If you’re a business owner, it’s highly likely to come across situations where you’ll need a business loan. In such events, a business loan can fulfill the fiscal deficit to help keep the business on track. The only catch is taking a business loan can sometimes be a complicated process, and owners might end up making uninformed decisions. We’ve listed below some common mistakes that every business owner must avoid while taking a business loan.
1. Waiting Until Last Minute:
Business loans are not only for covering up last minute emergency expenses. The best use-cases of a business loan can range anywhere from hiring new people to investing in new technology. Waiting till the last minute, when the business cannot go without an immediate availability of cash is a recipe for disaster. It’s always a good idea to prepare for the future, more so, in case of a business. Last minute decisions are often hasty and a result of poor judgment where business owners are likely to take any loan deal that comes their way. It can backfire and incur more losses in the future.
2. Borrowing More Than You Can Afford:
Just because you are eligible for a huge business loan doesn’t mean you should take one. Before even applying for a business loan, you should evaluate your business’s present financial situation. If you end up borrowing more than you need, paying it back can get difficult. Furthermore, not spending everything will lead to ‘dead cash’ in your bank account. So, do your math, check your statements and only apply for an amount that your business actually needs.
3. Not Knowing About Collateral-Free (Unsecured) Business Loans:
Most banks will insist on having sufficient collateral before they approve any loan. Banks that require collateral will only provide secured loans. However, some banks and lenders offer business loan without any collateral. This type of loan is known as an unsecured loan where the business owner doesn’t have to pledge any business or personal assets to the bank.
4. Not Keeping a Good Personal Credit Score:
Different financial institutions will have different criteria for giving out business loans. However, most of them will definitely consider the credit score of the owner while processing any business loan application. A good credit score shows that you’re a good steward for your money. It also helps in negotiating far better rates. Hence, maintaining a good personal credit score becomes critical for business owners.
5. Not Solving Current Cash Flow Problems:
As a business owner, your entity may require money for different needs. However, if you’re looking to get a loan to fix irregular cash-flow in your business, it might not be the wisest thing to do. Analyze why your company has irregular cash flow and don’t be a statistic of the sunk cost fallacy. Sure, you can have a temporary fix, but once the loan money is utilised, a business can again go back to the same. In such a situation, it’s important to make sure that finances are under control after utilising loan money.
6. Not Knowing the Agreement:
Signing an agreement without reading the finer details will put you as a business owner in an undesirable situation. Sometimes the financial institution giving out a business loan can put a little remark in the agreement that will require the borrower to pay additional fees. More than that, the agreement can even have a clause of variable interest rate. Hence, it becomes essential to read the documents carefully before signing. At any point, if you’re uncomfortable with the offer, talk with the lender to negotiate a better deal.
Conclusion:
It’s not unusual to hit occasional financial hurdles when running a business. To help overcome these situations – business loan from financial institutions can help owners get over financial difficulties. Gone are the days of lengthy processes or huge collaterals to take a business loan, so don’t be nervous if your business is losing some steam over money. Today, the online mode for business loan application has made the entire process seamless and financial institutions like ABFL Direct offer loans with no security whatsoever. There are minimum paperwork and a flexible tenure for business to pay it back.
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