Loans, Insurance & credit card information

Already we are seeing the results of the demise of the mortgage market due to the sub prime debacle. Lending banks have severely tightened lending criteria as their asset bases erode and the financial sector comes under huge pressure. Wall street does not like to see 2.5 billion dollar write offs from Morgan Stanley and the like. John Maudlin said in his November 9th Newsletter “Data released in the past few months, and again this week, have shown that banks and other lenders are tightening their standards for all sorts of loans. And it is not just that they are becoming more like an old-fashioned banker who actually wanted to know that he could get his money back”. (John Maudlin, Frontline Thoughts)

Start up companies and smaller operations with limited assets are the ones who have benefited over the last five years of easy money. Some company’s were even funded through second mortgages because they were cheaper and easier to get than an SBA LOC. For all but a lucky few that option is now gone.

I recently completed a very solid business plan for a client that was denied funding. At first I was surprised. But given the external factors that now affect the lending market the response from the bank will be a common one. No more easy money.

So now everyone will have to get creative to get financed. Here are my top two creative ways of finding the money when you are a small business in need:

Friends and Family -

Sometimes people look at me and say “but my friends and family don’t have any money.” Well, neither did mine when I wanted any for my business. But a funny thing about friends and family – when I approached them with a solid plan and a sample product they could see, feel, and admire, suddenly they were open to the idea. But here’s the trick: I didn’t ask any ONE person for the whole amount. I took seven different loans to get $25,000 and paid them back according to need.

So my friend who lent me her last $5000 got hers paid back first, and my grandfather, who was retired and didn’t need his $5000 right away was willing to wait. Everyone knew the payment schedule and signed their acceptance of it. When I needed the last $5000 and no ONE person had it, I had two friends who even lent me $2500 each. That’s how you can put money together creatively.

Merchant Account Advance -

Almost every business now accepts credit cards. Not only have they proven in studies to raise individual ticket sales (people will charge more than they will pay with cash), merchant accounts allow for greater flexibility for the small merchant. You don’t have to be open at 2 am to make a sale-your website can do it for you.

So now you can get money in advance of future sales. Merchant account advances are a relatively new way for merchants to access cash. Business owners get the cash they need quickly. Instead of having to worry about large monthly payments, the loan is repaid from a small percentage of each credit card sale the business makes.

There are qualifications. But if you are open for business and have consistent credit card sales this is a great avenue to explore.

If you need to raise money for your business and you can’t get a conventional loan, just take the time to think outside the box. There are several other options open to you.

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.

Business people are often in need of a loan for expending their business or starting a new one. Secured business loans offer them a low cost loan and that too without any hurdles. Business people can take secured business loans for any purpose like buying raw material, equipments, machinery, paying for salary, clearing debts etc.

Secured business loans are provided against a valuable property of the business person. Home or even the very business can serve the purpose of collateral. One huge advantage of secured business loans is that the lenders charge low rate of interest. However, how low the rate of interest will be depends on good credit history of the borrower and his repayment capacity. Another advantage is that under secured business loans, a business person can avail greater loan amount. Also the loan can be repaid in larger duration. This clearly means that the borrower’s monthly payment for the loan installments gets reduced and saves money for other business uses.

A huge advantage of secured business loans is for bad credit borrowers. Since their property is with the lender as security of the loan. Lenders do not have any big risks in making a loan deal with such borrowers. So, all business persons who could not pay previous loans in time and have late payments, arrears, county court judgments mentioned in their credit report are eligible for secured business loans.

Make sure that you take a business plan to your lender describing how you would be investing the loan. Also show your business income to convince that you can repay the loan installments in time. Remember that your home is at risk. So pay off the loan installments in time. You can get secured business loans from banks, financial companies or from online lenders. Compare their interest rates and terms-conditions for a suitable deal.

Many small businesses are falling apart and are looking for ways to keep it running. Some have considered applying for grants but it is just not reachable for the present economic times. But some banks and other institutions are considering small businesses for loans. There are items a business owner must know before applying for the loan and how to apply.

Before Hand

The owner should like up a business plan and have all financial statements readily available. A normal business plan includes the exact purpose, what is to come revenue and expense wise, and how the business will prosper with the use of the loan. All personal financial records need to be gathered. Even though personal credit and finances are separated from the business the lender needs to be ensured that have people with a good financial status to make payments. The purpose of the loan needs to be clear. A financial institution is not going to give out a loan for nothing. They need to know exactly what the loan will be used for. For most small business loans collateral is a must. Assets such as equipment or land are often used for collateral. The financial institution needs to be sure that if a loan is not paid there will be back to pay it off. Lastly, before applying for a loan the owner should be well aware of the costs and payment plan. The payment needs to fit the budget of the business or it will fall apart.

Instructions

Numerous business owners do not have a clue on how to apply for a small business loan but want to make sure it is done properly. Having the paperwork, such as financial statements, the cover letter with the purpose of the loan, accurate and organized is the first step. Reviewing and prioritizing the stacks of paperwork will show that the business owner is well organized and the financial institution will spend less time shuffling papers. The owner should not meet with only one financial institution. Financial institutions all have different loan rates and upfront costs. Researching several institutions is highly recommended. Once all the paperwork is together and several financial institutions have been selected, filling out the loan application completely should be priority. They do not want to see incomplete work and will just toss aside the application not even considering the business for a loan. Alongside the application, a cover sheet should be attached with all the company’s vital information.  Obtaining a few letters of recommendation could play a huge role in gaining the small business loan. These letters prove how well the owner is knowledgeable in the business and how long they have been involved. Some financial institutions return the loan paperwork and application due to wanting more information. This does not mean the loan was not accepted. The institution just wants verify more before taking on the small business.

Finally

After hours of complying and organizing paperwork, settling on a financial institution and considering costs the extra work was all worth it in the end. It may pose a little difficult but with the right resources and knowledge the process is made easier.

Most entrepreneurs want to start up a business without a good business plan. They look up to the government for a start up or an expansion loan. For you to have these loans you need to have a great business plan and you must show willingness to repay. The fund is easy to get but will be easier if there is already a business plan.

Once you have all these issues resolved then you are ready to apply for the loan from the government. But please you must make sure your business is in existence.

No matter how small your business is you can make estimate on the amount you need to start up. Also you need to know all the necessary equipments, materials necessary for your business. With the estimation you can plan ahead and know the actual amount you will apply from the government.

I assure you that if you do your necessary homework on what you require, if the amount will be okay considering the location where you stay, if mortgage will be included in the loans or there will be renovations. A situation where you have a land for your business definitely it will require renovations.

Be fully equipped before going for this loan. Check if your equipments are in good shape if not, get them serviced. Why you need to get fully prepared is that, to prevent the idea of asking for more when you have already been given.

Inventory is another vital factor which should be put into consideration when going for the government small business.

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