How we make money: The Business Funding Club is a referral service, not a lender and not a broker. We refer businesses that ask for capital to ROK Financial. ROK and the lenders it matches you with make every funding decision. ROK pays us when a business we refer receives funding. It is free to you, and nothing here is an offer of credit. Read the full disclosure.

Illustration of a professional's office desk at evening, seen through a glass wall

For professionals

Refer clients to ROK Financial

You already know which clients have signed work bigger than their bank balance. ROK Financial runs a referral partner program for professionals who want to introduce those clients to a funding source. The Business Funding Club is a free referral club, not a lender and not a broker. Here is how ROK's program works and where the state rules sit.

Apply to ROK's referral partner program

The partner relationship is with ROK Financial, under ROK’s terms. This link carries our referral ID, and ROK may compensate us for partners and referrals that come through it. How we’re compensated. En español

By Marcus L. Barber, Publisher · Reviewed by Marcus before publishing · Updated · How we write and check facts

By profession

Who this is for

Professionals who see a client's capital need before the client says it out loud:

Your partner relationship is with ROK Financial, under ROK's terms. The Club does not employ, pay or supervise partners. To be plain about our own interest: The Business Funding Club is itself a ROK referral partner, and ROK pays Digital Solomon when a business the Club refers is funded.

How ROK's program works

ROK calls it the ROK Exclusive Partnership Program. Here is what ROK's partner page says, and nothing more[1]:

  1. You apply to the program on ROK's partner page.
  2. When a client wants an introduction, you submit the client's name, phone number and email address.
  3. ROK works with the client from there. ROK says it has access to 75+ commercial lenders.
  4. ROK pays commission on funded referral transactions. Partners get access to a real-time portal.

About compensation

We don't publish commission amounts and make no claim about what any partner will receive. ROK sets those terms in its own agreement. Read it in full before you sign.

What a good referral looks like

A good referral is a client with a real, current need and a clear reason for it. For example: a signed contract that needs crews before the first invoice clears, a quote for a second truck, or a seasonal inventory buy.

  • The client asked, or agreed, to be introduced. Get permission before you share anyone's contact details.
  • The need is specific. Tied to work won or an asset to buy, not a general wish for cash.
  • The business meets ROK's published minimums. ROK's application page lists 4+ months in business and $10,000+ in monthly gross sales ($120,000 a year)[2].
  • The owner can show the books. Lenders commonly review bank statements, time in business, revenue and the contract or quote behind the request.

A client you think needs rescuing is not the referral this program is built for.

How to refer without overstepping

  • Don't quote terms. No cost, payment or amount estimates. Only the lender can make an offer.
  • Don't promise an outcome. ROK and its lenders review every request and make every decision.
  • Say you're compensated. Tell the client, in writing, before they act on your introduction.
  • Send only what ROK's form asks for. The client sends their own documents. California's referral statute does not authorize unlicensed referrers to gather documents, prepare applications or pass along lending decisions, with limited exceptions[3].
  • Let ROK talk terms with the client. Your job ends at the introduction.

Know your state's rules

Some states regulate paid commercial financing referrals, and several have disclosure laws that name brokers or require them to register. The table shows what each source says, not whether it applies to you.

Selected state rules on commercial financing referrals, brokers and disclosures (as of October 16, 2026)
StateWhat the source saysWho it coversCitation
CaliforniaA "broker" includes anyone in the business of negotiating or acting as broker on loans made by a finance lender. A licensed lender may pay an unlicensed referrer for a commercial loan referral only under listed conditions. The statute does not authorize the referrer, with limited exceptions, to negotiate, advise the borrower, help prepare applications or gather documents.People who refer commercial borrowers to lenders licensed under the California Financing LawCal. Fin. Code §§ 22004, 22602[4,3]
CaliforniaDisclosure rules apply to "providers" of offers of $500,000 or less. A separate law defines "broker" to include sending a prospect's confidential data, such as bank statements, to a provider expecting compensation for a referral.Providers; brokers of commercial financingCal. Fin. Code § 22800; Cal. Civ. Code § 1799.300[5,6]
New YorkThe Commercial Finance Disclosure Law requires disclosures from a "provider," which, unless exempt, includes a person who solicits and presents specific offers on behalf of a third party. The DFS regulation sets duties for brokers.Providers, including some who present offers for others; brokersN.Y. Fin. Serv. Law § 801; 23 NYCRR Part 600[7,8]
TexasHB 700 (2025), effective September 1, 2025: a commercial sales-based financing broker, one who for compensation obtains or offers to obtain that financing, must register with the OCCC. Providers and brokers already in business on September 1, 2025 must register by December 31, 2026; others register before doing business. Registration is through NMLS. OCCC staff say they cannot advise which registration applies.Providers and brokers of commercial sales-based financingTex. Fin. Code §§ 398.001, 398.053; 7 TAC ch. 86[9,10,11]
UtahProviders must register with the Department of Financial Institutions. A "broker" is one who, for compensation, obtains an offer and communicates it to a Utah business.Providers (registration); brokers (defined)Utah Code §§ 7-27-101, 7-27-201[12,13]
VirginiaSales-based financing providers and brokers must register with the State Corporation Commission.Providers and brokers of sales-based financingVa. Code §§ 6.2-2228, 6.2-2230[14,15]
GeorgiaProviders must give disclosures on transactions closed on or after January 1, 2024. Brokers may not collect advance fees or make false or misleading statements.Providers; brokersO.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.18 (SB 90, 2023)[16]
FloridaProviders must give disclosures. A broker is one who arranges commercial financing for compensation; brokers may not take advance fees or mislead.Providers; brokersFla. Stat. §§ 559.9611, 559.9614[17,18]
ConnecticutProviders and commercial financing brokers had to register with the Banking Commissioner by October 1, 2024.Providers and brokersConn. Gen. Stat. §§ 36a-861 to 36a-872[19]
KansasProviders must give disclosures. Brokers may not collect advance fees or make false or misleading statements.Providers; brokersK.S.A. 75-784, 75-786[20,21]
MissouriNo one may do business as a broker for compensation in Missouri without first registering with the Division of Finance and keeping a bond on file.Brokers; providersRSMo § 427.300[22]
LouisianaRevenue-based financing transactions must include written disclosures (Act 198 of 2025).Revenue-based financing transactionsLa. R.S. 9:3137.10[23]

Check your own state

This table is not legal advice and is not complete. It shows what the cited sources say as of the date above. Laws and deadlines change, and states not listed may have their own rules. Nothing on this page means you are or are not covered by any law. Check your own state's rules, and get advice from a lawyer before you accept compensation for a referral.

Common questions

Who do I sign the partner agreement with?

ROK Financial. The partner program, its agreement and its terms belong to ROK. The Business Funding Club does not employ, pay or supervise partners. The Club is itself a ROK referral partner, and ROK pays Digital Solomon when a business the Club refers is funded. We say that so you know where our interest sits.

How much does ROK pay partners?

We don't publish that. ROK's partner page says it pays commission on funded referral transactions. The amount and conditions are set in ROK's own agreement, which you should read in full before you sign. We make no claim about what any partner will receive.

Can I help my client fill out the application?

Be careful. In California, the commercial loan referral statute lists acts an unlicensed referrer may not perform, including helping prepare applications and gathering documents, with limited exceptions. Other states may have their own limits. The safe pattern is simple: you make the introduction, and the client deals with ROK directly.

Do I need a license or registration to be paid for referrals?

We can't answer that for you. Some states require brokers of commercial financing to register, including Virginia, Connecticut, Missouri and Texas, and each defines "broker" its own way. Whether your activity fits a definition depends on your facts. Ask a lawyer licensed in your state.

Does joining cost anything?

The Business Funding Club charges nothing, to partners or to businesses. Joining ROK's program is a matter between you and ROK, and any terms of ROK's partner program sit in ROK's own agreement. Read it before you apply, and ask ROK directly about anything it doesn't answer.

Sources

  1. ROK Exclusive Partnership Program: referral partner application ROKFI LLC (ROK Financial), checked October 16, 2026
  2. Business Financing application (ROK Financial partner page) ROK Financial, checked October 16, 2026
  3. California Financial Code § 22602 (compensation for commercial loan referrals) California Legislative Information, checked October 16, 2026
  4. California Financial Code § 22004 (definition of broker) California Legislative Information, checked October 16, 2026
  5. California Financial Code § 22800 (commercial financing disclosures, definitions) California Legislative Information, checked October 16, 2026
  6. California Civil Code § 1799.300 (commercial financing: definitions, incl. broker) California Legislative Information, checked October 16, 2026
  7. New York Financial Services Law § 801 (definitions) New York State Senate, checked October 16, 2026
  8. 23 NYCRR 600: Disclosure Requirements for Certain Providers of Commercial Financing Transactions New York State Department of Financial Services, checked October 16, 2026
  9. Texas Finance Code Chapter 398: Commercial Sales-Based Financing Texas Legislature, checked October 16, 2026
  10. Texas Register, July 3, 2026: Adopted Rules, 7 TAC Chapter 86, Subchapter C Texas Secretary of State, checked October 16, 2026
  11. Commercial Sales Based Finance Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner, checked October 16, 2026
  12. Utah Code § 7-27-101 (definitions) Utah State Legislature, checked October 16, 2026
  13. Utah Code § 7-27-201 (registration requirements) Utah State Legislature, checked October 16, 2026
  14. Code of Virginia § 6.2-2228 (definitions) Virginia Legislative Information System, checked October 16, 2026
  15. Code of Virginia § 6.2-2230 (registration) Virginia Legislative Information System, checked October 16, 2026
  16. Senate Bill 90 (2023), as passed and signed Office of the Governor of Georgia, checked October 16, 2026
  17. Florida Statutes § 559.9611 (definitions, incl. broker) The Florida Senate, checked October 16, 2026
  18. Florida Statutes section 559.9614: Prohibited acts The Florida Senate, checked October 16, 2026
  19. Commercial Financing Provider or Broker Registration Information Connecticut Department of Banking, checked October 16, 2026
  20. K.S.A. 75-784: Commercial financing transactions; required disclosures Kansas Legislature, checked October 16, 2026
  21. Kansas Statutes 75-786 (prohibitions on broker) Kansas Legislature, checked October 16, 2026
  22. RSMo section 427.300: Commercial Financing Disclosure Law Missouri Revisor of Statutes, checked October 16, 2026
  23. Act No. 198 of the 2025 Regular Session (HB 470), enacting R.S. 9:3137.10 Louisiana State Legislature, checked October 16, 2026
Apply to ROK's referral partner program

The partner relationship is with ROK Financial, under ROK’s terms. This link carries our referral ID, and ROK may compensate us for partners and referrals that come through it. How we’re compensated. En español