If there’s one thing that companies love, it’s cash. Cash is what allows businesses to capitalize on the opportunities they see in the marketplace. And cash is what lets them invest in ideas and concepts they think will be valuable in the future.
But of course, cash is something that can be hard to get. In fact, just getting the money you need to keep ticking over can be difficult enough. The question is how to invest in your business when you don’t have a lot of funds in the bank. The answer may be to take out a business loan.
Business loans can be used for all sorts of purposes. Here are some situations when you might need one.
When You Want To Expand Your Product Line
Suppose you’ve seen an opportunity for a great new product line. You can see the direction in which the market is going, and you want to build a product to match. However, you can’t do anything right now because you don’t have enough money in the bank to make it happen.
This is a scenario in which taking out a business loan is a good idea. Why? Well, it’s a good idea because you’re spending money to make money. You’ll be able to pay back the loan, with interest, using the profits from the new product sales. And if it proves to be a good decision, you’ll make even more money to boot.
When You Want A Bigger Customer Base
Another limited factor for many small businesses is their customer base. They desperately want to expand beyond the local area, but don’t have the money to pay for it.
If you think that there is a business case for your firm to be in many locations, it might be time to get a business loan. Expanding into new territory is tough, even for established players. They have to spend on advertising, increased staff size and new property. Even they often don’t have the cash to hand to pay for it all out of pocket. That’s why so many small businesses take out loans. It’s a risk, obviously. But one that can pay off with some careful planning.
When You Have Bad Equipment
What is it that businesses are doing, fundamentally? They’re mixing labor with equipment to produce a product. But all too often that equipment is lackluster or often breaks down. And when it fails, it can spell disaster for the company affected.
That’s why so many businesses take out loans to replace or repair equipment. Often they don’t have the cash to hand to pay for replacements or repairs. And so they get a business loan to cover the costs in the interim. Here, taking out a business loan is a good choice. Without working equipment, the business would quickly suffer.
When You Need To Expand Inventory
Lastly, businesses often take out loans to expand their inventory. You might be considering increasing your stock to improve customer choice. But getting products into your inventory is expensive. Taking out loans allows you to offset inventory costs while also meeting customer demand.