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small business financing

What are the 4 C’s of Credit For Getting a Business Loan?

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The 4 Cs of Getting a Business Loan | Excel Capital Management

You’re probably already aware that your credit score plays an important role in determining your eligibility to obtain a business loan or line of credit and that’s why it’s more important than ever to know what the 4 C’s of credit are.

However, what most don’t know about the 4 c’s of credit is what specific factors lenders look for within that overarching category.

When determining your eligibility for a loan, lenders look for what are called the ‘4 C’s of credit’ and, in fact, they stretch beyond just your credit score.

The number and type of factors vary somewhat depending on the lender, however, the four C’s of credit were created to help simplify and clarify the loan process for small business owners looking to obtain a loan.

It can be looked at like a guiding light to help understand what lenders and other funding companies look for when evaluating a business for credit

What are the 4 C’s of Credit?

The 4 C’s of credit are as follows – 

4 c's of credit

Collateral

Typically appearing in the form of property or other physical assets, collateral is any asset a borrower can offer to secure a loan.

If the borrower defaults on the loan, the assets they used as collateral can be seized. Many small business owners are wary of secured business loans because of this reason as they require hard collateral that is tied to your personal assets.  Many business owners are and have the right to worry about crossing the line between business and personal. Making a business mistake shouldn’t  have to affect your personal assets.

Fortunately, unsecured business loans often don’t require collateral, and if they do, it’s a form of ‘limited’ collateral such as a portion of business sales which isn’t required to be paid back if you go out of business, meaning the risks are much lower.

Capital

Capital refers to any business asset that can be sold to make loan payments. This includes available money and cash savings, investments, properties with equity, and other assets that you could sell or use to quickly obtain cash.

If business drops off and you’re unable to pay your loan payments for a time, lenders want to see that you have liquidity to cash out on so you can continue to make payments on time.

Capacity

Capacity refers to your business’ ability to make the revenue needed to pay back a loan.

Lenders don’t just want to see that you have assets you can use to pay off a loan (or which they can secure to do so), they want to see a history of being able to make regular payments regardless of those assets.

 

Character

The final ‘C’ in the 4 C’s of credit, lenders determine character by reviewing the borrower’s personal credit history and calculating several factors together.

Factors taken into account include:

  • Your total amount of debt
  • Delinquent accounts
  • Available credit
  • And whether you make payments on time

If you’re in need of a small business loan but don’t believe you can satisfy all four C’s of credit, don’t worry, there are several other options available. Now that you know what the four C’s of credit are you can easily understand how to prepare yourself and your business when you try to pursue a lender for any sorts of funds.

At Excel Capital, we provide a variety of financial solutions which we can offer even if you have bad credit.

Click here to complete our short application to get in touch with one of our financial specialists to see how we can help.

Guest Blog presented by Kabbage: How Fintech Has Helped the Small Business Lending Industry Grow

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How Fintech Has Helped the Small Business Lending Industry Grow | Excel Capital Management | Kabbage

It is amusing the way popular art often foreshadows or even predicts the future. Science fiction movies focused on space travel long before the first probes were sent to explore the galaxy, and self-driving automobiles were part of novels on the future long before they even became a possibility. Perhaps the best example of popular culture accurately predicting the future happened in 1984. The movie “Revenge of the Nerds” depicted a ragtag crew of science geeks getting revenge on the jocks and popular kids at their school. 

Today, as foreshadowed in the movie, nerds indeed have taken over the world. From one of the wealthiest men in the world, Bill Gates to the domination of the geek and nerd driven internet, the nerd now is in global positions of power. These same nerds, while long in the institutional financial space, have decided to shift their focus to the retail financial sector.

The Emergence of Fintech

Fintech has capitalized on the relationships that can be formed between finance and technology to drive innovation for everyone from businesses to everyday consumers. Whether it is having the capability to access a bank account on a tablet or paying for an in-store product with a mobile phone, these ties formed between finance and technology are the epitome of fintech.

The so-called fintech industry is targeting a treasure chest of over $4.7 trillion once dominated by old school players. Following in the footsteps of the other disruptive nerd driven technology, the fintech sector is on fire in regards to growth. The sector drew $12 billion investor dollars in 2014, an over 40% increase from the previous year.

Within the retail financial sector, small business lending, personal loans and loans for professionals have already been radically improved by the growth of fintech. This is not just speculation about the future – every day, small business owners are taking advantage of the new world of lending powered by the fintech revolution. 

Fintech vs. Traditional Lending

The fintech revolution has the traditional institutions very concerned. Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan Chase’s CEO, warned in his investor letter that “Silicon Valley is coming.” Jim Marous wrote in The Financial Brand, The impact of digital technology and the digital consumer is transforming the way consumers access financial products and services. Beyond simple transactions, such as checking balances, the intersection of finance and technology (fintech) is impacting virtually all categories of financial services at an increasing rate, reshaping the industry’s status quo.

Backing up his contention, Marous cited, Results from a PwC survey, ‘Blurred Lines: How FinTech is Shaping Financial Services’, found that the majority of survey participants see consumer banking and fund transfer and payments as the sectors most likely to be affected over the next five years. The report included responses from 544 CEOs, Heads of Innovation, CIOs and top management involved in digital and technological transformation across the financial services industry in 46 countries.

While these projections and warnings remains premature, it is a tell as to what the future holds for the overall financial sector from the fintech revolution. Truth be told, the fintech lending space remains a tiny part of the overall lending industry. One example of the size differential could be considered with $9 billion in loans funded by a fintech firm. While $9 billion is a tremendous amount of money, it is peanuts compared to the total loan volume. Even just compared to the $885 billion in total credit card debt outstanding in America, it is like a flea on an elephant’s back. 

An Analysis of the New Lending Industry

Traditional institutions stand to gain from the growth of fintech. Fintech has accelerated the growth of the small business lending sector in multiple ways. First, and perhaps most critically, fintech has lowered the cost of making loans for the lender. These savings can then be passed down to the borrower, creating a less-expensive product. Lending costs have been slashed by cutting out physical branches, legacy IT systems and burdensome regulations, allowing a more direct connection with the borrower.

Also, by moving the application process to the internet, additional costs can be cut from no more physical paper application processing. For example, the standard loan cost for a traditional lending institution is 5-7%.  Fintech lenders can cut this number down into the 2% zone. 

Next, fintech has opened up an entirely new clientele for business lenders.  Due to a lack of pertinent data and ways of processing it, traditional small business lenders are forced to rely on the old fashion ways of approving borrowers. The old style approval process takes into account credit score of the business and owner as well as the collateral to secure the loan.

The new fintech small business lending firms consider hundreds of data points, often in real time, to make credit decisions. This practical use of big data enables the new wave of fintech small business lenders to make loans that were previously impossible by traditional means. Credit-worthy customers may not have the collateral or perfect credit score to qualify at a bank for small business financing. However, the new wave of fintech small business lenders can be secure in making these once impossible loans.   

Finally, fintech is in the process of creating a more stable credit environment. The reason for this is the simple fact that banks rely on borrowed money to fund loans whereas fintech small business lenders use investor’s money directly to fund loans. This helps eliminate the inherent risks of borrowing to lend.

Wrapping things up, as you can see, fintech has revolutionized the financial industry and online business lending in particular. Although fintech remains a tiny part of the overall financial sector, it is rapidly growing. Using big data and high-speed processing computers, fintech firms can make loans that were once considered impossible by traditional lending institutions. In the process, fintech is super-charging the small business lending world with growth and new possibilities.

Kabbage is the industry leader in providing working capital online. Kabbage is dedicated to supporting the small business community and has funded more than $1.6 billion to help business grow.

Small business loans for non profit organizations

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Alternative Funding Options for Nonprofit Organizations | Excel Capital Management

Unlike businesses that strive to make a profit for their owners, nonprofit organizations pride themselves in serving their respective communities and putting all money back into their cause. Although, the end goal may be a little different from regular businesses, nonprofit organizations still face the same financial issues. Like traditional businesses, nonprofit organizations must deal with tracking revenue, expenses, hiring and training personnel, equipment and supply purchases, and ultimately, need some working capital here and there.

While applying for a traditional bank loan may be the obvious solution, it may not be the most feasible one. Traditional bank loans require a hefty amount of paperwork, a tedious application process, and a lengthy wait period when it comes to receiving an approval or unfortunate decline. Alternative lenders offer a faster and easier solution. Typically, all that is needed to receive an offer in as little as three business days is a simple, one-page application, four months of recent business bank statements, and four months of recent credit card processing statements (if applicable). That’s it! Let’s take a look at a few alternative funding solutions for nonprofit organizations and how they can be used to grow and expand your organization.

The beautiful part about acquiring working capital as a source of funding for your nonprofit organization is that the money can virtually be used for anything – as long as it pertains to the business. Here are a few examples:

Hiring & Training Personnel:   As with any business, hiring and training the right personnel is essential to running a successful nonprofit organization. Maybe you need to hire a receptionist or accountant to help out with the books. Maybe you need to train existing personnel on new procedures.
Purchases & Expansion: Whether you need to purchase new inventory and supplies, repair equipment, open an additional office or location, or simply take care of a few bills and expenses, working capital acquired through one of the many alternative funding solutions available to nonprofit organizations can make all of these things happen easily.
Cash Flow Issues: Juggling bills, payroll, and unforeseen expenses for a nonprofit organization can cause some cash flow issues. Grants may flow in via uneven lump sums, contracts might not be renewed, and reimbursements for services rendered may take weeks to hit your nonprofit’s business bank account. Additional capital may be the solution needed to get everything back in sync.

Working Capital can cover the costs of all of the above and much more! For more information on funding options for your nonprofit organization, you can also call (877)880-8086 to speak directly to one of our funding specialists or APPLY NOW!

Exploring Funding Options for LGBT Owned Businesses

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Alternative Funding Options for LGBT Owned Businesses

June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride month each year in honor of the 1969 Stonewall riots, a major turning point in the U.S. Gay Liberation Movement,  in Manhattan, NYC. Since those days, great strides have been made in terms of progressive thinking and equality. The LGBT community also makes up a large number of business owners in the United States.

As we know, most businesses will need to apply for some sort of working capital during their lifetime. Traditional loans are not always an option to many business owners due to the lengthy paperwork required and strict rules and guidelines, however, progress is being made when it comes to providing the LGBT community with business-funding options. For instance, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has set up a few different programs and outreach initiatives. Aside from the SBA and other traditional business loan options,

There are many alternative funding solutions that may be more suitable and easier for LGBT-owned businesses to obtain when it comes to growing their businesses. Here are a few options:

Merchant Cash Advance: Short-term financing transactions that are collected through a set percentage of your visa and mastercard sales  that are accepted at your place of business. Probably the most common term used in the industry. These do not have a set repayment schedule and are based on the volume of your businesses credit card processing sales. These are usually only guaranteed by the future sales of your business.

Minority Business Loans: There are many options avaialable in this category and its not just catered to the LGBT community. We have put togher a full list of Minority Business Loan options available. Many of these are grants and offer zero interest funding programs.

ACH Loan Products: These are a bit different than cash advances as they are considered loans and may have personal guarantees. They have a fixed repayment schedule that is paid either daily, weekly or monthly. These products are catered to industries that do not accept credit cards and need a fixed payment.

Accounts Receivables Financing: This is one of the oldest forms of funding in history. This is used mainly when a business is due some sort of capital for work complete and is billed on a net 30, 60 or 90. for example, ABC Trucking delivered goods for xyz logistics but only receives payment from xyz logistics in 60 days. ABC can then factor the money due from XYZ at discount to receive the capital due in 60 days today.

Invoice Factoring: The purchase of accounts receivable for immediate cash.

Equipment Financing: A type of loan or extension of credit to a business, with the purpose of helping the business acquire new equipment. Equipment Financing Extends only the capital needed to purchase a specific piece of equipment and is most commonly written as a lease.

Business Lines of Credit: A rotating loan that gives business owners access to a fixed amount of money, which they can use day-to-day according to their need for cash. Interest is only paid on the amount of the advance actually used.

Start-Up Funding/Loan: A type of loan that provides a new business/company with sufficient upfront capital to get off the ground.

Asset Based Loans: A business loan secured by collateral.

SBA LOANs 504 Loans: The US Small Business Administration 504 Loan or Certified Development Company program is designed to provide financing for the purchase of fixed assets, which usually means real estate, buildings and machinery, at below market rates.

Term Loans: A loan that is backed by a bank for an exact amount that has a specified repayment timetable and  interest rate that are adjusted accordingly. Terms mature between 1 and 10 years.

Excel Capital Management is a proud supporter of the LGBT community, and we are here to help with all of your business funding needs! For more information on Excel and the funding solutions we offer, APPLY NOW! For even faster service, contact one of our funding specialists TODAY at 877-880-8086.