Business Tips

Everything You Need To Know About Small Business Loans

By Ryan Bradman | September 30, 2019

Do you own your own business?

Have you been operating for years while growth has eluded you?

Don’t worry, many business owners find themselves in the same predicament.

It can be hard to set aside enough money, month to month, to make meaningful improvements in your business. Thankfully, there are other options out there. Small business loans are the perfect option to inject some more capital in your business.

Used intelligently, a small business loan can easily take your business to the next level. We’re going to give you a rundown of what to consider before applying for the loan, what to remember when applying for the loan, and how to use the acquired loan to better your business.

Before the Loan

Before you apply for a small business loan, there are a few things you need to consider:

● What Are Your Goals?

You need to nail down what goals a business loan could help you with. For example, if you want to do a major renovation or even lease a new office building, you are going to need a big amount of money.

However, if you are looking at smaller scale improvements, like replacing some of your old equipment or hiring part-time workers to increase productivity, you might need fewer funds.

● How Much Money Do You Need?

Once you set a reasonable goal, decide the exact amount of money you are going to need. You will need to apply for a specific amount of money, so make sure that you don’t ask for more than you need (as that’ll just be more you have to pay back), but also be careful that you ask for enough to significantly improve your business.

Applying for a Loan

Once you decide that you will apply for a loan, there are a couple of things you need to remember:

● Be Prepared

When you apply for a loan, there are certain documents that you will need to put together to show the lender.

The first is proof of revenue, preferably over many months. You need to show the lender that you are actively making profits to pay back your loan.

You will also need to show a solid business plan with revenue projections that give the lender a solid idea of where your business is going and how you can turn the loan into profits for your business.

● Have a Solid Credit Score or Collateral

The lender will want to know that giving you a loan would not pose much of a risk.

There are two ways to show this, either through a great business credit score or by offering collateral on the loan. A high business credit score always helps as it shows that you would not be at risk of defaulting on the loan.

If your credit score is poorer, you might still be able to get a loan by offering collateral. Collateral can be anything that the lender can seize and turn into money. This can be a variety of things including cash, stocks, bonds, or even a company vehicle.

If you default on the loan, the collateral will be seized and sold by the lender to recuperate some of the money they would lose on the remaining loan.

After Your Small Business Loan is Approved

If you are approved for a loan, chances are you have done most of the work already. You simply need to stick with your business plan and be vigilant in ensuring that all of the loan is put to good use in growing your business.

Some small business loans include advisors from the lenders in terms of growing and operating the business. Don’t forget to use these resources if they are offered to you.

We hope this post has inspired you to go out and apply for a business loan. If you follow these tips and guidelines you should be on your way to approval in no time.

What will you use your small business loan for?