FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — September 11, 2026 — With small-business uncertainty rising and revenue growth holding steady but growth expectations weakening, Critical Financing Inc. is urging companies that recently received financing to closely track bank activity, collections and repayment obligations during the 90 days immediately following funding.
The guidance follows two recent data points on the state of small-business finances. The National Federation of Independent Business’s Small Business Optimism Index, released September 8, showed uncertainty among small business owners remaining elevated amid weakened sales and inflation pressure. That follows the Federal Reserve’s latest Small Business Credit Survey, based on responses from 6,525 U.S. small employer firms, which found revenue and employment growth holding relatively steady even as expectations for future growth declined and rising costs remained a top challenge.
“Receiving capital is only one part of the financing process,” said Brandon Garcia, CEO of Critical Financing Inc. “The first 90 days can show business owners how the additional capital is affecting their cash position, operating cycle and repayment obligations. That information can be valuable when planning for future capital needs.”
Why Profit Doesn’t Always Mean Cash on Hand
Under accrual accounting, revenue is often recognized when it’s earned rather than when a customer pays — so a company can report a profitable month while much of that revenue sits in accounts receivable. Two independent data sources point to the scale of the gap: Intuit QuickBooks’ 2025 U.S. Small Business Late Payments Report found 56% of surveyed small businesses were owed money from unpaid invoices, averaging $17,500 per business, and a January 2026 Small Business Cash Flow Trend Report from lender OnDeck and analytics firm Ocrolus found cash flow ranked among the top challenges small businesses cited for the quarter.
Capital expenditures follow the same pattern. When a business invests in equipment or technology, the full cash outlay happens at once while the expense is recognized gradually through depreciation. Critical Financing Inc observes this is a consistent way a business finds itself cash-constrained despite strong reported earnings.
“Cash flow is ultimately about timing,” Garcia said. “A business can have strong sales and still experience pressure if collections are slower than its expenses and other obligations.”
What the 90-Day Window Can Show
Financing deployed toward inventory, equipment, payroll or a new location each creates a different cash-flow pattern — inventory and equipment require cash up front, while their related accounting costs are typically recognized later, through cost of goods sold or depreciation. Critical Financing says that gap is a common reason a business can be cash-constrained despite strong reported earnings, and why it treats a bank statement as a necessary complement to a profit-and-loss statement when assessing a company’s financial position after funding.
About Critical Financing Inc.
Critical Financing Inc. is a Farmingdale, New York-based business-funding advisory firm serving businesses seeking working capital and other financing options. According to the company, its network includes more than 40 lenders and it works with businesses across all 50 states. Its financing-related services include access to working-capital products and other business financing options through third-party funding providers. Critical Financing ranked No. 2,671 on the 2025 Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies.
Critical Financing Inc. offers an SBA loan calculator on its website, criticalfi.com, as a free tool for business owners evaluating financing options against their cash position.
Media Contact
Brandon Garcia
Critical Financing Inc.
applications@criticalfinancing.com
https://www.criticalfi.com/