Business Loans

A business loan is a loan specifically intended for business purposes. As with all loans, it involves the creation of a debt, which will be repaid with added interest. There are a number of different types of business loans, including bank loans, mezzanine financing, asset-based financing, invoice financing, microloans, business cash advances and cash flow loans.

A bank loan may be obtained from a bank and may be either secured or unsecured. For secured loans, banks will require collateral, which may be lost if repayments are not made. The bank will probably wish to see the business’s accounts, balance sheet and business plan, as well as studying the principals' credit histories. Many smaller businesses are now however turning towards Alternative Finance Providers, especially in the case of smaller firms.

Loans from credit unions may be referred to as bank loans as well. Business loans from credit unions received the second highest level of satisfaction from borrowers after loans from small banks.

The US Small Business Administration (SBA) does not make loans; instead it guarantees loans made by individual lenders. The main SBA loan programs are SBA 7(a) which includes both a standard and express option; Microloans (up to $50,000); 504 Loans which provide financing for fixed assets such as real estate or equipment; and Disaster loans. In FY 2016, total 7(a) volume was $11,967,861,900 and total 504 loan volume was $2,517,433,000.

Mezzanine finance effectively secures a company’s debt on its equity, allowing the lender to claim part-ownership of the business if the loan is not paid back on time and in full. This allows the business to borrow without putting up other collateral, but risks diluting the principals’ equity share in case of default.

Once considered the finance option of last resort, asset-based lending has become a popular choice for small businesses lacking the credit rating or track record to qualify for other forms of finance. In simple terms, it involves borrowing against one of the company’s assets, with the lender focusing on the quality of the collateral rather than the credit rating and prospects of the company. A business may borrow against several different types of asset, including premises, plant, stock or receivables.

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Wikipedia