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[25 Dec 2009 | 18 Comments | 37 views]
Venture Capital Financing: Structure and Pricing

A venture financing can be structured using one or more of several types of securities ranging from straight debt-to-debt with equity features (e.g., convertible debt or debt with warrants) to common stock. Each type of security offers certain advantages and disadvantages to both the entrepreneur and the investor. The characteristcs of your situation and current market forces will impact the type and mix of security package that is right for you.

Types of Securities

  • Senior debt: Which is usually for long-term financing for high-risk companies or special situations such as bridge financing. Bridge financing is designed as temporary financing in cases where the company has obtained a commitment for financing at a future date, which funds will be used to retire the debt. It is used in construction, acquisitions, anticipation of a public sale of securities, etc.
  • Subordinated debt: Which is subordinated to financing from other financial institutions, and is usually convertible to common stock or accompanied by warrants to purchase common stock. Senior lenders consider subordinated debt as equity. This increases the amount of funds that can be borrowed, thus allowing greater leverage.
  • Preferred stock: Which is usually convertible to common stock. The venture’s cash flow is helped because no fixed loan or interest payments need to be made unless the preferred stock is redeemable or dividends are mandatory. Preferred stock improves the company’s debt to equity ratio. The disadvantage is that dividends are not tax deductible.
  • Common stock: Which is usually the most expensive in terms of the percent of ownership given to the venture capitalist. However, sale of common stock may be the only feasible alternative if cash flow and collateral limits the amount of debt the company can carry.

    While each of these securities has unique characteristics, they can be grouped into two categories: debt or equity. In structuring a venture financing, the primary question is whether the financing should be in the form of debt or equity.

Disadvantages of Debt to a Company

From a company’s viewpoint, there are two potential disadvantages to debt.

  1. An excessive amount of debt can strain a company’s credit standing, thereby reducing its flexibility in meeting future long-term financing requirements on a favorable basis. It can also negatively affect a company’s ability to obtain short-term credit. Of course, the form of debt the venture financing takes makes a difference. For example, subordinated debt will have less impact on borrowing capacity than senior debt.
  2. The venture capitalist has the option of calling his loan if the company is in default of the loan agreement. This remedy, which is not available to him under other financing agreements, puts him in a better position to influence the company’s affairs when it is in default.

Advantages of Debt to a Venture Capitalist

From the venture capitalist’s viewpoint, there are three principal advantages to debt.

  1. There is a greater likelihood that the venture capitalist will get his principal back and, at least, a small return. Many of the companies in the average venture capitalist’s portfolio are referred to as "the living dead." Needless to say, their performance has turned out to be disappointing. In some cases, these companies are able to repay principal with interest but have limited appeal to potential acquirers or the public. As a result, a venture capitalist with an investment in such a company’s common stock may be unable to recover his investment within a reasonable period, if at all.
  2. As previously discussed, under certain circumstances the venture capitalist is in a better position to influence the company’s affairs.
  3. The venture capitalist has a senior claim. However, it should be emphasized that the meaningfulness of a senior claim depends on the marketability of a company’s assets and the amount of equity it has to cushion its creditors’ position. For example, in the case of a start-Lip situation with little or no equity, a senior claim means little or nothing.

Percentage Ownership Needed

While the difference may not be great, depending on the particular circumstances of the company, a debt position involves less risk than an equity position for the venture capitalist. Accordingly, a company should not have to relinquish as much ownership when a financing is in the form of debt. However, this advantage must be weighed against the disadvantages of debt.

No matter how the venture financing is structured, it must be priced so that it is attractive to the venture capitalist. There is no clear-cut answer as to how much ownership a company will have to relinquish to make a financing attractive. Broadly speaking, the greater the potential return perceived by the venture capitalist, the less ownership he will demand. In other words, if a company has a patented product which a venture capitalist thinks is revolutionary and highly marketable, he will undoubtedly settle for less ownership than he would in the case of 4 company with a relatively less attractive product. Thus, his ultimate position will be a business judgment based on his potential return.

Before you enter negotiations with the venture capitalist, you should determine what your company is worth and how much of your company you want to sell. The following procedure can be used to get a rough idea of how much ownership you will have to give up to make the financing attractive.

  1. Estimate the risk associated with the venture financing. If the investment is very risky, the venture capitalist may be looking for a return as high as 15 times his investment over five years. Conversely, if a relatively low degree of risk is involved, the venture capitalist may be satisfied with doubling or tripling his investment over five years.
  2. Make a reasonable estimate of the price/earnings ratio applicable to comparable publicly held companies. The market value of the company can then be projected by multiplying forecasted annual earnings by the estimated price/earnings ratio for comparable companies.
  3. Divide the estimate of the total dollar return the venture capitalist wants by the projected market value of the company. This yields the percentage ownership the venture capitalist will need, as oil the future date, to realize his desired return. It is important to note that any equity financing required during the interim period must be considered in making these calculations.

Case Study

Suppose XYZ Company, Inc., a start-up, needs $500,000. The company’s product appears to have excellent potential. However, because the product is new and unproven, an investment in the company would be extremely risky. Accordingly, it is reasonable to estimate that a venture capitalist would want a potential return of at least ten times his total investment in five years. Management estimates that the company should be able to "go public" at 20 times earnings in five years. Projected after-tax earnings for the fifth year is $1,250,000. Additional long-term financing of $500,000 will be needed at the beginning of the third year.

Scenario I

In the calculations below it is assumed that the venture capitalist who provides the initial financing ($500,000) also provides the subsequent financing ($500,000), and that he wants a return equal to ten times both. However, it should be noted that if the company made satisfactory progress during the first two years, it would be reasonable to assume that the venture capitalist would be satisfied with a lower return on the subsequent financing since it would involve less risk.

Estimate of Total Dollar Return Required Total Investment $ 1,000,000 Estimate of Return Required X 10
$10,000,000
V. Projected Market Value in Fifth Year VI. VII. Projected Earnings $1,250,000 VIII. Estimate of P/E Ratio x 20
$25,000,000
Percentage Ownership Needed in Fifth Year Estimate of Total Dollar Return quired $10,000,000 Projected Market Value of Company in Fifth Year 25,000,000
40% Scenario II

In this set of calculations it is assumed that a second investor provides the subsequent financing ($500,000). The calculations show that the venture capitalist who provides the initial financing ($500,000) would need 20% ownership as of the fifth Year to realize the return he wants. However, since the ownership to be given up for the subsequent financing will reduce his ownership position, he will want more than 20% ownership initially. For example, if it is assumed that 15% ownership will have to be given up for the subsequent financing, the venture capitalist who provides the initial financing would need 23% ownership initially to end up with 20% ownership in the fifth year.

Assume the same facts as Case I, except a second investor provides the subsequent financing for 15% ownership.

Estimate of Total Dollar Return Required Total Investment $ 500,000 Estimate of Return Required X 10
$5,000,000
Projected Market Value in Fifth Year Projected Earnings $1,250,000 Estimate of P/E Ratio x 20
$25,000,000
Percentage Ownership Needed in Fifth Year Estimate of Total Dollar Return required $5,000,000 Projected Market Value of Company in Fifth Year 25,000,000
20%

Thus, it appears that the investment ($500,000) may be attractive to an interested venture capitalist if the principals of XYZ Company, Inc. are willing to give up approximately 23% ownership.

Conclusion

It must be emphasized that the above procedure is highly subjective. And, you should remember that what really matters is how the venture capitalist views the relative attractiveness of a company. Typically, venture capitalists are satisfied with a minority interest. Although a venture capitalist may demand a majority interest, generally they are not interested in operating control. Some of them like to tie the amount of ownership they ultimately get to the performance of the company. For example, a venture capitalist who wants a majority interest initially may give the principals the opportunity to earn part of it back. Such an arrangement can be used to compromise on pricing when there is a significant disagreement between the principals and the venture capitalist.

To entrepreneurs unfamiliar with venture capital, it may appear that the venture capitalist is seeking an extraordinary high return on his investment. However, it is important to understand that, even under the best of circumstances, only a minority of the companies in which the venture capitalists invests will be successful. He is well aware of this, and must make a sufficient return of his successful investments to come out with an acceptable return overall.

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Where to find free start-up finance spreadsheet to show potential investor eg 3yr revenue projection, etc?
I co-founded a start-up. Business plan is in the work. I still need to work on the financial section. I know I should have a CFO work on it. But I don't have $$ to pay/hire a CFO. So I get to wear the finance hat too among other roles. Do you know of free finance spreadsheet templates I could download to use? Need to finish biz plan to show potential investors. Can't show current biz plan as is without figures. Biz plan doesn't mean anything to investors without 3 year financial planning such as revenue projection, dev't cost projection, marketing budget projection, potential # of people for hire, other related finance figures of interest to potential investor. Tks for your help in advance!

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[23 Dec 2009 | 18 Comments | 39 views]
Best Practices in Direct Mail Advertising for Miami FL Businesses

Direct mail advertising is a versatile and measurable marketing technique that provides a higher return on investment (ROI) than other advertising and marketing schemes, expanding the company’s client base and increasing sales. It has proven to be more cost effective, too, since it sends the advertising and marketing message of the company directly to the target audience at lower costs. Following are some best practices in direct mail advertising that businesses in Miami FL can learn from and apply.

The first thing to do before embarking on your direct mail advertising campaign in Miami FL is to clearly identify your campaign’s business objective. Do you aim to attract new clients or is your priority the introduction of more of your products to your existing client base in order to expand their buying patterns? Are you focused on increasing the sales of certain specified products or do you want to increase sales across your entire product range? Defining your goals will result in a streamlined campaign with measurable results. It will also translate into savings since there will be no wasted efforts.

Make sure that your direct mail advertising campaign contains messages that will be perceived by your Miami FL target audience as personal. Consumers find personal messages more effective. Personalized letters sent to individuals are less likely to be regarded as junk mail.

The messages in your direct mail advertising campaign should succinctly present the benefits of your products or services over those of your competitors in Miami FL. Be careful that while your message shows the superiority of your products or services, it should not seem arrogant. Pompousness will backfire on your company.

An effective way of getting the attention of your target audience in a direct mail advertising campaign is by giving them an incentive such as a gift of a free item or a significant discount. You can offer this to entice new customers to try your products or services. You can also do this to reward your loyal customers in Miami FL and strengthen your relationship with them. It is easier to convince existing customers to try your other products than to get new customers to try any of your products. You should, therefore, maximize your existing ties with clients.

Of course, your direct mail advertising campaign should prominently display all the means by which your target audience can get in touch with your company in order for your message to be concretely and successfully converted into real sales. Make sure your phone numbers, fax numbers, email address, website and physical business address in Miami FL are all shown in your materials.

No matter how great your message is, it needs repetition to be truly effective. Your direct mail advertising campaign should not consist of merely one batch of bulk mail. You should plan a sustained direct mail advertising campaign, with each batch of business mailings in Miami FL addressing a particular goal.

A sustained direct mail advertising campaign is laborious. When sending business mailings by bulk mail, you will have to stuff hundreds or perhaps thousands of envelopes and address each one. Instead of tying up your staff in these tasks, free them to be more productive in doing their core assignments. It is more cost effective for your company to get the business mailing services of a professional mail house that offers more than mere postal services. Choose a mail house that offers complete mailing services and fulfillment services such as presort services and catalog mailing.

These best practices in direct mail advertising have been proven effective by businesses in Miami FL. Make them work for your business, too.

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Can I deduct a business mortage payment or only the interest and why?
I need to know if I can deduct the mortage payment on a business. Our business mortage is a commercial loan and only the business is on it. Or, is only the interest on the business deductable. If so, would it be in our best interest for the business to rent from us this year?

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[22 Dec 2009 | 18 Comments | 36 views]
Even With Bad Credit Car Finance Could Still be for you

A bad credit chronicle and a worn car may not be a mutually sole thing – there is a way forwards. You may have been refworn credit from a number of providers, but a worn car finance loan can still be achieveed – if you seek for the right car finance company UK broad.

For many people these years a car is not a luxury, but a basic. Fragmented civic carry, growth prepare fares and improper running hour patterns all increasingly mean many people just have to have a car if they want to work.

However, it may be that you don’t have the vital savings to buy the elemental car and are also agony from a bad credit chronicle. Not an relaxed position to be in if the character of stretchy carryation a car embodys is elemental to get to work to do the job that pays for it – and everything besides.

If you do not have the savings and cannot scrounge from contacts or relatives, you will have to face the possibility of applying for a car finance loan and are expected to find it more strenuous to achieve standard car finance with a bad credit chronicle: strenuous, but not impossible. In devotion a surprisingly broad picking of fonts are presented in the United Kingdom to help you finance your car. However, shoddy car finance might be harder to find.

Looking for car finance in the UK can be a bit of a minefield, eunusually if you are problem a car with bad credit chronicle. However, if you do have a bad credit facts there are still adequate of companies who will greet car finance applications.

A bad credit chronicle can ensue to anybody, regularly through circumstances afar the individual’s influence. Lenders who will submit a car finance loan to those with adverse credit histories do understand this and can be sympathetic as it can regularly also embody good problem to them. There are unusualist contracters geared up to submit bad credit unusual finance car loan brokering solutions from a picking of fonts such as: banks, fiscal institutions, credit unions or even independent brokers.

though there is no guaranteed car finance, or any certainty that in asking for a car loan you will get will get a yes car finance companies are forever looking for new habits to minimise their attempt while maximising the number of people able to access their worn car finance. That is, it is greatly easier to achieve worn car finance than a new car finance loan UK broad, as it makes little wisdom to dissipate money on new cars if you have a scanty credit rating.

At the end of the day – it might just be a project of which car finance company will loan you money at all. Some compnaies have an innovative contact to this broadcast which means that, in universal, more people are accepted than refworn. This is dutiful no subject what font of car you are after – even if it is an up bazaar status car.

Online car finance companies are easier to find and equate than offline ones. This position relation below is witness to that – you can see this from our car finance company UK page where, not only is there a large picking of opening submitings, but you can even add your facts for our brokerage bunch to font the right car finance rate for you.

Perversely, achieveing a bad credit car loan not only helps you to get the car of your picking, but it can also act as a great trick to remake your credit mark. One way to prove (or re-prove) a good chronicle is by with (and paying off) credit to make up your credibility or credit scoring.

This is not such a colossal attempt as it seems. regularly the sort employed by the car finance company is that, what appears to be unheld, credit is regularly held on the car itself. This means that should equipment go insult, the car can regularly be worn to pay off the loan one way or another. (see also my next object: Insider Secrets: How to Buy A status Car On a Bad Credit achieve and the relation below for more car finance information.

Before applying for a Bad Credit Car loan, make assured to verify your credit mark as credit marks are one of the chief devotionors to lessen for best duty. Some of the tips to upsurge your credit mark are:

Ask for a Credit boom from Credit booming Agencies. You can click here to get a unbound credit recount from a credit outfit Resolve any broadcasts with your creditors and embrace a hint of explanation in your credit facts. Pay your bills on time. Many scroungeers suppose that they have no options and have to take what they are submited when it comes to pleasing up a car loan with bad credit chronicle. In devotion, this is far from the devotion, even if they are problem a car after bankruptcy. There are many options presented for bad credit worn car loans. If your credit mark is above 600, you can depart looking at conventional loaners.If you have slash credit marks, confer your requirements with a subprime car finance company that will unusualize in submiting bad credit car loans. Before you have proveed the loaner you would like to use, make assured to invest your time in comparing quotes from numerous loaners which will enhance your risk of achieving the best car finance rate.

The best way to enassured you can safe the best bad credit car loan contract, like something, is of course to educate manually with all the provisos and terminologies of the loaning bazaar (see the lexicon on the relation below). This will allocate you to make an educated judgment and will also enassured you ask the right questions and understand the answers when they come back.

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What banks can finance a single family residence under 600 square feet?
Hello. I am attempting to buy a foreclosure in San Diego that is a single family residence with a total square footage of 528. I was told it is difficult for banks to finance anything under 600 square feet. The house is in good shape but its tiny. I need financing asap since the bank already accepted my offer. Thanks.

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[21 Dec 2009 | 18 Comments | 36 views]
Corporate Financing

Corporate Financing

Corporate financing is a type of financing which is acquired by corporations. Typically corporate financing is obtained to finance projects designed to grow a corporation or by new companies which need capital in order to build the company up. Many corporations attempting to acquire corporate financing will obtain the services of a business loan broker in order to expedite the entire financing process and to obtain a better interest rate.

Corporate financing is considered one of the most difficult forms of financing to obtain. In many cases lending money to businesses can be one of the most lucrative types of loans a lender can make it is also one of the riskiest. This is related to the fact that only around 1 in 10 businesses succeed. This makes it a fairly high risk loan for business lenders. Typically any business that is looking to get corporate financing will need to have a fairly strong credit rating which proves to the lenders that they have a history of paying their loans off on time and in full. It is also considered beneficial for a company looking for corporate financing to have a revenue history which shows a consistent profit margin or a profit margin which has been steadily increasing over several years.

 Corporate financing is considered one of the most difficult forms of financing to obtain. In many cases lending money to businesses can be one of the most lucrative types of loans a lender can make it is also one of the riskiest. This is related to the fact that only around 1 in 10 businesses succeed. This makes it a fairly high risk loan for business lenders. Typically any business that is looking to get corporate financing will need to have a fairly strong credit rating which proves to the lenders that they have a history of paying their loans off on time and in full. It is also considered beneficial for a company looking for corporate financing to have a revenue history which shows a consistent profit margin or a profit margin which has been steadily increasing over several years.

Corporate financing is considered one of the most difficult forms of financing to obtain. In many cases lending money to businesses can be one of the most lucrative types of loans a lender can make it is also one of the riskiest. This is related to the fact that only around 1 in 10 businesses succeed. This makes it a fairly high risk loan for business lenders. Typically any business that is looking to get corporate financing will need to have a fairly strong credit rating which proves to the lenders that they have a history of paying their loans off on time and in full. It is also considered beneficial for a company looking for corporate financing to have a revenue history which shows a consistent profit margin or a profit margin which has been steadily increasing over several years.

http://www.businessfinancebroker.com

http://www.businessfinancebroker.com/Business-Loans.html

http://www.businessfinancebroker.com/Corporate-Loans.html

http://www.businessfinancebroker.com/Constructions-Loans.html

http://www.businessfinancebroker.com/Application-Form.php

http://www.businessfinancebroker.com/Application-Form.php

http://www.businessfinancebroker.com/Application-Form.php

 

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What is the difference between a finance and a balloon finance?
I'm planning on purchasing the all new mercedes benz glk 2010..and when i checked the pricing online the balloon finance is cheaper than the finance. i just want to know what the difference between the 2 deals are.

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[20 Dec 2009 | 18 Comments | 39 views]
Getting Small Business Loans with No Collateral in this Recession

The global financial crisis has made it quite difficult for companies, especially small businesses, to get business loans. Ironically, it is also in this situation that smaller companies often need additional capital infusion to boost income. You may need to get small business loans to acquire a better business location, construct a new building, renovate your premises, pay for new equipment, fixtures or furniture or increase inventory and working capital.

Most Small Business Loans Require Collateral

To get business loans, even small business loans, is a major challenge.

First you need to identify which among the many types of small business loans you need. Small business loans ranging from $5,000.00 to $35,000.00 are called micro loans. For larger needs, such as for the acquisition of land, buildings and other major fixed assets, development financing is what you should find. There are also import export loans as well as franchise financing. Do your research to find out if you are qualified for small business loans guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration or SBA.

Any of these small business loans will require extensive preparations and paperwork. As a small business owner, you will need to prove your credit worthiness through a personal credit history report. Lenders will also require a business plan which includes your credentials as the business owner, your company financial statements, business assets and an analysis of your market. All of these should be packaged in a professional loan proposal which presents how the loaned amount will be used to strengthen the business and how you intend to repay the loan. Most of all, you need to present your loan collateral – the assets you will put up to secure the loan.  

Quick and Easy Small Business Loans with No Collateral

For smaller acquisitions or day to day business needs, there is a way for entrepreneurs to get small business loans easily and quickly with no collateral. This is through merchant services.

Merchant services provide credit card services to businesses. This enables them to accept and process payments through credit cards or debit cards either through face to face purchases, online transactions, or even by phone or fax. Merchant service providers supply terminal equipment for card swiping, as well as the necessary software and high speed IP solutions.

Most businesses need credit card services since consumers routinely pay for goods and services through credit cards and debit cards these days. If your business has not taken this step yet, you may have been missing out on more than half of your income potential.

These same merchant services also provide the solution for your small business loans. Collateral-free loans can be availed of through their cash advances, with the loan amount computation based on the monthly credit card revenue your business generates. Credit card sales requirements may be as low as $3,000.00 a month. You will not be asked for collateral since your future revenue is your collateral.  

The best types of merchant cash advances do not require fixed monthly payments nor do they impose deadlines on loan payment. A certain percentage is instead deducted automatically from your credit card revenue each month to go towards loan payment. This way, you never have to worry about loan amortization.

Once your cash advance has been fully paid, you may apply for another one. It is like having a revolving credit line. Make sure that you compare the terms of several merchant service providers, though, and read the fine print on contracts. There are so many merchant service providers competing for your business that you’ll surely find one that fits your needs.

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What business class is good for wanting to own a salon?
I want to do a business class so I can own a salon. So what type of business class should I take? I was thinking business administration.

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Business »

[20 Dec 2009 | 18 Comments | 40 views]
How to Get Small Business Loans When Disapproved by the SBA Program

Many small business owners have been disappointed when their applications for small business loans were disapproved by banks under the Small Business Administration’s program for America’s Recovery Capital. According to an article written by Robb Mandelbaum in the August 12, 2009 edition of The New York Times Online, “the program is off to a slow start.” It seems that most banks are reluctant to approve applications for small business loans.

Mandelbaum reports that the Small Business Administration’s program has $255 million to give away, enough to give small businesses 10,000 loans reaching as much as $35,000 each. However, two months after the program was launched, there have only been 1,127 small business loans released, with a total of $36.8 million.

Sources are saying that banks are not very keen on participating in the Small Business Administration’s program because giving the small business loans would not be very profitable for them. Paul Merski,.chief economist of the trade association Independent Community Bankers of America, said, “There’s not a lot of profit motive in a $35,000 loan stretched over six years.” Bob Seiwert from the Center for Commercial Lending and Business Banking at the American Bankers Association reveals that, because of strict underwriting standards, servicing the small business loans becomes even more expensive.

The banks have also found more ways to restrict the approval of small business loans with the Congressional restrictions on loan eligibility. According to Congress, in order to qualify for the Small Business Administration loans, small businesses need to be both struggling and viable. That means the business should have had an “immediate financial hardship” such as a 20 percent decrease in revenue. However, the business must also be at least two years old with proof of positive cash flow in one of the previous two years. It should also submit a two year cash-flow projection proving that it will be able to afford loan payments.

Because of the Congressional restrictions, banks are more likely to approve small business loans from their existing clients. Merski said, “From a financial perspective, it really is a loan that makes sense for an existing customer. You’re not going to have to put out a lot of resources to do a very costly underwriting. You know the business.”

Those who are working in support of small businesses are very much disillusioned. An example is Alex Cooper who is a counselor at the Pima Community College Small Business Development Center in Tucson. He said he had assisted almost 30 small business owners with their loan applications but none of them had been approved. “It’s a disappointment. I thought the banks would be more interested in the community and try to help small businesses,” he said.

When the applications for small business loans are disapproved by banks under the Small Business Administration’s program for America’s Recovery Capital, small business owners still have another option. They can get the equivalent of small business loans from their credit card services.

Credit card services provide their clients with the ability to accept payments through credit cards or debit cards in person, online or through the phone. Clients who have established a certain minimum in average monthly credit card sales are qualified to apply for cash advances that are like small business loans. Payments are automatically deducted from future credit card sales.

If you are a small business owner, you do not have to go through the hassles of applying for small business loans with banks who are reluctant to participate in the Small Business Administration program. Get your trouble free small business loans from your credit card services instead.

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Opening a business and wondering what types of expenses I can write off?
I am opening an online business for website design. (set up as a LLC, I'm the sole owner) Should I start keeping receipts of all business related expenses? Or would my business qualify as a hobby if I don't make a certain amount of money in the year that I'm filing.

What types of things can I write off onto my business? (dinners, gasoline, etc.) Do I need a seperate business credit card/bank account for the expenses?

Do I have to accept payments towards the business's services through a corporate account, or can they make the check/payment directly to me?

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[19 Dec 2009 | 18 Comments | 25 views]
Avoid Business Opportunity Investment Financing Mistakes

By devoting extra caution and time, commercial borrowers can avoid serious business opportunity investment financing mistakes. The most obvious benefit will be to reduce the potential for critical commercial loan problems, both now and throughout the life of the business financing terms arranged.

A key factor that distinguishes business opportunity financing from other forms of business financing is the lack of commercial property ownership. Although the transaction will usually involve a long-term lease agreement, the buyer is acquiring a business that does not include real estate in the purchase price.

The two mistakes described in this article are more typical than expected by most commercial borrowers. While we will not be addressing all possible business opportunity financing problems in this article, we will include two of the most severe issues to anticipate and avoid.

Length of Business Financing -

A common mistake when acquiring a business opportunity is to finance the acquisition with business financing that expires within two to five years. One reason for this occurring is the failure to negotiate a longer-term lease, since it is typical for financing terms to expire with the lease.

A viable solution is to insist on a lease that is at least ten years long. This will facilitate business finance terms that can typically be for a ten-year period. One key factor that limits business opportunity financing to a ten-year period is due to the absence of commercial real estate collateral.

Use of Excessive Seller Financing -

Although nominal seller financing (such as 10-20%) can be helpful to a business financing transaction, attempts to finance either entirely or primarily with seller financing are generally inadvisable. There are several different issues which can result in this being a serious mistake.

If a seller is providing most or all of the business acquisition financing, a formal appraisal might not be obtained. While this appears to offer the advantage of saving the cost of such an appraisal, it also eliminates an important method of determining if the purchase price is appropriate. It is also not uncommon for a seller to have acquired a business appraisal that is used to substantiate the purchase price for the business they are selling. An appraisal financed by the seller is not likely to be an independent business value estimate.

An additional restriction when using excessive seller financing is that it typically will cover a period of three years or less. This will necessitate refinancing within a period that is not always practical to do so. A loan history up to 48 months will be required by some lenders prior to refinancing a business opportunity loan.

Solutions and Strategies for Avoiding Business Opportunity Investment Loan Mistakes -

Business borrowers should thoroughly discuss options with a business financing expert before proceeding with investing and financing programs. These efforts will be worthwhile since the potential business finance mistakes described above can be overcome successfully. Borrowers should seek out advisors capable of providing candid solutions in their efforts to obtain a better picture of complicated business opportunity financing possibilities.

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What is the difference between a Finance generalist and a Finance specialist? How does your company define it?
We are working on a new job structure for our Finance department. I would like to know if you have a speciality track and/or a generalist track how do you define it? What are some sample job titles?

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