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Foundational Spark
The industry was stuck. Our founder paved the way forward.
In the late 1990s, factoring and payroll funding felt cold, rigid, and impersonal, especially for the staffing entrepreneurs who needed more than just capital. Joel Adelman, an entrepreneur himself, saw an opportunity to disrupt the status quo. In 1998, he launched Advance Partners with a simple belief: funding should be flexible, personal, and grounded in real relationships.
What followed was a quiet revolution in staffing finance.
"When seeking business opportunity, I looked at the factoring landscape—it was old and boring—and knew that the industry could be upended."
Joel Adelman
Entrepreneurial Roots
Built from scratch.
Long before launching two of the most influential funding companies in the staffing industry, Adelman was a builder: a self-made entrepreneur who knew what it meant to start from scratch.
The Advance Partners founding team didn’t emerge from Wall Street boardrooms. They came from the trenches, listening to clients, solving real-world problems, and taking smart risks.
They forged a new path based on personal experience. At its core, the company was built by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs. This principle would shape everything that came next.
"Identifying the entrepreneur with the fire in their belly is where our team excelled. It wasn’t perfect, but we did a good job finding those who had what it takes."
Joel Adelman
Evolution of Encore
The journey didn’t end, it evolved.
Over the next two decades, Adelman and his team would transform Advance Partners into a cornerstone of the staffing industry, providing over $25 billion in working capital to thousands of agencies, including many minority-owned firms.
They stood beside clients through 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the 2008 recession, and COVID-era volatility. In 2015, Advance Partners was acquired by Paychex, but the entrepreneurial fire never left.
By 2021, the original founders reunited, driven by a sense of unfinished business and a renewed belief in the entrepreneurs they serve. That spark became Encore Funding.
"During crises, I stayed calm and focused. My team supported me because they saw me living the business, and we faced challenges together."
Joel Adelman
Heart of the Brand
Entrepreneurs serving entrepreneurs. Always.
Encore Funding exists because of its founders' unrelenting belief in the potential of entrepreneurs, especially those who have been historically underfunded, overlooked, or underestimated.
At Encore, funding isn’t transactional; it’s transformational. It’s the difference between surviving and scaling, between breaking even and breaking through.
The entrepreneurial journey is tough, lonely, and full of uncertainty. Encore Funding shows up with clarity, courage, camaraderie, and capital to make it less so.
"Our clients weren’t just waiting for answers; they were waiting for relationships. Helping entrepreneurs unlock their potential was transformational both for them and for us.”
Joel Adelman
Encore Today
$1B funded. 2 acquisitions. And we’re just getting started.
Today, Encore Funding is a trusted partner and an extension of each client’s team. The firm delivers tailored working capital solutions, strategic consulting, and access to a deeply experienced leadership team that has been through it all. Encore is a partner to clients, linked by their shared success.
Since inception, Encore has reached remarkable milestones: acquiring two competitors, launching a specialty transportation finance division, and achieving $1 billion in funding in record time—all while staying true to its core mission.
"Focusing on underfunded and underbanked entrepreneurs wasn’t just a one-off bet. It became part of who we are. It was also more than simple loans: we wanted to help transform businesses.”
Joel Adelman
Ready to Grow?
Let’s write your next chapter together.
You’ve got the vision. We’ve got the capital and expertise to help you get there.
If you're a staffing entrepreneur looking for a funding partner who actually gets it, you're in the right place.
Milestones from the Last 25 Years
1998
- March: Adelman and leadership team found Advance Payroll Funding
- April: First day of business
- June: First client
2008-2009
Leadership & clients weather economic crisis
Joel and the leadership team helped clients handle tough economic times and supported many of them to grow and maximize opportunities with a new focus.
2010
Adelman supports Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill clean-up
Joel helped his client staff over 5,000 individuals to assist in the clean-up of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, working hand in hand with clients and local, state and national governmental agencies to efficiently deploy and pay workers.
2012-2014
2012: Advance Partners achieves $1 billion in funding
2013: Adelman is named Entrepreneur of the Year® US by Ernst & Young
2014: Advance Partners is included in the Inc 500 List
2015-2020
2015: Advance Partners is acquired by Paychex
2016-2020: Adelman supports entrepreneurs beyond the staffing industry via AdCap Management
2021
Adelman and the core leadership team found Encore Funding
2022
Encore Funding achieves major milestones
- Acquires two friendly competitors
- Hires long-time Senior Operations and Credit Executives from Advance Partners, building the familiar team at Encore
- The Encore Funding team launches its specialty transportation finance division
2023
Encore hosts EPIC, an exclusive 2-day client conference, in Las Vegas
2024
The Encore Funding team achieves $1 billion in funding within 3 years of active operations
- International Factoring Association (IFA) announces Chad Eberly, General Manager and Co-Founder, as Advisory Board member for a 2-year term
- The Encore Funding team launches its Government Contractor finance division
- Encore signs exclusive 3-year partnership with California Staffing Professionals
2025
Encore Funding grows 10x in headcount to add to the service team and doubles office space to accommodate growing team
