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As business owners develop their small business loan plans for future financing and refinancing throughout the United States, there is an increasing awareness that there have been significant business finance changes that cannot be ignored. Some of these measures are likely to end up being permanent, and even the temporary commercial mortgage loan and working capital loan changes are expected to be in place for an extended time due to the severity of the current financial climate.

The net result from business finance changes has been a reduction in commercial lenders as well as stricter standards for acquiring commercial loans and commercial mortgages. Unfortunately there has also been no shortage of misinformation about the availability of commercial funding.

A significant reduction in business lending activity overall is perhaps the most dramatic change. This has been due to several events occurring almost simultaneously. Several major commercial lenders have gone out of business altogether. Even though they have continued consumer lending, many banks have stopped commercial finance lending. Numerous business lenders have enacted stricter standards for the commercial financing transactions they are still willing to consider.

It remains to be seen how many changes will be permanent or temporary. But from a practical perspective, commercial borrowers are left with no choice but to adapt to the changing business finance environment. Business owners must be prepared to operate within a more complicated climate for commercial mortgage loans and small business loans regardless of how long the changes might be kept in place.

What should borrowers do about this? A primary option that business owners should explore involves looking beyond their local market area for help with commercial loans. A commercial financing expert operating throughout the United States should be helpful in improving upon this situation.

In addition to fewer business lenders to choose from, there are two other significant changes which must be anticipated by business owners before seeking new commercial loans. First, commercial lenders are increasingly demanding more collateral for virtually all business finance funding. Second, most lenders have cancelled or are about to eliminate unsecured lines of credit (usually called working capital loans) for many businesses.

Considering a business cash advance program based on future credit card processing transactions is likely to be an effective commercial financing strategy for overcoming the combined obstacles of more collateral, reduced unsecured credit lines and fewer lenders. This is proving to be one of the few sources of business funding that has not been adversely impacted by recent events. It will be productive to discuss the potential with a business finance expert who can provide advice about small business financing solutions including business cash advances and other financial options.

It is increasingly obvious that many banks will continue to modify their business lending programs in response to changing conditions. This means that another key change issue for working capital financing and commercial mortgages is the likelihood that more changes will be forthcoming in the near future.

To adequately prepare for future commercial finance changes that might (or might not) occur is a daunting task for a business owner. A commercial financing expert familiar with Plan B contingency financing for small business loans will prove to be a valuable resource for any borrower wanting to seriously deal with both current and future changes impacting the financial health of their business. By having a candid conversation with a commercial loan expert, business owners should be more capable of implementing an appropriate strategy for the vast changes which have recently occurred or are about to become effective for most business financing and working capital finance funding.

The Working Capital Journal is one of several commercial financing resources which should be reviewed regularly by small business owners to assist in keeping up with the imposing difficulties posed by rapid changes in the business finance funding climate. As noted below, there have been some surprising actions taken by lenders as a direct result of recent financial uncertainties. The increasingly complex and confusing environment for working capital finance is likely to produce several unexpected challenges for commercial borrowers.
The working capital finance industry has primarily been operating on a regional and local basis for many years. In response to cost-cutting that has permeated many industries, there has been a consolidation that has resulted in fewer effective commercial lenders throughout the United States. Most business owners have been understandably confused about what this might mean for the future of their commercial financing efforts, especially because this has happened in a relatively short period of time.
Of course, for some time there have been ongoing complex problems for commercial borrowers to avoid when seeking commercial loans. But what has produced a new set of business finance funding problems is that we appear to be entering a period which will be characterized by even more uncertainties in the economy. With little advance notice by lenders, previous standards and rules for working capital finance and commercial financing are likely to increasingly change.
With the current realization that substantial changes are likely in the near future for commercial finance funding throughout the United States, business owners should make an extended effort to understand what is happening and what to do about it. At the forefront of these efforts should be a review of what actions commercial lenders have already taken in recent months. The Working Capital Journal is one prominent example of a free public resource that will facilitate a better understanding of the responses by business lenders to recent economic circumstances.
By publicizing actions taken by commercial lenders, this will contribute to these two goals, both of which are likely to be helpful to typical business owners: (1) To assist in eliminating or reducing questionable lending practices by highlighting controversial lending tactics. (2) To help business owners prepare for commercial finance funding changes. Sources that currently include The Working Capital Journal are actively encouraging business owners to describe and report their financing experiences so that they can be shared with a broader audience to assist in this effort. Some of the most significant commercial financing changes reported so far by commercial borrowers involve working capital loans, commercial construction financing and credit card financing. A notable situation of concern is that predatory lending practices by credit card issuers have been reported by many business owners. Because they have been excluded from obtaining any new business financing by many banks, some specific businesses such as restaurants are having an especially difficult time recently.
One of the few recent bright spots in business finance funding, as noted in The Working Capital Journal, has been the continuing ability of business owners to obtain working capital quickly by business cash advance programs. For most businesses accepting credit cards, this commercial financing approach should be actively considered. Business cash advances are literally saving the day for many small business owners because most banks appear to be doing a terrible job of providing commercial loans and other working capital finance help in the midst of recent financial and economic uncertainties. For example, as noted above, restaurants are virtually unable to currently obtain commercial finance funding from most banks. Fortunately, restaurants accepting credit cards are in a good position to obtain needed cash from credit card receivables financing and merchant cash advances.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.