay for, and what to do if your bank says no.4 min read
- September 24, 2026Small business grants in Canada, and when a loan is the better answerWhere Canadian small business grants actually come from, what they usually fund, how long they take — and how to tell whether you need a grant or a loan.3 min read