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In the midst of the global economic crisis, many small businesses are on the brink of closing down if not enough capital infusion is found. It is now even more difficult to get small business loans from banks, though. Ironically, the exact reasons why small businesses need such small business loans – the fact that business has slowed down and profitability has plummeted – are the same reasons why banks turn them down for loans.

Small businesses now have to be more resourceful in finding alternatives to small business loans.

Government Grants and Contracts Instead of Small Business Loans

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed by President Obama in February 2009 caused the pumping of billions of dollars for the revitalization of the economy. Because of it, there are plenty of government grants and contracts available to small businesses. These can be alternatives to small business loans.

But how can small businesses avail of the stimulus program?

The Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (APTAC) has the responsibility for helping small businesses obtain and perform federal, state and local government contracts. It has Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTAC) throughout the country, ready to help small business owners to get registered and find opportunities in the area of government grants and contracts. Counselors assist small businesses in filling out bids, proposals and quotations.

The PTAC holds seminars teaching small business owners all the ins and outs of government legalese, including acronyms and registries. A one-day seminar with PTAC covers what small business owners may take months to learn on their own.

The PTAC then helps small businesses with Central Contractor Registration (CCR), a requirement for doing business with the federal government. This registration can be so complicated that some companies take two days to do it when the PTAC counselor can help them get through it in 15 minutes.

Local PTACs will be of help in acquiring state and municipal contracts.

Other resources that small business owners should consult include the Small Business Administration (SBA) which also coordinates with the APTAC; the General Services Administration (GSA) which acts as the government’s purchasing department and provides information on becoming an approved vendor; the Federal Business Opportunities website (fbo.gov) where federal contract opportunities currently available are posted; and the Small Business Innovation Research website (sbir.gov) where grant and funded research opportunities for small businesses are listed.

Cash Advances from Credit Card Services Instead of Small Business Loans

Another alternative to small business loans are cash advances from credit card services. This option is much easier than winning government grants and contracts.

Most small businesses are already availing of credit card services that enable them to accept payments by credit cards or debit cards. This is practically a requirement to doing business these days, with people hardly paying cash for goods and services. Many small business owners do not know that they could avail of cash advances from these credit card services, though, and that such advances can actually equal small business loans.

The amount that a small business can borrow is based on its average monthly income from credit card sales. This is so because the cash advance does not require collateral and future sales receivables from credit cards stand as the collateral. Payment will also be done through automatic deductions from those future credit card sales. There will be no set monthly amortizations. Instead, a certain percentage of the sales will be allotted as payment. The small business owner, therefore, need not worry over where to find cash for loan payments.

Cash advances from credit card services are the best bet of small business owners as alternatives to small business loans.

Many small business owners have been disappointed when their applications for small business loans were disapproved by banks under the Small Business Administration’s program for America’s Recovery Capital. According to an article written by Robb Mandelbaum in the August 12, 2009 edition of The New York Times Online, “the program is off to a slow start.” It seems that most banks are reluctant to approve applications for small business loans.

Mandelbaum reports that the Small Business Administration’s program has $255 million to give away, enough to give small businesses 10,000 loans reaching as much as $35,000 each. However, two months after the program was launched, there have only been 1,127 small business loans released, with a total of $36.8 million.

Sources are saying that banks are not very keen on participating in the Small Business Administration’s program because giving the small business loans would not be very profitable for them. Paul Merski,.chief economist of the trade association Independent Community Bankers of America, said, “There’s not a lot of profit motive in a $35,000 loan stretched over six years.” Bob Seiwert from the Center for Commercial Lending and Business Banking at the American Bankers Association reveals that, because of strict underwriting standards, servicing the small business loans becomes even more expensive.

The banks have also found more ways to restrict the approval of small business loans with the Congressional restrictions on loan eligibility. According to Congress, in order to qualify for the Small Business Administration loans, small businesses need to be both struggling and viable. That means the business should have had an “immediate financial hardship” such as a 20 percent decrease in revenue. However, the business must also be at least two years old with proof of positive cash flow in one of the previous two years. It should also submit a two year cash-flow projection proving that it will be able to afford loan payments.

Because of the Congressional restrictions, banks are more likely to approve small business loans from their existing clients. Merski said, “From a financial perspective, it really is a loan that makes sense for an existing customer. You’re not going to have to put out a lot of resources to do a very costly underwriting. You know the business.”

Those who are working in support of small businesses are very much disillusioned. An example is Alex Cooper who is a counselor at the Pima Community College Small Business Development Center in Tucson. He said he had assisted almost 30 small business owners with their loan applications but none of them had been approved. “It’s a disappointment. I thought the banks would be more interested in the community and try to help small businesses,” he said.

When the applications for small business loans are disapproved by banks under the Small Business Administration’s program for America’s Recovery Capital, small business owners still have another option. They can get the equivalent of small business loans from their credit card services.

Credit card services provide their clients with the ability to accept payments through credit cards or debit cards in person, online or through the phone. Clients who have established a certain minimum in average monthly credit card sales are qualified to apply for cash advances that are like small business loans. Payments are automatically deducted from future credit card sales.

If you are a small business owner, you do not have to go through the hassles of applying for small business loans with banks who are reluctant to participate in the Small Business Administration program. Get your trouble free small business loans from your credit card services instead.

It is not easy for small businesses to get small business loans. Banks and other lenders require them to go through strict and complicated financial procedures with stringent requirements for qualification. After everything, credit approval is not even guaranteed.

Even the financing for loans supported by the Small Business Administration (SBA) cannot meet the needs of the majority of small businesses. Although the amount of credit available for small businesses has reportedly been increased by 25% since March this year, it is not that easy to avail of the said small business loans.

Small businesses seeking small business loans should know how to prepare the right kind of business plans that banks are looking for. To justify the loan, they should be able to show the banks in detail how they intend to use the money in business and how viable their plan is. Experts say lenders have specific points which they scrutinize applications for and applicants should know these points and tailor their submitted business plans accordingly.

It is also said that loan applicants should first establish a strong relationship with the lending bank in order to increase the possibility of having a loan approved. Banks supposedly give more small business loans to businesses they have already known and trusted long term. Since small businesses are usually new businesses, this is quite difficult to do and it cannot be done in a hurry. How can a new small business with financial needs establish a good long term relationship with a bank in time to meet its current needs?

Another requirement of lending institutions from small businesses applying for small business loans is a good credit history score.  A small business should first be deemed credit worthy by the bank before it can even be considered for loan approval. Again, small businesses that are stll young are at an immediate disadvantage here. How can they establish credit worthiness in time?

The US Congress has also placed Congressional restrictions on eligibility for the Small Business Administration loans. Small businesses first have to prove that they are at least two years old and are both struggling and viable at the same time. They should present proof that they have had a positive cash flow in one of those previous two years in business. They should, however, be currently struggling with “immediate financial hardship” with a decrease in income that should not be less than 20 percent. At the same time, they should submit their projections for cash flow for the next two years, proving that they will be able to meet loan payments.

A faster way to get small business loans would be through credit card services.

Any small business should have credit card services. Credit card services enable a company to accept customer payments for goods and services via credit cards or debit cards, whether over the counter in brick and mortar settings, through the phone or online. Credit card services provide the hardware and software for this.

Being able to accept payments through credit cards or debit cards can greatly enhance a small business’ income earning potentials. In addition to that, credit card services can provide the equivalent of small business loans with no need for any collateral. The amount of the small business loans are computed based on the average monthly income of the small business from credit card payments. The small business loans are then amortized through automatic monthly deductions of a certain percentage from the small business’ future credit card revenue. This means small businesses can almost automatically qualify for small business loans through credit card services, and will surely be able to pay such small business loans. Is there a faster way than this?

Every business loan is a risk for both the lender and the borrower. A promising business gives you the best chances of having your business loan request granted.

Lenders will usually look at your gross annual sales and revenues, credit score, checking account balances, profitability, and length of time you’ve been in business. For newbies in the business world, expect to be asked intensively about your business plans.

Your history with credit card services is a main factor for lenders. Credit information they usually look for are personal credit card debt, personal loans, liquid assets, real estate holdings, tax returns, and personal financial statements. Your personal spending habits will also be an issue, including how you use credit card services and instalment debt. If you have a good track record of all of these, then you won’t have any problems with getting you business loan approved. But what if you have bad credit history? What alternatives do you have?

The answer is getting a business cash advance in place of a small business loan.

A business cash advance is the alterative option for business owners who need emergency funding. It is ideal for business owners subscribed to credit card services and/or charge cards. Monthly payment this type of business loan is done through batched credit card sales.

Approval for this type of small business loan takes a shorter amount of time and bad credit scores won’t be too much of an issue. The processing time for cash advance application is from 24 tp72 hours only. Some cash advance lenders can lend as much as $2500 to $300,000, depending on their evaluation.

Cash advance as a small business loan is very likely to get approved as long as you pass the basic requirements for the advance. First, you’re business should have been operational for at least a year. Your company should also at least have profits of $4000 in credit card processes per month.

The difference between a business cash advance and the usual small business loan are:

(1) A business cash advance does not require a detailed financial statement. Conventional business loans require 2-3 years worth of financial statements.

(2) Audited tax returns are not required for cash advances. Business loans from banks do.

(3) You only need to provide a guarantee against fraud or intervention.

(4) Application fees are not always required for this alternative business loan.

(5)No need for high credit scores. You only need to be subscribed to credit card services.

(6) Your collateral does not have to be all of your business assets.

(7) You can opt for a flexible monthly payment.

Cash advance as a business loan allows you to do almost anything for your business. You can pay taxes or debts, buy supplies, pay your employees, make repairs or remodelling, inventory, make new marketing and promotion materials, and expand your business establishment.

The idea behind cash advance repayment is not like the payment process for a small business loan. Repayment is made by automatically debiting an agreed percentage of your credit card sales every time you batch. There are no fixed payment schedules. You will only be able to pay when you’re customers pay.

Cash advance as a small business loan is very ideal for restaurant owners, retailers, medical clinics, and other new industries. Staying afloat for small business is harder, especially with the recession, and a cash advance is a quick solution for those emergency financial situations. After all, maintaining continuous cash flow for young establishments is difficult. With cash advance as an alternative business loan, you can get cash sooner and pay your loan easier.

Every business loan is a risk for both the lender and the borrower. A promising business gives you the best chances of having your business loan request granted. Lenders will usually look at your gross annual sales and revenues, credit score, checking account balances, profitability, and length of time you’ve been in business. For newbies in the business world, expect to be asked intensively about your business plans. Your history with credit card services is a main factor for lenders. Credit information they usually look for are personal credit card debt, personal loans, liquid assets, real estate holdings, tax returns, and personal financial statements. Your personal spending habits will also be an issue, including how you use credit card services and instalment debt. If you have a good track record of all of these, then you won’t have any problems with getting you business loan approved. But what if you have bad credit history? What alternatives do you have? The answer is getting a business cash advance in place of a small business loan. A business cash advance is the alterative option for business owners who need emergency funding. It is ideal for business owners subscribed to credit card services and/or charge cards. Monthly payment this type of business loan is done through batched credit card sales. Approval for this type of small business loan takes a shorter amount of time and bad credit scores won’t be too much of an issue. The processing time for cash advance application is from 24 tp72 hours only. Some cash advance lenders can lend as much as $2500 to $300,000, depending on their evaluation. Cash advance as a small business loan is very likely to get approved as long as you pass the basic requirements for the advance. First, you’re business should have been operational for at least a year. Your company should also at least have profits of $4000 in credit card processes per month. The difference between a business cash advance and the usual small business loan are: (1) A business cash advance does not require a detailed financial statement. Conventional business loans require 2-3 years worth of financial statements. (2) Audited tax returns are not required for cash advances. Business loans from banks do. (3) You only need to provide a guarantee against fraud or intervention. (4) Application fees are not always required for this alternative business loan. (5)No need for high credit scores. You only need to be subscribed to credit card services. (6) Your collateral does not have to be all of your business assets. (7) You can opt for a flexible monthly payment. Cash advance as a business loan allows you to do almost anything for your business. You can pay taxes or debts, buy supplies, pay your employees, make repairs or remodelling, inventory, make new marketing and promotion materials, and expand your business establishment. The idea behind cash advance repayment is not like the payment process for a small business loan. Repayment is made by automatically debiting an agreed percentage of your credit card sales every time you batch. There are no fixed payment schedules. You will only be able to pay when you’re customers pay. Cash advance as a small business loan is very ideal for restaurant owners, retailers, medical clinics, and other new industries. Staying afloat for small business is harder, especially with the recession, and a cash advance is a quick solution for those emergency financial situations. After all, maintaining continuous cash flow for young establishments is difficult. With cash advance as an alternative business loan, you can get cash sooner and pay your loan easier.