General Business and Finance Blog

Obtaining Business Financing

Free Pawn Shop Business Plan for Loans

 

When obtaining a business loan for a pawn shop or related pawn brokering business, it is imperative that you have a properly structured business plan that will assist you in showcasing how you intend to operate your pawn shop, how the business will operate, how you intend to market the business, the anticipated financial results of your company, and how you intend to repay your debt obligations. This sample loan business plan will provide you with the framework that you need in order to acquire a business loan for starting or expanding this type of business.

 

Executive Summary

 

Introduction

 

When obtaining a business loan for a pawn shop, it is imperative that your business plan has a clear and concise executive summary that provides an outline of what are seeking to accomplish, how much capital you are seeking to raise, the management biography of the business owner, and an overview of the anticipated profit and loss statements of the business. Here is an example of how the title paragraph should be written:

 

Pawn Shop, Inc. (“the Company”) is seeking a business loan of 0,000 in order to launch the operations of a pawn brokering business that will be based in San Francisco California. The Company was founded in (Insert Year). The business was founded by Mr. John Doe.

 

Products and Services

 

In the next segment of the business loan and business planning document, you should showcase the products and services that you will be providing to the general public. For instance:

 

The Pawn Shop will provide general pawn brokering services to the general public, which includes providing small collateral loans to individuals based on the value of the property that they bring into the Company’s store. The business will specialize in making loans that are specific to jewelry.

 

Business Loan Terms

 

Now it is time to discuss the anticipated terms of the business plan that you are seeking. An example paragraph of how this is stated:

 

At this time, Mr. Doe is seeking a conventional business loan in the amount of 0,000. The interest rate, loan terms, and loan covenants are to be determined during negotiation. However, this business plan assumes that the business will receive a seven year business loan with a seven percent interest rate due on the outstanding principal balance.

Management Biography

 

Now that the summary of the business has been provided, it is time to provide a brief overview of the owner of the business. An example paragraph summing up the owner is as follows:

 

Mr. Doe is a highly experienced business person that has years of experience regarding the direct ownership and management of business. He will be able to effectively bring the operations of the Pawn Shop to profitability while ensuring that the business loan’s payments and its covenants are met at all times.

Financial Statements

 

The most important thing to your lender when applying for a business loan is how you intend to repay the bank. In this section of the business plan, you should provide an overview of the finance’s of the business discussing the anticipated revenues, expenses, and profits/losses. You can also discuss the applicable collateral within the business plan that will be used to secure your business financing.

 

Expansion Plans

 

One of the most important aspects of your business plan is how you intend to expand the business over a three to five year period. Banks and finance companies always want to see that the business will experience a moderate to strong level of growth. This is especially true in business lending because as your business grows the cash flow that secures your business loan will decrease proportionality against your monthly credit obligations. An example of how this is stated is as follows:

 

The Pawn Shop will continue to expand through organic means including increasing the Company’s advertising budget via the reinvestment into the after tax cash flows of the business. Additionally, if the business is highly successful then the Company may seek to establish additional locations after the third year of operations.

 

 

The Financing

 

Use of Business Loan Proceeds

 

In this section of the business plan you should focus on how the proceeds of the business loan will be used. An example of this would be as follows:

 

Pawn Shop Store Establishment – ,000
Inventory – ,000
Working capital – ,000

 

Management Equity

In this section of the business plan you should discuss the percentage ownership of the business among the owners of the business. For example:

 

Mr. Doe will own 100% of the pawn shop.

 

Board of Directors

 

When applying for business financing, the bank will also want to know who serves as the board of directors. For small businesses, usually the owner serves as the director of the business. An example of how this is worded:

 

Mr. Doe will be the sole director of Pawn Shop, Inc.

 

Exit Strategy

 

Any bank or financing company is also going to want to know what you intend to do with the business over a set period of time. Many business owners will develop and expand a business with the intent to sell the company to a third party at a later time. When drafting this part of the business plan you should focus on what you intentions are in regards to potentially selling the business. This is often worded as:

 

Mr. Doe would most likely sell the Pawn Shop to a third party for a significant earnings multiple. Pawn Shops usually sell for approximately one to three times earnings given the financial strength of the business. In this event, the business would be sold by a business broker and the business loan sought in this plan would be repaid according to the covenants of the business loan agreement.

 

Products and Services

 

When developing a business plan that is appropriate for obtaining a business loan or other business credit facility you need to clearly showcase the services or products that you will be offering to the general public. An example of how this section is worded goes as follows:

 

The Pawn Shop will specialize in making small collateral loans to individuals that will last two weeks. On each item brought in by the customer, the Company will grant a loan equal to 10% to 20% of the saleable value of the item. The customer, should they return to receive their item back, will be required to pay back the loan amount plus a fee equal to 20% of the loan amount. On every item accepted for pawn brokering by the Company, the business will follow all applicable state laws regarding the acceptance and handling of merchandise. Additionally, the business will generate secondary revenues among people that do not return for their merchandise. In this event, the Pawn Shop will resell the item to the general public or to a used goods wholesaler.

 

Industry and Market Analysis

 

The Current State of the Economy

 

It is important to let your financial institution know that you are well apprised of the financial situation of the general economy when you are applying for a business loan. This is especially true in today’s environment where lending has become more difficult and will remain more difficult in the foreseeable future. Specifically, you should gear this section of the business plan analysis towards the industry that you are operating within. For example:

 

The current economy has remained difficult over the past few years. However, Pawn Shops typically operate with a strong state of economy stability as these lenders are often used as a last resort among borrowers that are in need of quick loans or do not have the ability to sell the merchandise that they can use as collateral. As such, the business should be able to remain profitable and cash flow positive in any economic environment.

 

The Pawn Shop Industry

 

In addition to providing your business loan officer with an understanding of the general economy, it is important that you showcase that you have an equal understanding of the industry in which you are operating within. As such, you will need to provide you business loan institution of a brief overview of your industry and any potential changes that may affect the way that your company does business. An example of how an industry overview is as follows:

 

The Pawn Shop industry, despite the current economy climate, has remained strong despite the fact the general economy has suffered. Within the United States, there are 20,000 businesses that operate in a pawn brokering capacity. On a yearly basis, these businesses generate revenues of billion and provide jobs to more than 100,000 people. The total payrolls paid by the pawn shop industry has exceeded .4 billion on an annualized basis over the past five years.

 

At this time, there is currently no pending legislation or changes to the economy that are expected to change the nature of how the Pawn Shop Industry conducts business.

 

Target Market

 

In this section of the business loan application and business plan analysis, you should focus on the demographics of your localized market (or national market if applicable). This section should discuss how many people live in your area, the anticipated number of people that would require the use of pawn shops, the median household income of people living in the area, poverty line statistics, and any applicable laws that would apply to your operation of a pawn shop.

 

Competition

 

Many people that are developing new businesses or expanding existing businesses often feel that their business does not have any competition or limited competition at best. However, this is almost never the case. Unless you have re-invented the wheel – you will have competition. When applying for a business loan, you should clearly showcase your competition in your business plan. This is especially important to your banker as they will be able to gauge your ability to be successful in your targeted market. Many business loan underwriters will aggressively confirm that competitive nature of your local market and your local industry.

 

When drafting this section of the plan you should heavily discuss the competitive advantages that you intend to have over your competition.

 

Marketing Plan

 

In addition to all of the above information that we have covered, your business loan officer is also going to want to know how you intend to market your business to the general public. Most people do not quite understand how to effectively market their business outside of prominent signage or flyer distribution. When applying for a business loan (again in this difficult lending climate), your banker is going to want to see that you have a clear methodology of how you intend to market your services or products to the general public. In this section of the business plan – we will overview how to showcase your services/products to the general public.

 

Marketing Overview Example

 

The Pawn Shop will place prominent signage on the facility to draw a significant amount of foot traffic.
The business will maintain listings in the Yellow Books.
The Pawn Shop will also maintain an internet website that showcases the Company’s operations, hours of operation, and relevant contact information.

 

Marketing Strategies Overview

Additionally, you will be required to further drill down (in your business plan) how you intend to implement your strategies when you launch or expand your business’s operations. In this section of the business loan and business plan documents, you should amplify the bullet points from the section above. For instance:

 

The Pawn Shop intends to use a number of strategies that will create instant traffic and customer flow to the Company’s location. These strategies include not only using prominent facility and road signage, but also distributing flyers to people that fall intot he Company’s targeted demographics. The business will also regularly take out advertisements in localized newspapers that showcase the Company’s hours of operations, pawn shop and pawn brokering services, and specials that are occurring within the store on a regular basis.

 

The business will also maintain a highly informative website that showcases the Pawn Shop’s services, its hours of operation, collateral and lending information, licensure information, and other relevant information in regards to the Company’s services. This website will be listed on major search engines such as Google as many people now use the internet to locate local businesses.

 

The Financial Plan

 

Beyond any other part of your business loan application or business plan, the financials section of these documents are what matters most when applying for a business loan or any other type of credit facility. Ultimately, this section of the business plan showcases not only what your anticipated profitability will be, but also how you intend to repay the funds that you have borrowed through your business financing facility. An example of how this section is structure is as follows:

 

Assumptions

 

Pawn Shop, Inc. will have an average annual growth rate of 10% per year.
Mr. Doe will acquire 0,000 through a business loan in order to launch the operations of the business.

 

Proforma Financials for a Business Loan

 

Now it is time to showcase how you intend to repay your loan, generate a profit, and increase the book value of your business over a three to five year period. BusinessPlansForLoan.com has developed an easy to use financial model that you can use when drafting out the financial model for your business plan and business loan application. Through your business loan application, you will be required to have the following:

 

Profit and Loss Statement for your Pawn Shop
Cash Flow Analysis for the Pawn Shop
Balance Sheet for the Pawn Shop
Business Loan Amortization Tables

The global financial crisis has made it quite difficult for companies, especially small businesses, to get business loans. Ironically, it is also in this situation that smaller companies often need additional capital infusion to boost income. You may need to get small business loans to acquire a better business location, construct a new building, renovate your premises, pay for new equipment, fixtures or furniture or increase inventory and working capital.

Most Small Business Loans Require Collateral

To get business loans, even small business loans, is a major challenge.

First you need to identify which among the many types of small business loans you need. Small business loans ranging from ,000.00 to ,000.00 are called micro loans. For larger needs, such as for the acquisition of land, buildings and other major fixed assets, development financing is what you should find. There are also import export loans as well as franchise financing. Do your research to find out if you are qualified for small business loans guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration or SBA.

Any of these small business loans will require extensive preparations and paperwork. As a small business owner, you will need to prove your credit worthiness through a personal credit history report. Lenders will also require a business plan which includes your credentials as the business owner, your company financial statements, business assets and an analysis of your market. All of these should be packaged in a professional loan proposal which presents how the loaned amount will be used to strengthen the business and how you intend to repay the loan. Most of all, you need to present your loan collateral – the assets you will put up to secure the loan.

Quick and Easy Small Business Loans with No Collateral

For smaller acquisitions or day to day business needs, there is a way for entrepreneurs to get small business loans easily and quickly with no collateral. This is through merchant services.

Merchant services provide credit card services to businesses. This enables them to accept and process payments through credit cards or debit cards either through face to face purchases, online transactions, or even by phone or fax. Merchant service providers supply terminal equipment for card swiping, as well as the necessary software and high speed IP solutions.

Most businesses need credit card services since consumers routinely pay for goods and services through credit cards and debit cards these days. If your business has not taken this step yet, you may have been missing out on more than half of your income potential.

These same merchant services also provide the solution for your small business loans. Collateral-free loans can be availed of through their cash advances, with the loan amount computation based on the monthly credit card revenue your business generates. Credit card sales requirements may be as low as ,000.00 a month. You will not be asked for collateral since your future revenue is your collateral.

The best types of merchant cash advances do not require fixed monthly payments nor do they impose deadlines on loan payment. A certain percentage is instead deducted automatically from your credit card revenue each month to go towards loan payment. This way, you never have to worry about loan amortization.

Once your cash advance has been fully paid, you may apply for another one. It is like having a revolving credit line. Make sure that you compare the terms of several merchant service providers, though, and read the fine print on contracts. There are so many merchant service providers competing for your business that you’ll surely find one that fits your needs.

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 5 million to give away, enough to give small businesses 10,000 loans reaching as much as ,000 each. However, two months after the program was launched, there have only been 1,127 small business loans released, with a total of .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 ,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.

New business startup loans and small business funding can be very difficult to acquire unless you find a funding source that will be creative. There are many different ways a home based business can get various types of funding as well.. What most self employed individuals forget is that they may be sitting on untapped credit lines and assets that can help them get the financing necessary for their small business.

Many commercial banks will not even look at the new business startup or small businesses unless they have plenty of money sitting in a bank account, a long business tract record and a fat balance sheet. Unfortunately, most of us may not have much cash laying around. That is why most small businesses are looking for additional capital and need funding sources that will think outside the box and look at many different types of financing to fit their business needs. Here are just a sampling of the types of small businesses that can get financing:

If you are looking for an opportunity to transform your small business idea into a big plan, then small business loans can provide you a good platform. Small business loans are designed for people to help them attain their goals and targets with a small financial assistance.

 

Since business is subject to uncertainties and fluctuations, sometimes having cash in hand to meet these requirements becomes difficult. Small business loans are framed to provide funds to these small scale businesses for its smooth functioning.

 

Small business loans can be availed for a number of reasons. A borrower may apply for this loan to start or expand your business, purchase or refinance equipments, cope up with certain unexpected or unscheduled expenses or restructure the balance sheet. Other than these it can also be used for paying off current debt to avoid higher interest rates or pending balloon payment. For these purposes a borrower can apply an amount ranging from £1,000 to £250,000 for a term of 1 to 5 years.

 

Initially every small business experiences irregular and unstable income, thus a small business loan offers its borrowers to attain a flexible repayment plan that would allow them to enjoy maximum number of benefits.

 

These loans may be attained by a borrower either by pledging collateral or without any collateral. Thus, these loans can be attained by anyone. A borrower must be prepared with a business plan which can help him to convince the lender.

 

A small business loans allow you to access the loan at reasonable interest rates and provides financial flexibility. Loan schedule offers you the easy repayment plans and a balance between income and expenditure. It also safeguards the interest of your company and allows you to retain its ownership. By refinancing most of your assets, real estate, commercial equipment and vehicles, to arrange for a loan; you may free up your cash flow for other urgent needs.

 

Hence, funds are the building blocks of any business. These look after all your needs and help you attain your target. Small business loans facilitate you to attain these funds at the time you need them with ease and convenience.

Financial forecasts are good indicators to business owners of how their funds are to be raised cover the start up cost for their businesses. All this includes covering fees such as rent, rates, electricity, wages, stationery and any items that are necessary outgoings for your small business that must be paid each month. Yes, it is a time to cheer up, since for all the prospective small business plans, small business loans have configured to assist the emerging entrepreneurs.

Although preparing small business plan is often an extensive and small business loans online intimidating task. Nevertheless, the business owner gets a new perspective by the end. The business plan is even though only for banks, but it also helps you succeeding in business.

Importance of research in preparing for your business Plan:

• The research must be the core element of every step you intend to take. Start researching through your business plan to guarantee success in it.

• Abandon it, if you find after your extensive research that it cannot be a good plan.

• Choose another small business idea and small business loans online work through it again.

It is a good idea to go through with at least some business plans at hand. Again it is good to research and Small business loans online work out before you find the business idea that flourishes into the successful business you want to run.

Consequently, for better financial feasibility, small business loans have been bifurcated into secured and unsecured forms. If you want to start a home-based business, overlook the home-business available on various websites or in periodicals. Indeed, there is no shortcut for starting a successful home-based business. To the contrary, the unsecured forms of small business loans, on processing these loans done without any sort of pledging placing.

The small business plan steps given above, end up with an idea that actually has the prospective to succeed along with the money and small business loans online the satisfaction you have been dreaming.

This month is the time to have holiday and you might need much money to finance the need. To help you fulfill your need of cash, some financing companies offer personal loan online for you. They provide you with online application form so that you can apply for the loan easily without dealing with the paperwork.

Among the companies that offer personal loan for you, America One Unsecured is the one that comes with more reliable Personal Loans for you. They are a reputable company that has been serving people with Loans online for years. Therefore, they are able to process your loan application quickly without complicated requirements to fulfill. When obtaining personal loan Small Business Loans or from this company, your assets would be safe since you don’t need to submit them as collateral. This company also doesn’t require you to fax the complicated documents to make the application process gets easier. Getting personal loan this way is totally convenient since you can get financial help while at the same time you can stay focus on your business.

The application form that you should complete is available at Americaoneunsecured.com. Here, you can also get further information on their services and toll free number that you can contact. Apply for the loan today and enjoy a memorable holiday with the cash.

It is always advisable to have a detailed understanding of what can go wrong with commercial loans and working capital financing. The five factors described can have negative and long-lasting financial results for small business loans and commercial real estate loans. Business owners should be prepared for these real possibilities.

Most commercial borrowers do not want to experience a worst case for commercial real estate loans and small business loans. There are several elements that we believe will almost always produce this serious but avoidable result when they are all present simultaneously. Understanding each of the issues should enable borrowers to avoid a potentially devastating working capital financing outcome.

Here are the issues which we believe will usually result in a worst case scenario for commercial loans if all five are present: (1) Dealing with an inexperienced commercial finance advisor; (2) Using a lender which historically has an unacceptable track record for successfully completing commercial loans; (3) Obtaining business financing that includes a recall option for the lender; (4) Inappropriate and non-competitive business loan terms; and (5) Short-term financing in which a borrower is not also offered the opportunity to lengthen to a longer-term period.

Our primary advice is to totally avoid circumstances where all five factors exist at the same time. A secondary recommendation is to also seek alternative financing for commercial loans when either of the first two elements are present. There are likely to be many working capital management scenarios where it will be impractical to avoid all of the issues described in the preceding paragraph.

Business owners should make every possible effort to obtain commercial financing in which the worst case situation is not present. Business owners will subject themselves to inappropriate business financing terms for a very long time if they do not take appropriate action before they finalize commercial loans. There are two points which should be emphasized.

First, small business loans are more complex than most borrowers realize. There are a number of additional serious commercial funding obstacles beyond those noted in this brief article. Because of this, it is important for commercial borrowers not to narrowly focus on the factors included in the worst case scenario discussed here and simply avoid these specific issues.

A comprehensive approach to working capital management should incorporate a balanced analysis of both the worst case aspects and other critical business finance terms. The importance of this overall perspective is why we emphasized the critical nature of avoiding both inexperienced brokers and lenders.

Second, the worst case scenario for business loans described above is totally avoidable. But to avoid an obstacle, it is critical that you have a working understanding of what you are avoiding, what it looks like and any special techniques required to evade it. For example, if you are driving a car, it is common sense that you will not intentionally drive your vehicle over sharp pointed objects that are likely to puncture your tires.

With commercial loans and commercial real estate loans, the combination of the five factors noted previously in this article will typically produce an impact for small business funding that is equivalent to much worse than simply puncturing a tire. Unfortunately, without proper advice and knowledge, most business owners will not be prepared to recognize the appropriate warning signs for avoiding business financing hazards.

In this article we focused on problems with small business financing that will almost always have long-lasting and immediate negative results for business owners. Commercial borrowers should not overlook the multitude of other serious problems with commercial loans beyond those described. As with the circumstances noted above, most of the other potential difficulties with business loans can also be avoided.

There were both positive and negative developments for business loans during 2007. These will have an immediate impact on business financing strategies for borrowers.
When reviewing commercial loan developments that occurred during the past 12-18 months, there are mixed results when looking at the best and worst trends. Many of the working capital changes that emerged last year have important ramifications for borrowers refinancing or seeking new financing.
A major commercial property investment trend has been some increasing activity due to the current decline in viable residential investing options. This seems to be particularly true for business opportunity situations which do not have a real estate component, an aspect of increasing importance to investors who want to avoid property ownership at this time.
For business cash advance and credit card processing services, the past 12 months have been characterized by significant changes. There were many providers both entering and exiting these business activities. It is of course good news that some ineffective providers were forced to leave this specialized working capital management service area. But the bad news is that there are still many new and inexperienced companies attempting to operate in this complex field.
A similar trend involving inexperience can be seen in viewing the large number of residential financing brokers now attempting to transition into business financing. Since by some estimates well over 100,000 residential financing employees lost their jobs during 2007, there is a real possibility that thousands of unqualified brokers will be entering the business finance field during 2008 or have already started the process.
A general business loan trend impacting refinancing is the reduction in loan-to-value ratios, especially when borrowers are attempting to get some of their equity out of the business in cash. For purchase situations including special purpose properties such as church financing, slightly larger down payment requirements are increasingly more common.
During 2007 there was also noticeable attrition in SBA loan providers. This is primarily a positive development, since the field has long been overpopulated with inadequate business lenders.
Likewise many local and regional banks visibly reduced or eliminated their business financing activities during the past 12 months. The bad news about this trend is that very few former commercial lenders provided their borrowers with adequate notification of their intent to exit the business. If there is a positive aspect to this development it is probably that many borrowers confronted with the need to suddenly find alternative commercial financing sources have often ended up with much better terms by dealing with a new lender that specializes in commercial real estate financing and working capital management.
Although the general decrease in interest rates during the past year is a positive development, there will probably be some confusion among commercial borrowers who have adjustable rate terms when they do not see their rates reduced. In all likelihood, this will be due to a common clause applied to most commercial loan contracts that stipulate that the minimum rate for such agreements will never be less than the initial rate. With such a floor rate provision, this means that if a borrower starts with an adjustable rate set at 10% and then rates fall, the effective loan rate will remain at the initial rate.