If a small business owner owns their home, they can tap a the equity that they have built in there home in order to finance their new business. The entrepreneur would visit the bank that holds their mortgage to discuss the option with their banker of freeing up some of the monies that they have in their home. Often the home owner can access 70% of the equity that they have built up, and in some cases, they can access up to 90% of their home equity.
Home equity financing is advantageous over other forms of small business funding for a number of reasons. The interest rate on a home equity loan or line of credit is far less than credit cards. The interest that the small business owner pays on the loan is tax deductible. Repayment terms are spread out and maybe somewhat flexible and almost anybody who owns a house has access to that money built up in their home equity. Lenders are much more comfortable with approving a loan secured against a cash asset that the applicant has already built up so the small business owner with equity in their home stands a much better chance of success pursuing this route.
The small business owner does have to be very vigilant with this type of financing as they must consider if they are in an inflated real-estate market or not. If there is a real-estate bubble in the neighborhood their house is in, their home could have an extraordinarily high appraisal value. This appraisal will be the basis on which the home equity lender will determine how much they can lend out. The higher the value, the more money will be available to the borrower. In the current low interest rate environment that we are in today, borrowers can get a lot of money for a low rate. But if that rate should move up fairly quickly, it can become very difficult to pay back the loan. But with careful planning and consideration of the risks involved with borrowing money against home equity, the small business entrepreneur can have ready access to the money they have built into their homes.
By: Ken Bissonette
Posts Tagged Business Entrepreneur
Obtaining finance for your small or startup business can be an insurmountable problem. The number one problem that new businesses experience is a shortage of cash. So what is the solution for the small business entrepreneur? Let’s look at the sources of funds you can tap into and how to go about obtaining the money you need.
A business grant may very well be available right in your home state. The federal government doesn’t provide for small business in their grant programs. However, many states have development agencies that offer grants that are designed to assist the entrepreneur or small business owner either to start or expand their existing business.
It is vitally important that you do your homework before applying for a grant. Creating a business plan is a necessary evil that every application must have, even for existing businesses. Areas that the business plan must cover include an overview of the business and the business owners’ background, detailed description of the business or project and what funding is required.
A detailed projection of budgeted costs and potential income should be prepared, preferably with the help of a CPA or other qualified professional licensed in your state.
You will need to detail how the funds will be spent as well as a market analysis of your target market. The famous SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis will provide a good basis on which to assess the application for funds.
It is important to remember that SBA’s provide a source of attractive loans to startup business as well. It would be a good idea to list what collateral you have as well in your business plan. If you have already put funds or assets into the project or business it shows your commitment and could very well elicit a favourable response to your application.
In the final analysis, your success or failure to secure funding, be it grants or loans, depends on many different factors. To give yourself the best chance, make use of a professional accountant or other business advisor who will assist you in securing the best source of funds for your business.
By: Susan Mulder