If you have ever considered getting a start-up loan for your business, you were likely met with a range of options. From general naysayers to people with cautionary anecdotes, everyone you met likely had a story as to what might happen when you took out a loan to start or expand your business venture. While they were right to say not every reason is a good reason to consider taking a loan for business, many wonderful reasons remain as to why you should do just that. If your business has grown to the point that you are ready to take the next step, but you lack the capital to make that happen, there are many clever reasons you might consider applying for a small business loan.
Expansion
Although you may have started your business with just yourself and your great idea, you quickly grew enough to hire on several employees. Recently, that success continued to the point that now you need a new, larger location for your offices or store front. Rather than waiting until you cannot not possibly fit another employee inside your current building, a small business loan can help you take the next step. No matter if you run a restaurant, retail store, or lease an office building, the right start-up business loans will allow you to expand and explore your options.
As you consider applying, take steps to measure the potential change in revenue that would come from expanding your space. Could you cover your loan costs and still make a profit? Remember to utilise a revenue forecast along with your existing balance sheet to get a better idea of how this type of decision would impact your bottom line. You should also thoroughly research the location you wish to move to so you know beforehand whether or not it would be a good fit for your target market.
Future Credit
Many business owners have applied for smaller loans as a step toward larger-scale financing for their business over the next several years. By starting with a smaller, short-term loan, they built their business credit and proved themselves reliable enough for larger loans. Young businesses often discover difficulties qualifying for larger loans if both the business and the owners do not have a strong credit history to report. Taking out smaller loans and making regular on-time payments will help build your business’s credit for the future. In short, you prove to lenders that your business profits support you enough to handle a larger loan.
This tactic can also help some businesses develop a stronger relationship with a specific lender, giving them a connection to go back to when they find they are ready for a larger loan. Be sure to look at these early loan options and choose something you can afford. By choosing the wrong loan, even one missed or late payment can make your chances of qualifying for a larger loan even worse than if you had never applied for the small loan at all. For this reason, you stand to benefit greatly from taking out a starter loan, but, as with all investments, you must be informed and be realistic with your choices.