Fieldhill Loans helps retail stores and boutiques in Columbus, IN and Bartholomew County, IN request inventory financing for seasonal stock, lines of credit for uneven months, equipment financing for fixtures and POS, and term loans to buy a shop. Partners read sell-through and deposit history closely; they review each request and decide.
| Stores with employees, Bartholomew County, IN | 286 employer locations (County Business Patterns 2023) |
|---|---|
| Clothing and accessories stores | 60 employer establishments, CBP 2023 |
| Retail businesses without payroll | 413, Nonemployer Statistics 2024 |
How retail stores use funding
Retail cash can run on a buying calendar. Orders for a selling season may be placed months ahead, sometimes with deposits, and the money comes back as the goods sell. Between those points the store still pays rent, wages and card fees.
Inventory financing and lines of credit are two tools to consider. Fixtures and POS systems go on equipment financing. Buying an existing store, or opening a second one, is a term-loan project.
Shops across Bartholomew County, IN in Census counts
Retail trade had more employer establishments than any other sector in Bartholomew County, IN in 2023: 286, with 4,861 paid employees (County Business Patterns). No-payroll retail is counted separately: 413 retail businesses reported receipts with no payroll in 2024 (Nonemployer Statistics).
Within retail, clothing and clothing accessories stores (NAICS 448) numbered 60 employer establishments with 877 employees, and only 13.3% of them had fewer than five people. All other general merchandise stores (NAICS 452319) numbered 15, and furniture and home furnishings stores (NAICS 442) 9. Health and personal care stores (NAICS 4461) and building material and garden dealers (NAICS 444) each counted 23.
One detail stands out: only 9 of the county's 60 clothing employer establishments had a ZIP 47201 address in 2023 (ZIP Business Patterns), so most of them sit in the county's other ZIP codes. The Nonemployer Statistics category for clothing and accessories (NAICS 2022 code 458, slightly broader) counted 47 businesses with no payroll in 2024.
Stock, hours and the selling season
Buying ahead
Boutiques can commit to orders at markets and with reps before the goods arrive. Suppliers may want deposits or invoice on delivery, and terms differ. The longer the gap between paying for stock and selling it, the larger the funding need.
Extra hours
Extra hours in busy weeks can be paid before those weeks' sales fully settle. A line of credit can cover that without a new request each time.
Fixtures and systems
Shelving, display cases, lighting and POS hardware are financed like equipment, though partners may value them lower than machinery, since shelving and displays can be hard to resell.
Matching retail needs to funding types
| Need | Where Fieldhill would start |
|---|---|
| A large seasonal order | Inventory financing |
| Uneven months and repeated small orders | Line of credit |
| Fixtures, displays and POS | Equipment financing |
| Buying a boutique or opening a second store | Term loan |
| A short gap with steady card sales | Merchant cash advance (not a loan; compare costs first) |
How to buy a boutique without overpaying for old stock
Buying an existing boutique is mostly a question of what you are paying for: inventory at cost, fixtures, the lease and the shop's customer base. Ask the seller for two or three years of sales by category, the current inventory count at cost, and the lease. Partners reviewing a business loan for a boutique purchase look at whether the shop's own sales can carry the payments, and may value old or slow-moving stock below its tag price.
Count the inventory yourself before closing. Stock that has sat unsold may be worth less than its invoice value, and the purchase price should reflect it.
What partners commonly review for a store
- Twelve months of bank and card statements, so the full year is visible.
- Sell-through or inventory turnover by category.
- Supplier invoices or the order being financed.
- The building lease, with the years left on it.
- Existing advances or inventory liens.
A labeled example, not an offer
Hypothetical figures only: a clothing shop's fall order totals $31,000, half due at order and half on delivery. Last year the comparable order sold 70% through by year end and the rest went to markdown. Financing the full $31,000 against a sell-through of 70% leaves the shop paying for stock it may discount heavily; a smaller order, or financing sized to the expected full-price sales, keeps the repayment in line with what the stock will bring in. The real figures come only from a partner.
Card fees, returns and the cash that is not really there
Card sales settle a day or two after the sale, minus processing fees, and returns come back out of later deposits. A shop with a strong Saturday can still see a thin Tuesday balance. Partners reading a store's statements may look past single days to the monthly pattern, so a full twelve months of statements tells your story better than a selected few.
If a large share of revenue comes through an online store or a marketplace, bring those payout statements too; partners may count them only if they can see them land in the business account.
Related pages
Forecourts and convenience counters have their own cash cycle; see gas station funding. Auto parts counters are covered on auto repair funding. Every sector is listed on the industries page, and the Columbus, IN page has the full county figures.
By Fieldhill Loans · Updated
