Rushglen Finance, a small-business funding service in Meridian, Mississippi, sets out Lauderdale County business figures from the Census Bureau: employer counts by sector and size, payroll, businesses without employees and self-employment. It explains which lender types serve the county and the documents a Meridian business loan request needs.
At a glance
- Employer establishments, Lauderdale County, MS
1,754 (CBP 2023)
- Businesses without paid employees
5,509 (NES 2024)
- Employers with fewer than five employees
47.7% (our arithmetic, CBP 2023)
Sector-by-sector employer counts, Lauderdale County, MS
| Sector | Employer establishments | Employees | Annual payroll |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 352 | 4,281 | $131.8 million |
| Health care and social assistance | 216 | 7,104 | $346.7 million |
| Other services | 212 | 1,147 | $30 million |
| Accommodation and food services | 178 | 3,603 | $65.9 million |
| Finance and insurance | 132 | 779 | $54.2 million |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 114 | 769 | $44.2 million |
| Construction | 107 | 1,079 | $61.5 million |
All sectors together counted 1,754 employer establishments, 27,472 paid employees and $1.25 billion in annual payroll in 2023 (Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023). Retail had the most establishments of any sector, and health care and social assistance the largest payroll. Of all employer establishments, 837 (47.7%) had fewer than five employees, 390 had five to nine and 235 had ten to nineteen.
ZIP 39301 counts around the Meridian, MS office
ZIP Code Business Patterns counted 974 employer establishments with a ZIP 39301 address in 2023, with 16,669 paid employees and $811 million in annual payroll; 45% of them had fewer than five employees (Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023). The ZIP is not the city: Meridian covers about 9.4% of the ZIP's land, so these figures describe the USPS ZIP area, not the city limits.
| Sector | ZIP 39301 employer establishments | Share under 5 employees |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Trade | 204 | 33.8% |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 134 | 38.1% |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 104 | 21.2% |
| Other Services | 102 | 60.8% |
| Finance and Insurance | 83 | 66.3% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 57 | 64.9% |
Businesses without payroll and self-employment in Meridian, MS
A separate Census program, Nonemployer Statistics, counted 5,509 Lauderdale County businesses with no paid employees in 2024 (Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics 2024); other services, administrative and support services and health care held the largest counts in that series. These are not added to the employer figures above.
The American Community Survey puts self-employment at 7.6% (+/- 1.9) of Meridian's employed residents in 2020-2024: 3.3% in their own incorporated business and 4.4% in an unincorporated one. The county figure is 8.2% (+/- 1.5) and the Mississippi figure 9.4% (+/- 0.2) (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimates).
Who lends to Lauderdale County, MS businesses: banks, credit unions and online lenders
Banks, credit unions and other lenders all serve Lauderdale County businesses. Depository institutions, the Census group that includes banks and credit unions, counted 39 employer establishments in the county in 2023, 23 of them in ZIP 39301; nondepository credit firms, which include finance companies and other lenders that do not take deposits, counted 27 (Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023, Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023). Online lenders take applications from anywhere and appear in neither local count.
Rushglen Finance is none of these. It matches your request with funding partners, who review it and make their own decision; the partners set every rate and term. The guide to lender types in Mississippi compares banks, credit unions and online lenders in more depth.
Meridian, MS business loans: start with the purpose, not the product
Meridian business loans make sense only once the purpose is named. Wages ahead of a receivable point to working capital; a lift or fryer to equipment financing; buying a practice to a term loan; a recurring stock order to inventory financing or a line of credit. The product follows the purpose, and the home page lays out all six side by side.
Meridian, MS small business loans: what to check first
- Is the business registered and are its local licenses current? The zoning and permits guide covers the City of Meridian side.
- Do business deposits run through a business account, separate from personal spending?
- Are tax returns filed, and do they match the bank statements?
- What existing loans, leases and advances take payments each month?
- Which bill does the money pay, and which receipt pays it back?
What documents are needed for a small business loan as a Meridian, MS owner?
For a smaller request, the core list is short: recent business bank statements, the latest tax return, a current profit and loss statement and the purpose document, such as a quote. Some partners ask for less on a small working capital request and more on a term loan; the partner names its list.
What documents are needed to apply for a business loan as a Lauderdale County, MS business?
A Lauderdale County business applying for funding may be asked to show it is properly set up: the Mississippi entity filing where one applies, a City of Meridian privilege license or a county license where required, a Mississippi sales tax permit for sellers of taxable goods, and payroll tax accounts for employers. The sales tax permit guide covers the permit.
What documents do I need for a business loan as a Meridian, MS owner?
Owners may be asked for their own records too: a government ID, personal tax returns when the owner guarantees the debt, and in some cases a personal financial statement listing assets and debts. A sole proprietor's business and personal returns may be the same document. Keep personal copies ready in case the partner asks.
The Rushglen Finance listing behind these Meridian, MS figures
Rushglen Finance
503 23rd Ave
Meridian, MS 39301
Phone: (601) 236-8419
Requests are taken by phone and through the request form. The service-area page covers places near Meridian, the industry pages turn the county figures into funding notes by trade, the guides cover permits, lenders and acquisitions, and the contact page has every way to reach Rushglen.
Kinds of local firm around Meridian, MS
Partners in the network consider Meridian, MS businesses of most kinds, from contractors and construction trades and restaurants and food service to medical and dental practices and retailers and wholesalers that carry stock. The partner that reviews a request makes the final call on its own.
Records and IDs to gather in Meridian, MS
- Statements for the business checking account, typically from the last three to six months
- Your most recent filed business return, along with personal returns when a partner wants them
- A valid driver's license or passport for every person who owns part of the business
- Articles of incorporation or organization, plus the IRS notice confirming your EIN
- A summary of existing loans, leases and advances, noting what each one costs every month
- If the money buys equipment, the dealer quote listing the model and the price
Requirements vary from one partner to the next, so treat this list as a baseline.
The sequence after a message from Meridian, MS
- Call (601) 236-8419 or send the request form with a short note on the purpose.
- Your request is passed to partners that fund this kind of need.
- Each partner looks over the request, then a decision follows on the partner's own criteria.
- Any offer deserves a close look at total cost, payments and conditions; whether to accept is up to you.
Businesses in Meridian, MS can finish every step by phone or online.
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