Short-term business loans are typically repaid within two years or less time, depending on the conditions of the loan. They are best used when covering unexpected costs or when extra money is needed to help fill a gap or slow season. Most commonly, businesses use short term loans to increase working capital, invest in new inventory, purchase new equipment, or fund marketing expenditures. Short-term loans are good for quicker and easier access to funds and often have more flexible underwriting standards than long-term loans might.