Of the different categories of loans that can be drawn by companies, an unsecured loan can often prove to be the best option, thanks to the flexibility and quick turnaround time it offers. In this article, we will look at the pros and cons of unsecured loans.
Continue reading “Pros and Cons of Unsecured Business Loans”
For any business in general, and for small and medium businesses, finance is one of the most important aspects under perpetual consideration. After all, money is vital to keep the wheel turning and for the day to day operations to take place without any issues. While large businesses have multiple ways to keep the lights on, small businesses must often rely on loans to take them through lean times, or when money is needed for business operations.
Continue reading “How to bulletproof your small business loan application”
Rising non-performing assets (NPAs), overleveraged large companies and the general unwillingness of banks to lend money has meant small businesses are now finding it next to impossible to raise money. As loan portfolios sour, banks do not want to take the risk of lending to an SME.
Coupled with that is the fact that a large number of small businesses have no access to formal sources of finance, are under banked or have little or no credit history. For these businesses, there is no chance of getting a bank loan. It is with this understanding that a troika of entrepreneurs banded together to start Loan Frame.
A credit score is a major deciding factor for banks to grant you loans and also to decide the terms and conditions on which the loans are to be given. Banks prefer borrowers with low outstanding balances, long credit history and high credit score. A good credit profile and high credit score are viewed positively by lenders. It also puts the borrowers in a position to bargain for better terms and conditions and draw loans at best available rates. On the other hand, it might get difficult to even get loans with poor credit score, leave aside the question of interest rates. Hence, it can be rightly said, “better the credit score, better the interest rates”.
Continue reading “When your Credit Score determines your Interest Rates”
Debt service coverage ratio is a ratio commonly used by lenders to assess to the credit worthiness and financial health of a business. It gives a comfort to the lenders if the company generates sufficient cash to pay off its current portion of debt as and when due. Before putting any funds in a business, the lenders also need to be sure that their money would be safe and would indeed be repaid in time. Debt service coverage ratio serves the purpose.
Continue reading “Do you Understand Debt Service Coverage Ratio”
Once you have decided to apply for a small business loan, it helps to have an understanding both of your circumstances as well as the business loan lender’s perspective. This will help to improve the odds of success, and apply for a loan type and amount that is suitable to both your needs and your capacity.
Here are 5 important questions you should ask and answer before you apply for an unsecured business loan:
Continue reading “5 questions to ask before you get an Unsecured Small Business Loan”
Fintech firms have been generating a lot of interest among investors and borrowers. One aspect that perhaps has not received due attention is that of career prospects, especially relative to banking.
Fintech, as the term suggests, is a combination of technology and finance. This combination serves three purposes: a) it reduces cost of providing a service; and b) it widens the reach of the said service and c) provides a better customer experience. The primary categories of professionals a Fintech firm would attract are Information Technology, Risk, Finance, and due to high growth rates and customer orientation, Sales. There are compelling reasons for candidates from these fields to choose Fintech over Banks or NBFCs. Let us look at a few of these.
Continue reading “Fintech vs. Banking: Career Choices | DATAQUEST”
Every business has its own core activities which are referred to as the Operating Activities.
Operating Income or Operating Profit refers to the profit that a business has after paying for all its Operating Expenses that include raw material costs, employee costs and all other operating bills. It is the amount available to cover the Interest & Tax obligations of the business. The Operating Profit when divided by the Revenue from Operating Activities gives us Operating Margin or Operating Profit Margin. It is a type of Profitability Ratio which implies how much a company earns as profit for every rupee of its sales.
Continue reading “Operating Margin Explained. Ratio That Tells Your Business Apart”
As a good financial management principle, it is always advisable to have an optimum mix of debt and equity to maximize your return on the capital invested into the business. Equity is the amount of capital invested by the owners of the business while debt consists of the business loans, mortgage loans availed from banks and financial institutions.
When one takes loans from banks, it has to service the debt by the regular principal and interest payments. So, indeed it makes sense to know how better placed you are in terms of servicing your debt obligations, especially the interest part.
Continue reading “Do you Understand Interest Coverage Ratio?”
In an exclusive interview with SME Times, Shailesh Jacob, Founder & CEO of LoanFrame.com, a fintech company that provides a comprehensive range of financing solutions to small and medium scale enterprises, gives a thorough picture of the SME financing situation in the country.
He adds that India, compared to its global peers, has the most neglected SME sector, which is reeling under some major challenges such as lack of funds and higher interest rates, over-reliance of banks on large corporates as a customer base and demand of collateral by the financial institutions.
Excerpts from the interview…
