Are Small Business Loans Worth It?

By Sheena Abris Last updated Jul 4, 2024

This page is about Are Small Business Loans Worth It?

Are Small Business Loans Worth It?

Maybe. As a business owner, you have several options when it comes to getting financing for your company. You can use your own savings to support your business. You can find investors to give you money in exchange for an ownership share in your company. Or, you can apply for a business loan from a bank or another type of financial institution. You may be wondering if you have to pay back small business loans. When your business takes out a loan, it is responsible for paying back the amount borrowed, plus interest, on a set schedule.

Is it a good idea to take out a business loan? Depending on your company’s goals and current financial situation, the answer might be “yes.” Business owners must ask themselves how they’ll finance business growth and what other areas may require additional capital.

What Do Small Business Loans Cover?

Getting a small business loan can provide your company with the funding it needs to get started, expand or cover day-to-day expenses. Compared to other financing options, there are some benefits to a business loan. If you are not sure if a loan is right for your company at the moment, learn more about smart reasons to get a business loan, the advantages of doing so and the loan options available to small businesses.

Why Do Small Businesses Need Loans?

Why should you get a business loan? The reasons a business needs a loan range from getting the company up and running to allowing it to grow profitably. A loan can help your company achieve its goals or provide the financial cushion it needs to take the next steps. If you aren’t sure whether taking out a loan is the right move for your business, consider some of the more common reasons companies apply for financing.

To Help With Expansion

Expansion can take many different shapes. For some companies, expanding means opening up a new retail location in a different part of town, a different part of Pennsylvania or in a different state entirely. For other companies, expansion can mean renting more office space and hiring more employees. In some cases, expanding means introducing a new product or service.

What each example has in common is that all of them typically require cash to get going. If you want to open a new brick-and-mortar location, your business will need financing to rent the building, purchase furniture for it and stock up on inventory. If you need more office space, your company also needs to pay the rent and the salaries of the additional team members. You might need funds to conduct research or create a new product or service.

Before your business takes out a loan for expansion, it’s a good idea to run the numbers to see if this type of growth will increase your revenue. Ideally, you will be able to pay back the loan with ease after your company has opened a new location or added a new product line.

Establish an Emergency Fund

Emergency funds aren’t only for personal use. Having cash in a savings account to cover unexpected expenses is also a good idea for businesses. In many instances, cash reserves can be what helps a business survive from one year to the next. If your company has a lean period or if business drops off, you can tap into your emergency savings to keep things afloat until business picks up again.

Getting a business loan can be the quickest way to build a decently-sized business emergency fund. Instead of having to tap into your own personal savings or put away a small amount over several months and years, you can start with a fully-funded emergency account, paying back the loan with your company’s earnings each month.

Manage Your Company’s Cash Flow

Cash flow refers to the way money travels to and from your business. When customers make purchases or clients pay for services, cash should flow in. When your business pays its invoices and bills, cash flows out. Ideally, your business will have a positive cash flow, meaning more cash comes in than goes out. That doesn’t always happen, though.

If you operate a seasonal business, you might have the same bills due year-round but might not have the same revenue all year. A loan can help balance your cash flow situation. Depending on how much you borrow, the loan can provide the cash you need during leaner months to keep up with bills or make investments in your business, such as buying more equipment.

You’ll want to keep a few things in mind if you are considering using a loan to manage cash flow. One is that you want to be sure you will be able to repay the loan and the interest due without difficulty. Your company should already be profitable. If your company isn’t earning a profit, you might want to consider another type of financing, such as investor funding, instead.

Keep an Ownership Stake in Your Company

Speaking of investor funding, it is a way to get financing for your business that you will not need to pay back. There is a caveat though. When you bring on an investor or a team of investors, you give them a stake in your company. Depending on the number of investors you partner with, and the size of the ownership stake they receive, you might end up owning just a small share of your business. When it comes time to make important decisions, you might have less of a say in how the company operates or in the direction it takes.

If you would like to retain as large a stake in your business as possible, using a loan to fund its growth can be the better option.
Purchase Equipment and Inventory

Your company might need new equipment to make its products or continue to offer its services to clients. If that is the case, you typically have two options: buy or lease the equipment. Buying equipment brings with it tax benefits, such as getting to deduct the expense from your business income. A loan can help your company afford the upfront cost of the equipment.

Before you take out a loan to buy new equipment, consider the benefits of the purchase. Will you be able to manufacture more of your product or offer your services more quickly because of the purchase? Run the numbers to see if the revenue and profit you stand to earn will be more than the cost of the loan.
It might also be the case that your business needs to purchase a lot of inventory, all at once, and it might need cash to help cover the cost of the purchase. Since your company will earn revenue by selling the inventory, it can make financial sense to use a loan to cover the upfront cost of the purchase.

Build Business Credit

One last reason why getting a small business loan might be a good idea is that applying for and getting approved for a loan, then repaying the loan according to the terms can help your company establish a solid credit history. The better your business credit, the more likely it is to be approved for loans in the future, which can help it continue to grow and reach its goals.

What Are the Advantages of Small Business Loans?

You might be hesitant to apply for a business loan, as getting the loan does involve some risk. Your business will need to pay the loan back with interest. Depending on the type of loan and whether it has collateral or not, your company might lose property or equipment if it cannot repay the loan. For many companies, though, the advantages of a business loan outweigh the risks. It is important to consider the advantages of small business loans and determine if a small business loan is the right option for your business.

Some of the benefits of a business loan include:

Loans let you retain ownership of your company: When it comes to comparing the advantages of business loans vs. selling equity, business loans can come out on top, as they let you retain an equity stake in your business. Retaining ownership of your company is important, especially after you’ve poured a lot of effort and energy into building it up. You don’t want to give up that ownership just as your company is starting to turn a profit or as it grows and increases its profitability.

Loans help your business grow: Whether your plan is to hire more employees, expand into a new market, offer new products or grow an existing location, your business needs cash to do so. A business loan will cover the upfront costs of expansion, allowing you to pursue profitable growth.

On-time payments raise your credit score: Like individuals, businesses have credit scores. And, just like individual credit, the more business credit you have, the more likely you are to be approved for a loan. When your company is just starting out, it can be more challenging to get a loan, but once you get the loan, making on-time payments will strengthen your company’s credit history and raise its credit score. The higher your company’s score, the more credit opportunities will become available to it.

Many different types of loans are available: If you are considering a business loan, you are not locked into a single option. Several types of loans are available to small businesses. The type of loan that works best for your company depends on its needs and goals. A business line of credit can be an appropriate choice if you are not sure how much you need to borrow or if you want the flexibility to borrow as you go. If you have a specific purchase in mind, such as a new building or piece of equipment, a commercial installment loan might be right for your business.

Areas We Serve in Nevada

We serve individuals and businesses in the following Nevada locations:

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Areas We Serve in Utah

We serve individuals and businesses in the following Utah locations:

Salt Lake City Utah
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