Thursday, June 18, 2009

Understanding Loan Consolidation for Business Owners

By Layla Vanderbilt

Owning a business is never easy especially if you?ve just started your business. Many business owners have to take a loan or get a credit card to start their business. Many businesses owners find out that it?s very easy to get in debt. There is a solution to help business owners get their business?s finances back on track. If you have loans and credit cards then you should consider getting a consolidation loan. A consolidation loan can help by combining all of your business?s debts into one monthly payment with one interest rate rather than having to try to pay them all at the same time.

Before you go in to ask for a consolidation loan you should make sure your finances are all in line. If this is your first business you may have little experience setting statements up, but it is very important. It is not only important for getting loans, but it is important for doing your taxes and monitoring your business finances as well. These statements should include the businesses overall income, expenses, and debt. Having a month by month printout including your interest rates and payments is usually the best way to go. By having these necessary documents organized you are showing the lender that you are a quality customer that they can rely on to pay back the loan.

Many banks offer business consolidation loans for small businesses. You should go to the local branch of your bank and speak with a loan officer there. Many times a loan officer will be able to help you find a consolidation loan. Each financial company has certain criteria that you will need to meet to be able to get your loan. Although the loan officer may not be able to tell you what that criteria is, he may be able to give you some general rules of thumb that the bank goes by. If you?re considering getting a consolidation loan with the bank then you?ll need to fill out an application while you?re there. Before you fill out the application you should ask what the interest rate ranges are for the loan and the term length ranges.

Sometimes nonprofit organizations provide ways for small business owners to obtain consolidation loans. The Small Business Administration is one such organization, and they are able to help you with many aspects of running your business. By searching online you may be able to find other organizations and companies that can offer you help.

After checking through your various options you will need to pick a financial institution or organization that you will want to get the loan through. Start by filling out an application and including the documents that were mentioned above. You may want to even create a document with the time frame in which you plan to pay the lender back.

Sometimes it is better to just get a second credit card. Some business credit cards have great interest rates, allowing you to avoid interest for a few months. If you think you can pay off your debt before the credit card starts getting interest, this could be a great option for you. This particular method works very well if you have a small amount of debt, and it can help bypass the higher interest rates you would have had to pay. - 23210

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