« Older Entries

Banks Have a Lot of Reasons to Reject Your Small Business Loan

For a small business to grow into a big business, it needs a loan unless it has exceptional sales and profit margins. A small business owner has quite a few places where he/she can go with a loan request. Banks seem to be one of their options on most occasions. What these owners might not realize is that banks have recently developed a reputation for rejecting small business loans. It seems that banks are more interested in financing large businesses due to their benefits. A bank can come up with a variety of reasons to reject loan approval for a small business. Some of the common reasons are as under:Reasons for Banks to Reject Your Small Business LoanCredit HistoryOne of the barriers between you and the business loan is credit history. When you go to a bank, they look at your personal as well as business credit reports. Some people are under the impression that their personal credit does not affect their business loans. But that’s not always the case. A majority of banks look into both the types of credits. One of the aspects of credit that matter a lot to the banks is credit history. The length of your credit history can affect your loan approval negatively or positively.The more information banks have at hand to assess your business’ creditworthiness, the easier it is for them to forward you the loan. However, if your business is new and your credit history is short, banks will be unwilling to forward you the desired loan.Risky BusinessYou must be aware of the term high-risk business. In fact, lending institutions have created an entire industry for high-risk businesses to help them with loans, credit card payments, etc. A bank can look at a lot of factors to evaluate your business as a high-risk business. Perhaps you belong to an industry that is high-risk per se. Examples of such businesses are companies selling marijuana-based products, online gambling platforms, and casinos, dating services, blockchain-based services, etc. It is imperative to understand that your business’ activities can also make it a high-risk business.For example, your business might not be a high-risk business per se, but perhaps you have received too many charge-backs on your shipped orders from your customers. In that case, the bank will see you as a risky investment and might eventually reject your loan application.Cash FlowAs stated earlier, your credit history matters a lot when a bank is to approve your loan request. While having a short credit history increases your chances of rejection, a long credit history isn’t always a savior too. Any financial incidents on your credit history that do not favor your business can force the bank to reject your application. One of the most important considerations is the cash flow of your business. When you have cash flow issues, you are at risk of receiving a “no” from the bank for your loan.Your cash flow is a measure for the bank to know how easily you return the loan. If you are tight on cash flow, how will you manage the repayments? However, cash flow is one of the controllable factors for you. Find ways to increase your revenues and lower your expenses. Once you have the right balance, you can approach the bank for a loan.The DebtA mistake that small business owners often make is trying out too many places for loans. They will avoid going to the bank first but get loans from several other sources in the meantime. Once you have obtained your business funding from other sources, it makes sense to return it in time. Approaching the bank when you already have a lot of debt to pay is not advisable at all. Do keep in mind that the debt you or your business owes affects your credit score as well. In short, the bank does not even have to investigate to know your debt. An overview of your credit report can tell the story.The PreparationSometimes, your business is doing fine, and your credit score is in good shape as well. However, what’s missing is a solid business plan and proper preparation for loan approval. If you haven’t already figured out, banks require you to present a lot of documents with your loan approval request. Here are only some of the documents you will have to present to the bank to get approval for your loan.

Income tax returns

Existing loan documents

Personal financial documents

Affiliations and ownership

Business lease documents

Financial statements of the business

You have to be exceptionally careful when these documents and presenting them to the bank. Any discrepancies can result in loan rejection.Concentration of CustomersThis one might come as a surprise to some, but a lot of banks consider this aspect of your business seriously. You must not forget that loans are banks’ investments. Businesses that approach the banks are their vehicles to multiply their money in the form of interest. If the bank senses that your business does not have the potential to expand, it can reject your loan request. Think of a mom and pop shop in a small town with a small population. If it only serves the people of that town and has no potential to grow further, a rejection is imminent.In this particular case, even if the business has considerable profit margins, it relies on its regular customers for that. The bank might see it as a returnable loan but not as an investment opportunity.ConclusionThe good news is that you have a lot of funding options as a small business owner. Today, banks are only one of the many options for you to fund your bank. You don’t necessarily have to apply for loans when you have crowdfunding platforms actively helping small business with their funding needs. If you are seeking a business loan from a bank, that’s fine. However, if the bank does not approve your request, it should not worry you much.

Tags:

Home Based Business – 3 Tips to Making Your Home Based Business a Success

The main consensus is that if you start your own home based business is that there is little work, and tons of income.Nothing could be farther from the truth.1. Working your home based business take time, training and yes, moneyIf you are seriously thinking that you want to work your own home based business please take a moment to digest some helpful advice.Home based businesses whether they are working with digital downloadable products or inventory products, takes work. You cannot simply sign up with something and expect not to do anything to make it work. You will have to put training, time and money into it.Now before you leave me because that is not what you want to hear, consider this. You went to school and got your education, you put time, training and more likely than not money, to get that education. You got the education which got you a job. You more than likely had to train for a period of time before they left you to your own, and you probably had to buy cloths or tools to work that job, and you put your time in everyday. This will be no different.If you are working a job or career it may take you a little longer to get things moving with the home based business, simply because you will have to divide the remaining time in your day to be with the family, friends or other commitments plus try to work your business. You may even find that you will have to lose a little sleep so that you can work without distractions.2. HonestyBe honest with yourself and with others. There is nothing more devastating than being deceived. If you have tried to work from home in the past and joined a program because they made you believe it was going to be so easy and that you will become rich in no time. You know how you felt when you did not make a penny, and that you spent your hard earned dollars for nothing. You felt mad and cheated.Do not use trickery to sell your products, this will only generate returns and bad business. If you are selling a product, know that product either by using it yourself or by doing major research on that product. It is easier to sell a product if you know it works.The more honesty you use the more repeat business you will get because people will trust you.3.DiligenceAs defined by Wikipedia: a zealous and careful nature in your actions and work, exemplified by a decisive work ethic, budgeting of your time, monitoring your own activities to guard against laziness, and putting forth full concentration in your work. If you have the determination and the drive to work hard, your home based business will have no chance at failure.When you find what you want to do for your home based business make your schedule board right at the very beginning. Put it in your work space where you will be able to see it every time you are sitting there getting ready to work your business. Follow it without fail, this will become routine and you will eventually be able to take it down, or use it for other purposes.My work space board (to do list) has my list of things that I need to do along with my goals for a 3 month period. I sit at my work space first thing in the morning and go from top to bottom of my list. Then I look a little further down and see if I am getting close to my goals. If I am not, then I work a little harder at getting some of them accomplished.If you are not doing well in a business do not hop around for something else before you ask yourself these few questions: Did I try hard enough? Was I being realistic when I pick this particular business to get in, or did it just sound good? Did I follow through with the training?Those are good questions to ask even before you find your business. If you answer no to any one of those questions, you did not pick the right business for working from home.

Tags:

Top 7 Reasons For Advertising

The simple answer to the question ‘why do we advertise?’ is that either we have something we want to sell, or someone else has something we want to buy. Alternatively, we may want to give something away, seek an exchange or invite donors or gifts. We advertise, or make known, our offer or need. We bring together people who would not otherwise know of the existence of those able to supply and those with a demand, very often complete strangers. Most people use advertising at some time, either privately or in business. And most people respond to advertisements and so enjoy the choices available to them in every sphere of life.

The elementary answer applies whether we want to sell a private house, raise funds for a charity, sell the production of a million pound business, buy a pre-owned car, attract buyers to our store, launch a new product, engage staff or simply find a pen friend. The technique is same: there is merely a difference of magnitude and sophistication between an inexpensive classified advertisement to sell a charter yacht tour plan and a global campaign on the World Wide Web to sell the same. In short, advertising is the means by which we make known what we have to sell or what we want to buy.

However, with growing numbers of online users across the world, we notice a transition of our interest from paper-based advertisement to online advertisement. We may call it a ‘platform escalation’ that results from rapid progress of technology. But, whatever the modes of advertisements are, their objectives and reasons have been all similar. Let’s discuss them.

Specific Reasons for Advertising:

To announce a new product or service
To expand the market to new buyers
To announce a modification
To announce a new pack
To make a special offer
To educate consumers
To maintain sales

To announce a new product or service: Announcements for a new product or service are very necessary to make them known to the public. To promote something new the entrepreneurs have to take up this means at the very onset of starting with their enterprise. If they can make their promotional appeal bold, dramatic, persuasive and convincing, they can expect a quicker success for their business.

To expand the market to new buyers: A good example of this is when a solar energy system has been used successfully for industrial or commercial purpose, and is then packaged and promoted to the consumer market. The do-it-yourself (DIY) markets are full of such products; put there by advertising. The advertising in such case is likely to have greater impact because the goods have already been proved in professional, commercial or some other accepted use.

To announce a modification: An existing product may be given a ‘face-lift’ with an additive, a refinement, a new finish or casing, or perhaps even a new pack or container. The attempt may be made to revive the sale of a product whose life-cycle is waning too quickly because of competition or some other reasons.

To announce a new pack: Pack identification at the point-of-sale is always important, and is a reason why packages are shown in advertisements. Colorful advertisements work well in this regard. This becomes even more important if there is a change of pack.

To make a special offer: For various reasons, such as competition, slack season, policy to expand sales, advertising may be used to make a special offer. It could be a banded pack, a premium offer, a limited time price reduction or free gifts or samples. New products may be launched with ‘introductory’ special offers. Dry cleaners, cloth merchants, and others may make such special offers when trade is quiet. Again, travel agencies may also offer special low rates to public during out-of-season weeks of the year.

To educate consumers: Rather unfairly it is sometimes said by critics of advertising that there are two kinds, informative and persuasive, and that the former is more socially acceptable or ethical than the latter. The educational advertisement is necessary when a commodity, service or an offer needs careful explanation. This technique can also be used to show new uses for a well-established product. The market can often be extended if extra uses can be suggested.

To maintain sales: One of the secrets of successful advertising is that it should be continuous, in one form or another, however seasonal the main emphasis may be. Not all advertising is aimed at promoting new and exciting products or services. There are everyday products, such as toothpaste, branded beverages, and many more which have been on the market for generations.

These days, the platform of advertisement has widened much greater than the previous days. This has been possible due to the popular Web World. Now, reaching out to millions of customers spread all over the world is just a click away dream, and it has helped all volumes of businesses to expand their business sphere beyond the limits. Though traditional advertisement is still going on, the craze for online advertising has outgrown it to a surprising extent. It has been possible due to greater visibility, wider scope and much lower costs. But, whatever the advantages and distinctions there are, both of their objectives are similar.