5 Things to Know Before You Choose a Small Business Loan

5 Things to Know Before You Choose
a Small Business Loan
Small business loans are one of the best options available to fulfil the financial
requirements of a business. Whether it be the requirements related to inventory
or working capital all of these can be fulfilled with a Business loan. But before
you apply for a business loan there are certain things to know.
1. Why You Need a Business Loan
If you are about to opt for a small business loan or an online business loan you
should be clear in yourself about certain things such as- why you need this loan?
As in what you are going to do with the loan amount? Where are you going to
spend it? How do you intend to use the borrowed amount so that it can turn out
more return for you? Like you have a plan to expand your business with the
borrowed money, purchase inventories, increase the manpower, will pay your

clients and so on. If you are clear about these before opting for a business loan it
can be a great help to take your business one step ahead.
2. Know How Much Financing Your Business Needs
It totally depends on your requirements like whether you’re going to hire a web
designer, launch a new product or open a second store, having a price point as
close as possible (approximate) to what you’ll really need is really important. If
you don’t have an approximate idea of the required finance two things can
happen, either you may borrow less or you may borrow more. Neither are good
from the business point of view, as you can’t afford to pay more on interest for
the amount which you don’t need and when borrowed less, it would not be
enough to fulfill your requirements.
3. Know Which Kind of Business Loan You Need
There are different types of business loan which many of us don’t even know.
From the conventional business loans through banks to online business loans
which can be availed in minutes and many more such as business line of credit,
business expansion loans, commercial property loans and equipment loans.
What differentiates these loans are the requirements/ needs of the borrower,
disbursal time and the loan amount offered. So when you decide to go for a
business loan you should be clear about the type of loan which is best suited for
you.
4. Know the Payment Terms and Prepayment Penalties
Payment plans vary from lender to lender, and same is with various terms and
penalties. Being a borrower, it’s your responsibility to know all the terms and
condition well before signing the loan agreement with any lender. The
applicant should always ask if there is any charge or penalty for paying back

your loan early, known as prepayment penalty or any prepayment discount.
Understanding fully how payment terms work, helps the borrower to save
money on their business loan and to avoid unexpected fees and penalties in the
future.
5. Have a Solid Business Plan
A solid business plan is a very important thing for a business. It not only help
the business to work efficiently but also helps business owners to prepare a
solid repayment plan for their business loan. Lenders always want to see the
structure of the borrowers business, how is it going to meet the market needs
and the projections of its future growth.
All the above-mentioned points are very important to know for a borrower/
business owner before opting for a business loan. Knowing and understanding
these points makes your borrowing worth and can result in more profit for the
business with the help of funds acquired from business loan.