The Government’s Role in Business Grants in the UK

March 9, 2010 · Posted in Alternative Financing · Comment 

If you are looking for business grants to help you start, refurbish, or relocate your business in the UK, your first step should be to research what is available for business grants in the areas you need like start up or relocating to another area. If you have a business you want to relocate to the UK from another country you may need to see if there are any business grants for such a project available.

A business grant is money that usually pays a part of the expenses you will incur in a move, or setting up a business. You don’t have to repay this or give shares in your business. Various places are available to look into for grants: the Government, European Union, Regional development agencies, small business corporations and others in the private sector as well. These grants can be associated with certain businesses, or a geographical location, especially areas in need of economic boosts from new industry.

The Government

The Government helps with grants to businesses and they assist with networking and advice on getting set up and applying for the grants you qualify for as a business. There is a lot of competition for business grants through the Government, so the guidelines and qualifications are exacting. If you meet the criteria then you can apply and hope you are selected for the grant.
Government business grants are usually for projected development of projects that haven’t been started yet. Generally the terms and conditions of the grant will allow you to keep the grant unless you break the agreement you have. Then you will have to pay the grant back.

Matching Funds

Most business grants from the Government also mean you have to get matching funds from another source like a loan or funds from other businesses who are investing in the project. Grants are never 100% of the amount needed; you need to show your own participation and come up with some of the capital needed to invest in the relocation.

Sources for Business Grants

There are several sources for business grants in the UK, such as the Government, regional development agencies, Chambers of Commerce, county enterprise boards and even some colleges have business grants. You have to research by the type of business you have and what your plans are for it before you can apply for a grant. Know what you are talking about before going into the entities you are applying to obtain a business grant from. Any office you are going to see is going to want a precise plan of action right down to approximate dates and the profit projections.

Business grants may take some time to get approved too; it all depends on the timetable of the office you have applied to and how many they are looking at. Not everyone can get approved because there is a limited amount of grant money available. One good tip is having your matching money already in a place where you can show you already have that part of the funding. Be organized and able to answer any questions that might be asked of you, including your personal background. The office you apply through is going to do a background check before they ask you anything so you have to be honest in your answers. The criteria vary for places you can apply but they will all want to make sure they are dealing with an up front person who is honest in their conviction to the project and will fulfill the agreement and terms of the grant. With a bit of luck and some determination, you should be getting your project off the ground in no time.

Author: John J Mclean
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Best Alternative For Small Business Loans – Business Cash Advances

February 7, 2010 · Posted in Hard Money Loans · Comments Off 

The topic of small business loans in the world today is a relatively large topic, primarily because of the fact that so many people are going to get business loans or alternatively want to get business loans in order to start a small business. While this is an admirable goal, a combination of current economic conditions and the general difficulties of getting a small business loan have made it a poor option for most people. Instead of getting sucked into a bad small business loan, there are alternatives that you can explore. One of these alternatives is a business cash advance and it compares very favorably to small business loans in a number of different categories.

Requirements

The requirements on business cash advances are a lot easier than on small business loans. For a business cash advance, all you need to do is have a track record of sales in your company, process credit card sales and get a minimum monthly amount of those sales in order to qualify for unsecured loans that the business cash advances represent.

On the other hand, small business loans require you not only submit all of your personal information in a process that seems designed to hassle at times, but you also need to have great credit and meet a lot of other minimum requirements as well. The only conclusion possible is that it is a lot easier to get a business cash advance than a small business loan.

Amount

Another big difference between these two types of loans is the amount of money that you can potentially get. Even if you are approved for a small business loan, you are not going to be able to get that much money unless your business is hugely profitable and the credit rating is excellent. Even for expansion, you would be lucky to get $100,000 in a small business loan. With business cash advances on the other hand, what people are beginning to find is that they can sometimes get as much as 5 times that amount. That’s $500,000, certainly an amount of money that would help you facilitate any plans for expansion your small business might have in the near future.

Repayment

Repayment is another huge issue. When you are involved in a small business loan, you are going to have to repay on a set schedule that essentially forces you to move money around in a way that might not be conducive to the way your business works. This in turn forces you to do things differently and that in turn could have negative effects on the cash flow situation of your particular business.

With a business cash advance however, the money to repay the loan comes directly from the processed credit card sales that your company has accrued. Therefore, all you have to do is simply set those sales aside for the repayment and then use your other revenue generators for the general expenses in your business. Repayment therefore is made extremely simple and that allows you to pull attention away from the loan and focus it on your small business where it belongs.

Author: Gaston Castro
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Commercial Hard Money Loans – Best Scenario

February 1, 2010 · Posted in Alternative Financing · Comments Off 

One of the best scenarios for commercial hard money loans is when the borrower has an opportunity that he knows he will make a substantial amount of money on, needs to move on it immediately, and regardless of the fees the hard money lender charges. With this scenario the profit the borrower will make will easily offset the fees the borrower has to pay to the commercial hard money lender.

Commercial Hard Money Loan – Scenario 1

For example, we have recently worked with a borrower that had an opportunity to purchase a fleet of trucks for his business at a 50% discount. Total purchase price on the trucks was just over a million dollars with a value over $2,000,000. On the commercial hard money loan the borrower had to pay 3% in fees in order to get the loan or $30,000, to be able to save over a $1,000,000 of needed trucks for his business. He collateralizes the commercial hard money loan with his building and was able to close in 3 weeks. So $30,000 in fees to save over a $1,000,000…

Commercial Hard Money Loan – Scenario 2

Another similar example is when a borrower wants to purchase a property from a distressed seller at a substantial discount. Typically the seller can’t wait 60 to 90 days to close a conventional commercial real estate loan and instead needs to close in a few weeks or will not offer the discount.

So say the property is really worth $2,000,000 but the seller has agreed to $1,500,000 a $500,000 discount. The buyer would get a commercial hard money loan at 60% of the purchase price or a loan amount of $900,000 and pay say 5% or $45,000 in fees to the commercial hard money lender. So the borrower would save $455,000 by taking advantage of the opportunity. In this case most borrower wouldn’t care (at least that much) about paying the commercial hard money lender their points because of the amount of money they make off the deal.

In general these type of scenario are much easier to close than the bankruptcy/company turn around/debt consolidation type situation. Many commercial hard money lenders no longer look at deals like this.

Author: Jeff Rauth
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Residential Hard Money Loans Are Easier To Obtain and Can Be Approved Quicker Than Traditional Loans

January 11, 2010 · Posted in Alternative Financing · Comments Off 

For anyone seeking residential hard money loans, time is of the essence. The major reason that people seek this kind of unconventional financing is because banks simply take too long, or they are unable to meet the increasingly strict criteria that the lending institutions put forth.

There is some confusion over what the money can be used for. One reason for the confusion is that lenders and brokers use different terminology. In some cases, they mean to confuse the borrower. In others, they simply forget that everyone is not as “savvy” as they are. Below, you will find some common terms used by financers and what those terms usually mean.

Acquisition loans are hard money home loans used to purchase a property. The amount available will vary depending on the lender. It is usually a percentage of the appraised value. Commercial banks typically require that you have around 20% of the purchase price. Else, they will charge a higher interest rate. Private lenders may be able to finance the entire amount and the closing costs are usually lower.

Construction loans may be used to build a residence, but they can also be used for repairs, expansions or upgrades. Current homeowners or real estate investors may be interested in these types of hard money home loans. Conventional lenders typically require that the property in question is or will be your main residence before they will approve financing. Private lenders are usually more flexible.

Mezzanine loans typically refer to residential hard money loans that are similar to second mortgages, but the term may also be used to refer to specific kinds of business loans. Mezzanine loans are short term, typically three years or less. The funds may be used for a variety of reasons, including “buying out” a business partner. The amount that you can borrow depends on the resale value of your home or business, minus the amount of other outstanding loans, such as a first mortgage, in other words, the amount of equity that you have.

Asset based hard money home loans may be used for any purpose, as long as you have collateral or assets to “put up”. Conventional lenders refer to them as secured loans. The primary difference is the time that it takes to complete the loan, but there may be other differences. If you have collateral, private lenders may not be as concerned by your credit score. For conventional lenders, a less than perfect credit score may end up costing you thousands of dollars more, because of higher interest rates, if they will approve the loan at all.

Bridge loans fill in the gap when permanent financing solutions are in the works, but the actual purchase needs to be completed quickly. Bridges may be commercial or residential hard money loans. The funds can be used for practically anything. Depending on the lender, there may be no limit to the amount you can borrow. The funds are made available to you quickly. But, bridge loans are very short term solutions, typically not more than 6-24 months. So, you need to know where your long term financing is coming from.

Both private and commercial lenders might use other terms that you do not understand. The best advice: When you do not understand, ask for clarification. As mentioned above, some lenders simply forget that everyone is not familiar with the “lingo”. If a lender is unwilling to explain something to you fully, then you should probably seek another source for your residential hard money loans.

Author: James Whitmore
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Start New Projects With Bad Credit Business Loans

December 1, 2009 · Posted in Start Up Loans · Comments Off 

Often business persons going through a bad credit phase face hurdles in availing much required finance. This, however, is not the case with the business people who take route of bad credit business loans. If key aspects of bad credit business loans are given a thought, business persons take the required amount of loan at lower interest rate.

There are number of utilizations of bad credit business loans such as starting a new business, buying new business assets, making payments to the creditors. One of the best uses of this loan is to pay off previous debts and thus improve credentials in the eyes of lenders.

Before applying or finalizing bad credit business loans deal it is advisable that business persons first make efforts to show some improvements in their credit report which results in better credit score. Borrowers should know that under FICCO scale credit score ranges from 300 to 850 and a score of 720 and above is considered by lenders as safe and risk free for giving the loan. Business persons should take their credit report to one of the reputed related agencies and ensure that there are no errors in the report. If business people can pay off their easy debts then it helps in improving credit score.

After taking care of the credit score, business persons are all set to take bad credit business loans at better terms and conditions. The loan is availed in secured and unsecured forms. Taking bad credit business loans is fairly easy if business persons opt for secured bad credit business loans. Under this option a security in the form of collateral is offered by the business person to the lender. Collateral may consist of any property of the borrower. The amount of loan depends a lot on the equity of the collateral with higher equity enabling greater loan. If the equity is bigger then the borrower can also negotiate with the lender for a lower interest rate.

Secured bad credit business loans are available for a larger duration of 5 to 30 years. This gives enough duration for the borrowers to come out of bad credit phase. Moreover, the borrowers can opt for monthly installments of smaller amount as suits their budget.

In case of unsecured bad credit business loans business people need not to take the loan against a property and instead their financial standing becomes prominent. In such cases, loan providers look for repayment capacity of the business person.

Another beneficial way of getting bad credit business loans is through using the medium of internet. When a business person applies for the loan online, he or she has numerous loans offer from as many loan providers and can chose the loan package having lower interest rate of his budget.

If taken carefully, bad credit business loans in fact contribute towards financial well being of business persons having adverse credit history.

Author: Michael Brian
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