Saturday, May 31, 2008

Bankruptcy and Small Business Loans

You're unlikely to get an SBA government-guaranteed loan if you already have too much debt, but there are ways to improve your chances

A U.S. Small Business Administration loan is actually a private loan guaranteed by the government and made to small companies and startup entrepreneurs with viable business plans who couldn't get commercial loans. The borrower must undergo a criminal background check and demonstrate creditworthiness. If you have a history of insolvency or are perceived to be a credit risk, you're unlikely to qualify for a loan of any kind.

If you have good credit aside from the loan you've taken out to help your son, you'd be better off applying for the SBA loan first and then filing for personal bankruptcy later if necessary, says Steve Berman, a business bankruptcy attorney based in Tampa. "You'll need to give the bank a financial statement and a business plan. Be careful not to make any fraudulent misrepresentations to them. They may look at your situation and ask if you intend to file for bankruptcy, and if you do, you'd have to disclose that and it would probably kill the loan," says Berman. If the loan officer does not ask you about the possibility of a future bankruptcy, don't volunteer that information, he adds.
May Be Possible to Avoid Bankruptcy

You might try to work through your financial difficulty first and then apply for the loan, using the extra time to build up your construction business while you continue with your full-time employment. It's possible you may be able to avoid bankruptcy. "Many times, medical providers will write down bills in exchange for lump-sum payments," Berman says. "If your son owes $10,000 and you can make a lump-sum payment of $5,000 or $6,000, they may be willing to write down the remainder of the debt, especially since you are paying for your son's bills and you're in difficult straits." Sometimes medical providers will provide interest-free payment terms as well, he notes.

If you do get the SBA loan and then find you eventually have to declare personal bankruptcy after all, you will not automatically be declared in default on the business loan. "As long as you're still making payments and you haven't breached the other provisions of the loan agreement, they can't cancel the loan on you just because you file for bankruptcy," Berman says.

The bottom line: The more financially precarious your situation, the more difficult it will be for you to meet your current obligations, let alone make a payment on a new loan. If you're heavily in debt or highly leveraged in your assets, you're not likely to get a small business loan—bankruptcy or no.

Source:http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/may2008/

Friday, May 23, 2008

Small Business Loans: Types And Eligibility Criteria

Initiating and managing a small business needs proper planning, coordination, talent, intelligence and primarily strong capital management skills. To start up and maintain a business, a budding entrepreneur needs adequate capital support for which he/she often resorts to small business loans. In order to promote small businesses many banking as well as non-banking companies have come up with various small business loan schemes to satisfy the diverse needs of their customers.

SBA Loans: The United States Small Business Administration (SBA) offers a variety of loan programs for small business owners.

Basic 7(a) Loan Guaranty program serves the start-up and existing small businesses and other commercial lending institutions. These loans are provided by participating lenders, which mostly comprises of American banks as well as some non-bankers who are associated with SBA 7(a) program.

The Certified Development Company (CDC) 504 Loan program is targeted for those small businesses that wish to acquire real estate/ machinery/ equipment for expansion and modernization purposes. These small business loans are provided in a long-term, fixed-rate financing basis by Certified development companies set up to facilitate the growth and development of their communities and regions.

Microloan, a 7(m) loan program supports the financial needs of small businesses and not-for-profit child-care centers. This loan program can be availed to fulfill the working capital needs and other needs like inventory, furniture, fixtures and other machinery/ equipments. Under this program the small business companies can get a short-term loan of up to $35,000.

Loan Prequalification program offers loans up to $250000 for which the loan applications are scrutinized and sanctioned by SBA themselves. Rather than depending on the applicant’s assets, the program primarily focuses on the overall character and reliability of an applicant.

Secured Loans: The amount of such loans directly depends on the value of the assets held by an applicant. In case of any failure in repayment, the applicant’s assets may be forfeited to the lender. Due to increased security of money lend under this scheme, the small business owners can avail of benefits like better rates and better repayment options. Apart from that a longer repayment period cuts down upon the monthly repayments helping the small business owners to manage their finances in a better way.

Unsecured Loans: These loans are without any security/ collateral and are focused entirely on the character and reliability of an applicant. However, the rate of interest in this case is considerably higher than the other options.

Bad Credit Loans: Small business owners with bad or poor credit history can go for Bad credit loans. Under this scheme the lenders may charge a higher rate of interest because of the increased risk associated with the money lend due to the applicant’s poor credit history.

Small business loans for Woman: Due to an increase in women leading small businesses, many banking and non-banking institutions are providing special loans that supports women financially to fulfill their business objective along with some additional benefits.

Small business owners can also go in for business cash advance, which is a better and easier method of finance support. Unlike loans, a business cash advance does not require a security or a collateral. The repayment solely depends on the future credit card sales of your product and the loan amount is repaid automatically through Visa/ Master cards sales. As the repayment is directly dependent on the revenue earned by the borrower through the credit cards sales, a business cash advance scheme is preferably a much better alternative than small business loans.
Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Small-Business-Loans:-Types-And-Eligibility-Criteria&id=317855

Friday, May 16, 2008

Better financing for small and micro business sector in Jamaica

Published on Friday, May 16, 2008

KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS): Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Karl Samuda, has said that the small and micro business sector in Jamaica will be aided with the provision of better financing options in order to ensure the sustainable development of the sector.

Industry, Commerce & Investment Minister,
Karl Samuda. JIS Photo
Making his presentation to the 2008/09 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, Samuda said that "this year will mark a turning point in the sustainable development of this vital sector."

He informed that $5.5 billion will be made available for development and expansion projects and that the assistance includes contributions from the private sector.

The Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) will be making available, a $1 billion line of credit, which will be targeted at businesses engaged in agricultural production and processing, retooling and re-engineering, manufacturing operations, tourism, non-metallic mining, and information technology, among others. The funds will be made available through approved financial institutions.

Loans will range between $50,000 and $15 million and security and the repayment period will vary with the size of the loan.

A further $1 billion will be provided through the DBJ Petrocaribe small and medium enterprises energy fund to be used for retrofitting businesses to achieve energy efficiency and conservation and for alternative energy projects, with specific emphasis on electricity conservation and the production of solar energy.

The Industry Minister also informed that $100 million had been committed to the disabled community for businesses. "That is a guaranteed facility and it does not limit the amount that the disabled community can access, but it will not be less than $100 million, but they may go beyond that, depending on the projects," he pointed out.

In addition, the Jamaica Business Development Centre (JBDC) will be introducing a new financial product to provide financial assistance to a special group of 'un-banked' micro and small businesses.

"This product must be seen as improving 'financial incubation' for a targeted group of micro and small businesses," Samuda told the House, noting that under this programme, financial assistance should be provided only to clients, who have been provided with business development services such as training and business assessment through the JBDC's island-wide network of business centres.

He informed that the target group comprises micro and small business entities and business groups or clusters in the productive sector, primarily. The JBDC, he noted, will apply creative lending methodologies and will not use traditional collateral as a basis on which to give the loans.

The interest rate on the loans will be 10 per cent and it is expected that approximately 2,500 previously un-banked enterprises will be served during the first year of operation.

In the meantime, Samuda informed that the JBDC has applied to the DBJ to be accredited as an approved financial institution. The company will also apply to the National Insurance Fund (NIF) for accreditation in order to access funds from the NIF. "In other words, the JBDC will be facilitating entities that are now unable to have any form of access to financing," Mr. Samuda stated.

The Minister commended the Jamaica National Micro Credit Programme, through which 35,000 loans averaging $23,000 per loan, was made available in 2007/2008, to persons without collateral.

He also expressed gratitude for the support received from the European Union through the Private Sector Development Programme (PSDP), which is a five-year technical assistance programme, initiated in 2004.

The programme is geared towards enhancing the competitiveness of the private sector in response to the challenges of increased globalization and liberalization of markets. The PSDP has also funded important research work at the University of the West Indies, which will inform the preparation of a small business policy.

Source:http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/news-7854--9-9--.html

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Minority Small Business Loans

The first procedure for getting Minority small business loans is to submit an appropriate application form of the financial institutions/banks. It is worth mentioning that there are different types of application forms for different categories of grants. The information furnished in the application covers, inter alia, the following: the name and address of the borrower and his establishment; the details of the borrowers business; and the nature and amount of security offered.

The application form has to be supported by various ancillary statements like the financial statements and financial projections of the firm. The application is then processed by the financial institution-giving grant. This primarily involves an examination of the factors like ability, integrity and experience of the borrower in the particular business. General prospects of the borrower’s business, purpose of grant, requirement of the borrower and its reasonableness are also taken into perspective.

Once the application is duly processed, it is put up for sanction to the appropriate authority. If the sanction is given by the appropriate authority along with the sanction of grant, the bank specifies the terms and conditions applicable to the grant. These usually cover the amount of the loan or the maximum limit of the grant, the nature of the grant, the period for which the grant will be valid, the rate of interest applicable to the grant, the primary security to be charged, the insurance of the security, the details of collateral security, if any, to be provided, and the margin to be maintained.

The detailed appraisal of the project is done by the lead institution. The appraisal covers the marketing, technical, financial, managerial and economic aspects. The appraisal memorandum is normally prepared within two months after site inspection and placed before the Senior Executive Meeting (SEM) for a decision about approval of the project and determining the sharing arrangement among the institutions. Once a favorable decision is taken at the SEM forum and the sharing arrangement worked out, the case is referred to the Board of Directors of the lead financial institution. After the Board of Directors of the lead financial institution approves the proposal, a financial letter of sanction is issued to the borrower.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Minority-Small-Business-Loans&id=232231

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Short Term Business Loan

Most businesses require a loan at some stage of their development, whether it is to start up, expand, acquire another business or purchase a fixed asset. A short-term business loan can suit every stage in the growth of your business. A short-term business loan can help even out cash flow when your accounts payable schedule is shorter than your sales cycle.

A short-term business loan is a flexible, versatile and easy-to-use source of finance that allows you to invest large amounts into your business while controlling the effect this has on your cashflow. With a short-term business loan, there is no need to depend on other credit facilities, such as overdrafts, for working capital requirements.

There are slow times now and then in every business. In the retail industry, seasonal products must be ordered -- and paid for -- months before they will be sold. A short-term business loan allows you to make purchases that will appear as an asset on your balance sheet, and increase your company's asset base without having to put a dent in your cashflow. Short-term business loans can be a good way to raise working capital and cover accounts payable.

Short-term loans are appropriate for both new and existing businesses. When dealing with new businesses, some banks will grant only shorter-term loans, because short-term loans are less risky than loans with longer terms.

Short-term loans can have maturations of as little as 90-120 days or as long as one to three years, depending on the purpose of the loan. In general, banks require very specific repayment plans for their short-term loans.

Before a lender will grant a short-term loan, it will review your cash-flow history and payment track record. Most short-term loans are unsecured, meaning they do not require collateral. Rather, the bank relies on your personal credit history and credit score for approval.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Short-Term-Business-Loan&id=228082

Monday, April 14, 2008

Instant Cheap Small Business Loan!

Let me throw some light on instant cheap small business loan. If you are looking out for small cash to instantly fulfill your dreams, small personal loan can bail you out of your financial quagmire. More so, a particular small loan such as a small business loan would be the apt one for your commercial financial requirements.

Small Business Loan instant!

A cheap small business loan instant serves a business man in three ways.

-Secured small business loan
-Unsecured small business loan
-Bad credit small business loan

First and foremost a secured small business loan uk caters to a home-owner in uk and he should be willing to release his home equity tied up. A secured business loan attracts the most favourable rates out of all the above options.

Tenant’s business financial requirement can be realized with an Unsecured small business loan. UK unsecured business loan meets the non homeowner or a business man looking out for instant small business loans without putting his collateral at stake.

Bad Credit Small Business Loans-Help sail through your financial adversity!

Add a financial cheer to your financially troubled life with bad credit small business loan. Running into financial difficulty? Have defaulted on your small personal loans? Past credit mistakes? Whatever is your financial concern, a bad credit small business loan offers you enough solace to start or resurrect your ruined business. Spruce up your business now, fight out all bad credits.

Depending on your business requirement, you can opt for any of the above option. Care should be taken in settling down with the right small personal loan to meet your needs rightly. The success of your business lies in choosing the right business loan.

Instant cheap small business start up loan! - Small Loans

Make your small business start up dream a reality. Small investment towards your small business aids you enough in setting up a small firm. Small scale industry or any other business which demands for small cash can be realized through instant cheap small business start up loan. Such small business start up loan is instant as it attracts no collateral or equity release. Relax!

Transform your small business dream a reality! Sans Collateral!

A small business bank loan is known for its loan delay. It’s advisable to shun away from the traditional bank loans and opt for instant cheap small business loan to avoid loan delays and to access your dreams instantly.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Instant-Cheap-Small-Business-Loan!&id=534530

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Beneficial Prospects of Small Business Loans

Financial support is a significant factor for the development of any small business organization. If you lack this support, you may have to face innumerable difficulties in shaping up your expectations and increasing your productivity. Especially, if you have just started your firm, you need a good financial backup to execute your new plans and projects that are essential for making your firm a standardized business company in the market. And this financial assistance can be easily gained through the source of small business loans. Even if you have a bad credit record, you can easily apply for this loan.

The prospects of small business loans are probably the best financial support for your business. You can use the loan amount in any form to cater your business requirements. Straight from satiating your fund needs for establishing your own business firm to manage your routine business financial requirements of clearing unpaid bills, buying furniture, office accessories, paying labor ant etc, everything can be easily performed through the assistance of small business loans. If in case you want to apply for this loan, the size and productivity of your business firm will not set a criterion. In fact, it is your own personal financial status that will considered for the approval of the loan. The lenders will only check for repayment ability. So if your business is running in loss or you are encountering any economic hurdle in your business organization, you can easily demand for this loan. These loans are easily accessible through several financial companies and banks.

Small business loans are available in both secured and unsecured forms of loans. According to your wish and requirement you can opt for either of them. Any small, big and medium size business organization can place a demand for this particular loan. For taking a secured business loan, you have to pay a security or any other valuable asset. Mostly people go for the secured business loan because it offers higher amount and lower rate of interest as in comparison to that of unsecured business loans. Whereas on the other hand, the unsecured pattern has its own number of advantages. Under this category, the loan seeker is free from offering any sort of collateral. And the repayment capability is considered through his regular sources of income. Unsecured small business loans are often stated as risk free as you do not submit any security which can be misused by any way.

Every business has its own set of financial problems. However when you start an organization, the problems appear much bigger and difficult because you lack practical experience of handling such situations as well as you have limited resources. For this reason, the provision of small business loans is acknowledged as the most suitable option. It is a verity that the growth of any country is directly or indirectly positively affected by the presence of several business organizations. Therefore, even the government of UK supports this facility of offering business loans for the development of the business fraternity.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Beneficial-Prospects-of-Small-Business-Loans&id=1055467