Business Financing: How a Contractor Used Three Tools to Grow Sales Fourfold in Two Years

By Anthony Collin, CEO, Smart Business Funding. $500M+ funded since 2014. Published October 15, 2026.

A real story, with the source linked. JLA Communications is not a Smart Business Funding customer, and we have no business relationship with it. The facts below come from the U.S. Small Business Administration, “Low Voltage, High Impact” (an SBA success story published in October 2026). Where we add our own arithmetic or commentary, we say so. Where the source does not give a number, we do not make one up.

Two Years. Four Times the Sales. Three Financing Moves.

Between 2022 and 2024, JLA Communications of San Antonio went from a handful of technicians to more than 55 employees, and reached nearly $8 million in sales in 2024, four times more than two years earlier. That is the headline. The part that rarely makes the headline is what the owners say came first: “Growth and new opportunity brought financial challenges and funds were needed to source labor and equipment.”

Growth is exciting, and growth is expensive. A contractor who wins bigger jobs has to buy materials, pay crews and wait to be paid, all before the revenue lands. That squeeze is exactly what business financing exists to solve. JLA’s owners, Jacob and Stephanie Arocha, show how one company used several different tools over time, and why matching the tool to the need mattered.

The Real Numbers From the Story

Detail	What the SBA reports
Business	JLA Communications LLC, low voltage, audio visual and electrical contractor, San Antonio
Owners	Jacob and Stephanie Arocha
First tool	$50,000 SBA Express Line of Credit
Second tool	$150,000 SBA 7(a) working capital term note
Third tool	$500,000 SBA Express Line of Credit
Employees	From a handful of technicians to more than 55
Sales	Nearly $8 million in 2024, four times 2022
Time in business	About six years
Recognition	SBA San Antonio District Small Business Persons of the Year for 2026

Our own arithmetic, kept separate from the source. The three facilities add up to $700,000 of available financing, which is about 8.8 percent of 2024 sales. If 2024 sales were nearly $8 million and that was four times 2022, then 2022 sales were roughly $2 million. The article does not give pricing, repayment terms or how much was drawn, so we cannot say what the financing cost them.

Why Three Different Tools?

Notice that the Arochas did not take one large amount once. They used a small line, then a working capital term note, then a much larger line. That pattern teaches something useful about how to choose.

Type	Best for	Watch for
Line of credit	Uneven cash needs, payroll and materials before invoices are paid	Draws, interest on the amount used, and renewal terms
Term note	A defined need with a clear payoff plan	A fixed payment whether or not the month is strong
Merchant cash advance	Speed when timing matters more than the lowest cost	Higher total cost and frequent fixed payments

We do not issue SBA loans, and we are not saying SBA is the right path for you. SBA-backed products can be a good fit if you qualify and can handle the process. The JLA owners credit their bank, Broadway Bank, for guiding them “through the SBA lending process,” and the process takes time and paperwork. For businesses that need an answer in days, or that do not fit the bank profile, other options exist. We explain them on our business financing page.

The Emotional Side of Growth

Ms. Arocha said, “As first-generation business owners, access to SBA-backed financing gave us the opportunity to establish and grow our company during the critical early years. Those loans provided the foundation we needed to invest in our team, equipment, and infrastructure when traditional financing options were limited.”

Three things stand out psychologically.

• Fear of the ceiling. The SBA writes that “without additional financial resources, their dreams would be cut short.” Many owners feel their growth is capped by cash, not by demand. Naming that ceiling is the first step to removing it.
• Trust as an asset. The Arochas thanked their banking partners, who “believed in our vision.” Owners often underestimate how much a trusted advisor reduces anxiety.
• Identity. First-generation owners carry more than the business. They carry a family’s first step into ownership, and that makes a financing decision feel personal. Treat it as a numbers decision and a values decision.

The Federal Reserve Banks’ Small Business Credit Survey found that 59% of employer firms sought financing in the prior year, and 56% of those sought it for operating expenses. Only 41% received all they asked for, 36% received some and 24% received none. The full numbers are in the 2025 Report on Employer Firms.

Among firms that were denied, 41% cited too much debt, up from 22% in 2021. Layering financing is not free. The Arochas used three tools across a period of rapid growth, and the sales growth is what made that manageable.

How Smart Business Funding Fits

Some businesses need a bank or SBA path and can wait for it. Others need a faster answer. Our direct program funds $10,000 to $5,000,000 for businesses with at least one year in business. We use a soft credit pull only, with a minimum score of 500, and offers usually come within 1 to 5 hours on a complete file. Funding is usually 24 to 48 hours for the whole process. We also work with partners on lines of credit and equipment financing. Apply directly with us and you work with us, not a broker or middleman.

A Business Financing Decision Checklist

1. Match the tool to the need. Recurring cash gaps suit a line. A defined purchase suits a term product.
2. Estimate the revenue the money creates before you borrow it.
3. Get total cost in dollars for each option, not only the rate or factor.
4. Check the timeline. If the job starts in two weeks, a six week process does not work.
5. Do not draw the whole line. Use what the job needs.
6. Know your limit. Total payments against slowest month cash flow.
7. Keep your lenders informed. Trusted relationships help at renewal.
8. Plan the next step. JLA moved from a small line to a larger one as sales grew.

Frequently Asked Questions About Business Financing

What is business financing? It is any outside capital for a business, including lines of credit, term products, equipment financing and merchant cash advances.

Is a line of credit better than a term note? It depends on the need. Uneven cash needs often fit a line. A defined purchase often fits a term note.

Does Smart Business Funding offer SBA loans? No. We do not issue SBA loans.

How fast can I get funded? Offers usually come within 1 to 5 hours on a complete file, and funding is usually 24 to 48 hours for the whole process.

What credit score is needed? Our direct program has a minimum of 500 with a soft pull only.

See What Your Own Numbers Look Like

Run your own numbers in our funding calculator, read how we price on our Transparent Terms page, or compare every option on our business funding and business financing pages. See also our guide to lines of credit. Call 1-866-737-6278 (866-Re-Smart). Our call center answers 24 hours a day.

All funding is subject to underwriting, approval and applicable terms. Funding amounts, fees and timing vary by applicant and transaction. The story above is reported by the linked third party and is not a Smart Business Funding customer result. A merchant cash advance is not a loan.

For a contractor growing a communications business, the next step may involve adding tools, vehicles, or crew capacity while tracking how each investment supports sales. Smart Business Funding can review a specific business use and discuss available options without assuming that one financing structure fits every project; explore equipment financing and share your growth plans for review.