Introduction
With the new entrepreneurial drive in the country, we can see the rise of many small and medium businesses. Today these enterprises are thriving and gainfully contributing to the economy. But still many business ideas could not see the light of the day because there was no one willing to fund their brainchild. However, you cannot blame the lenders for it as they have their own parameters by which they evaluate a business proposal and other factors to sanction a loan. Getting a small business loan might not always be easy and that is why as a loan applicant, you must be convincing enough to get the desired capital at good terms. Let us learn more about why most loan applications are rejected and how can the applicant get approval from the lender.
Let us first see why getting a small business loan is tricky:
- New Business:
Everyone has a grand business idea that is just waiting for capital to take off. However, as a lender, it is practically impossible to back all business ideas. The new businesses generally have no track record and lenders demand at least two years of experience in the field from the owner. Financial institutions are more likely to fund companies with a history of strong cash flows, as they do not want to lose money by lending it to a company in a nascent stage that might fold up in a few weeks.
- Poor Credit Score:
Though there are lenders that focus less on credit score, conventionally the three-digit figure is of great importance to get a loan. If you have a poor credit score – both personal and business - it means you either have delayed payments in the past or already have other debts to repay. In such a case, your loan will be rejected, as your creditworthiness is low.
- Inadequate or No Collateral:
Lenders want to lower their risk while lending money. Therefore, when an applicant offers to put a valuable asset on the stake as collateral, the element of risk reduces for the lenders and they become more willing to sanction the loan. If you have an inadequate or no collateral at all, your application is likely to be rejected.
- Part of Excluded Industry:
If you find your application is rejected despite having ticked all boxes, it might happen that your business enterprise is part of the excluded industry. Some business types including life insurance companies, medicine-based businesses, or certain types of health businesses, are considered quite volatile in nature and lenders avoid getting in any agreement with them.