How to pick the best and easy financing solution for your business.

For many startups, there comes a time when the need for capital outweighs the available capital. Naturally, cash flow and revenue are concerns for startups at every stage. However, there is a distinction between earning enough money to keep the company afloat and earning enough to pay for the significant upgrades that create new opportunities.

If you want to scale your team, launch a new product line, or fund new marketing campaigns, you may need a little extra cash to make the numbers add up. For these and related reasons, more than half of all small businesses seek alternate finance or funding.

This type of financing is frequently provided through debt financing, which includes business loans and other options like purchase order financing, invoicing financing, etc. Grants, equity investments, and personal loans can also be included.

Never start a business with the intention of taking out a loan or giving up equity. Using business financing is a significant decision when it comes to business financing; you should only use this strategy if you have a solid business case for being capable of returning your investment plus interest.

However, not every startup will receive venture capital funding, and borrowing money from family members is only an option occasionally. You also don't want to invest your available cash in a lengthy project because poor cash flow management is one of the main reasons small businesses fail.

If you’ve decided to explore outside business financing, here’s a rundown of how to choose the best financing solutions for you.

Consider the following inquiries regarding business financing:

What do you need financing for?

The applications of business financing are countless. It might be used to pay for a significant expansion that will increase your ability to fill orders, hire account executives, or step up customer acquisition efforts. It could be something simpler, like redesigning the website or buying more supplies in bulk.

On the other hand, you might need financing to fill a short-term cash flow gap or pay off the debt that's weighing down your books.

Remember: You don't need financing if you need something to continuously cover payroll or other ongoing overhead expenses; instead, you need to redesign your business model. Making ends meet each month is not a problem you can solve with financing.

Which product you choose will depend on your financing requirements. While the occasional late payment from a customer necessitates a short-term solution, like invoice financing, a long-term expansion product typically requires a debt solution like a term loan.

How’s business?

The state of your business is one of the key factors in determining whether you'll be eligible for a loan or investment.

For instance, the majority of lenders will examine the following: You must give a comprehensive analysis of the financial situation of your company. It sounds too good to be true when a lender says they won't need to check your books before offering you financing.

Good lenders exercise due diligence.

How’s your credit history?

The terms of any loan you obtain from a lender will be more favorable the higher your credit score is. An elite score lets lenders know you're a good bet to repay your loan, which means they might charge you a lower interest rate or give you longer repayment terms.

Some lenders have minimum personal credit scores, typically above 600. You should use a business credit card from the first day you own your company, open accounts with suppliers who report to credit bureaus, and pay your bills on time because lenders will also look at your business credit score.

What can you afford?

When seeking financing, you should have an idea of, more or less, the amount you need to complete a project or reach a goal.

"As much as possible" is not a loan amount.

From there, a debt solutions firm like Debtworks can help you understand if the amount you need is affordable based on your cash flow and the requirements of certain loan products.

Debt vs. equity?

The most common form of financing for a small business is debt financing, such as a loan. You can also consider equity financing, which is when you sell a percentage of your business to someone in exchange for an investment.

Between equity and debt financing, there are many differences. One of the most significant is that if your financing needs are smaller, temporary, and urgent, raising a round of equity funding may not be appropriate or necessary.

Equity investment is the way to go if you believe your business has enormous potential and you're looking to add knowledge and experience in addition to capital. But for businesses with existing venture capital backing, debt financing can also serve as a useful stopgap measure if you aren't quite ready to raise another round of equity funding. In essence, there is a case to be made for both options. The most typical situation for many new businesses and small enterprises

Essentially, there’s an argument for going either route. The most common for many startups and small businesses is debt financing, but either might be appropriate depending on your financials and goals.

You don't have to go search anywhere to learn more. We’ll keep you in the loop. You can just sign-up and get weekly updates. Or maybe even reach out to us at connect@debtworks.in.