Have you ever been turned down for a conventional business loan? Businesses that need expansion financing have felt forced to look at riskier options when they are denied a conventional loan. In fact, they may not be aware that a 504 loan is even an option for their business, or feel they would not qualify.
The first 4 Cs of Credit – character, capacity, capital, and collateral – all deal with a company's financial history or current state of affairs. One would think a clean past and current financial strength would make lenders eager to produce a 504 loan, or any business loan. However, lenders are also concerned with the future, and how the future economic outlook may affect your business.
Today's topic is collateral, one of the 5 Cs of Credit that lenders use to determine their level of risk when offering a 504 loan, or any business loan. You may be thinking, "I've checked my credit reports and made sure my character hasn't been damaged. My business has good cash flow (capacity), and I've got plenty of skin in the game (capital). What more could a lender want?" Lenders do want more; they want collateral.
To better understand capital, and its role in the 504 Loan Program, we must first explore the relationship between risk and return. This relationship is a fundamental idea in finance. Investors risk their money when buying stocks, on the chance of a reward in dividends. Lenders take a risk when loaning money to a business. The return on their risk is the interest paid on the loan.
There are many aspects of business that create a company's success, such as a solid business plan and available lines of credit. However, when determining the financial health of a business, cash is king! We've all heard the phrase "cash is king" but what does it really mean when you are applying for a 504 loan?
