Posts Tagged ‘Last Resort’

Government Grants for Starting Or Growing a Small Business

December 15th, 2009

Despite what many people tell you, the idea that the government is just sitting around with a pile of money waiting to give out to you or any other small business is just plain wrong. This is not to suggest however that no grants are available to anyone at any time.
The whole idea of a grant is to provide capital for some activity the government wants to encourage. Typically this means in less desirable areas or opportunities. So although there may be grants available for things such as encouraging the arts or research into a specific disease, unless you can fit your business into these niche areas, there is not a lot of grant money your dream.
This isn’t to say that assistance isn’t available at all, just that grants are probably a long process when and if you happen to find one where your small business fits. There are other ways however that you might explore to fund a small business.
Of these small business financing options, one of the most popular is the loan. That’s right, just go out and borrow the cash needed. If you’ve done your homework and have a solid business plan then the thought of self financing through your personal credit lines shouldn’t worry you. After all, you’re really betting on yourself that you will be successful.
There is a lot of confusion about the Small Business Administration. Yes, this is the government agency dedicated to helping small business…just not with grants. The SBA actually funds a very small portion of the total number of small business loans that are called SBA type loans. What the SBA actually does is “guarantee” to the bank that the money will be paid back, either by you or as a last resort by the SBA/government. If this sounds a lot like the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) you are correct.
Like the FHA, the loan needs to meet their lending or “insurance guarantee” standards. For a small business loan, it’s much the same. The SBA will look at your credit, ability to pay back the loan and the business plan.
Other potential sources of private loans can be found based on ethnic, religious, military service – veterans, or other sub groups of the population. Check out all resources until you find a group willing to finance your dream.
Finally, never give up. I personally know someone who wanted to start a home construction business and needed funding for his first home. The SBA was not an option, and being young, most banks just looked and politely declined. Long story short, he ended up going to 53 different lending institutions but he DID finally find a small, local savings and loan willing to take a chance on the new guy. Why? Because although he didn’t have all the necessary “security” they were impressed by the list of financial institutions he went to and was turned down but never gave up.

Small Business Debt Relief – Options and Opportunities to Eliminate Your Unsecured Debt

December 13th, 2009

Although the recent recession has hit the population as a whole, but no one has been hit as hard as the small business owner. What once was a steady flow of customers may now have slowed to a trickle or worse. If you have already closed up shop, you may have been left with astounding amounts of unsecured loans. However, there are some options available for small business debt relief. The first option you may need to consider, if your business is still up and running, is a small business grant. There are grants available to most every industry. This is money that does not have to be paid back and can be used to completely eliminate your unsecured debts. These do take sometime to apply for as well as receive. They will also have minimum qualifications to be considered. Also, government-back small business loans can be an opportunity to turn your unsecured debt into secured debt. These usually have a deferred repayment program as well as lower interest rates. There are also several debt settlement companies that are specifically designed to aid small businesses. These companies will work with your creditors to reduce your debt, develop a repayment plan and possibly even save your business’ credit in the process. They are trained professionals who know each and every possible situation that may arise and can guide you through with the least amount of damage to your company’s credit rating, allowing for small business debt relief. Although bankruptcy should only be used as a last resort, depending on your situation, you might need to consider Chapter 11 bankruptcy as an option. This will allow for you to “reorganize” unsecured debts as well as develop a repayment plan that will work with your company’s monthly income. However, you will have to have enough “qualifying debts” in order be able to file for bankruptcy. Also, this may be a lengthy process for some. These are just your basic options for you small business debt relief plan. There are many more available that are only a few clicks away. If you want to find the top performing debt settlement companies then here’s some very important advice. Do Not go directly to a particular debt settlement company but instead go to a debt relief network that is affiliated with several established debt settlement companies. In order to be in the debt relief network, the debt settlement companies must prove a track record of successfully negotiating and eliminating debt. They must also pass an ethical standards test. Going through a debt relief network will ensure that the debt company you are provided with is a legitimate and respected company. FreeDebtSettlementAdvice. com is one of the largest and most respected debt relief networks on the marketplace today. To find a debt settlement company through FreeDebtSettlementAdvice. com check out the following link: Legitimate Debt Settlement Company.