Short answer
Merchant Fund Express funds local store marketing for existing franchise owners: grand re-openings after a remodel, digital and delivery-app promotions, direct mail, local sponsorships, signage and seasonal campaigns, from $5,000 to $5,000,000. Marketing spend usually fits working capital or revenue-based financing, so the payment comes from the sales the campaign creates. The brand's marketing-fund contribution is separate and keeps drafting as usual. Send three months of business bank statements, owner ID and your campaign plan; a complete file usually gets a decision in 2–4 hours.
Brand fund vs local spend
Most franchise agreements take a marketing-fund contribution from sales. That money builds the brand nationally or regionally. It does not mail a flyer to the neighborhood around your store or sponsor the high school team down the road. Many agreements also expect local store marketing on top. When sales are soft, that local line is the first one cut, which is exactly when it matters most.
Grand re-opening
Events, giveaways and paid local reach after a refresh.
Digital and delivery apps
Paid social, search, and in-app promotions.
Direct mail and door hangers
Classic reach for home-service and food brands.
Signage and banners
Exterior and window signage your franchisor approves.
Community and catering
Sponsorships, school nights and catering sampling.
Seasonal pushes
Pre-summer, back-to-school and holiday campaigns.
Which structure fits the campaign
| Campaign | Fund it with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Re-opening after a remodel | Working capital | One-time, repaid from the lift in sales |
| Ongoing monthly local ads | Business line of credit | Draw month by month |
| Seasonal push ahead of peak | Revenue-based financing | Payments track the revenue it brings |
| Fast push, card-heavy store | Merchant cash advance | Repaid as a share of deposits |
| Marketing plus equipment plus staffing | Franchise business loan | One lump sum for a bigger plan |
| Signage and digital boards | Equipment financing | Physical assets |
Unsure which repays better for a campaign? Compare Revenue-based financing vs MCA.
Spend it where it comes back
Marketing money is easiest to justify when you can point to what it does. Before you apply, write three lines: what you are running, where, and when you expect it to show in deposits. The reviewer does not grade your creative. They read whether the store's deposits carry the payment in a slow week, and a clear plan makes the amount easier to size.
A hypothetical example, not a past transaction: a smoothie franchise owner wants $12,000 for a pre-summer campaign: paid social, a loyalty promo and sampling at two local events. Sales run heavy from May to August. The reviewer reads the seasonal pattern in the statements and suggests revenue-based financing so payments are lighter in the cold months and heavier in the summer the campaign is built for.
How fast
- Apply in about 4 minutesBrand, location, amount and the campaign.
- Send statements and IDThree months of business bank statements and ID for each owner.
- Decision in 2–4 hoursSame-day funding is available.
- LaunchBook the media, print the mail, run the event.
Campaigns owners fund most
| Moment | Typical spend | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Re-opening after a remodel | Event, signage, paid local reach | Time the launch to the finish date, not the start |
| New competitor down the street | Loyalty offers, delivery-app promos | Keep offers inside your franchisor's rules |
| Slow season | Mail, sampling, community events | Size the payment to the slow months |
| New catering or B2B push | Sales materials, sampling | Corporate customers can pay late |
| Second store opening nearby | Cross-promotion from the open store | The open store's entity carries the payment |
Every campaign needs franchisor-approved creative, so check the brand's local marketing guidelines first. Funding the spend is the easy part; Merchant Fund Express turns a complete file around in hours. Opening your next unit with a launch campaign? Read Second location.
What to send
No tax returns to apply. 500+ FICO accepted. Sole proprietors, Spanish-speaking owners and ITIN applicants welcome. See Seasonal cash flow if the campaign is timed to a peak.
Owner questions, answered
Can I fund local marketing for my franchise?
Yes. Merchant Fund Express funds local store marketing for operating franchise locations, usually as working capital or revenue-based financing.
Does this replace my brand marketing-fund contribution?
No. The brand's fund contribution is set by your franchise agreement and keeps going. This funds your own local spend.
Can I fund a grand re-opening after a remodel?
Yes, often together with the remodel itself in one file.
Do I need to prove the campaign will work?
No. A short plan helps size the amount; the review reads the store's deposits and current payments.
How quickly can I launch?
A complete file usually gets a decision in 2–4 hours, and same-day funding is available.
Keep going
Merchant Fund Express is a separate company with no franchisor ties. Terms depend on the business's revenue and history.