Options to look into
The five questions
What does the Financing Check ask?
The same five questions as the Check above, listed here for reference. Nothing here is a form.
What is the money for?
Pick the closest one.
- Day-to-day running costs
- Waiting for customers to pay invoices
- Buying stock or inventory
- Equipment, vehicles or premises
- A specific contract or project
- Not sure yet
How long has the business been running?
Some schemes and lenders refer to business age.
- Less than 1 year
- 1 to 2 years
- 2 to 5 years
- More than 5 years
How soon do you need it?
There is no wrong answer.
- Within 2 weeks
- In 1 to 3 months
- More than 3 months away
- Not sure
What do you have to work with?
Pick the one that fits best.
- Unpaid invoices from business customers
- Confirmed orders or contracts
- Equipment or property the business owns
- None of these, or not sure
What do you have ready?
Think of the last 2 years of financial statements and recent bank statements.
- All of it
- Some of it
- Not yet, or not sure
Every possible result
What results can the Check show?
The Check shows two or three of these nine options, plus any notes that apply. The rules below decide which.
The big picture: SME financing in Singapore
Where SME money comes from, who lends, and the main types of financing.
Working capital financing
Term loans, revolving credit and overdrafts for day-to-day costs.
Trade financing for stock
Short-term financing linked to buying stock or specific trade deals.
Equipment and fixed-asset financing
Longer-term financing for equipment, machinery or premises. Our leasing vs hire purchase guide is coming soon.
Government-supported financing (EFS)
Loans from participating lenders, with EnterpriseSG sharing part of the risk.
Preparing to apply, and red flags
Documents to gather, and the warning signs of a scam.
Notes the Check can add
If you need the money urgently
You said you need money within 2 weeks. People in a hurry are a common target for loan scams. Never pay a fee before a loan is released, and be wary of any offer you did not ask for.
If the business is under 2 years old
Lenders set their own minimum trading history and turnover levels. Ask each one before you apply.
If EFS is shown and the business is under 5 years old
EnterpriseSG describes "young enterprises" (formed within the past 5 years, at least 1 employee, more than 50% owned by individuals) and may give a higher risk share for them under some EFS loans. The lender still decides. LEGAL REVIEW
How the result is worked out
What rules decide the result?
The Check uses only these fixed rules. There is no scoring, no credit check and no lender matching. LEGAL REVIEW
| Result line | When | Shows |
|---|---|---|
| Option 1 | Based on Q1 (what the money is for) | running → Working capital; invoices → Invoice financing; stock → Trade financing; equipment → Equipment and fixed-asset financing; project → Contract or project financing; not sure → The big picture (overview guide) |
| Option 2 | Option 1 is The big picture | Q4 = unpaid invoices → Invoice financing or factoring; otherwise → Working capital financing |
| Option 2 | Otherwise, if Q4 = unpaid invoices and Option 1 is not invoice financing | Invoice financing or factoring |
| Option 2 | Otherwise, if Option 1 is equipment or project | Comparing costs: flat rate vs EIR |
| Option 2 | Otherwise | Government-supported financing (EFS) |
| Option 3 | Q5 is not "All of it", or Q3 = within 2 weeks | Preparing to apply, and red flags |
| Option 3 | Otherwise, if "Comparing costs" is not already shown | Comparing costs: flat rate vs EIR |
| Option 3 | Otherwise | Preparing to apply, and red flags |
| Note | Q3 = within 2 weeks | Urgency note: scammers target people who need money fast; never pay upfront fees. |
| Note | Q2 = less than 1 year or 1 to 2 years | Trading history note: lenders set their own minimum trading periods; ask each one. |
| Note | Q2 = less than 1, 1 to 2, or 2 to 5 years and EFS is shown | Young-enterprise note: EnterpriseSG's definition and 70% risk share; the lender still decides. LEGAL REVIEW |
| Link | Always, unless The big picture is already an option | "New to business financing?" link to The big picture overview guide |
| Note | Always | General information disclaimer, and confirmation that nothing was stored or sent. |
What we do and don’t do
What does the Check do, and not do?
What the Check does
- Explain financing options in plain, general terms
- Point you to guides that match your answers, using fixed rules shown on this page
- Work free, with no sign-up
- Show you what to prepare before you talk to a lender
What the Check does not do
- Lend money or arrange loans
- Check your credit score or assess your business
- Estimate approval chances or how much you can borrow
- Store or send your answers anywhere
- Recommend a specific lender or product
Frequently asked questions
Is the Financing Check a credit check?
No. The Check does not look up or affect your credit score, and it does not assess your business. It asks five questions and uses fixed rules, shown on this page, to point you to general types of financing and guides to read.
Is anything I enter stored or sent?
No. The Check runs entirely in your browser tab. Your answers are not stored, sent or tracked, and refreshing the page clears them.
LEGAL REVIEW
Does the Financing Check tell me if I will be approved for a loan?
No. Riverell is not a lender and does not arrange loans. The Check does not estimate approval chances or how much you can borrow. Only a lender can decide whether to lend to you.