Equity Finance » High Risk

Small Business Finance

admin — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 12:17:05 +0000

Raising capital is a basic need for all businesses. It is not always easy. Small business financial planning is crucial. Lack of funding is often the reason many businesses never get off the ground and the reason most business fail. It is not easy to find a small business start up loan. There are several sources for a small business loan and you should consider all options.

Personal Savings: Most often start-up funds come from ones own savings.

Friends/Relatives: Many people approach friends and relatives with their business ideas in hopes of gaining investors. Some choose this option over the bank because often the loan is repaid without interest of at a very low interest rate.

Banks: The most common source for capital is a bank. You must prove to the lender that your business is viable and well thought-out. If you are unprepared the lender will consider you a high risk and deny your small business start-up loan. You should know exactly how much you need. Explain why you need it and how you will repay it. You’ll want to convince the lender that you are a good credit risk.

Venture Capital: You will gain the funding you need from a venture capital firm in exchange for equity or part ownership. Your business plan must demonstrate your ability to make the business work. You can learn about the venture capital industry and find regional organizations at the National Venture Capital Association.

You must accurately estimate your business costs for up to the first year. First, identify all expenses required for start-up. Some are one time fees and others will be ongoing fees like utilities and inventory. Next, determine which are essential versus optional. You should only include those that are necessary for start-up. Those essential expenses can then be divided into two categories. You’ll encounter these terms over and over again, they are Fixed Costs and Variable Costs. Fixed costs include insurance, utilities, rent and administrative expenses. Variable costs are things like inventory and shipping expenses. Know your fixed and variable costs well.

Use a worksheet to list all your costs and help you estimate your total need for start-up. That’s good small business financial planning. Find more tips at http://www.smart-moms-online.com/
HowToStartYourOwnBusiness/tabid/105/Default.aspx

By: Michelle Yanik

About the Author:

Michelle Yanik, is co-owner of Smart Moms, a company committed to being the top online resource for moms who want to earn money from home and find work/life balance. Sign up for our information packed e-newsletter and get a complimentary copy of our e-book, Striking A Balance at http://www.smart-moms-online.com

finance

Private Investors and Equity Finance

admin — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:46:17 +0000

Private investors bring money to a business that is needed to move the business forward. As well as bringing in the required funding to get a business off the ground, a private investor will also provide your business with the skills and contacts that are needed to help your business progress.

2008 has, so far, not been extremely rewarding for private investors, which is why it is so important that you explore investments which are well positioned for a longer term favourable theme rather than those dependent on a highly unpredictable economic cycle.

With private investors some investors will invest passively, which means that after providing a company with the finance needed they will play a limited role within the company. In cases such as these the investors are usually professionals in medicine, law, real estate etc. Other investors however will want to be increasingly involved and will use their network and experience to drive your business. They will also want some type of control with business decisions.

When it comes to getting the help of an investor it is important to know that private investors have more confidence investing with people that they know so the fewer degrees of separation equals a greater chance of a deal being done. Before any deal is made it is important that you decide on the amount of capital needed as investors won’t be interested in guess work; they will want specific numbers.

The most common type of private investors are angel investors, otherwise known as business angels. These angel investors hold extremely high risk and require a very high return on investment. Due to the fact that a large percentage of angel investments are lost completely when early stage companies fail, private investors seek investments that have the potential to return at least 10 or more times their original investment within 5 years, through a defined exit strategy, such as plans for an initial public offering or an acquisition.

There are many different ways to describe private investors; they have many names attached to them such as venture capitalists and business angels. These private investors are often retired entrepreneurs or executives. They can provide your business with valuable management advice and important contacts. Private investors are wealthy individuals who invest in high growth business.

Private investors are growing to be one of the most popular ways of gaining business finance. This is making equity finance overtake debt funding as the best way of funding your business. Private investors are really worth looking into if you are hoping to start your own business. You do however have to ensure that you have your business plan wrote to the highest standard if you want to attract the help of private investor as they will use your business plan to see if your business has a high chance of being successful.

Credit Score Under 500

admin — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 04:48:24 +0000

How can I get a loan with a credit score under 500? Having a credit score under 500 means that you will not qualify for a conventional mortgage refinance, however you may qualify for a hard equity loan, so called because it is based on the equity remaining in your home instead of your personal credit. If you do require a mortgage loan with a credit score under 500, more than likely you will probably be seeking an equity based lender. Since loan companies assume that customers with sub-500 credit scores have more difficulty in paying back their loans, the ratio of the monthly payments to monthly income is another factor in play.

Your credit score determines whether you will be, approved, declined, required to place a large down payment, or have to obtain good or very unfavorable terms for not only mortgages, home loans and cars, but for a variety of other things as well. Lender banks consider mortgage payment “lates” much more severe than credit card late payments, and punish homeowners with mortgage “lates” accordingly with higher interest rates and/or lower loan amounts. Most lenders out there will not accept loans with scores below 500. With credit scores below 500, a loan applicant must have positive compensating factors in other areas. For example, do you have only unsecured credit loans (high risk), or do you also have some solid secured loans such as mortgages and automobile loans.

Applicants with credit scores below 500 may still qualify for a mortgage if they have enough equity or a large down payment. So, if your home has equity you will be in a better position to obtain such a loan regardless of your payment history. If your score is in the low 500’s then chances are an interest only payment is not an option. In other words, he needs to prove that he has high income relative to his debts and that he has a bigger down payment. For that reason, it is usually best to try to bring your score up, either on your own or through a credit repair company, before obtaining a mortgage. Additionally your mortgage professional can advise you on how to improve your credit score.

Can I refinance my home with bad credit. Having a credit score under 500 means that you will not qualify for a conventional mortgage refinance, however you may qualify for a hard equity loan, so called because it is based on the equity remaining in your home instead of your personal credit. Even though you may have below 500 credit scores, with a good mortgage payment history you may be able to refinance and pay off some of the negative debt on your credit report. Before you know it, your credit profile will have greatly improved and you will be able to refinance into a much more attractive mortgage program. Therefore, you can see how credit and credit scores can play an important role in your life and with bad credit it can force you to pay higher interest rates, higher payments and higher premiums on numerous different items.

Your credit score is a large determining factor in the interest rate you will receive on your mortgage, and therefore the amount of your monthly payments. If you do have derogatory credit or late payments in your credit profile, the more recent the late payments are, the more negative the impact will be on your credit score. However, obtaining a mortgage and making the payments on time is perhaps the best and quickest way to raise your credit score.

How can I improve my credit score. One of the main ways to improve your credit score is obviously to pay your bills before they become 30 days or more past due. You can improve your scores by paying down the balance on the credit cards where the balance is at or near the high credit limit. Dispute any inaccuracies, and this alone sometimes improves your credit score. When disputing an item in your credit report, be sure to dispute it with all three credit bureaus, because reversing a negative item with one credit bureau does not improve your score with the other two.

If you are trying to establish credit to improve your score, getting a secured credit card from a local bank or credit union can establish credit history and be reported as a trade line. A good mortgage broker can offer advice and may even be willing to assist you with your credit and trying to improve your credit scores. Therefore, contact a personal mortgage consultant to discover what your options are and to map out a plan to improve your credit situation and get the financing that you need. In the end, any dollars you spend to make significant credit repairs will come back to you in the dollars you save month to month with your newly improved scores and available interest rates.

By: Darin Sewell

Private Investors and Equity Finance

admin — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 11:32:11 +0000

Private investors provide equity finance for business opportunity. They invest money into new and up-and-coming businesses; they have no preference in the industry sector that they invest in as they have a wide range of interests.

Private investors bring money to a business that is needed to move the business forward. As well as bringing in the required funding to get a business off the ground, a private investor will also provide your business with the skills and contacts that are needed to help your business progress.

2008 has, so far, not been extremely rewarding for private investors, which is why it is so important that you explore investments which are well positioned for a longer term favourable theme rather than those dependent on a highly unpredictable economic cycle.

With private investors some investors will invest passively, which means that after providing a company with the finance needed they will play a limited role within the company. In cases such as these the investors are usually professionals in medicine, law, real estate etc. Other investors however will want to be increasingly involved and will use their network and experience to drive your business. They will also want some type of control with business decisions.

When it comes to getting the help of an investor it is important to know that private investors have more confidence investing with people that they know so the fewer degrees of separation equals a greater chance of a deal being done. Before any deal is made it is important that you decide on the amount of capital needed as investors won’t be interested in guess work; they will want specific numbers.

The most common type of private investors are angel investors, otherwise known as business angels. These angel investors hold extremely high risk and require a very high return on investment. Due to the fact that a large percentage of angel investments are lost completely when early stage companies fail, private investors seek investments that have the potential to return at least 10 or more times their original investment within 5 years, through a defined exit strategy, such as plans for an initial public offering or an acquisition.

There are many different ways to describe private investors; they have many names attached to them such as venture capitalists and business angels. These private investors are often retired entrepreneurs or executives. They can provide your business with valuable management advice and important contacts. Private investors are wealthy individuals who invest in high growth business.

Private investors are growing to be one of the most popular ways of gaining business finance. This is making equity finance overtake debt funding as the best way of funding your business. Private investors are really worth looking into if you are hoping to start your own business. You do however have to ensure that you have your business plan wrote to the highest standard if you want to attract the help of private investor as they will use your business plan to see if your business has a high chance of being successful.

By: Helen Cox

Business Finance – Shares and Equity

admin — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:03:28 +0000

The term equity finance refers to share capital that is invested into a business for the medium to long term in return for a share of the ownership and in many cases an element of control over the running of the business. There are two main forms of equity finance available to businesses. These are business angels and venture capitalists. Equity finance is fast becoming one of the most popular ways of gaining start up finance for businesses.

Equity finance is the perfect example of true risk capital. This is because there is no guarantee that your investor will ever get there money back. Unlike lenders equity finance investors don’t normally have the rights to interest or to be repaid at a particular date. The way in which equity investors regain the money that they have invested into a company is through taking a share of the business and a percentage of the profit. It is because of this high risk involved in equity finance that if your business can not support growth rates of at least 20% you may not be able to attract equity funding. Equity investors are more likely to invest in someone they feel they can trust with a clear business plan and strategy.

As a business you need a clear business plan and strategy regardless of what type of business start up finance you are hoping to attract. You need a comprehensive business plan with a detailed marketing plan and your financial forecast. Your business plan needs to address issues such as how much funding you are going to need and how much control you are hoping to retain over your business. You also need to clearly state what you are using your business start up finance for as well as if your plans are realistic and if your venture is appropriate for outside funding. Whilst you are completing your business plan you also need to consider what potential investors may be concerned about. Without all of this; plus much more no potential investor will go near your business, planning is key if you are hoping to secure external funding.

If you are hoping to gain the financial help of an equity investor there are several questions that you need to keep in mind such as are you prepared to give up some of the shares within your business as well as part of the control over your business? Investors will expect to have some say in the way in which your business is run so you should be prepared for this. You also need to be confident in your business and the products and services that your business has to offer, one way in which you can do this is by identifying what your businesses unique selling point is. As well as this you also need to have the necessary industry skills and experience to drive your business.

For more information about what equity finance can do for your business get in touch with a business angel or venture capitalist today and they will advise you on what to do next.

By: Helen Cox

Home Equity Loan – Some Simple Tips

admin — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 01:57:34 +0000

When you have a home in California, you may consider it as a great asset to use in getting a home equity loan for small investment moves or emergency purposes. A home equity loan basically will require you to put your own home up as security to getting the loan amount that you need.

This requires the bank or lending firm to study your FICO score and credit history; appraise your home value to make sure it can cover the amount that you borrow in case you default on payments; and looking at other factors that will show that your loan payback is guaranteed, such as your employment history and income.

Banks and lending houses sometimes consider a home equity loan to be a high risk venture which is why interest rates tend to be higher on these types of loans. Even borrowers consider such a home loan as a great risk since they are risking losing their homes in the event they default on loan payments. Which is why it is important that borrowers study the process and information about equity home loans carefully first before fully deciding whether or not they are ready to take on this kind of loan with specific conditions.

Before taking out a home equity loan, it is important that the borrower knows all that is involved in making the loan. It is always vital to know what interest rates are available for the borrower’s situation and what rates are affordable for the borrower. It is also imperative that the borrower study the loan terms and mortgage payments (of fixed or variable interest rates) before making a well-informed decision that they will really push through in taking out a home equity loan.

By: Elija James