CnnMoney.com posted a very interesting article last month, which described how business owners are starting to turn to pawn shops for fast cash when they are unable to qualify for a bank loan.

The pawing process is similar to a bank loan, in that an entrepreneur brings in an item of value (i.e. gold or jewelry) to a pawn shop and gets a loan based on the value of the item. Also like a bank loan, the business owner is charged interest. Once the loan is repaid, the business owner can take the item back. But if the owner cannot pay the pawn shop back, the store keeps the item, and tries to recover the loaned amount by selling the item.

According to a salesman at a pawn shop in Florida, the number one reason business owners are turning to pawn shops is to meet payroll. The loans come with a hefty price–one shop charges 6% per month–But for business owners that don’t have enough liquid capital to pay their employees, it’s worth the price.

Another alternative financing solution which is eve more affordable than pawning is accounts receivable factoring, in which a business owner can sell his/her invoices to a factor and receive cash the same day he/she invoices.

Read the entire article: Pawning Rolexes to Make Payroll.