Fuel, ice and crew come out before the catch comes in. Apply in five minutes; funding can arrive in as little as 24 hours.
Apply Now →A shrimp boat captain or small seafood business in Port Lavaca spends first and earns later. Diesel, ice, bait and provisions are bought before leaving the dock, a mate and deckhand have to be paid, and the revenue only appears when the catch is sold. If the trip underperforms, the costs are still real.
Port Lavaca is the county seat of Calhoun County, about 130 miles southwest of Houston, with 11,557 residents at the 2020 census. See the town overview on our Port Lavaca business funding page.
| Item | When it is paid | Round-number example |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel | Before departure | $6,000 |
| Ice and supplies | Before departure | $1,500 |
| Crew share or wages | After the catch is sold | Varies with the catch |
| Boat maintenance | Whenever something breaks | Unpredictable |
These numbers are invented for illustration, not terms we offer or a typical outcome. The point is that most of the cost lands first and the revenue lands last.
Seafood businesses plan around seasons in a way most small businesses do not. Boats are overhauled before the season, gear is replaced, and buyers or processors may pay on their own schedule. A season that starts late or ends early shifts the whole year's cash flow, even when the fish are there.
Boat owners mostly need money for fuel, repairs and gear. A processor or dealer handling the catch is exposed to a different gap: product bought from boats, cold storage and ice running continuously, and customers who pay after delivery. The two sides depend on each other, and a delay at one end passes down the line.
Neighboring marine trades face the same seasonal logic; compare it with boat repair and dealers in Port Lavaca.
Owners who stay ahead of the calendar tend to write down three numbers before the season opens: the cost of getting each boat ready, the weekly overhead that runs whether or not the boat is out, and the date they expect the first real revenue. Anything that covers the gap between the first and last of those is a candidate for working capital. Anything that does not fit that gap, such as a general wish for a cushion, is better handled by saving or a smaller request.
Be honest about the downside case too. A slow first month is common in seafood, so the amount you request should be something you could carry through a weaker stretch, not only a strong one.
Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. A storm warning means boats are secured, trips are canceled and income stops. Decide before the season how many weeks of fixed costs you want covered. Working capital helps with timing; it does not replace insurance.
Funding runs from $25,000 to $5,000,000, with a five-minute application and a soft credit pull. Sole proprietors can apply. Apply here.
Yes. Sole proprietors can apply, so you do not need a large fleet or multiple employees.
Fuel, ice, repairs, gear, payroll and equipment such as refrigeration are common uses.
It can be, because dockage, insurance and repairs continue while there is no catch revenue.
Seafood processors and dealers can apply. Describe how the funds support your cash flow.
About five minutes, and funding can arrive in as little as 24 hours.
Three months of business bank statements and a 5-minute application. FICO 500+ considered. $25,000 to $5,000,000, funded in as little as 24 hours.
Apply Now →It takes about two minutes and it will not affect your credit score.
No obligation • No impact to your credit score
