The Small Business Finance Association (SBFA) is the new name for the North American Merchant Advance Association, Inc. (NAMAA), which was adopted in April, 2015. The association is a not-for-profit trade association representing organizations in the United States and Canada that are in the business of providing working capital advance products based on credit, debit or other card and electronic payment-related revenue streams to small and mid-sized businesses.
Founded in 2006 and based in New York, SBFA provides guidance and helps to influence 
and shape the merchant cash advance industry through leadership, education and the sharing of information for the mutual benefit of all its members.
SBFA was created to represent merchant cash advance providers and to promote competition and efficiency throughout the merchant advance industry by:
- Providing education and professional development to its members;
- Developing ethical standards and best practices guidelines for the industry;
- Evaluating and providing education regarding the development and enforcement of intellectual property rights that affect the industry;
- Evaluating and developing improvements to existing business methods and practices;
- Developing industry relevant products and services;
- Engaging in regulatory and legislative advocacy;
- Point of contact for media relations.
SBFA focuses on the creation and maintenance of a database of merchants that have engaged in unethical or fraudulent practices in securing past cash advances. This database aims to protect the members from merchant fraud and also extend that protection to the merchant acquiring industry.
Currently, SBFA has 18 members, including AmeriMerchant, Business Financial Services, Inc., Capital for Merchants, Elevate Funding, FOR A Financial, GRP Funding, Happy Rock Merchant Solutions, Merchant Advance Funding LP, Merchant Capital Source, Merchant Cash & Capital, Merchants Capital Access, NextWave Enterprises,NLYH Group, Principis Capital, Rapid Advance, Retail Capital, Strategic Captial, and Swift Capital.
For more information, go to SBFA’s website at www.sbfassociation.org.
