A business acquisition loan, also referred to as a business loan, is any commercial financing to purchase a business. They are used to acquire either an existing business or open an entirely new franchise. Developing a business means you will have to provide substantially more cash up-front capital to your business than you usually need to put into it. If you own a company that has not yet been established, the chances of obtaining a business loan are not great. Business acquisition loans are typically used when a business owner is looking to purchase a business to either expand their existing business or take advantage of opportunities offered by a particular industry. Business acquisition loans are also sometimes used by entrepreneurs who have an idea that they believe can make them a lot of money but do not have the financial capital to initiate the business.
It can sometimes seem challenging to find Business Acquisition Financing when looking for additional funding for your business startup. Your credit history may significantly affect your ability to obtain additional financing for your new franchise. If your credit score is poor, you may not get a traditional loan from a conventional lender. However, some business acquisition loans and mortgage lenders make the process much easier for small business owners with poor credit. The two types of bad credit that commonly occur in business startup situations are personal bankruptcy and default.
Personal bankruptcy occurs when you cannot repay a loan that you obtained for one reason or another. This could be caused by a significant illness in your family, a severe accident, loss of your job, or other similar events. When you are considering obtaining a business acquisition financing loan, personal bankruptcy will hurt your credit rating. As long as you can provide a solid business plan that outlines why you failed to repay a prior loan, most lenders will not turn down your request for a personal guarantee. However, personal bankruptcy will negatively impact your credit rating for up to 10 years. As long as you can provide solid documentation of your inability to repay the personal guarantee, lenders will usually be willing to work with you.
Another common type of business acquisition financing involves a business purchase loan. Many financial institutions offer a business purchase loan for small business owners that are starting. These loans do not require the borrower to secure any personal guarantee. Instead, the financial statements are used to assess the risk of lending funds to you.
As long as you can provide a reasonable explanation for the business failure, most lenders will be willing to issue you a business acquisition loan. Business purchase loans can be secured or unsecured. Most buyers use personal assets or existing business assets to provide collateral for their acquisition funding. It is important to remember that if you fail to make your monthly payments on the business acquisition financing, the lender may possess your assets. On the other hand, if you use your existing business assets to acquire funding, you protect yourself from the possibility of your business going under. Many startup entrepreneurs prefer to use their current business for this type of financing.
Business acquisition loans are offered in several forms: hard money, merchant cash, commercial, short sales, partnership deals, and business acquisition lines of credit. The amount you will obtain will depend upon the type of business acquisition financing you are seeking. There are also differences between these types of financing. For example, hard money loans are generally more expensive because they have a higher interest rate than merchant cash loans.
Commercial short sales are another option for small business acquisition financing. These loans are generally less expensive than hard money and merchant cash loans. However, they have less favorable payment terms. You should expect some of the payment terms with commercial short sales are balloon payments, limited redemption, and payment holidays. These terms can also be less favorable than some merchant cash loans.
The third option for startup loan funding is a hard money loan. Private individuals or companies generally obtain hard money loans. Because they are considered unsecured, lenders usually do not require good credit history or collateral. Lenders will not consider your startup business plan as a factor when approving a hard money loan. However, you must have a good credit history or substantial collateral to qualify for this type of financing. In most cases, hard money business acquisition loans are not appropriate for new businesses that have a good chance of not being able to repay the debt.