BORROWING MONEY
Borrowing money is one of the most common sources of funding for a small business, but obtaining a loan isn't always easy. Before you approach your bank for a loan, it is a good idea to understand as much as you can about the factors the bank will evaluate when they consider making you a loan. This discussion outlines some of the key factors a bank uses to analyze a potential borrower.
KEY POINTS TO
CONSIDER
1. Ability to
Repay/Capacity
2. Credit History If you have been late by a month on an occasional payment, this probably will not adversely affect your credit. However, if you are continuously late in paying your credit, have a credit that was never paid and charged off, have a judgment against you, or have declared bankruptcy in the last 7 years, it is likely that you will have difficulty in obtaining a loan. In some cases, a person has had a period of bad credit based on a divorce, medical crisis, or some other significant event. If you can show that your credit was good before and after this event and that you have tried to pay back those debts incurred in the period of bad credit, you should be able to obtain a loan. It is best if you write an explanation of your credit problems and how you have rectified them and attach this to your credit report in your loan package.
3. Equity Don't be misled into thinking that start-up businesses can obtain 100% financing. A business owner usually must put some of her/his own money into the business. The amount an individual must put into the business in order to obtain a loan is dependent on the type of loan, purpose and terms. For example, many banks want the owner to put in at least 20 - 40% of the total request. Example: A new business needs a $100,000 to start. The business owner must put $20,000 of her own money into the new business as equity. Her loan will be $80,000. The debt to equity ratio is 4:1. Note also that this is only one of many factors used to evaluate the business -- just having the right debt/equity ratio does not guarantee you'll get the loan.
4. Collateral The value of collateral is not based on
the market value. It is discounted to take into account the value that
would be lost if the assets had to be liquidated.
5. Experience
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QUESTIONS YOUR BANK IS LIKELY TO ASK |
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