Slateshire Finance arranges inventory financing for retailers, convenience stores and other stock-heavy businesses in Sanford, NC and across Lee County. The funding pays for goods up front, and the goods themselves usually secure it. This page covers how it works, buying ahead of the months you sell most, and what partners review before deciding.
| Pays for | Goods paid for ahead of the till |
|---|---|
| Secured by | Usually the inventory itself |
| Retail employers, Lee County, NC | 253 (CBP 2023) |
| ZIP 27330 retail employers | 169 (ZBP 2023) |
What is inventory financing?
Inventory financing is funding used to buy goods for resale, where the goods usually serve as collateral. It may come as a short loan for one purchase or a revolving facility for ongoing orders. Either way, the idea is that sales of the stock repay what was advanced to buy it.
A business loan to purchase inventory without that link to the goods is just working capital. The difference matters to partners because they want to see how the goods turn back into cash.
Inventory financing from order to sell-through
- You list the order: supplier, items, cost and expected delivery.
- A partner reviews your sales history, how fast stock turns and the value of the goods.
- Funds go to you or straight to the supplier.
- You repay on the partner's schedule, which may follow how the goods sell.
Some partners advance only part of the stock's cost and expect you to cover the rest. Ask what share they fund and how they value the goods.
Buying stock ahead of your selling months
A store that sells more in some months than in others places those orders well before the money comes in. Inventory financing lets you place the full order instead of a cautious one, then pay it down from the sales it produces.
The risk is buying stock that does not sell. Base the order on what sold last year, not on hope, and keep the repayment schedule inside the window when you expect to sell through.
Inventory purchases for retail and grocery stores in Lee County, NC
Retail is the county's biggest sector by count: Lee County, NC had 253 retail employer establishments in 2023, and ZIP 27330 alone had 169 (County Business Patterns and ZIP Code Business Patterns; the ZIP is a postal area, not the Sanford, NC city limits). Within that, the county counted 26 health and personal care stores, 23 clothing and accessories stores, 21 grocery stores and 16 building material and garden supply dealers.
The county had 28 gasoline station employers in 2023 (County Business Patterns); the gas station and convenience store page looks at fuel and store stock. Shops selling clothing, gifts and home goods are covered on retail store funding.
A loan to buy inventory for a boutique: how the numbers run
Illustration only, not an offer or a typical figure: a boutique places a $12,000 order for fall apparel. If last fall it sold through most of a similar order in about ten weeks, a repayment schedule inside that window lines up with the cash the stock brings in. If it took five months, the order or the schedule needs to change before anyone signs.
A partner may ask the same question in its own way: how long does this stock sit before it becomes cash?
Inventory financing vs a business line of credit for inventory
A line of credit for inventory works well when orders are frequent and modest: draw, restock, repay, repeat. Dedicated inventory financing suits a single large order, such as a season's buy, where a line would not be large enough or would be tied up for months.
A store can keep a line and a dedicated facility side by side. Compare them with the other options on the comparison page.
What partners review on an inventory request
- Point-of-sale or sales reports for the past year
- Current inventory list and how quickly stock turns
- Supplier invoices or the purchase order being financed
- Business bank statements
- Any existing liens on inventory, such as a supplier's floor plan
When the order is ready, start a request. Local business counts are on the Sanford, NC page.
