Frequently Asked Questions

No. GrowLocal Capital is not a lender and does not make credit decisions. Funding products are offered by independent providers and are subject to their underwriting, terms, availability, and applicable requirements. GrowLocal Capital may receive compensation from certain providers when a referred business obtains or purchases a product. No approval, rate, term, introductory period, or funding amount is guaranteed.

No. The assessment produces a preliminary, general readiness category based on a fixed set of deterministic rules and the information you provide. It is not an application, a credit decision, or a promise of approval, rate, term, or funding amount from any provider. Every assessment is also reviewed by a human administrator before a final report is issued.

No. GrowLocal Capital does not pull consumer credit reports. The assessment may ask for general, self-reported ranges (such as an approximate credit-score range or revenue range) to produce an educational readiness category, but it does not perform a credit inquiry of any kind.

Review timelines can vary depending on volume and the complexity of your situation. Every assessment is reviewed by a human administrator before your final readiness report is issued, which means review is not instantaneous. You should expect some processing time rather than an immediate automated result.

If your readiness report suggests your business may not be ready for a particular funding category right now, that's useful information, not a dead end. The report is designed to highlight general preparation steps, such as documentation to gather or financial records to organize, that may help going forward, and you're always welcome to revisit the assessment later.

After you authorize a referral, a GrowLocal Capital administrator selects a specific independent provider that meets our current partner standards (see the Partners page) and confirms the referral. You then apply directly with that provider under its own underwriting process; GrowLocal Capital does not submit the application on your behalf and cannot guarantee any outcome.

Yes. Authorizing a referral is entirely your choice, and you can decline to authorize one at any point after receiving your readiness report. You may also withdraw an authorization before a provider has been contacted. Declining a referral has no effect on the educational content, assessment, or report you've already received.

GrowLocal Capital may receive compensation from independent funding providers when a business we refer obtains or purchases a product from that provider. This compensation does not increase the cost of the product to you, and it does not influence the deterministic readiness classification your assessment produces.

Information you provide in the assessment, contact form, or consultation request is used to deliver those services, to support human review, and, only with your explicit authorization, to introduce you to an independent funding provider or to GrowLocalHub. See our Privacy Policy and the Privacy and Data Use disclosure on the Disclosures page for full detail on retention and data use.

Yes. GrowLocal Capital's consulting deliverables are entirely optional, and you're free to work with your own accountant, bookkeeper, or advisor instead of, or alongside, any GrowLocal Capital consulting service. Using your own advisor has no effect on your assessment, report, or eligibility for a referral.

No. GrowLocal Capital and GrowLocalHub are affiliated services, but you are never required to purchase GrowLocalHub's website, marketing, or automation services to use GrowLocal Capital, receive an assessment, or authorize a provider referral. You may choose GrowLocalHub, another provider, or no provider at all for those services.