Courage Matters – Here are 10 Fantastic Business Loans for Veterans

Happy Veterans Day! We have the top 10 fantastic business loans for veterans – for you! Many thanks for your service. This is for you. Here are a number of our favorite options when it comes to small business loans for veterans.

Fantastic Business Loans for Veterans: 10. SBA Express

The SBA Express program is a fantastic loan program for veterans. You can get approval for a loan for as much as $350,000. Get rates of 4.5-6.5%. Get a line of credit good for 7 years. You will not need to offer any collateral for up to $25,000. There is a turnaround in 36 hours.

Fantastic Business Loans for Veterans: 9. Leveraging Information and Networks to Access Capital (LINC)

The Leveraging Information and Networks to Access Capital (LINC), an online matchmaking service, connects small business owners to nonprofit lenders.

So these lenders supply free financial advice and specialize in microlending and smaller loans. This is the SBA Community Advantage program.

There is also real estate financing available. That is via the SBA 504 loan program.

Fantastic Business Loans for Veterans: 8. Collateral-Based Funding

Collateral-based financing offers low rate financing. Personal credit quality and revenue don’t determine your approval. Some acceptable collateral includes:

• Account receivables and purchase orders
• 401k, IRA, stocks, and bonds
• Inventory
• Equipment

The idea behind collateral-based financing is that a lender needs an assurance. For the lender, it’s a great guarantee that you will repay funding. Because your property would be at stake if you don’t.

Fantastic Business Loans for Veterans: 7. Cash Flow and Unsecured Financing

Cash flow financing is another good loan program for veterans. That is, if you’ve operated one year or more and have $10,000 in monthly revenue.

Unsecured financing is available for small business owners who are veterans, up to $150,000. You can get an approval if you have good personal credit. And get 0% intro rates for 6-18 months … even as a new company.

Fantastic Business Loans for Veterans: 6. Military Reservist Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (MREIDL)

The Military Reservist Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (MREIDL) offers loans to eligible small businesses. And these loans to $2 million. So this is to address operating costs that cannot be met.

That is, as a result of the loss of a necessary worker called to active duty in the Reserves or National Guard. This one comes directly from government benefits.

Fantastic Business Loans for Veterans: 5. the Small Business Administration

The SBA offers some awesome loan programs including their 7(a) loan for working capital. In order to be approved you’ll need:

• 3 years of company and personal tax returns
• Good personal, business, and bank credit
• Collateral for 50-70% of what you’re borrowing

Fantastic Business Loans for Veterans: 4. the Office of Veterans Business Development

The Office of Veterans Business Development furnishes a variety of programs and services to sustain and encourage future and existing veteran entrepreneurs and military spouses.

The SBA provides training and coaching, access to funding, preparation for opportunities in federal procurement, and development of connections in commercial supply chains and disaster relief assistance.

Fantastic Business Loans for Veterans: 3. Boots to Business and Boots to Business|Reboot

Boots to Business is the two-step entrepreneurial program offered by the SBA on military installations around the world as a training track of the Department of Defense (DOD) Transition Assistance Program (TAP).

The Boots to Business|Reboot expands the entrepreneurship training offered in TAP on military installations to veterans of all eras in their neighborhoods.

Fantastic Business Loans for Veterans: 2. Veteran Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE)

The Veterans Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE) is an SBA funded program. It is provided by the Institute for Veterans and Military Families which includes online training, and a conference that takes advantage of the one-of-a-kind esprit de corps of women veterans and female military spouses.

And it has follow-on mentoring through a community of partners.

Fantastic Business Loans for Veterans: 1. National Center for Veterans Institute for Procurement

The National Center for Veterans Institute for Procurement extends the entrepreneurship training offered in TAP on military installations to veterans of all times in their communities.

Fantastic Business Loans for Veterans: Bonus #1: Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC)

The Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) furnishes entrepreneurial development services including business training, counseling and mentoring for eligible veterans operating or considering launching a small business.

Fantastic Business Loans for Veterans: Bonus #2: SBA Veterans Advantage

SBA Veterans Advantage guarantees loans approved to businesses operated by veterans or military spouses.

Fantastic Business Loans for Veterans: Bonus #3: Veterans Entrepreneurship Act of 2015

The Veterans Entrepreneurship Act of 2015 decreases the advance borrower fee to zero dollars for eligible veterans and military spouses for SBA Express loans up to $350,000.

Fantastic Business Loans for Veterans: Bonus #4: Alternative Lenders

If you have good personal credit and tax returns for 2 years which show a profit, alternative lenders have programs that could work. You can be approved with rates of 7% or lower. Lenders will want to see some type of profit on your tax returns.

An Alternative: Business Credit Building

Because company credit is distinct from personal, it helps to safeguard a business owner’s personal assets, in the event of a lawsuit or business insolvency. Also, with two distinct credit scores, an entrepreneur can get two separate cards from the same vendor. This effectively doubles purchasing power.

Another advantage is that even startup companies can do this. Heading to a bank for a business loan can be a recipe for disappointment. But building company credit, when done properly, is a plan for success.

Personal credit scores are dependent on payments but also various other factors like credit utilization percentages. But for business credit, the scores truly merely hinge on whether a corporation pays its invoices punctually.

The Process

Growing small business credit is a process, and it does not occur automatically. A corporation has to actively work to establish corporate credit. Having said that, it can be done easily and quickly, and it is much quicker than building personal credit scores.

Merchants are a big component of this process.

Performing the steps out of order will lead to repetitive rejections. Nobody can start at the top with company credit. For example, you can’t start with store or cash credit from your bank. If you do you’ll get a rejection 100% of the time.

Company Legitimacy

A business must be legitimate to credit issuers and vendors. Due to this fact, a corporation will need a professional-looking web site and email address. And it will need site hosting bought from a vendor such as GoDaddy.

In addition company telephone and fax numbers ought to have a listing on ListYourself.net.

Likewise the company telephone number should be toll-free (800 exchange or the equivalent).

A business will also need a bank account devoted only to it. And it has to have all of the licenses essential for operating. These licenses all must be in the particular, accurate name of the business. And they have to have the same business address and phone numbers.

So note that this means not just state licenses, but potentially also city licenses.

Dealing with the IRS

Visit the IRS website and get an EIN for the business. They’re free. Select a business entity like corporation, LLC, etc.

A company can start off as a sole proprietor. But they will more than likely wish to change to a sort of corporation or partnership to lessen risk and make the most of tax benefits.

A business entity will matter when it pertains to taxes and liability in the event of litigation. A sole proprietorship means the owner is it when it comes to liability and taxes. Nobody else is responsible.

Sole Proprietors Take Note

If you operate a business as a sole proprietor, then at least be sure to file for a DBA (‘doing business as’) status.

If you do not, then your personal name is the same as the corporate name. As a result, you can end up being personally accountable for all business debts.

Also, per the Internal Revenue Service, with this structure there is a 1 in 7 chance of an IRS audit. There is a 1 in 50 possibility for corporations! Prevent confusion and drastically lower the chances of an IRS audit simultaneously.

But don’t look at a DBA filing as being anything more than a steppingstone to incorporation.

Instigating the Business Credit Reporting Process

Start at the D&B web site and obtain a totally free DUNS number. A DUNS number is how D&B gets a small business into their system, to generate a PAYDEX score. If there is no DUNS number, then there is no record and no PAYDEX score.

Once in D&B’s system, search Equifax and Experian’s websites for the business. You can do this at https://www.creditsuite.com/reports/. If there is a record with them, check it for accuracy and completeness. If there are no records with them, go to the next step in the process.

This way, Experian and Equifax will have something to report on.

Vendor Credit

First you need to build trade lines that report. This is also called vendor credit. Then you’ll have an established credit profile, and you’ll get a business credit score.

And with an established business credit profile and score you can begin obtaining retail store and cash credit.

These kinds of accounts tend to be for the things bought all the time, like coffee, shipping boxes, outdoor work wear, ink and toner, and office furniture.

But first off, what is trade credit? These trade lines are credit issuers who will give you preliminary credit when you have none now. Terms are commonly Net 30, versus revolving.

Therefore, if you get approval for $1,000 in vendor credit and use all of it, you will need to pay that money back in a set term, like within 30 days on a Net 30 account.

Details

Net 30 accounts need to be paid in full within 30 days. 60 accounts need to be paid in full within 60 days. In contrast to with revolving accounts, you have a set time when you must pay back what you borrowed or the credit you used.

To start your business credit profile properly, you need to get approval for vendor accounts that report to the business credit reporting agencies. Once that’s done, you can then use the credit.

Then pay back what you used, and the account is on report to Dun & Bradstreet, Experian, or Equifax.

Vendor Credit – It Makes Sense

Not every vendor can help like true starter credit can. These are merchants that will grant an approval with very little effort. You also need them to be reporting to one or more of the big three CRAs: Dun & Bradstreet, Equifax, and Experian.

Retail Credit

Once there are 3 or more vendor trade accounts reporting to at least one of the CRAs, then move onto retail credit.

Use the company EIN on these credit applications.

Fleet Credit

Are there more accounts reporting? Then move to fleet credit. These are service providers such as BP and Conoco. Use this credit to buy fuel, and to fix and maintain vehicles. Make certain to apply using the company’s EIN.

Cash Credit

Have you been responsibly managing the credit you’ve up to this point? Then move onto cash credit. These are businesses like Visa and MasterCard. Keep your SSN off these applications; use your EIN instead.

These are typically MasterCard credit cards. If you have more trade accounts reporting, then these are attainable.

Monitor Your Business Credit

Know what is happening with your credit. Make sure it is being reported and take care of any errors as soon as possible. Get in the practice of checking credit reports. Dig into the specifics, not just the scores.

We can help you monitor business credit at Experian and D&B for a lot less than it would cost you at the CRAs.

Update the relevant information if there are errors or the details is incomplete.

Fix Your Business Credit

So, what’s all this monitoring for? It’s to dispute any inaccuracies in the records. Errors in credit report(s) can be corrected. But the CRAs normally want you to dispute in a particular way.

Disputing credit report mistakes usually means you mail a paper letter with copies of any proof of payment with it. These are documents like receipts and cancelled checks. Never send the original copies. Always send copies and retain the original copies.

Fixing credit report inaccuracies also means you precisely detail any charges you challenge. Make your dispute letter as clear as possible. Be specific about the concerns with your report. Use certified mail so that you will have proof that you sent in your dispute.

A Word about Building Business Credit

Always use credit sensibly! Never borrow more than what you can pay off. Keep track of balances and deadlines for repayments. Paying in a timely manner and completely will do more to increase business credit scores than just about anything else.

Establishing small business credit pays. Excellent business credit scores help a corporation get loans. Your lending institution knows the small business can pay its financial obligations. They recognize the small business is authentic.

The small business’s EIN attaches to high scores, and loan providers won’t feel the need to require a personal guarantee.

Fantastic Business Loans for Veterans: Takeaways

Fantastic business loans for veterans are out there. Not considering them means you’re leaving cash on the table. If you are as passionate about this as we are, please help us spread the word about the best business loans for the bravest of the brave – our veterans.