In order to bridge the financial gap created by government mandated shut downs and decreased business during the pandemic, some businesses might need to apply for affordable conventional loans — or negotiate more favorable terms for their existing debt. Doing so can help reduce interest expense and working capital requirements.
Do not wait for lenders to make the first move. Take the right steps to get optimal terms from your lender.
Assemble the Paperwork
How you present your business is critical. Lenders prefer borrowers that are professional, prepared, and transparent. If there are any blemishes on your financial record, such as a negative credit report or outstanding tax issues, try to rectify them before seeking a loan or attempting to renegotiate an existing one.
Similarly, the assumptions the lender has made about your business’s level of credit risk might need to be challenged. You could be in a prime position to negotiate, for example, if your company’s performance or your personal credit score has improved over time. Bring documentation to show the improvement.
When you meet with your lender, bring a full set of financial records, insurance contracts, and other documents that might be relevant. The more evidence you have to show that you understand what lenders need, the better. Similarly, prepare your responses to potentially challenging questions that might be asked about your business.
Read the Fine Print
If you already have a loan, take some time to review the fine print on your loan agreement. Or, if you are applying for a new loan, do not take the offered terms at face value. The initial offer is generally what the lender hopes you will agree to, but there may be some room for negotiation.
Your leverage hinges on how competitive the lending environment is in your geographic area or business sector.
Evaluate Loan Terms
Before delving into negotiating tactics, think about the particular loan terms you want or need. Those might include:
Loan amount. It’s time to negotiate if, for example, you need $200,000 but a lender’s first offer is only for $150,000.
Collateral requirements. Pledging personal assets, such as investment accounts and home equity, makes you financially vulnerable. But it may be necessary in some situations.
“Cash dominion” terms. Some loans require that all payments on your receivables be directed to a lockbox at your bank that the lender controls so that it can claim enough of that incoming cash to cover your loan repayment obligations. Some borrowers view that as an unappealing operating restriction, however.
Repayment term. If the loan term is uncomfortably short, you could negotiate for a longer one to give you greater financial flexibility and predictability.
Loan covenants. These are the requirements and restrictions that take up a lot of space in loan agreements. Some covenants are entirely reasonable, such as required property and casualty insurance coverage levels. Others may make you feel like a child under the watchful eye of a strict parent. For example, you may be required to notify your lender if your business suffers any setbacks and give your lender access to all of your financial records upon request. You also might be required to keep executive pay and dividend distributions below a specified ceiling.
Interest rate. This is the loan term that generally gets the most attention, usually for good reason. It’s the cost of the loan, which may either be fixed or variable based on a market index.
External factors can also affect your leverage in negotiations with lenders. For example, when numerous lenders compete for business from a small pool of prospective borrowers, you may have more leverage when applying for new loans and renegotiating old ones. Businesses in this situation may be able to play lenders against one another to get the most favorable terms.
It’s important to prioritize loan terms, based on what’s most important to your business. For example, you might be willing to give on collateral requirements to get a more favorable interest rate or longer repayment term.
Get Real
When negotiating financing, the trick is to refrain from overplaying your hand and impairing your credibility with prospective lenders. Gathering some intelligence on loan terms extended to similar businesses can help give you a feel for the market and what terms a lender would be likely to accept.
You can gain some insights by having casual conversations with a preliminary list of lender prospects. In doing so, you can also save yourself time by eliminating lenders from the list that do not deal with many businesses like yours.
Next Step
Our team can provide insights on how to use debt to meet your working capital and other financial needs. We can also help you negotiate or renegotiate loan agreements with terms that make sense for your situation. Contact us today to take the next right step.
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Our firm provides the information in this article for general guidance only, and does not constitute the provision of legal advice, tax advice, accounting services, investment advice or professional consulting of any kind. The information provided herein should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional tax, accounting, legal or other competent advisors. Before making any decision or taking any action, you should consult a professional advisor who has been provided with all pertinent facts relevant to your particular situation. Tax articles in this blog are not intended to be used, and cannot be used by any taxpayer, for the purpose of avoiding accuracy-related penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer. The information is provided “as is,” with no assurance or guarantee of completeness, accuracy or timeliness of the information, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.
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