What Can You Do With SBA Loans?

The Small Business Administration is known for providing access to business loans for small companies and startups, but what type of loans? What is the range for each? That’s where a deeper understanding of the programs available to you is important, because many SBA loans cover more than you might think, based on their names.

Multi-Asset Loans: The 504 Program

504 loans are designed to group assets together so you can make one deal to finance the whole lot. That has made them popular with startups because it means getting a small shop and all your vital equipment with one down payment and one monthly loan payment. Franchise investors can also use these loans to cover franchise licensing fees alongside equipment and facilities, but the franchise has to be in the white-listed directory available from the SBA.

It’s also important to remember that you can use a 504 loan to buy a single asset. That gives you the chance to get a piece of real estate at a very good interest rate even if you do not want to buy a lot of equipment. Similarly, if there’s one big machine you need and the rest of the shop is handled, the 504 loan might be your best option because of its low interest rates and long repayment terms.

7a Loans for Real Estate

You can also buy real estate with a 7a loan, which was designed specifically for commercial properties. These SBA loans have shorter repayment terms and higher interest rates than 504 loans, but they can be used for more than just a purchase. You can also use 7a loans to cover property improvements or to refinance properties you already own. That makes them very useful for companies like hotels and motels that need to keep updating to stay competitive.

SBA Microloans

The SBA also offers small loans for working capital, without any need for collateral. Companies can get up to $50,000 to use for operational expenses, inventory purchases, or short-term needs like building maintenance or equipment repair. Microloans can have terms up to six years, which makes the monthly cost lower than most other working capital loans, and there is no prepayment penalty.

Finding the Right SBA Loan for Your Business

There are a few other specialized types of SBA loans out there to learn about, like disaster recovery loans. For most small business owners, though, these three loans are flexible enough to provide you with the resources you need to open or to keep expanding. The next step is to check out the current requirements for SBA loans in each category, so you know what you need before you apply.

4 Good Industries for Starting New Businesses

Starting a company is a dream many people have, but it can be difficult to figure out where to begin. A good jumping-off point is finding a niche in a growing industry. Here are four good industries for starting new businesses.

1. E-Commerce

E-commerce is a quickly growing industry. As online shopping and banking become more popular and widespread, so too do the services and technologies that facilitate these activities. Look carefully for an e-commerce niche to fill. Certain types of e-commerce may be oversaturated while others may be devoid of businesses and startups.

If you’re interested in starting a new business but intimidated by the process, e-commerce may be a good option for you. It has a relatively low entry barrier compared to other industries. It is also more customizable and places more focus on your customers.

2. Information Technology (IT)

IT is another industry that is growing at a rapid pace. This industry typically creates more reliable job growth than other economic sectors due to the continuing advancement of computing and telecommunications technology. Cybersecurity tends to be the biggest niche in the IT industry and therefore the biggest draw for entrepreneurs.

If you’re interested in developing an IT business, you need to think about what your customers need and how you can meet those needs. If you choose to provide cybersecurity services, you need to understand that cybercriminals are constantly refining their techniques. You need to be capable of doing the same and providing your clients with consistent support and protection.

3. The Personal Care Industry

The personal care industry, also called personal care services, encompasses all types of wellness, artistic and social planning services. For example, tattoo artists, massage therapists, party planners, wedding planners and cosmetologists are all personal care service providers. Many startups in the personal care industry benefit from Small Business Administration loans.

4. Healthcare

The healthcare field is constantly growing and experiencing technological and treatment advancements, which means it’s a great option for startups. Careers in physical therapy, nursing, specialized healthcare and other types of medicine are lucrative and there are many job opportunities in these fields. Many people find success in developing businesses that support healthcare providers or new technologies for use in the medical field.

New business owners need to do large amounts of work to make their companies successful. If you choose a growing industry or find an open niche, you can make your job easier.

What Are Hard Money Loans?

When new small business owners start looking around for financing options, new terms for products that have no parallel in the personal finance world can be a little daunting. Hard money loans, for example, can be confusing if you think they are just one type of loan. In fact, they are a whole class of loans that can fit many of your company’s needs if you find the right program.

What Makes It a Hard Money Loan?

Banks have the ability to loan money they don’t actually have in the vault through programs that let them borrow on demand from the Federal government in the United States. By contrast, private lenders are working with investor money or the earnings from other loans, and since they are not traditional banks with that relationship to the government, they can only lend the money they have. It’s not a common thing, but you do occasionally hear bank loans referred to as soft money because there is no hard cash behind them.

Working Capital Loans and Credit Line Options

Many small businesses use hard money loans and private credit products like inventory-based credit lines or invoice financing when they need working capital because these programs are designed to be accessible and to provide fast approval determinations. There are a lot of options, and most private lenders offer more than one choice to make sure they fit the needs of businesses across many industries.

  • Unsecured short-term cash loans
  • Secured working capital loans or bridge loans
  • Credit lines
  • Asset-based financing options

If you are concerned about the cost of capital, then options that use your company’s property or assets are a better option than unsecured debt. If you want to control your financial risk exposure, though, unsecured loans and credit lines let you keep your assets out of the deal.

Hard Money Loans for Asset Purchases

There are also long-term loan options you can use to buy real estate or equipment for your company. These are often easier to access than bank loans because hard money lenders emphasize the cost of capital and the value of your collateral over the credit score you are currently carrying.

For most borrowers, that means a loan will be approved if the value is there in the property and your income can support the payments. Credit scores are used more to determine the cost of financing than to determine approval, with exceptions for credit reports with major issues.

The Benefits of Using a Private Lender to Finance Your Business

The Benefits of Using a Private Lender to Finance Your Business

When it comes to financing a business, private lenders are often the best option for entrepreneurs. Private lenders have many advantages over traditional bank loans, including more flexible terms and quicker access to capital. While there may be higher interest rates associated with private lenders, they offer entrepreneurs greater control over their borrowing decisions and can provide them with the funds they need when banks won’t approve a loan.

Private Lenders Are More Flexible

One of the biggest advantages of using a private lender is that they are often much more flexible than traditional banks when it comes to loan terms. Private lenders offer customized financing plans that can be tailored to meet a business’s unique needs and goals. They also tend to have fewer requirements, so entrepreneurs don’t have to worry about providing extensive documentation or collateral. Additionally, private lenders often have a quicker loan approval process, so entrepreneurs don’t have to wait weeks or months for their loans to be approved.

Private Lenders Take Chances on Small Businesses

Another benefit of using a private lender is that they are willing to take risks on startups and small businesses. Traditional banks often require an impressive business plan before they will approve a loan. Private lenders are often more willing to take risks and provide loans to businesses that may not have the same track record or collateral as an established company. This is especially useful for entrepreneurs who want to start a business but don’t have the resources to do so through traditional banks.

More Competitive Interest Rates

Finally, private lenders can offer more competitive interest rates than traditional banks. This can be a huge help to entrepreneurs who are trying to keep their costs down and maximize their profits. Private lenders also tend to offer longer repayment terms, which can make it easier for businesses to meet their loan obligations without straining their finances.

Using a private lender to finance your business can be an excellent option for entrepreneurs who are trying to get their business off the ground. Private lenders offer more flexible terms, quicker loan approval processes, and the possibility of more competitive interest rates than traditional banks. This makes them a great choice for entrepreneurs looking to secure funding for their businesses. Contact My Commercial Capital today to get the financing your small business needs without the high requirements or limitations of traditional lending institutions.

3 SEO Strategies for Your Business

3 SEO Strategies for Your Business

Search engine optimization is the practice of using certain phrases, links, and images on a website to get the page to appear higher in internet search results. SEO may also involve taking steps to increase the chances of a particular target audience seeing the web page. For example, a plant-based recipe blog might not only want to target vegans, but non-vegans who are looking for meatless Monday recipes, so they would phrase their recipes accordingly. Here are three SEO best practices for your business. 

1. Know Your Keywords

To rank higher in search results and get potential customers to see your website, you need to know what keywords and phrases people are using the most in their internet searches. This is so important to SEO best practices that Google has its keyword tool where you can view various keywords and the number of searches for those words on Google each month. This is a fantastic tool to use when writing content for your company’s web page. Sprinkle these high-yield keywords throughout your page in a way that does not seem obvious.

2. Consider Your Titles and Meta Description 

A meta description is a summary of a website and is often the first thing that viewers of your site will see, along with the title of the site. This happens before viewers even click on the link to visit the web page. Because of this, it is important to write a title and meta description that captures the attention of potential customers in just a few succinct words. A title and description that does not match up with the content of the website may cause people to lose trust in your company and turn them away from your web page.

3. Include Excellent Content

Particularly on mobile devices, which many people use today to view websites, space is limited to a small screen. This is why it is necessary to include only the best content on the limited web page space that you have. If your page is comprised of information that is important to viewers, then they will not mind scrolling farther to read longer articles or clicking on additional links within your webpage. In addition to including high-quality writing, SEO best practices entail only using images that are relevant to the website.

Consider these three SEO strategies to drive traffic to your company’s web page.