Personal loans for business expenses in Florida
This is a consumer loan, not a business loan. You are personally liable for it regardless of what the money is spent on, and it does not build business credit. For some sole proprietors that is a reasonable trade; for others an SBA microloan or a CDFI lender is the better product.
What "consumer loan" changes
The loan is underwritten on you: your identity, your bank-verified income, your credit-risk data. Business revenue matters only insofar as it lands in the account you connect and reads as income.
Because it is consumer credit, it carries consumer protections a business loan would not — a full Truth-in-Lending disclosure before signing, and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act adverse-action rights if we decline. It also means the obligation is yours personally, not the entity’s, and it will not appear on a business credit file.
Cheaper places to look first
SBA microloans are administered through non-profit intermediaries and are typically priced well below unsecured consumer credit. Community Development Financial Institutions serve Florida small businesses specifically and often lend where banks will not.
If you need equipment, equipment financing secured by the equipment is usually cheaper than an unsecured loan, for the same reason a mortgage is cheaper than a credit card.
What it costs
The same terms apply whatever the loan is for: 28.99%–35.99% APR depending on amount and underwriting, 12-month terms, no prepayment penalty.
| Loan amount | APR | Term | Monthly payment | Finance charge | Total of payments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,000 | 35.99% | 12 mo | $200.91 | $410.92 | $2,410.92 |
| $3,500 | 33.99% | 12 mo | $348.11 | $677.32 | $4,177.32 |
| $5,000 | 31.99% | 12 mo | $492.34 | $908.08 | $5,908.08 |
| $7,500 | 28.99% | 12 mo | $727.43 | $1,229.16 | $8,729.16 |
| $10,000 | 28.99% | 12 mo | $969.91 | $1,638.92 | $11,638.92 |
Representative examples only, not an offer of credit. Each row assumes a 12-month term, on-time payments, and the APR StrideFi currently quotes at that amount; your APR, term, and payment depend on underwriting. Interest accrues daily on the unpaid principal balance, so paying early reduces the finance charge below the figure shown, and paying late increases it. There is no prepayment penalty.
Model your own figures with the loan calculator, or read the full rates and terms.
Frequently asked questions
- Do you need business financials or a business plan?
- No. This is consumer credit — underwriting reviews you, not the business. No tax returns, financial statements, or business plan are requested.
- Will this build my business credit?
- No. It is a personal obligation and is not reported to business credit bureaus.
- Can the business be the borrower?
- No. StrideFi lends to individual Florida residents under the Florida Consumer Finance Act. An entity cannot be the borrower.
Other reasons people borrow
StrideFi is an online lender — we have no branch locations. Loans made by Stride Financial LLC under the Florida Consumer Finance Act (Chapter 516) to Florida residents statewide. Amounts from $2,000 to $10,000; APR 28.99%–35.99%; terms up to 12months; no prepayment penalty. Approval, loan amount, APR, and term depend on underwriting, including identity, income, and bank-account verification — not every applicant qualifies, and applying is not a guarantee of credit. Funding times depend on your bank's ACH processing.