A number of businesses can find themselves in a position where they need money fast. Whether it is to pay for bills, rent, staff or clear any outstanding debts, businesses of all sizes can sometimes need a quick cash injection to help see them through a difficult period. In fact, cash flow issues is one of the most common reasons for startups to fail or for businesses to go under. Below, we list a number of effective ways for businesses to get money fast:
- Borrow money from family and friends
- Bank loans
- Bridging finance
- Borrowing against a vehicle
- Overdrafts
- Crowdfunding
- Venture capital and business angels
Borrow money from friends and family
One of the easiest ways to fund your business in the early stages is to ask any willing friends or family members to invest in your business. This should only ever be a short-term option and is usually used in the initial stages when a business needs to prove that its concept has potential and can then go on to seek further funding.
Borrowing money from friends and family can be a much quicker way of building funds than going through an official loan approval process and you negate the need for eligibility criteria and other entry barriers. Not only that, you will likely have far more flexible terms when it comes to interest rates and length of loan term. Depending on the terms you agree with your friends and family, the interest could also work out to be a good investment for them in the long term. However, if anything goes wrong you risk damaging your personal relationships.
Bank loans
Traditional bank loans have a lot of merit as a way of funding money for businesses looking to get started. There is a wealth of different loans on the market which could fund your business and match your financial needs. If you already have a business bank account open, this could be a good starting point to approach your bank and present your business proposal in order to be approved for a business loan. Typically, banks will only offer loans to those with a good credit score and credit history.
If you choose to take out a bank loan for your business, you can usually shop around for the msot competitive rates and choose from a range of different loan products to make sure that you are getting the most suitable loan for your needs. Generally speaking, teh better your credit score, the better your chances of approval and the more competitive interest rates you will be offered. Also, there will be a clear repayment plan. One of the best things about a bank loan is that you will not have to revoke any control of your business.
However, if you are looking for quick funds, bank loans may not be the best option for you. Seeking finance from banks can often be very time-consuming and requires a lot of paperwork and back and forth.
Bridging finance
Bridging finance is what we specialist in here at Octagon Capital. Essentially you can raise money for a tight deadline, using a property as security. With a bridging loan, it is designed to ‘bridge the gap’ between the purchase and sale of something, so it can be useful if you know that you are going to be selling your premises or completing on a big deal and just need some cash quickly to help move things along.
You will need a valuable asset as security – so whilst this is usually property such as offices, premises, hotels or agricultural land, it could also be vehicles. In fact, a German airline Condor, borrowed a huge sum of money through bridging finance by securing it against their airlines.
Bridging is used to bridge the gap between the purchase and sale of something. It is usually available within a matter of weeks and is often paid back after just a few months.
Borrowing against a vehicle
Borrowing against vehicles is a very quick and popular way to raise money fast. Known as secured loans against your car, bike or van, this could be a general secured loan for your business or it could be an individual logbook loan.
It is not uncommon for business founders to get a logbook loan against their own vehicle and then provide a director’s loan to the business. In this instance, you temporarily handover the logbook of your vehicle to the lender who can give you up to 50% of the car’s value upfront, with pretty low rates too. The key thing to remember with secured loans is that if you struggle to repay, your vehicle can be repossessed by the lender to cover their losses.
Overdrafts
Overdrafts from your current account or credit card are there for a reason, to help in the event of an emergency.
With some personal or business credit cards, you will have an authorised or unauthorised facility so that you can borrow an extra few hundred or thousand pounds if you need it.
However, it is important to note that overdrafts, especially when unauthorised can be some of the most expensive form of borrowing on the planet and you should try use this for as little time as possible. Find out more information about overdraft charges here.
Crowdfunding
Crowdfunding has become a buzzword in the business world when it comes to raising funds. There are different platforms available, all of which involve raising money from multiple individual investors (including regular people who may be interested in your business proposal). This option is probably only suitable for businesses who are offering a proposal which appeals to multiple people and offers a key solution or USP. It will need to be able to attract a lot of attention in a short period of time in order to rack up the funds in a timely manner so may not be the fastest option available.
Venture capitalists and business angels
If you have a business proposal with real potential, you might be able to approach venture capitalists or business angels directly for funding.
Business angels are individuals who have personal wealth and seek investment opportunities. They will fund your company if they see potential and, in exchange, they will want a share of your business. This can be a great way of receiving large amounts of money relatively quickly as well as receiving professional guidance. However, you will need to relinquish some control over your business.
For the chance to receive even more investment, you could approach a venture capitalist. They work similarly to angel investors in that they provide money in exchange for equity in the business. Their goal tends to be for the business to grow quickly so that they can benefit from a return on their investment within a short period of time.
The only issue is that when you are approaching VCs and business angels that the process can take a little long. After all, you will have to find the right companies or individuals, pitch to them and await a response – and any attempt to raise money will usually be subject to strong business proposals, forecasting and planning, which is going to be longer than just applying for a loan on a website.