Starting your own business is an overjoying experience, but it can take its toll on your finances. Small businesses often require loans to start up or expand, and paying back can be difficult if you don’t know how to do it properly. Here are five tips for quickly paying off your small business loan and moving on with the rest of your life.
- Longer-Term Loans Are More Manageable
The time frame over which your business loan is set up will help determine how much you pay each month. Longer-term loans have fewer payments and lower monthly fees, leading to better financial flexibility for your small business.
- Understand Small Business Loan Repayment Terms
It’s important to note that it may involve penalties even if you can pay off your small business loan early. Before you process your loan application, it’s best to understand how much you will have to pay in interest fees and SBA loan interest rates.
- Debt Can Be Good
If used in moderation, debt can be good for your business. Here are five good uses of small business debt.
- Acquiring machinery or equipment to help you grow your business (and that you couldn’t otherwise afford).
- Invest in a marketing campaign that will bring more customers through your doors and increase sales.
- Hiring a talented employee who will add value to your company—but who would cost too much if you paid them out of pocket instead of borrowing money from a bank or credit union (assuming you have an excellent credit score).
- Buying real estate will help you expand your business and increase revenue by opening a new location in another city.
- Acquiring an existing business, which may be necessary if you want to grow but don’t have enough capital on hand to start from scratch.
Side hustles are great ways to add additional income and help pay off debt. So if you have a clear business idea, go ahead and give it a shot. Even if it doesn’t work out, you can use your side hustle as a learning experience that will make your next venture even more successful.
- Negotiate With Your Creditors
Debt is generally treated as something negative, but it’s something that can provide many opportunities. According to Lantern by SoFi, “With debt comes leverage—as long as you don’t use it to get into more trouble.” So when you have a business loan and are running your own company, one thing you can do is negotiate with your creditors about different payment plans. It allows you to make gradual payments instead of one large sum at once and lets you pay off your debt quicker than before.
- Change Your Payment Plan if You Have Difficulties Making Payments
Some small business owners choose to change their payment plans if they have difficulties making payments. While it is better to make all of your payments on time, you can contact your lender and ask about changing your plan. Many financial institutions might allow you to change plans under a month late without penalty. However, it would be best always to remember to check with your lender before making any changes because they may be able or unwilling to work with you depending on how far past due your loan is and how much money you still owe them.
Getting into good financial shape is one of the most important things a small business can do, and it all starts with paying off your loans. So, if you’re looking to get out from under that pile of debt as quickly as possible, you can take some steady steps to help yourself achieve that goal.