Tag Archives: business credit
Trends in Financing Your Business In 2010
Business trends change over the years and for people who run businesses, being aware of those changes is an important factor to survive the market. In the following paragraphs, we will take a look at the developments in financing a business for the year 2010.
Angel Investment
Angel investors can be individuals or groups in search for promising business ventures. Angel Investors started to become a favorite financing option in the late 90s and since that time, has went on to be one of the most highly regarded methods of business financing, especially with small enterprises.
Equipment lease financing
Equipment leasing has become the most recommended methods for business financing not just for small enterprises but for large and established companies as well. Through equipment leasing, a small working capital doesn’t need to be a major barrier in delivering those brilliant business ideas to reality. Business equipment lease is paid in installment so the business owner gets the chance to acquire all equipment needed for the operations without a great deal of upfront cost.
Supplier Credit
A number of wholesale vendors provide credit lines to their small business customers particularly if they can present an outstanding credit history. Be sure to check out prospective vendors who can provide you with your needed supplies and if you can be extended a credit line.
SBA Loan Programs
For business owners who are having trouble acquiring a business loan from banks or commercial lending companies, they can get support from the Small Business Administration (SBA). By being guaranteed by the SBA, it will be easier to get approved for small business financing. Nevertheless, remember that the SBA has its own requirements in approving small business loan applications. Check from the SBAs website for the prerequisites in applying for a small business loan.
Business Credit Cards
At present, a growing number of business owners are realizing the benefits of using small business credit cards. As opposed to using their personal credit cards for business expenses, entrepreneurs are making use of business credit cards to separate their personal and business finances. Business credit cards are also perfect tools in building business credit history. Over time, maintaining an impressive business credit rating will be a major advantage in the future development of a business and one of the simplest strategies to build credit is by using a credit card for business.
Bank Business Loans
Despite the emergence of fast loans, a lot of small business enterprisers still favor the traditional approach to business financing. The reason for this is that banking institutions generally provide a bigger amount of funding and when matched up against other types of loans, a bank loan is still more reliable. For business owners who are willing to use their homes as collateral, a secured small business loan gives them the opportunity to obtain the financial assistance they need for starting a business. Secured business loans are known to have lower interest rates and longer repayment period compared to unsecured business loans.
Accept Business Credit Cards: Empower Your Business and Your Clients
Businesses today are increasingly making use of business credit cards to transact, both as vendors and as buyers. This trend in spite, there are still a number of vendors who do not accept business credit cards from their business clientele. The truth of the matter is that if such a vendor wishes to achieve higher trading volumes and increase its client base, accepting business credit cards changes from being an optional, to a must.
Accounts receivable is not only a nasty trap, but also creates a vicious cycle. Vendors that do not accept business credit cards, often agree to extending credit to their clients in order to retain their custom. Although this may be a necessary business practice, it does place unnecessary strain on the business finances: Unnecessary, because by accepting business credit cards, you can retain your clients and mitigate your cash flow risk at the same time.
The benefits of accepting business credit cards are numerous and include:
Boost Your Sales: When your clients are in a position to purchase what they want immediately, most of them will. When they make that immediate purchase, your sales are boosted. A simple browse – either in your store or on your web site – may turn into a profitable visit if you enable your clients to make payments with their business credit cards.
Bolster Your Cash Flow: Many merchants who do not have sufficient cash flow with which to support growth, may be victims of high accounts receivables. One of the quickest ways to free your business from this trap is to start accepting business credit cards. Stop billing your clients and start billing their banks instead! When you accept business credit cards, the revenue from the sale will reach your bottom line much sooner than accounts receivables would.
Put Smiles on Your Clients Faces: Clients obtained their business credit cards for a variety of good business reasons and will want to use these. Dont allow your clients to find alternative suppliers purely because your business is not able to process business credit card transactions. When business clients are searching for a supplier, and they want to pay by means of their business credit cards, they will search until they find a supplier who does. Accepting business credit cards places you in the running for their business and that is a good place to be!
Put Smiles on Your Financial staffs Faces: Your accounting department will be very happy when you decide to accept business credit cards as payment for purchases. They will be freed from the hassles of paperwork and the headaches of collecting all your accounts receivables on time. If one compares the collection of outstanding accounts from many of different clients to collecting from the relatively few merchant services that issue business credit cards, the latter is a walk in the park.
Accepting business credit cards may be necessary to enhance and grow the business relationship you enjoy with your clients. It affords your clients the opportunity to make use of their preferred method of payment and liberates you from the accounts receivable trap at the same time.