Creative Capital: $1MM PO Financing Line for a Coffee Trader

It's September, which means one thing in this house: football season is here.

There's something about a fresh start that gets you excited. New season, new momentum, new opportunities. And in business, the best opportunities are the ones where demand shows up faster than you expected—if you have the right partners ready to support your growth.

This is a story about a family-owned business that got that opportunity. And why having the right capital partner made all the difference.

Demand Surges Overnight

An international specialty coffee trader had built a solid business over the years. They sourced premium green coffee from producers around the world and supplied corporate roasters with exactly what they needed. It was steady, reliable, relationship-based business.

Then something unexpected happened: demand from corporate roasters surged almost overnight.

This was exactly the kind of problem every founder wants. More orders means more revenue. More customers means more momentum. This was growth.

But growth without working capital isn't growth—it's a stall. And that's exactly where this coffee trader found themselves.

Outgrowing Your Limits

The company had an existing purchase order (PO) facility in place. It had served them well. But like many growing businesses, they'd hit its ceiling: $150,000.

For a specialty coffee importer managing orders from corporate roasters around the country, $150K wasn't going to cut it anymore. To fulfill these new orders, they needed capital to:

They asked their existing lender to increase the facility. The answer was no—the lender wouldn't budge from the $150K cap.

So they needed a partner who could think bigger. Someone who understood that growth sometimes outpaces your original financing partner's appetite. Someone who could move fast.

The Right Partnership at the Right Time

The specialty coffee importer was introduced to Serve Funding by one of our asset-based lending partners. This partner relationship was the foundation—they knew our track record, our speed, and our ability to structure creative solutions.

We had something else working in our favor: we leverage relationships with lenders we've worked with for years. In this case, we had an almost 10-year-old relationship with a PO lender who specialized in exactly this kind of scenario.

We called them. We explained the situation. We vouched for the client's business model and growth trajectory. And leveraging that trust-based relationship, we secured a $1,000,000 Purchase Order facility.

What $1MM Unlocked

Why This Is More Than Just Capital

On the surface, this is a $1MM deal. A growing business got the capital it needed. Everyone wins.

But there's something deeper happening here. This deal is about what happens when:

That's how we approach every deal: not just "how do we fund this?" but "how do we empower this founder to build the business they're meant to build?"

Game On

September brings fresh starts. New seasons. New opportunities. And sometimes, a business gets that surge in demand when the timing is right.

The question is: do you have the capital, the partners, and the strategy to execute when that moment comes?

For this coffee trader, the answer is now yes. And it all came down to finding the right play at the right time with the right partners.

That's what Serve Funding does. We don't just fund deals. We empower founders building thriving enterprises and lasting legacies.

Your Growth Moment Is Waiting

If you're a founder with demand outpacing your working capital. If you're an advisor or banker with clients in that same situation. If you're someone who understands that growth doesn't always fit in neat boxes—we want to partner with you.

Let's create more growth stories. Together.