Ravi Chandran
Home based business financing may be challenging but not impossible
By: Hitesh Khan/
Running a home-based business can be a profitable and enjoyable way to make a living. But before you consider applying for home based business financing to expand your business, it is important to have an ironclad idea, some form of collateral, investors (in some cases) and a long-term plan for success.
1. Pull a copy of your credit report. A lender will not grant a small business loan to any potential borrower with poor credit.
Credit scores are major considerations on personal loan applications. The higher your score, the better your approval chances.
A credit score is a number that the lenders consider for home based business financing.
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It is a joint effort between all the major lenders here, where data about consumers’ credit history is pooled together and aggregated. Within the aggregated data, lenders would have access to records that show the number of accounts that you have across different banks, and your payment history.
After crunching the available data, each account holder is then assigned a credit score. This indicates how good or bad of a risk you might be to the lender as a customer. The higher the number (up to 2,000 and AA rating), the better your credit score.
Although the the exact weightage of how your credit score is calculated isn’t public knowledge, the factors that the Credit Bureau of Singapore (CBS) uses in determining your credit score is.
Factors like usage patterns of loan facility (e.g. if you have been making large purchases or transactions lately); your recent credit account activity (The number of credit facilities an account holder has is considered by banks as liabilities as they may perceive that you are over-extending yourself); and your account delinquency data, or how you have fared as a customer (this means where possible, always avoid making late or partial payments for your facilities).
Other factors considered by CBS include your credit account history, or how long you have been a customer (factors like if you have you been a loyal customer of your bank since you received your first credit card from them); how much available credit do you have (your credit score is affected by the number of accounts you have with various banks in Singapore); and enquiry activity of how many organisations have asked about you (having too many enquiries might indicate to banks that you could be taking on more debt than you should).
2. Collect all of your documents and do a self-analysis. Put yourself in the lender’s shoes – decide how strong a credit risk you are. Positive attributes of a successful business loan borrower include strong assets (house, investments), existing investors (either angel investors or venture capitalists), strong cash-flow from an existing business or other career and a unique business idea with a clearly defined customer market.
3. Research lenders. If you do not have the time to do research, seek the services of a loan specialist for your home based business financing. The loan specialist is not a direct lender but instead contracts with private lenders to provide small business loans to consumers. A prospective lender is looking for a profitable loan and will scrutinize your application quite carefully.
Be sure to provide the loan specialist your present personal bank statements, business bank statements and a clear one-page report on the thrust of your home-based business, its prospective customers and your ideas for long-term sustainability and growth.
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4. Make sure your documentation is all in place. Although it varies slightly from lender to lender, a small business loan package usually comprises several documents, including a loan agreement, a promissory note and some form of guarantee and surety agreement.
The loan agreement will contain what are commonly known as “representations and warranties” of the borrower. These provisions serve as your promise to the bank that you’ve complied with certain conditions. The bank will ask you to affirm, that you’re authorised to bind your business to the loan terms. You may also be asked to deliver your business’s financial reports for review, either annually or quarterly, for a term specified in the loan agreement.
Generally, it’s a good idea to get the loan documents ahead of time so you have a chance to review them for a couple of days before you sign them. Most lenders won’t have a problem sending advance copies of the documents, but they will generally only do so if they’re specifically asked.
The documents can be somewhat complex – which is why you may need an independent loan specialist to help you understand what the fine print means.
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5. Make sure that all approved loan offers meet your original needs. Obtain copies of all approved small business loans and compare the final terms to your original idea.
Make sure the capital sufficient home based business financing to fund your start-up.
Make sure you can make the monthly payments and make sure the business idea is still viable. For example, if another business owner has entered the market you had hoped to penetrate with a similar idea, you’d be wise to revisit your business plan before accepting any loan funds. If it seems as though your customer market is still there, proceed with the loan. However, if your plan is in jeopardy due to the new business, it’s best to refuse any loan and go back to the drawing board.
How to Secure a Personal Loan Quickly
If you have limited capital and are searching for a personal loan to expand your business, the loan consultants at iCompareLoan can set you up on a path that can get you a it in a quick and seamless manner. Our loan consultants have close links with the best lenders in town and can help you compare various loans and settle for a package that best suits your needs. Find out money saving tips here.
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If you are looking for a new home loan or to refinance, our Mortgage brokers can help you get everything right from calculating mortgage repayment, comparing interest rates all through to securing the best home loans in Singapore. And the good thing is that all our services are free of charge. So it’s all worth it to secure a loan through us for your business expansion needs.
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