When planning on a business, an aspiring entrepreneur has a number of financing options. What are these start-up financing programs and which one is the most suitable for you? To help you answer these questions, let's discuss each business financing methods one at a time.
Business Loans offered by the SBA.
The US Small Business Administration is a government agency that is especially created to provide assistance, counsel and protection to small businesses and enterprises. The SBA does not directly provide long-term funding or loans but it works alongside government-accredited lenders and financial institutions to help business owners.
Nevertheless, SBA loans are only offered to business owners who have been turned down by commercial lenders or conventional loans. Therefore a business owner must first try to apply a business loan from a bank or a private lender. If your application has not been approved, that's the time you can seek help from the SBA.
Conventional Business Loans Available
Working Capital Loans. Working Capital Loans can be obtained by growing businesses who have already established itself in the market and needs additional funding for its expansion. This type of loan can be secured or unsecured. If you're required to submit the properties, assets, or inventory of your business as a guarantee for the loan, then that is a secured working capital loan.
On the other hand, an unsecured working capital loan is given without the need for security or collateral. Nevertheless, the business must have an excellent credit score in order to be approved for this loan. Also, because the borrower poses more risk to the lender, unsecured loans come with higher interest rates than secured loans.
Accounts Receivable Factoring. This type of business financing involves the selling of a company's invoices or receivables to a lender. The amount of funding that will be provided depends on the age of the accounts receivables. Of course, lenders would be more willing to give a larger fund for a recent invoice than that of an older one. Most lenders would turn down an invoice that is older than 90 days.
Merchant Account Cash Advance. This type of business funding is available only for businesses who accept online payments, particularly Visa- and MasterCard- payments. In exchange for the purchase of your future credit card receipts, you can receive a cash advance to be deposited in your business checking account.
Equipment Financing. This type of loan is suitable for new businesses that need to purchase equipment or machinery for its business operations. Through equipment financing, a business can buy the equipment it needs using the equipment itself as collateral for the loan. Equipment Leasing. Instead of purchasing brand new equipment or machinery, a new business can choose to lease equipment instead. The equipment leased is paid in installments depending on the payment terms offered by the lender. With equipment leasing, a business has the option to either return the equipment or own the equipment when the lease term ends.
