Bellcrest Lending Group, a small-business funding service in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, explains funding for gas stations, convenience stores and liquor stores: inventory financing for fuel and store stock, equipment financing for dispensers and coolers, and term loans for buying a station. It uses Fond du Lac County gasoline station figures from County Business Patterns 2023.
At a glance
- Employer establishments
50 employer locations, Fond du Lac County, WI (CBP 2023)
- Fewer than five employees
10 of the 50 employers (20.0%, CBP 2023)
- Annual payroll
$19.3 million paid to 760 employees (CBP 2023)
- Businesses without paid employees
3 with no payroll (Nonemployer Statistics 2024, NAICS 2022)
Gas Stations Across Fond du Lac County, WI: 2023 and 2024 Census Counts
For gasoline stations (NAICS 4471), County Business Patterns counted 50 employer establishments in Fond du Lac County, WI in 2023, with 760 paid employees and $19.3 million in annual payroll; 10 of them, or 20.0%, had fewer than five employees, and 22 used a ZIP 54935 address (ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023; the ZIP is not the city limits). That works out to about 15.2 employees per establishment and about $25,351 of payroll per employee (our arithmetic).
Nonemployer Statistics, a separate Census program built on NAICS 2022 codes, counted 3 businesses without paid employees in gasoline stations and fuel dealers (NAICS 2022 457) in the county for 2024, with $1.0 million in combined receipts, or about $319,333 each (our arithmetic). The two programs count different businesses, so this page keeps them apart.
Convenience stores without fuel are a separate code (NAICS 445120): 3 employers with 40 employees in the county in 2023 (County Business Patterns). The Nonemployer Statistics fuel group also includes fuel dealers, so its count is not limited to stations.
How to get a business loan for a liquor store
A liquor store funds its opening stock, coolers, shelving and point-of-sale system, and later the larger orders that come with holidays or new product lines. Stock is the big recurring cost, so a line of credit or inventory financing fits it; coolers and fixtures fit equipment financing.
A partner will ask about the store's license status, because the business cannot sell without it. Have the license and its renewal date ready.
Business loan for liquor store: what Fond du Lac, WI owners should know
Partners reading a liquor store's request look at sales by month, gross margin by category, stock on hand and how fast it turns, and any outstanding supplier balances. Because licensed stock can be hard to resell, some partners value it cautiously as collateral.
Card processing statements and point-of-sale reports together show what sells and when.
Convenience store business loan: what Fond du Lac, WI owners should know
A convenience store loan covers coolers, shelving, food-service equipment, security systems and remodels, along with working capital for stock. Stores attached to fuel islands also carry the cost of the canopy lighting and signs.
Convenience stores in the county counted 3 employers in 2023, while gasoline stations, which can also run a store, counted 50 (County Business Patterns). Inventory financing explains stock-secured funding.
Gas station business loan
A gas station business loan pays for buying a station, replacing dispensers, upgrading payment terminals, tank work, a remodel, or carrying fuel loads. Fuel itself is a fast-moving inventory paid to the supplier on short terms, so the station's cash cycle can be tight even when sales are steady.
Gasoline stations in the county paid about $25,400 per employee in 2023 ($19.3 million across 760 employees, our arithmetic). For a purchase, a term loan fits; for dispensers and terminals, equipment financing.
Small business loan for liquor store in Fond du Lac, WI
A small business loan for a liquor store is sized to a specific cost: an opening order, a remodel or a cooler wall. A lump-sum loan suits a single purchase; a revolving line suits stock bought ahead of busy weeks and paid down after.
Illustration only, invented figures: a store draws $30,000 for holiday stock and sells it over eight weeks, repaying $3,750 a week (our arithmetic). If the line charges interest on the drawn balance, the cost depends on how quickly the balance falls.
How to buy a gas station with no money for a Fond du Lac County, WI business
Buying a gas station with no money of your own is hard to arrange, because partners want the buyer to share the risk. Seller financing, where the seller carries part of the price, can reduce the cash needed, and a fuel supplier may offer incentives tied to a supply agreement. Expect a partner to ask how much the buyer is putting in.
Read any fuel supply agreement carefully: its length, volume commitments and what happens if the station is sold.
Pumps, Tanks and Environmental Records in Fond du Lac County, WI
Dispensers, payment terminals and canopy work can be financed as equipment. Underground storage tanks raise environmental questions: a partner financing a station purchase may ask for tank records, inspection reports and an environmental site assessment.
Records a Station or Store Brings to a Request
- Fuel volume and inside-store sales by month.
- Station bank statements and the card processor's monthly summaries.
- Fuel supply agreement and supplier balances.
- License status for tobacco, alcohol and other regulated products.
- Dispenser or cooler quotes, or the station purchase agreement.
Related pages: retail funding, mechanic shop loans for service bays, all industries and Fond du Lac County, WI figures.
By Bellcrest Lending Group · Updated