Whether you are in the start-up phase or are well established, your enterprise may require access to more funds than you have on hand. A business cash advance is designed for just such situations. There are a number of sources for these loans, with some being better than others.
A Bank or SBA Loan
Banks and the Small Business Administration both have loan programs specifically designed for small businesses. The problems with these loans are that they can be extremely hard to get. Your personal finances are assessed, paperwork is extensive, the process can take a long time, and even if you get a loan, it may be for less than you requested.
No one should be surprises that in an era of economic decline, loans are harder to get. Understanding the situation doesn’t make it any easier to tolerate, though.
Friends and Family
While friends and family are great people to add to your cell phone plan, they don’t make a good source of business funds. It can be very tempting to turn to them, but the wise entrepreneur avoids these entanglements like the plague. Nothing will ruin a relationship faster than mixing business into the equation.
Under the very best of circumstances, your family or friends will loan you the money, offer really generous repayment terms with no interest charged, and let you do what you need to do. Unfortunately, the more common situation is that they are either asking for their money back constantly or they want to tell you how to run your business now that they have a stake in its success.
Factoring Arrangements
A factoring agreement between you and a small business loan company can be a viable, manageable solution for needed funds. If you have an established credit card sales history, you can sell anticipated receipts for a discount to the account holder in exchange for money now. Over the next several months, or even a couple of years, you will repay the money based upon a static percentage of your sales.
The turnover period is much shorter than at the bank or SBA. You are significantly more likely to get the funds you need. No family or friends are involved so the transaction is strictly business – a win/win situation for those in need of small business loans.