🏦 Compare Best Business Loans

💵 What is a business loan?

A business loan is a lump sum you borrow from a bank or other lender for the purposes of covering costs for your business. Finance for your business can take many forms, business loans being just one of them. Each form may be more or less suited than another to a particular use.

Each loan product is different from the next, with different loan terms available, lending amounts, whether you require collateral or not to secure the loan, interest rates and fees, loan repayment options, vastly different application processes and requirements, and an array of lending criteria. It’s important to consider all of these when undertaking a business loan comparison.

Here, you’ll find some general information to help you compare the different types of business finance available.

Other types of loans:

• Business car loans and equipment financing: These are usually secured against the asset (a business vehicle or piece of equipment) they have been taken out to cover the cost of. Often the interest rates will reflect the risk to the lender so you could be offered lower interest rates on brand new vehicles than you would on second-hand ones.
• Business credit card: A handy way to support working capital and for smaller purchases. This option is common, yet not as flexible as a line of credit. Fees may be higher than for a loan and although you can avoid paying interest, interest rates are high if you don’t manage your repayments efficiently.
• Business overdraft: This is a nominated amount on your bank account which allows your business to continue to draw funds after the balance is nil. Fees can vary between providers and often the overdraft must be paid back within a nominated term. This can help to keep interest rates down as well.
• Business line of credit: This is on-call funds that can be accessed to manage short term costs and buy a bit of breathing space. You can pay it off and reuse it up to the approved balance, and it can be revolving or come with a renewable term of, say, 12 months. It is important to understand the interest and fees associated with your line of credit – especially for missed payments.

If you are seriously thinking about a finance product for your business, then you should think about everything that is available. Take some time to compare your options and to evaluate your costs. You could also consider speaking with your accountant or finance broker, because you may find that there is a finance product perfect for your business that you hadn’t even thought of.

🕵️‍♀️ What to look for in business loan?

Business owners looking for a new source of funding can save money by comparing business loans under the following criteria: interest rates, security, term length, speed, and flexibility.

Interest Rates

The first loan comparison criteria to consider is interest rates. However, bear in mind that interest rates are just one piece of the pie, and other factors such as the term length, flexibility, and setup fees will also impact the total cost of a loan. In some cases, it may even be wise to choose a business loan with a higher interest rate when the other criteria are favorable. The term length and monthly repayment amount are probably more important considerations for the total cost of capital.

If you want to calculate how much a typical loan will cost, try using a handy business loan calculator. Simply enter the amount you wish to borrow, the quoted annual interest rates, and the term length. Please note that the calculations are indicative and intended as a guide only and are based on the average rates for a low-risk business. The interest rate will vary depending on the type of business loan, some of which we will cover later in this article.

Security

When you begin your search for new funding options, you will quickly realize that the level of risk your business poses to a lender will have a significant impact on the amount that you will be charged and the level of security that you will be required to offer in return. A young business looking for a startup loan or a business with bad credit will find it difficult to get a large unsecured loan without offering valuable assets as security, including a personal guarantee.

Similarly, businesses with a short trading history and/or low turnover might be better suited to invoice finance or a merchant cash advance rather than having to offer up security to access a secured loan. It’s worth reviewing the main differences between a secured and unsecured business loan.

Term Length

Whether you are looking for working capital funding to supplement cash flow or something more long-term, the length of time that you can repay the loan is an important consideration. Mostly, the longer the term and the bigger the amount borrowed, the more interest you’ll end up paying. It’s often worth considering a short-term loan, and then, if necessary, you can apply for an additional lending facility in due course.

It can be worthwhile seeing which lending thresholds different lenders offer, as the difference, for example, between £20,000 and £30,000 can be substantial. You might be better off getting a £20,000 loan followed by a £10,000 loan at a later date. This might seem like a lot of work to contact different lenders and compare their lending thresholds and term lengths, so it might save you a bit of time to use a lending platform or a credit broker.

Speed

There are lenders in the market that can supply cash within 24 hours if you have all of the required documentation ready to go. But when comparing business loans, you should ask directly how long it will take for your credit facility to reach your bank account.

Factors that affect the speed of approval:

• Type of lender
• Type of business loan
• The financial health of your business
• Credit history

Flexibility

Funding Options has a panel of 120+ lenders who can help compare and choose the right loan for your business. If your business has been

🏅 Pros of Business Loans

• A business loan provides flexibility and certainty for fledgling or growing businesses.
• You can compare fixed and variable rate business loans.
• Variable rates may be available, which means the interest you pay fluctuates depending on the Bank of England base rate or market forces. With a variable loan, your monthly payments could go up or down at any time, so make sure you're comfortable with this risk.
• Some business loan providers may offer a repayment holiday, which means you can take a few months off from repaying your loan if you're waiting on payment from clients or if you have a cash-flow problem. Be aware that if you do take a payment holiday, you'll pay more in interest as it will continue to accrue, and it'll take longer to pay off the loan.
• You'll keep control over your business, and you won't need to look to investors for help. Investors may be necessary if you need a large amount of cash to take your business to the next level.

🎡 Types of Business Loans

Depending on your needs and financial position, there are four main types of business loan to consider:

Secured Business Loans

These loans can be secured against a number of different things, depending on how much you want to borrow and what for. Security may include a personal guarantee, security over whatever's being purchased with the loan or over assets in the business. It may even be possible to put your own home up as security. Remember that your home will be at risk if the business fails to keep up repayments, so think carefully about this option. Generally speaking, secured loans allow businesses to borrow larger sums of money than unsecured loans.

Unsecured Business Loans

An unsecured business loan is borrowing taken out from a bank, building society, or peer-to-peer lender. Because the loan is unsecured, there's no collateral - like your existing assets - to back the loan. The amount lent and interest rate will depend on the creditworthiness of you and your business.

Peer-to-Peer Lending

Getting a loan for your business via a peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platform could be another way to finance your business. With P2P lending, you borrow from individuals rather than a bank or lender. Access to lending depends on the platform you choose. For example, some may only offer borrowing to sole traders.

💡 Alternatives Business Loans

If you are don't qualify for business loan, don't worry, there are other funding options available:

Business Credit Cards

Getting a credit card for your business can be a quick way to access smaller sums of money. Business credit cards generally offer an interest-free period on purchases, which can be helpful when trying to manage cash flow. However, there's normally an annual fee and a credit check required. It's important to pay off the balance each month to avoid unnecessary interest charges or fees.

Cash-flow Finance

Cash-flow finance allows businesses to release the money trapped in invoices by advancing themselves the cash. Some banks offer this option, but there are typically fees attached, such as an administration fee and a monthly service charge. The interest rate might also be higher than that applied to a standard business loan.

Overdrafts

Some business current accounts have interest-free overdrafts or charge a fairly low APR for them. Using an overdraft responsibly could be helpful if you need to borrow small amounts for short periods.

Crowdfunding

Using crowdfunding investment to help start or grow your business is another way to access finance. Platforms such as Crowdcube allow anyone - individuals or professional investors - to invest in start-ups and growth businesses. However, this option is likely to involve giving away a stake of your business to investors.

Invoice Finance

Invoice finance means taking out a loan against money that your customers owe you. For example, if you're waiting for customers to pay their invoices, this can be used as security to take out a loan that you can use immediately. Then once the invoices are paid, you repay the loan using that money.