Small businesses often need a
business finance facility time and again and usually, the collateral comes from
the owner’s personal assets. This is why
small business owners pay closer and more personal attention to their
businesses. But what happens when personal assets are not enough?
One of the difficulties that small
businesses face is keeping cash flow positive and access to small business finance facilities. Oftentimes, there’s too much paperwork, the
need for more valuable collateral and a higher loanable amount. What’s more, conventional financing
institutions such as banks find that small businesses have very low survival
rates and they consider them high risk clients.
It is a good thing that small
businesses have other credit facilities they can turn to. The application
process is much easier with minimal documentation and a stress-free repayment
system. There are two types of small business finance options - business cash
advances and unsecured small business loans (without collateral).
These alternative funding
facilities do not require business plans or extensive financial statements and
near perfect credit scores. All they do is evaluate their applicants based on
capacity to pay and the current market conditions. Capacity to pay is based on daily sales
volume, so previous sales records are necessary. Payment is taken from a percentage of the
daily debit/credit card sales – usually 10%. It is up to you to determine how
much you need and how much of your profits you are willing to part with.
These small business finance
facility has no fixed interest rate but it does incur cost of money, so you do
need to assess how much financing you need and how much it will cost your
business in the long run. Daily payments
or loan term is usually made between 3 months to 18 months depending on the
loan amount or the value of the daily payments.
Do not
underestimate or overestimate the funds you need. Falling short of your financial needs won’t
be of much help and overestimating could add unnecessary burden to your
business and put a strain on your cash flow.
Keep in mind that the higher the amount borrowed equals higher cost of
money.
Small
businesses have a tendency to renew their loan account after a complete loan
cycle. This is why it is important to
review the business’ performance before the loan cycle ends.
Small business finance facilities are
meant to help small businesses face the challenges of daily operations, the
hurdles of innovation, research and much needed marketing to boost sales and
market presence. The financial boost
goes a long way and it also helps small business in a big way. Growth for small businesses also means the
growth of the institutions that finance them.
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