Key Takeaways
- Inventory is the most common capital need for asylee retail and distribution businesses
- No green card required — revenue-based evaluation
- Fund seasonal stocking, new product launches, and supply chain gaps
- Repayment comes from inventory sales — cash flow-neutral structure
- 48-hour decisions
For asylee-owned retail stores, distributors, and manufacturers, inventory is both the engine of the business and its biggest capital constraint. You can't sell what you don't stock. You can't stock what you can't buy. And you can't buy inventory without capital — capital that traditional banks won't provide without a green card.
How Inventory Financing Works
Inventory financing at Bankable works as working capital sized to your inventory purchase cycle. You receive a lump sum advance, purchase inventory, sell it over 30-90 days, and repay from sales revenue. The repayment is structured as a percentage of your daily or weekly bank deposits — so on days you sell more, you repay more, and on slow days, less is taken. This matches the natural rhythm of inventory businesses.
Common Asylee Inventory Financing Scenarios
- Ethiopian grocery owner in Minneapolis: Needs $40,000 to stock injera ingredients, berbere spices, and teff grain before the Ethiopian New Year holiday rush.
- Venezuelan beauty supply distributor in Miami: Needs $60,000 to purchase a container of hair products arriving from Colombia for distribution to Miami salons.
- Haitian clothing retailer in Boston: Needs $25,000 to stock holiday-season clothing inventory before October.
- Afghan food processor in Virginia: Needs $30,000 to buy flour, ghee, and spices for a large production run of Ramadan specialty foods.
Qualification
Minimum: $15,000/month in product sales revenue, 6 months operating, US entity, EAD. We look at your sales velocity (how fast you turn inventory), your supplier relationships, and your seasonal patterns to size the advance appropriately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Asylee retailers with EAD, US entity, and $15,000+/month in product sales qualify for inventory financing.
Typically 1-2x your monthly sales revenue. A retailer doing $50,000/month may qualify for $50,000-$100,000 in inventory capital.
Decision within 48 hours. Funds in 3-5 business days — fast enough to meet most supplier payment deadlines.
Yes. Seasonal inventory stocking is one of the most common uses. We look at your full-year revenue history to understand your seasonal patterns.
Yes. Brick-and-mortar and e-commerce inventory both qualify based on sales revenue.
Bankable's advance is deposited directly into your business bank account — you then pay your supplier however they require (wire, check, ACH).
Yes. Import inventory purchases — including customs, freight, and duties — are valid uses.
Business bank statements, POS reports, and wholesale purchase order records.