Business Finance Funding With Credit Card Financing

In the face of a growing commercial finance funding crisis, many small business owners are exploring new options for commercial financing. Credit card loans and business cash advances are two working capital financing strategies which are proving to be practical and effective sources of operating cash for commercial borrowers.

The use of credit card financing often refers to business cash advances in which working capital is obtained by business owners based upon future credit card processing activity. Alternatively the use of personal credit cards to obtain a cash advance is also referred to as a credit card loan. With business finance funding shortages, small business owners are increasingly using both approaches to obtain operating cash for their business. The two financing approaches are not equal in terms of how they are viewed by commercial financing experts although the strategies might be called by the same name occasionally.

Many commercial lenders have suddenly reduced or cancelled business lines of credit and other forms of working capital loans. In response, many business owners have been forced to rely on cash obtained via their personal credit cards to sustain their businesses. We strongly urge all commercial borrowers to review our predatory lending discussion in The Working Capital Journal in order to prepare for some of the most undesirable actions being taken by many lenders which have a substantial credit card loan exposure.

There are two particular observations we want to emphasize about small business owners using personal credit cards to obtain operating cash: (1) This really is a business financing method of last resort that should be avoided whenever possible. Before assuming that this is the only source of capital available, commercial borrowers should consult with a working capital finance expert. The possibility of business cash advances and working capital loans should be thoroughly explored. (2) This questionable method of obtaining commercial finance funding will prove to be increasingly more difficult because credit card issuers are already cutting back on their unsecured lending programs.

Like reductions in their lending programs for business lines of credit, most banks are now making similar cutbacks in credit card lending. They are reducing or cancelling credit lines even when borrowers have a superb payment record. The rationale for banks reducing both credit card lines and commercial lines of credit is similar. With unsecured commercial loans or personal loans, banks fear that massive defaults are almost inevitable due to a very shaky economy and business lending climate. Unlike residential real estate financing in which real property is pledged as collateral, banks know that they have no collateral to fall back on with working capital loans and credit card loans because they are unsecured. Many small business owners use home equity lines of credit to obtain operating cash, and these funding sources are also diminishing in most areas of the United States. Although these lending programs are backed by collateral, the value of homes in many areas has decreased to the point that many outstanding loans exceed the current property value.

One of the most disturbing and frustrating occurrences in the current difficult commercial financing environment is the lack of clear information for many business owners about which funding options are realistic and possible. This factor alone has probably led thousands of commercial borrowers to obtain operating cash from their personal credit cards when there were better alternatives.

Due to the growing tendency of several major credit card issuers to exhibit predatory lending practices, the use of personal credit card loans should be avoided. At a minimum, each business owner should contact a business finance funding expert to determine if a business cash advance program or a working capital loan program can be used to obtain needed cash.

Business Financing Options Hurt by Commercial Lending Changes

Recent commercial lender changes are likely to impact most small business owners. If a commercial borrower wants to continue their present banking relationship, they will find (in most cases) that the business lending changes are permanent and cannot be avoided. A few new and more flexible commercial lending sources represent a welcome exception to this trend.

One of the biggest commercial lending changes involves new guidelines for working capital financing. Most banks appear to be quietly eliminating business lines of credit or severely reducing the amount they are willing to finance to a level which is not helpful to an average business. Very few businesses can survive without a reliable source of working capital, so this change promises to receive the highest priority from most small businesses. To replace the disappearing commercial lines of credit, the most practical options for business borrowers include working capital loans and merchant financing from one of the alternative commercial finance sources still active in small business financing programs.

The difficulty of locating investment property financing illustrates another business lender change. If the commercial property is considered to be owner-occupied (the owner occupies a substantial portion of the building), more banks will be interested in making commercial real estate loans. Investors that do not occupy the property often own business properties like shopping centers and apartments. For many banks, it appears that they are currently restricting their commercial lending activities to those which qualify for SBA loans (Small Business Administration) which generally exclude investor-owned situations.

A third significant business lending change is demonstrated by revised guidelines for refinancing commercial real estate loans. In almost all cases, commercial lenders have dramatically reduced the loan-to-value percentages that they will lend. In some areas and for specific types of businesses, many banks will no longer lend over half of the appraised value. While this causes difficulties when attempting to buy a business, the problems for a commercial borrower reach a crisis magnitude when refinancing an existing commercial loan. In many cases the original business loan was based on a much higher percentage of business value than the bank is currently willing to provide. The lending problem is further compounded when a current appraisal reveals a decrease in value since the original loan was made. Due to a distressed economy which frequently results in decreased business income that then leads to lower commercial property values, such an outcome is especially common.

In a fourth example of commercial lending changes, for virtually all small business finance programs many small business owners have already discovered an inflated fee structure from most banks. Perhaps the bank perspective for some of the commercial financing fee increases is that they need to find a revenue source to replace the diminishing income from small business loans which has resulted from bank decisions to decrease commercial loan activity. When they encounter suddenly increased business financing fees levied by their current bank, business borrowers should seek different commercial funding sources except in unavoidable and unusual circumstances.

A final example of commercial lender changes is depicted by banks changing their overall guidelines for small business financing. Many banks have effectively stopped making any new commercial loans to small businesses regardless of business income or creditworthiness. Unfortunately these banks are not announcing publicly that they have discontinued small business finance activities. This means that while they might accept business loan applications, they do not intend to actually finalize commercial financing in most cases. Whenever it becomes obvious that the bank has no real intentions of making a requested working capital loan or commercial mortgage, this approach has clearly frustrated and enraged business borrowers.

The five commercial lending changes described above are unfortunately the proverbial tip of the iceberg. As they approach business lenders to obtain commercial real estate financing, working capital loans and small business financing, business owners will need to be especially skeptical and diligent.

Small Business Financing Success with Realistic Choices

The goal of being realistic when seeking new commercial loans and working capital financing will help commercial borrowers avoid a number of commercial finance problems. With proper preparation business owners should be in a better position to obtain new financing despite the difficult challenges impacting most working capital loans and small business financing. Nevertheless it should be anticipated that terms of financing will be different from prior commercial financing. Because of recent commercial lending difficulties, business owners actively assessing the most effective options for their small business finance decisions are likely to find the smoothest path to business loan success.

In view of volatile conditions which have recently impacted credit markets, this will not be a simple task. The extensive misinformation and confusion that there has been about business financing and working capital availability illustrates a common example of the problem. One of the most difficult challenges for commercial borrowers is obtaining more accurate information about what is realistically possible.

A number of harsh realities must be confronted by all small business owners when seeking to identify realistic choices in a confusing working capital management climate. For most current commercial financing decisions by business owners, there are several major factors to anticipate. In the first example, additional small business loan collateral is being requested by most commercial lenders. Second, many regional and local banks have discontinued lending for business financing and working capital. In a third example, businesses which are not currently profitable or not current in their debt payments will have extensive difficulties. For a fourth factor, commercial construction financing currently has a very limited availability. Fifth, lenders have eliminated unsecured commercial lines of credit for most small businesses.

Despite the new business financing limitations just noted, there are practical working capital options for small business owners to consider. An increasingly effective commercial financing option in the midst of an uncertain economy is a merchant cash advance program based on credit card processing activity. Even though this commercial funding option has been available for a few years, it has not been used by most small businesses. Business cash advances should be evaluated as an important tool for improving business cash flow for most businesses accepting credit cards. Small business owners wanting to pursue this financing option should consult a business financing expert who is knowledgeable about this working capital management approach as well as other small business loans.

This kind of small business financing is still in fact obtainable even though working capital loans are not as widely available as they were just a few months ago. The main change for business borrowers is the likelihood that they will be dealing with a different commercial lender since some of the largest providers have stopped making these business loans. Small business owners will benefit from finding an experienced and candid business financing expert to assist in evaluating realistic options because the most effective working capital financing providers are not aggressively marketing this capability.

As stressed above, when making commercial financing decisions it is becoming increasingly important for business owners to first determine their effective business finance funding options. This task is likely to be much more difficult than most commercial borrowers realize because of recent volatility in financial markets. It is advisable to explore commercial finance options that might be necessary if economic conditions change even further even for business owners who are satisfied with their current working capital financing arrangements. The use of Plan B contingency financing is an important tool to assist commercial borrowers in this process.

Business Finance Survival Guide

Due to the increasing failure of banks to provide an adequate level of commercial funding, the strategies described in this article should be considered by most business borrowers in the initial stages of their commercial financing efforts rather than as a last resort. This article is designed to provide a practical starting point for a commercial finance survival guide, and finding effective guidance for obtaining small business finance help is likely to be a high priority for most business owners.

The necessity for small business owners to adopt aggressive tactics has been created by an ongoing failure of banks to provide adequate business financing options. An important goal for any small business owner is clearly surviving the current business finance crisis. This article will illustrate the importance for small business owners doing whatever it takes to survive in a tough commercial lending climate.

For many commercial borrowers, the option of firing their lender has not yet become apparent. In adopting an aggressive business loan approach that is increasingly essential for business owners impacted by widespread banking chaos, it is unlikely that their banker is up to the task anymore and therefore commercial borrowers should be prepared to look out for their own financial interests. One of the most predictive signs that a commercial borrower might need to fire their lender is when their commercial banker is unable to finalize the business financing which was initially discussed or offered.

The use of innovative financing tactics means that some small business loan options which borrowers previously ruled out because they were too costly or complicated might deserve another look to survive in an erratic lending climate. A key example of a commercial financing strategy which has probably been a Plan B for many small businesses but not their eventual choice for acquiring more working capital is a merchant cash advance program (also referred to as merchant financing and business credit card advances). With a sudden reduction in business lines of credit and an increased requirement for collateral by many commercial lenders, the use of credit card processing to obtain working capital now has more practical appeal for the typical small business owner who needs more cash for their daily operations.

A high priority for any commercial borrower is distinguishing the good banks from the bad banks. An ability to provide required commercial financing options is perhaps the most practical gauge for a small business owner to define whether a bank is good or bad. There are multiple reports confirming that most banks are no longer offering a normal level of business funding. It is reasonable to conclude that if a bank is not providing commercial loans as usual, it certainly might be because they do not have sufficient financial resources for small business lending. On the only scorecard that matters to most business owners, the few good banks will gradually become obvious based on their documented small business lending activities. In the meantime, business owners should expect to need some professional help in finding these few remaining good banks.

A lack of sufficient information can lead to devastating consequences as is often the case in many activities which are guided by technical aspects. Using a a business consultant who is a small business loan expert is a practical way for business owners to overcome a substantial information gap. The current business lending climate is likely to be discouraging for inexperienced borrowers when evaluating banks which are not functioning normally or are providing only complicated (and expensive) small business financing programs. Finding pragmatic solutions can be facilitated by business consultant experienced in the ways of overcoming commercial lending problems.

In all probability locating new and reliable business lending sources will be an essential element in surviving the commercial financing crisis. But in addition to considering new lending sources, new small business finance strategies should be reviewed. There are several other business finance choices which should be evaluated by business borrowers before arranging their commercial loans (in addition to the aggressive financing strategies already discussed). Receivables factoring is a key example. Difficulty in matching the timing of income with expenses is routinely experienced by many successful businesses. Arranging a business line of credit with a bank was previously how many businesses handled this kind of situation. Receivables financing has emerged as a primary commercial finance tool for many businesses because commercial lines of credit are rapidly disappearing as a realistic alternative. Like most of the promising business financing options which can effectively replace current bank financing, small business owners will need to take the initiative to explore and analyze such choices.

Six Words Describing Small Business Financing

This report was produced in a direct effort to provide more understandable insights about some of the most critical business finance issues effecting commercial borrowers. Our approach in this report is to describe current commercial loan circumstances in six words. We have adopted a similar model in other commercial finance reports such as “seven words to describe commercial property loans”. The “simpler is better” perspective reflects the belief that after hearing an almost endless number of reports about commercial lending difficulties, what small business owners might really need is a more concise explanation about these problems and the resulting impact on their business financing options.

Before proceeding, it is important to emphasize that small business finance options are often more complicated than anticipated by many business borrowers. It would be incorrect to assume that we are attempting to characterize business loans and working capital financing as simple and straightforward. Actually, we are making the opposite case. The unfortunate reality that most business financing processes have always been excessively complicated and that meaningful improvements are not on the way is one of our ongoing observations. We nevertheless feel that it is critical for each small business owner to have an absolute and total understanding of the entire commercial finance process in the face of the prevailing commercial lending complexity. This particular report is one of several thorough efforts on our part to help in providing more understandable insights about commercial loans and business banking problems.

“Banks are saying no more often” is our first example of six words describing business financing options. For any small business owner still unaware of this harsh reality and who might doubt this observation, a series of candid conversations with other business borrowers will probably remove all doubts. The primary point to remember is that banks are not currently providing an adequate level of business loans on a widespread basis. It is important for small businesses to realize that they are not alone when they hear their bank say no to routine requests for commercial financing.

A second observation is that “commercial property values have decreased dramatically”. There are very few exceptions. The biggest business financing impact is likely to occur with commercial refinancing situations. Many banks are aggressively recalling existing commercial real estate loans and this literally forces a borrower to seek business refinancing even if a business owner has no interest in refinancing their commercial mortgage. With decreasing commercial real estate values, business refinancing will be a challenge for most small businesses.