Making working capital, business loan financing, and other funding available to women is even more important in today’s growing small business industries. More women are becoming business owners, and the result is a growing need for small business loans from banks and other financial institutions. Due to the number of growing enterprises, the offer of incentives by lenders is becoming more prevalent.
Competition for the best rates, along with easy application processes make it attractive for women in business to obtain the loans they need in their business venture. Women business loans may consist of commercial lending programs from banks and institutions, community development organization financing or private funding.
Women entrepreneurs and business owners can gain access to business capital and work with local community partners of their lending institution as soon as their application is complete. Obtaining a loan from a commercial bank offers options to extend services to personal bank accounts: checking, savings, and credit card accounts can all be managed in one place and provide extra benefits for both parties.
Some community development organizations offer business coaches or mentors as an incentive to obtain funding through them. This can be a very valuable resource for women to work with, network, and socialize with area committees and members. Being listed in a business funding directory, community newsletters, websites, and other promotional campaigns becomes much easier. Gaining marketing and advertising exposure naturally through these networks can be an added incentive for women who choose to work with different lenders and programs. Finding the right match through a variety of funding sources is part of the task of obtaining the small business loan. Some corporations and private investors may offer additional perks and incentives as part of the offer extended to women looking for a business loan.
For women who are creating a small business from home, a lender may offer options to refinance the house in addition to increasing the line of equity. This can help considerably on a personal level, as the startup capital can be increased from a boost in savings from the house proceeds. Other valuable incentives may include additional credit card packages, extended lines of credit (credit worthiness is increased significantly over time, and if women continue to make payments on time, this can help them boost their credit scores for maximum potential.), and reduced rates on premium products throughout the year.
Other business loan incentives can include ongoing referrals and bonuses, exclusive access to discounted rates, a rate decrease, easy transfer of a loan, merchant accounts, invoice factoring, key contacts to purchase supplies and inventory, and a stronger chance of obtaining future financing from the same lending institution. Each financial institution or lender will outline or make an offer of the incentives program offered with each program. Women especially have a strong chance of making use of these incentives since they can improve their status as a business owner considerably in a short period of time.
By: Louise Michaels -