Guide to Business Loans

Business loans are loans specifically tailored for enterprising business people who are just starting their own companies or existing companies needing additional funding for expansion or restructuring. Business loans serve a variety of needs for both new and established businesses. Business loans come in a variety of options depending on the rate of interest and the preferred repayment needs.

Applying for business loans is a more involved process than applying for a personal or home loan. The requirements are evaluated differently and the standards to be met are stricter than for a secured personal loan. Your options will also depend on the bank you are dealing with; banks offer different loan packages, each with its’ own particular set of terms and conditions.

While you can check out what your own bank has to offer, it is worth investigating the business loans being offered by other banks as well. For an established business, business loans enable additional cash flows to provide funds for fresh purchases, making essential payments for payroll and rent etc. Business loans are also acquired to meet needs of refinancing money borrowed previously from banks and other financial institutions.

How It Works

Once you start the loan application process, banks and other financial institutions become very interested in your creditworthiness and credit rating, since this determines how much money they will lend you and how much interest you will pay on the loans you take. These ratings indicate whether or not yours is a high risk loan.

In order to decide whether to get a loan, you should take a careful look at your business’s investment needs. Then you should look at your cash position. Your decision about how to fund whatever you wish to invest in should depend on your cash position but also on your business position because when you take out a loan, you are preserving your cash position, which means that your liquidity is also preserved.

You will find it a lot more difficult to get business loans on favourable conditions if you are in dire need of cash. This is because your interest rate and amount you can be loaned will depend on your ability to pay your loan back. If your cash position is precarious, then you’ll find that your interest rate is higher as the lender would feel that they are taking more risk. Should your cash position be strong, then you’ll get better loan conditions.

In order to improve your chances of getting business loans, you need to show the lender why you will be reliable with your loan repayments. If you have accounts, show the lender your earnings history, and if possible a realistic assessment of your future earnings potential. It will also help you if you have personally invested in your own business. This will show the lender that your interest will be aligned with theirs, and you are both sharing the risks in your business. Should you be a sole trader, you will be responsible and liable for the repayments. In a partnership, all partners will be jointly responsible. Finally, if you are a company, the directors are likely to be liable.

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