Loans, Insurance & credit card information

Growing a business is a lot like raising a family. Initially all aspects of the children’s lives revolve around the parents, but a gradual separation allows the children to one day stand alone. Business finances are a lot like that.

If you’ve been in business for a little while, you’ve probably already taken out at least one business loan. The initial business loan probably came from family members or friends and was used as seed money. They chose to make the loan because of their relationship with you and their confidence in your plan.

If you haven’t gotten it yet, the next business loan will be startup money, and will likely be your first bank loan. Because your business hasn’t yet created its own credit history, your lender will decide whether to lend you the money based on two things: your business plan and your personal finances.

Starting a new business is exhausting and can swallow up its owner’s personal life. Many areas of life tend to get neglected during startup, but if you plan to get a startup business loan, you can’t afford to neglect your personal finances. Bill must be paid on time. Debts must be paid off. Your personal credit score must be excellent.

Once your business is underway, your next business loan should be a line of credit. By the time you make this application, the bank won’t be as interested in your personal finances as they are your business’ revenue and cash flow. Before you apply for your business line of credit, you need to have completely separated your personal finances from those of your business.

To see what the bank is going to see, you must pull a copy of your business credit report. Check first for errors; a recent study found that 30% of all credit reports contained errors serious enough for a bank to deny a personal or business loan. Correct any errors and if you see any negative entries, make every effort to clear them. This can’t be done overnight, so plan ahead and pull your credit report at least six months before applying for your business loan.

SBA Loans

Explanation: The Small Business Administration is an independent agency of the federal government. Its mission is to help people start, build and grow businesses. The SBA does not actually supply the loan; lenders are responsible for that part. But the SBA guarantees between 50 to 85 percent of the loan, making the lender less wary of lending to riskier borrowers. The SBA does this by backing and securing loans that are given by banks.

Requirements/Documentation: Applicants of SBA loans will be required to provide a business profile, loan request, collateral, business financial statements and personal financial statements.

Pros: SBA can back loans of up to $2million dollars. Start up businesses can also take advantage of SBA loans if they meet the requirements, provide the proper documentation and present a sound business plan.

Cons: Borrowers are at the SBA’s discretion when it comes to getting a loan. They have to be able to persuade them that the loan will be put to good use, and they must outline exactly how the loan will be used. Also, as bank lending practices tighten, SBA loans are also becoming harder to receive.

Business Line of Credit

Explanation: A business line of credit is like a credit card for one’s business. A business line of credit offers revolving credit with lines that typically range from $10,000 to $100,000.

Requirements/Documentation: Many different banks offer business lines of credit. They may offer lines of up to $25,000, or lines of $25,000 and over. Requirements may vary depending on the lender that you are working with.

Pros: You have accessible cash on hand anytime you want. Also, many lenders do not require borrowers to have collateral to receive a business line of credit.

Cons: Like a personal credit card, you must pay interest on the outstanding monthly balance.

Business Cash Advance

Explanation: A business cash advance is a purchase of a business’s future credit card receivables. Borrowers receive an upfront lump sum and in return, a small percentage from their business’s future credit card sales is deducted and used to repay the advance.

Requirements/Documentation: Most business cash advance lenders require that the borrower has a business that has been in operation for at least four months, and that the business processes a minimum of $2,500 per month in credit card sales. Borrowers must provide lenders with at least the four most recent months of their business’s credit card statements.

Pros: Borrowers do not need to have collateral to receive a business cash advance. There is no interest on the advance, and there are no fixed monthly payments. There are also no penalties for repaying the advance slower or faster than expected. Also, there are no restrictions on how your business cash advance can be used.

Cons: Business cash advances can not be used to fund start-ups, as the borrower must have owned his/her business for at least four months to be eligible to receive the advance. Also, only merchant businesses that process credit card transactions are eligible to receive business cash advances, as the payments are taken as a small percentage from a business’s daily credit card sales.

Regular Financing Options

When it comes to business finance, there are many flexible options available such as leasing, factoring, regular loans, etc. However, all these options lack the attribute that we are discussing in the present article. Though sometimes all the above are the cheapest options for financing equipment purchases, manufacturing and internal or foreign sales, the truth is that they fail to provide a solution when time is an issue.

If you are about to complete a good deal and a machine broke up and you lack the funds for repairing, you can’t wait for a leasing contract to be signed in order to replace the equipment and if the delivery is close enough, you probably won’t have enough time to request a regular business loan either.

Fast Options for Business Finance

There are mainly two finance alternatives when time is an issue: Fast Business Loans and a Business Line of Credit. Which one is the best choice depends on many factors such as: time available, amount needed, recurring, credit situation, income expectation, etc.

Fast Business Loans require no long credit verifications. The money you need can be obtained quickly with little paperwork. However, further paperwork and credit checks may be needed after the money is delivered in order to close the deal on better terms. Business Lines of Credit on the other hand, take more time to be approved. But once you’ve a line of credit agreed, you’ll be able to borrow the money you need at any time, return it the way you want (with certain limits) and borrow more money as many times as you need it up to the credit maximum.

As regards to the amount, business lines of credit will provide you a smaller amount than regular business loans but higher amounts than fast business loans. Moreover, business lines of credit provide a recurring source of money which eliminates the need of applying again whenever you need more cash.

Approval for both types of loans is determined by the business’s credit situation. However, fast business loans have fewer requirements than business lines of credit. Nevertheless, approval ratio is high enough for both kind of loans and unless your business has had mayor financial delinquencies in the past approval is almost a certainty in both cases.

The Interest Rate charged for fast business loans is higher due to the fact that there are not so many requirements and fewer credit checks. This implies a greater risk for the lender that is compensated by higher rates and higher costs. However, the difference won’t be more than 3 or 4 percentage points.

Finally your income expectations will also determine which loan option is best for you. Given that fast business loans carry higher interest rates and fixed monthly installments, unless your current and future income guarantee that you’ll be able to repay the loan, you will probably do better with a business line of credit that offers more flexibility when it comes to the repayment plan.

If you’re starting a new business, a small business loan can help you get started by providing working capital to build a store, buy inventory, or promote your business. But how does a small business loan benefit you in real terms, and do you even qualify for a loan?

What is a Small Business Loan?

By definition, a small business loan is a certain amount of money that is borrowed by a person who wants to start or operate his or her own business. It is basically a type of personal loan given by lenders to small business owners.

There are several types of small business loans. Unsecured business loans are issued by a lender based on your credit alone without any sort of collateral. Usually, you will need a high credit score and a very good credit history as well as have a stable personal finance situation.

There is also business financing that can be based on collateral such as real estate collateral, a vehicle or property that is free and clear of debt, and so forth. Then, there is a commercial real estate finance loan for which money is granted for a commercial property that is to be used for business. There is also a business line of credit, which is a fixed, predetermined amount of credit that a company can borrow against as needs arise. The borrower will only be required to pay interest on the amount used.

Benefits of Small Business Loans

Obtaining a small business loan for your new business can bring relief in many ways. It can give you working capital to help build your business, promote it, and keep inventory. It can also help with the costs of hiring employees if needed at the start. A small business loan enables you to grow your new business without the financial stresses of a new business. Also, the interest on a small business loan is tax deductible.

Small Business Loan Qualifications

Once you understand how business financing works, you must consider whether or not you will qualify. It’s good to know this before you apply so that your credit history will not show various credit checks and inquiries from lenders, which can lower your credit score for the future.

First, be sure your personal credit history is in order. Find out your credit score by requesting a copy of your credit report. There are many online resources available to check your own credit history. Also, be sure your personal bill and loan payment histories have been consistent and on time over the past two years or more. Small business lenders are likely to base your approval on your personal credit history, especially if you do not offer collateral.

Next, ask the lender directly about their business loan qualifications. This can eliminate any questions in your mind before applying.

Finding a Lender

Do some research to find a small business lender that’s right for you. Check around online for interest rates, small business loan plans and qualifications, and for flexibility. Some lenders will offer creative small business loan options to work with your particular situation. Some lenders make it easy to get approved while others make it almost impossible. Look for a lender that is easy to work with from the start. Ask about early pay-offs, lines of credit, flexible financing, guaranteed interest rates, and any fees you will incur by using their services.

Keep these tips in mind as you search for small business finance solutions. You’ll be on the road to success in no time!