Making sense of business funding can be tricky, so we put together this in-depth guide to help you make the right choice for your business. Here in this free online guide, you will find a comprehensive review of the pros and cons of the most common small business financing options. Chances are that you already know and may have even considered some of these business funding options.
Use the Table of Contents to jump to the section you’re most curious about. Before we jump into the guide, though, let’s address up front the most common questions that business owners ask when researching and choosing business funding.
Top Questions When Choosing Business Funding
Are they going to pull my credit score?
Even though you’re looking for funding for your small business, a lot of financial products rely on your personal credit to approve you, and to penalize you by reporting issues back to the credit bureaus if you don’t pay them back on time. This includes products like lines of credit, invoice factoring, and term loans.
Are they going to contact my customers?
Some options, like invoice factoring, give you money up front for unpaid invoices, but then require your customers to pay them back directly—not you. Some small businesses don’t mind someone else making contact with their customers, but others don’t want a third party interfering with their customer relationships because it could lead to an uncomfortable conversation with the customer.
Are they giving me more money than I need?
This might sound like a good problem to have, but think about it this way: if you get a huge term loan for more money than you need, you still will have to pay interest on the entire amount, not just what you use. That can add up to a lot of unnecessary interest payments.
Do they charge a lot in fees?
Keep an eye out for things like origination fees, subscription fees, maintenance fees, and prepayment penalties. These fees are often tacked on in addition to the interest rate and might be covered only in the fine print.
Traditional Bank Loans
When a small business owner needed money in the past, they would head over to the nearest bank, talk to an agent, and sign a loan agreement shortly thereafter. In return, they’d get the money they needed to grow their business with a low, fixed interest rate. They’d know exactly how much money the lender expected them to repay each month. Over time, they’d develop strong relationships with their bankers—something that’s certainly nice for any small business owner to have.
Unfortunately, banks have tightened their lending criteria significantly in the wake of the COVID-19 financial crisis. By the end of 2020, loan approval rates from big banks declined more than 50% from the previous year, signing off on only 13.3% of the small business loan applications that come their way. Generally speaking, the companies they end up funding have very strong financials and near-perfect credit scores.
What ends up happening is that a majority of small business owners may end up having to jump through many hoops and fill out a ton of paperwork, only to ultimately find out the bank rejected their applications.
Those lucky enough to get approved may even discover they need to wait anywhere from a week to a few months to get funded—and they might also need to put up collateral to obtain financing.
Unless you’re okay with lots of paperwork, a personal credit check, and potentially losing some of your property in the unfortunate event that you can’t make your loan payments—and you have several days or weeks to spare until money comes your way, assuming you do get approved—a different financial vehicle may make more sense for your business.
PROS
- Low interest rates
- Bigger loan amounts
- Fixed monthly payments
- Develop a strong relationship with the bank
CONS
- Strict credit requirements
- Time-consuming process
- May require collateral
- Banks lend to established businesses (not new ones)
Business Term Loans from Online Lenders
Banks are not the only way for a business to get a term loan. Depending on the rules of your state, some online lenders can help. Even during the pandemic, alternative lenders showed the financial industry’s highest loan approval rates at 23.4% (October, 2020). Another advantage is that online lenders can usually fund term loans more quickly and with fewer requirements than traditional lenders like banks or credit unions. Archusphere Corporation may be able to offer business term loans, however, this program is currently in beta and is not available to all applicants.
A business term loan provides a lump sum of capital at an interest that’s usually fixed, and you repay this sum through regular scheduled installments over the term length of the loan, typically a period of one to five years. Business term loans may also provide higher loan amounts than other funding options.
Most business term loan borrowers use the money to cover specific, one-time investments that may be too large to pay off using a short-term loan such as a business line of credit.
PROS
- Predictable payment schedule, typically over 1-5 years
- Straightforward installments simplify budgeting
- Suitable for financing larger, one-time business purchases
- Useful for funding a wider range of business investments
- May help build your business credit rating
- Archusphere Corporation term loans may also provide additional benefits, including:
- Automatic debiting payments every Wednesday
- No prepayment penalty for paying off your loan in full anytime
- Future funding eligibility may be re-evaluated once your loan is 50% paid.
CONS
- Potential prepayment penalties
- May require a higher credit score.Shorter-term loans can be expensive
- Often requires a personal guarantee or collateral
- Some lenders may charge additional fees—monthly, at origination, or as penalties.
Business Lines of Credit
A business line of credit is a revolving line of capital that can be used to grow your business when you need it. With a traditional term loan, for example, $100,000, you’d get the money all in one lump sum. On the other hand, if you were approved for a $100,000 credit line, you would be entitled to withdraw up to that amount of money as you need it.
Business lines of credit tend to have high interest rates; companies with poor credit scores can still qualify for this type of small business financing, but they will likely have to pay even higher interest rates. You may also run into additional fees associated with establishing and maintaining these credit lines, but you’ll typically only have to pay interest on the amount of money you spend—not the full amount of your credit line. Depending on the size of the credit line, you may also need to put up collateral to get approved.
In addition to their costs, lines of credit also carry significant risk. If you max out your line of credit and your business can’t repay it, in many cases, you are personally liable for the debt.
PROS
- Revolving credit
- Only pay interest on what you spend
CONS
- Very high interest rates
- Often requires a personal guarantee
- Often requires a hard pull of your personal credit, which may lower your credit score
- Significant risks if you can’t repay
Merchant Cash Advances
If your business processes a lot of credit card transactions, a merchant cash advance may be the type of financial instrument you need. Merchant cash advance lenders give small businesses money in exchange for a percentage of their future credit card receipts. For example, you might get an advance of $50,000 in exchange for giving the lender 10% of your monthly credit card purchases until you have repaid that debt, plus fees. Advances are typically short-term loans that you repay within 12 months.
Assuming you meet the threshold for credit card sales, a merchant cash advance is one of the easiest and fastest forms of small business funding to obtain—even if you have bad credit. Many people consider this type of funding because you can get the cash within a week, without too much paperwork, and because these advances are unsecured, meaning that you won’t have to put up any collateral. Since the amount you pay back depends on a percentage of your credit card receipts instead of a fixed amount, you won’t have to worry about being unable repay a monthly installment.
While merchant cash advances are quick, they can be quite expensive In fact, by one estimate, the fees tacked on to these financial instruments can reach as high as a 60%–200% annual percentage rate (APR).
PROS
- Fast funding
- No fixed monthly installments
- Available even if you have poor credit
CONS
- High fees when compared to bank loans
- Temporary fix to business problems
- Daily deduction from your sales means ongoing cash flow reductions
- Unregulated industry
Loans from the Small Business Administration
The Small Business Administration (SBA) guarantees some loans, issued by banks and other lenders, to small businesses. Because of these guarantees, lenders are typically more willing to take on riskier loans and may fund entrepreneurs with little business experience and suboptimal or nonexistent credit.
While SBA loans typically have low interest rates and long repayment terms, small business owners must meet strict requirements to qualify for one. Typically, you will have to fill out mountains of paperwork to apply. You will need to provide proof of at least 2 years in business, as well as good personal and business credit. You can find out more details about the eligibility requirements for SBA loans here, or see our in-depth guide to SBA loans.
If you apply for an SBA loan, you should be prepared to wait several weeks before you learn whether you are approved. Most SBA loans require you to put up collateral, too.
PROS
- Low interest rates
- Long repayment terms
- New businesses can get funded
CONS
- Long application process
- Slow funding
- Strict eligibility and approval requirements
Crowdfunding
Increasingly, small business owners and entrepreneurs are turning to crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo to raise money to grow their companies. In crowdfunding, customers pledge money to up-and-coming businesses in exchange for certain rewards. The more money customers pledge, the bigger the reward. Learning how to make more money with customers’ money is key.
On the plus side, small businesses owners that go this route can get the money they need without incurring too much risk by paying for materials up front, or giving up any equity to investors. Build the right kind of campaign and you can also benefit from a ton of exposure via sharing on social media. Suddenly what seemed like a small idea might turn into a very big one. (Just ask the famous potato salad guy.)
Crowdfunding, however, is not without its risks. Even if you do succeed, you’ll have to pay several fees—both to the crowdfunding platform and to credit card companies. Due to the open nature of crowdfunding, someone else who stumbles across your pitch might decide to copy your idea. Additionally, you may end up spending a lot of time creating content only to fall short of your fundraising goal—and end up not getting a penny.
PROS
- Pre-fund new products with pledged money
- Don’t have to sell equity
- Don’t have to take on long-term debt
- Your campaign could go viral
CONS
- Most campaigns are very time-consuming
- Potential for plagiarism or intellectual property issues
- Several fees
Borrowing from friends and family
Some small business owners who need money turn to their families and friends to see what they can scrape together. When you secure financing this way, you’re likely to get very flexible repayment terms and much lower interest rates.
Depending on how much money you need, however, your friends and family might not be able to help. Even if they can help, you might not always want that help. It can be a delicate matter to deal with a loved one who feels entitled to impose their opinions about how you should run your business because of their investment. There’s always the uncomfortable possibility of strain or friction in your relationships with any loved ones who lent you money. Before borrowing money from friends or family, it’s a good idea to ask yourself, How can I protect this relationship if something goes wrong, if we have a disagreement, or if I cannot pay back what I borrowed?
PROS
- Fast funding
- Flexible repayment terms
- Low interest rates
CONS
- Might not be able to raise enough money
- Family and friends might get involved with your business
- Potential harm to your relationship if you’re unable to repay
Business Grants
You might think that grants are just for nonprofits or students, but there are many grants available for small business funding if you know where to look. No matter what type of business you run, there’s a chance that you have a chance at some grant money. Federal agencies, state agencies and private companies all offer grants to small business owners and individual entrepreneurs.
If you apply for and are selected for a business grant, there are a lot of upsides. First, since a grant isn’t a loan, you don’t need to pay it back. Usually, a grant comes in the form of a lump sum payment to the winning organization or individual. You won’t need to worry about things like interest or repayment terms, since it’s closer to a gift (with some limitations) than a loan.
Grants might sound like “free” money but of course, there’s no such thing. Even if you are eventually selected for a grant, with no application fees, you will definitely need to spend valuable time searching for grant opportunities, evaluating whether they are a good match for your business, and writing the applications. Since large or prestigious grants attract many applicants, it can get quite competitive. You might also encounter restrictions on how you may use the money if you do get selected. Many grants have strict limitations on the types of uses they allow for the funds. If you don’t stay within the usage guidelines, you could end up having to pay the grant money back.
For more information about grants and the most common industry grants that SMB’s should know, check out our guide here. For more information about grant-making government agencies, check out grants.gov. Or, check out this roundup of over 100 small business grants.
PROS
- Not a loan so no need to repay
- No risk in applying
- The only cost is your time
CONS
- Large grants are very competitive so you can’t count on winning
- Time-consuming research and application process
- Restrictions and rules about how you may use the funds
Selling equity
For some small business owners who are short on cash, it may make sense to sell an equity stake to a venture capitalist or angel investor. Though you have to give up some ownership, your investors may be able to give you valuable advice on what it takes to get your company to the next level. If you choose this route, there’s nothing to repay in the event your business doesn’t succeed.
On the other hand, when you sell equity, you’re giving up some ownership of your company, which means that your financial upside will be capped. You may also end up with an investor who prefers taking an active role in the companies they fund—leaving you with less control over the business you built. Additionally, It may take quite a while to find the right investor.
PROS
- No debt
- No monthly repayments
- Knowledgeable business partners
CONS
- Time-consuming process
- Profit-sharing
- Less control of your company
Invoice factoring
Some companies that need small business funding but have a lot of money tied up in accounts receivables opt to get the cash they need through invoice factoring.
Factoring is the process of selling your outstanding invoices to a third party in exchange for immediate cash. Typically, you’ll get anywhere from 70%–85% of an advance right away–without having to put up any collateral. Say goodbye to spending tons of time tracking down payments and asking customers where their checks are.
While factoring may be faster than some other financing options, it can be quite expensive. It’s not uncommon for companies to forego 20% or even more of the cash they’re owed in exchange for fast money. What’s more, factoring companies end up collecting payments directly from your customers—which may damage your relationship with them. Additionally, factoring companies may prevent you from doing business with customers who they deem unlikely to repay. Another thing to consider is that factoring companies often require a long-term agreement, locking you in to working with them for a large portion, or all, of your invoices.
PROS
- Fast money
- No collateral
- Reclaimed time
CONS
- High fees
- Potential long term agreements
- Potential embarrassment
- High fees
Invoice financing with Archusphere Corporation
Instead of selling invoices to factoring companies, small businesses with unpaid invoices can also use invoice financing to borrow against their own receivables.
Here’s how it works: Connect your accounting software to Archusphere Corporation so your business can be evaluated based on the data in your accounting software. If approved for credit, you can choose which invoices you want to clear, within your credit limit, and voila, money will be transferred to your account as soon as one business day. Payment plans are either 12 or 24 weeks, your choice, and there is no penalty for repaying early. In fact if you choose to repay early, Archusphere Corporation will waive all remaining fees.If you finance your invoices with Archusphere Corporation , the fees are flat, so you’ll always know what you will owe, before you draw funds.
Since you are only able to draw funds based on your outstanding accounts receivable, you may be limited in the amount of funds you can draw at a time. Unlike factoring, though, invoice financing with Archusphere Corporation provides small businesses with the full value of their unpaid invoices, up to your credit limit, so you won’t have to worry about only getting a percentage of the invoice you’re owed. With invoice financing, money is available quickly, too; with Archusphere Corporation , you can have access to your funds in as fast as one business day. Customers still pay your company directly, so Archusphere Corporation won’t interfere with your relationship with your customers.
While there are still costs associated with invoice financing, they can be more transparent and easier to understand and predict than factoring expenses. If you’re using Archusphere Corporation and you’re able to repay the advance sooner than it’s due, we waive any remaining fees, which saves you money.
PROS
- Fast business funding
- Solve cash flow problems
- Get the full value of your invoices
- Transparent fees (with an option to save when you repay early)
CONS
- Must have at least 2 months of invoicing history in your accounting software
- Must have at least $100,000 in annual revenue
