Frostdale Advances, a small-business funding service in Monroe, Louisiana, arranges working capital, term loans, credit lines, inventory and equipment financing and merchant cash advances for local owners. Ouachita Parish, LA had 4,181 employer establishments in 2023, almost half with fewer than five employees (CBP), and 14,730 businesses without payroll in 2024 (NES).
| Locations with paid workers, Ouachita Parish, LA | 4,181 (CBP 2023) |
|---|---|
| Firms without paid employees that report receipts, Ouachita Parish, LA | 14,730 (NES 2024) |
| Self-employed share of employed residents, Monroe, LA | 10.3% (margin 2.0 points), ACS 2020-2024 five-year |
| Homes authorized by permit, Ouachita Parish, LA | 392 new homes permitted during 2025 (BPS) |
What the Census tallies for Ouachita Parish, LA firms
Ouachita Parish, LA counted 4,181 employer establishments in 2023, employing 59,407 people with an annual payroll of $2.80 billion (County Business Patterns 2023). Of those establishments, 2,021, or 48.3%, had fewer than five employees, and another 868 had five to nine. Separately, Nonemployer Statistics counted 14,730 businesses with receipts but no paid employees in 2024; the two programs measure different groups in different years, so they are not added together.
| Sector | Payroll locations | Annual payroll | With 1-4 employees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 668 | $652.9 million | 44.9% |
| Retail trade | 640 | $274.5 million | 34.7% |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 417 | $198.7 million | 69.5% |
| Other services | 402 | $100.5 million | 56.5% |
| Construction | 352 | $209.2 million | 51.4% |
| Accommodation and food services | 321 | $126.8 million | 22.4% |
Funding needs that follow the sector mix in Monroe, LA
The parish's largest sector is health care, and the funding questions follow: practices paying employees while insurers settle, and rooms and equipment bought before they earn. The medical practice, chiropractic and therapy and dental pages cover them. Legal services counted 150 employers in the parish in 2023, which is why law firm funding has its own page too.
Retail, restaurants and construction round out the picture. Every sector with a Frostdale page is on the industries list, and the six funding types are compared on the funding options page.
ZIP 71201 in ZIP Business Patterns
ZIP 71201 had 1,477 employer establishments in 2023, with 20,370 employees and $1.005 billion in annual payroll; half (50.0%) had fewer than five employees (ZIP Business Patterns 2023). By our arithmetic that is about 13.8 employees per establishment. The ZIP is not the same as the city: Monroe, LA covers 71.3% of ZIP 71201's land, and the city also reaches into ZIPs 71202, 71203 and 71209 (2020 Census ZCTA-to-place relationship file).
| Sector (NAICS) | Payroll locations | With 1-4 employees |
|---|---|---|
| NAICS sector 62, Health care and social assistance | 326 | 45.7% |
| NAICS sector 54, Professional, scientific and technical services | 229 | 67.7% |
| NAICS sector 44, Retail trade | 165 | 32.7% |
| NAICS sector 52, Finance and insurance | 150 | 55.3% |
| NAICS sector 81, Other services | 121 | 57.9% |
| NAICS sector 53, Real estate and rental and leasing | 99 | 77.8% |
How many Monroe, LA residents run their own work
About 10.3% (+/- 2.0) of employed Monroe, LA residents were self-employed, according to the 2020-2024 American Community Survey: 4.8% in their own incorporated business and 5.5% unincorporated. The Ouachita Parish, LA figure was 9.4% (+/- 1.0) and Louisiana's 10.6% (+/- 0.2). The margins of error overlap, so the survey does not show Monroe, LA as higher or lower than the parish or the state.
New-home permits issued across Ouachita Parish, LA
Builders in the parish pulled permits for 392 new privately owned housing units in 2025, after 402 in 2023 and 345 in 2024 (Census Building Permits Survey, county annual). That is residential construction only; it does not count commercial work or remodels, but it is one public signal of the pipeline residential contractors work from.
Local paperwork before you apply
Partners usually want a business's records to be current before they read a request. Two Frostdale checklists cover local records for Monroe, LA owners: the occupational license checklist and Louisiana sales tax registration with Ouachita Parish, LA.
Owners also search for commercial property for lease in Monroe, LA and for small businesses for sale. Frostdale does not list property or businesses, and buying an existing business is not covered on this site; for a lease, the zoning checklist on the guides page explains what to confirm before signing.
Getting a Monroe, LA request to Frostdale
Frostdale Advances works by phone at (318) 257-0748 and through the online request. Its mailing address is 609 N 4th St, Monroe, LA 71201. Owners in West Monroe, Calhoun, Rayville, Bastrop and Farmerville start the same way; see the areas page for those towns.
Every town Frostdale covers around the parish is listed on the areas-served page.
Who Frostdale Advances works with in Monroe, LA
Owners in Monroe, LA come from many trades and services, such as contractors and construction trades, restaurants and food service, medical and dental practices and retailers and wholesalers that carry stock. Partners review each request on its own merits.
Documents to have ready
- Recent business bank statements (partners often ask for three to six months)
- Last year's filed tax return for the business
- An up-to-date P&L and balance sheet, even if you prepare them yourself
- A driver's license or passport for each owner
- A list of existing business debts and payments
- For equipment, the seller's quote with make, model and price
Partners differ in what they request; this list covers the usual ground.
How a request moves forward
- You call (318) 257-0748 or send the short request form. When we speak, we go over what the money is for, how long you have been in business and roughly what the business brings in.
- You hear which options match the need and what a partner will likely want to review. We submit nothing without your approval.
- With your permission, we take the request to lending partners that offer that kind of funding. Each partner reviews it and makes its own credit decision.
- If a partner makes an offer, you compare the total cost, payment schedule and terms. You are never obligated to accept.
Everything can be handled by phone or online from Monroe, LA.
By Frostdale Advances · Updated
