The research behind the question
In a July 9, 2026 analysis of the 2025 Small Business Credit Survey, New York Fed researchers Will Aarons and Asani Sarkar found that a majority of surveyed goods and retail firms nationally reported tariff-related financial challenges. The shares were higher in the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut region. Their analysis also found that many businesses both raised prices and absorbed some higher costs. [1]
This is context from a published study, not a new tariff announcement or a prediction of your supplier’s next price. Our practical takeaway: if you cannot pass every increase to customers, update your cash plan before placing the next order.
Price the gap before you borrow
List the inventory payment date, the expected sales period, and when those sales actually become available cash. Include freight, payroll, rent, and existing funding obligations due during the same window. A profitable order can still create a cash shortage when the bills arrive first.
For a hypothetical example, suppose the same stock order rises from $20,000 to $23,000. The immediate additional cash needed is $3,000. That figure is only the inventory increase; it does not include financing fees, shipping changes, slower sales, or other expenses. Build those into your own forecast rather than treating $3,000 as the complete funding need.
Test a slower sales week
Create a second version of your forecast with sales arriving later than expected. Ask whether you could still cover essential expenses and the proposed payment or remittance schedule. If the plan works only when every customer pays on time, consider reducing the order, negotiating supplier terms, or postponing a nonessential purchase before adding a new obligation.
Keep the comparison concrete: cash received, total contractual cost, payment frequency, fees, and any collateral or personal guarantee. If the agreement uses sales-based remittances, ask how adjustments work when revenue falls. Do not assume every funding product behaves like a monthly installment loan.
Bring a clear plan to the conversation
Prepare recent business bank statements, the supplier quote, a list of current obligations, and a short explanation of how the inventory will generate cash. Separate the amount needed for the order from the reserve needed to keep operating. That makes it easier to discuss an amount and structure that fit the purpose.
GoodToGo Capital offers merchant cash advances, invoice factoring, and equipment financing. Start with your business need and compare the written terms of any offer. Approval, pricing, and funding timing depend on the application and the provider’s requirements; no outcome is guaranteed.
Sources
General educational information. Consider your business’s circumstances and the written terms of any offer.