24NovNovember 24, 2022 By Patrick

Benefits of a Small Business Loan | Huntington Coast Capital, Inc.

Perhaps a friend or colleague has advised you to take out a loan for your small business, but you’re still in doubt. After all, you may not want to burden your business with debt. However, the following reasons may convince you to consider a small business loan.

1. Enjoy Flexibility

Loans for small businesses have varying terms and repayment periods that can suit your business needs. You can go for a long-term loan with an extended repayment duration or a short-term loan that has to be repaid after a short time. Your choice will depend on whether the loan is for personal, business, or mixed-use. In some cases, you can even apply for many types of loans.

2. Liability-Free

Generally, business borrowers do not need to have collateral or a specific revenue to apply for a loan. The lack of requirements is an advantage to a small business that just started and has limited income or no assets to put up as collateral. Hence, aspiring business owners can easily enter the corporate world quickly and get their businesses running.

3. Retain Full Ownership

When you get financing from investors or partnerships, you must relinquish a portion of the business. Although the arrangement may be helpful initially, problems may arise as the company expands. You have to consult partners on significant decisions and how the business operates, but a loan allows you to keep full ownership of your business.

4. Improve Business Credit

If you repay the loan on time, you will boost your business’s credit score. A good credit score makes it easier to get more loans at favorable terms in the future. For example, companies with good credit scores tend to get lower interest rates for their loans and can easily avoid accrued interest.

5. Access Funds Quickly

Business expansion requires significant capital to hire new employees and operate the business. You can choose to wait for business profits to increase before reinvesting them. However, if you have projects that should start soon, you may take out a loan. The loan allows you to buy new equipment and finance new product development before your competitors do it first.

6. Take Advantage of Low-Interest Rates

Lenders often provide low-interest rates on business loans to get customers. As competition in the lending business becomes stiffer, business borrowers can negotiate for the best deals. Also, business loans are likely to come with lower interest rates than any personal loan.

7. Nurture Relationships With a Specific Lender

When you nurture relationships with your lender, you increase your chances of getting a loan in the future. The lender will have worked with you and knows how you handle money. The next time you go to get a loan, you can always refer back to the previous loan that you repaid on time.

8. Overcome Liquidity Problems

Businesses require working capital to operate effectively. However, small businesses often face challenges that make it difficult to meet utilities and payroll requirements. Since these challenging times are temporary, the business can get through the hard times with the help of a small business loan.

9. Refinance Debt

If your business already has a loan, the mounting debt may interfere with your ability to pay bills and sustain business operations. A small business loan can help refinance your debt and give you time to pay off any loans. The new loan may have a lower monthly payment and interest rates.

10. Reduce Tax Payments

Sometimes, your tax obligations may be lower if you take out a small business loan. For example, you can claim deductibles on the interest you pay on loans. The best approach is to consult a tax expert to know how taking a loan can impact your taxes.

Taking a loan for your small business is easy if you use the right lender. Huntington Coast Capital provides lending solutions for small and medium businesses that need quick cash. Contact us for more information.

20AugAugust 20, 2019 By Patrick

Asset Based Loans The Difference Between Interest Rate and Opportunity Cost

Huntington Beach CA

What is the interest rate? How much does it cost? What fees are involved? These are some popular questions our clients ask when considering borrowing money to grow their business. These questions are typical when looking to see how much something is going to cost over the long run. However, these questions are more applicable to purchases related to a home mortgage, a car loan, applying for a credit card or other more commodity based financial products.

When considering Opportunity Cost the analysis is much different. For example, if I told you the cost of capital for fulfilling multiple $100,000 orders is 20%, you may say “that’s too expensive!” However, when you take a closer look at it, the true funding costs may be only 6% to 7% per order less early payment discounts. The borrower makes substantially more money than the cost of financing if the margins can support the cost.

Here is an example of a typical analysis we take our clients through. It’s a simple way to determine if financing is right for your business.

A purchase order is received from a customer and the cost of goods is $100,000 (your cost or wholesale cost)
Your gross margin on this sale is 60% (your sales price to the customer is $160,000)
Your financing cost is 6.5% of your wholesale cost for 120 day funding or $6,500 ($100,000 multiplied by 6.5%)
The gross profit calculated after financing cost is $53,500 on this order ($60,000 profit minus $6,500 in finance cost)

The question becomes, “would you spend $6,500 to earn $53,500?” Most all of us would agree that is a worthwhile opportunity. There are some variables that can effect these numbers both positively and negatively. For example, if your company has high fixed costs, this will chew in to the profits. On the contrary, if you are able to negotiate a discount for early payment to suppliers (i.e. a 2% discount for payment in 10 days, expressed as 2%/10 net 30) it will have a positive effect on profits.

Keep in mind that this is one sale and each additional sale will have a better net earnings ratio. This is because fixed costs typically stay the same and more profit gets kicked to the bottom line as more sales are realized. An example of where this analysis doesn’t make sense is if a company has out of control fixed expenses or super slim margins as seen in the electromics industry. In our experience, this analysis pencils out for most of our clients.

We always encourage our clients to look at how much they stand to make versus solely focusing on cost. The lender also needs to earn a return and if expectations are managed, business owners can grow their companies and earn more as a result.

About Huntington Coast Capital.

Huntington Coast Capital secures funding for companies in a broad base of industries. Our clients come to us to find a more flexible lending partner to meet their growth needs. Many are declined by the bank and are in need of a more creative and entrepreneurial funding solution.

We consult on a wide range of funding options for business owners throughout the United States in the following areas:

Supply chain financing
Equipment loans and lease programs (learn more about our equipment loan platform offered through our subsidiary)
Lines of credit for working capital needs
Term loans for marketing, hiring staff and general expansion needs
Factoring services for accounts receivable financing that also provides for back office credit and collection functions
Purchase order financing
Asset based loans
Business acquisition financing
Inventory financing
Private commercial real estate bridge loans
SBA loans for business and real estate needs

Whether you are a startup or established, in need of $100,000 or $10,000,000 we have the capital partners to meet your needs. Contact us to see how we can assist in taking your business to the next level. To your success!

14JulJuly 14, 2019 By Patrick

$500,000 2nd Position Commercial Real Estate Loan Secured For A Lodge In Big Bear, CA

Huntington Beach, CA A client came to us looking to pull cash out on his lodge property in the Big Bear area of California. The funds were to be used for improvements to the property. The request was a challenging one due to the fact that the commercial real estate loan request was really more of a small business loan.

Commercial real estate loans for specialty use or single purpose properties require a deeper analysis. Unlike traditional commercial real estate loans against traditional properties like office, industrial, multifamily and retail properties, specialty use properties need to be analyzed beyond the loan to value and income of property. If a bowling alley closes down, for example, the is significant cost in changing in to something else of improving the location under new management. The lender has to not only be in the property at a conservation loan to value, but also has to buy in to the business being able to survive on a going forward basis.

“This place has been here for years! This is not a risky loan for the lender!”

This is something we hear quite often when being sold on securing funds for specialty or single purpose properties. Anyone remember Circuit City? They were forced to close their doors and are currently under a massive re-organization. Established in 1949, they enjoyed steady success through the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s before feeling the pain of consumer shift to online shopping and competitors entering the space. I have personally witnessed McDonald’s locations closing! The point is that anything can happen with business purpose commercial real estate, no matter how large or how small the operation is.

What additional analysis is required?

Some of the points to consider with these property types are the following:

market demand for property
competition in the surrounding area
obsolescence of amenities or attraction (how many kids go to the arcade nowadays?)
quality of management
customer experience (in today’s world a bad Yelp review could have damaging impacts)
landscaping and overall desirability of the property

This is not a complete list, but covers some key points to be considered when financing these property types.

If you have a challenging loan request, we would like to hear from you!

To your success!

Patrick Zazueta
Huntington Coast Capital, Inc.
714-719-8966

26FebMay 19, 2018 By Patrick

Asset Based Loans Versus Bank Loans. Which Is Better For My Business?

Huntington Beach, CA: Our clients come to us with an asset based loan or financing need that almost always is required in order to grow their business. If you are like most business owners, cash flow is tight and if you receive a big order outside the normal course of business, it could be challenging coming up with the cash to cover the cost of goods and deliver the product. Your cash need could also be to finance additional equipment and require an asset based equipment loan in order to meet the increased capacity required to fulfill a contract.

Traditional banking places the emphasis on the cash flow and financial strength of the company, the borrower. They are primarily concerned with how financially solid the company they are lending to is. This is good practice, and it makes sense that the companies that the banks deal with are in good financial health. The obstacle to clear however, is that most companies are leveraged to a high degree and can not meet all of the required ratios banks look for when making a credit decision.

If your company is growing quickly and every dollar is going back out the door to cover ongoing working capital needs, it is likely that you will not meet all the requirements of bank lending. For example, banks look at the leverage ratio of the company. This ratio is figured by dividing the total debt of the company by the equity of the company. Equity being the total assets minus the total liabilities. If you have more than 3 or 4 times the liabilities as you do equity, banks will shy away from offering you more credit for fear that your profits and company cash flow will not be able to pay off the new debt. Again, a prudent way to look at things, but the problem is that most borrowers do not qualify.

The advantage to bank lending is the cost. If your company can qualify, then banks will be able to offer the lowest borrowing rates.

The other option are asset based loans. Asset based loans have a broad spectrum of categories. An asset based loan can be used for commercial real estate purchases, inventory loans, equipment loans and purchase order financing to name a few. In an asset based loan, the lender is looking at the asset being used as collateral in the transaction. For example, if your company received a large purchase order and needs additional cash to pay the upfront costs or deposit required by the supplier, and asset based loan is a good option. The asset in this instance is the purchase order itself. Purchase order financing is often accompanied by a factoring loan. Factoring loans are asset based loans secured by the invoice sent to the customer versus the purchase order sent to the supplier. For more information on factoring loans click here.

In our experience, business owners are qualified for asset based loans more often than bank loans. We explore each option as appropriate and the obvious choice is always revealed in the end. Our clients like the unbiased consultation and industry insight we bring to the table. Because we are not lending our own money and acting in a consultant capacity, we are able to align ourselves on your side of the table and deliver the best options for you and your funding needs. Additionally, in the majority of cases, our services are free to our clients. Our lender network compensates us for bringing them asset based loan opportunities.

If your business would benefit from an asset based loan or equipment loan, give us a call. My direct line is 714-719-8966.

To your success!

25Jan By Patrick

Huntington Coast Capital Arranges A $150,000 Unsecured Loan

Huntington Beach, CA Huntington Coast Capital arranged an unsecured business loan for a company offering online teaching credentials. The company is the first online alternative certification program in South Texas to be approved by the State Board of Educator Certification (TEA) , and certifies candidates across Texas in over 25+ certification areas offered in the state of Texas including Career &Technology and Trade Vocations.

The curriculum allows candidates to review courses as many times as they need to, gives benchmark quizzes at specific intervals to ensure students are comprehending what they are studying, and provides the user with immediate feedback to track their progress. In addition, they have partnered up with companies dedicated to test preparation and have incorporated their material and curriculum to provide their candidates with more opportunities for success.

The unsecured asset based loan was supported and approved due to the positive cash flow of the company. Traditional business loans are more geared to B2B companies with inventory and accounts receivable. Finding a loan proved difficult for the company and they urgently wanted to refinance some higher priced debt.

Through our broad base of lenders, we were able to provide them with a solution. Huntington Coast Capital prides itself on providing business loans to companies who otherwise would not know they are available. Could your business benefit from additional capital? If so, we would like to talk to you.

To your success!
Patrick

16JanJanuary 16, 2018 By Patrick

Huntington Coast Capital Secures $400,000 Equipment Loan For Southern California Manufacturer

Huntington Beach, CA A $400,000 asset based loan secured by equipment was obtained for a long time Huntington Coast Capital client. The company came back to Huntington Coast Capital for some additional equipment loan needs for their expanding business. The assembly line equipment will enable them to meet growing customer orders. The asset based loan secured exclusively by the equipment offered better terms than other equipment finance companies and even the equipment supplier’s terms!

The production manager said, the new equipment will allow us to deliver the additional orders being requested by our customer and enable us to deepen our relationship with them.

Asset based loans are a great way to leverage specific collateral for a loan. Equipment loans and factoring loans are great examples of this. In factoring loans, the asset being pledged is the accounts receivable of the company. Business owners in need of cash flow to sustain operations often turn to a factoring loan for the flexibility, speed and fewer restrictions involved in the loan agreements. When compared to traditional bank financing, asset based loans offer a more user-friendly experience and allow you to grow your business without the bank hassle.

Could your business benefit from an asset based loan? Are you looking for a less complicated lender experience? Through our network of lenders throughout the United States, we have most every business loan request covered. To learn more, give us a call 714-719-8966.

To your success!
Patrick

01DecDecember 1, 2017 By Patrick

Huntington Coast Capital Presents At The Cove At UC Irvine Applied Innovation

Huntington Beach, CA Entrepreneurs from around the southwestern United States came to The Cove Applied Innovation Center at UC Irvine to pitch their business plans in an effort to raise capital from venture capitalists and equity investors. The companies in attendance ranged from pre-revenue, startup concepts to established companies looking to take their business to the next level. A broad range of industries were represented some of which were video game developers, niche apparel companies, foam mattress engineers, craft tea brewers, education service platforms, and airline sanitation concept companies. There were also medical technology companies represented in the area of liver function testing and patient records management.

The energy in the room was high with business owners given either 1-minute or 5-minutes to present their business and plans for the future and the opportunities that existed. The time frames were offered at different ticket price levels. The pressure was on from the beginning as the moderator kicked of the program by stating bluntly, if you can not explain your business and justification for investment in the first minute, the investors will not listen to what you have to say in the second minute!

After the entrepreneurs were placed in the hot seat to present with hundreds of eyes fixated on them, the panelists were given the opportunity to ask questions about the business to dig deeper to see if an investment opportunity existed. Feedback was direct and pointed as the venture fund and equity groups inquired about the financial details and assessed the likelihood of earning a return on an investment. Investor comments were direct, cold and objective as they assessed the quality of the opportunities being presented.

Huntington Coast Capital was at the program to discuss the other side of business lending, asset based loans. Successfully securing an equity investment for your company is a gratifying feeling. It is an acknowledgement from discerning and critical investors that your business plans have merit and potential. Sometimes, this endorsement and confidence can be supported with investments of over a million dollars!

The harsh reality is however, that very few companies earn the privilege of an equity investment. These equity groups are reviewing upwards of three business investment opportunities per day. I often equate companies looking for an equity investment as sea turtles. Millions are born and sadly only a few hundred make it to open water!

This success ratio can be discouraging. However, when companies can not qualify for an equity investment, capital may be available on the debt side. If you are looking for money to hire staff, complete research and development of a product, market your company or gain inroads to supplier and customer contacts, equity is a great option. Conversely, if you are looking for funds to cover purchase orders or improve your working capital cycle, an asset based loan is a better option. You should not give up equity in your company if all you are looking to do is cover your cost of goods, purchase equipment or increase your inventory to meet demand. These capital expense items are all met with asset based loans.

Huntington Coast Capital specializes in securing asset based loans for companies of all sizes throughout the United States. Our typical funding amount is anywhere from $250,000 to $1,500,000. If you have solicited an equity investment with no success, look in to an asset based loan. We would welcome the opportunity to speak with you about your business goals. Call me directly at 714-719-8966.

To your success!

Patrick Zazueta | Founder
Huntington Coast Capital, Inc.

13SepSeptember 13, 2017 By Patrick

Asset Based Loans In California In Demand!

Huntington Beach, CA: Business owners have been increasingly inquiring about asset based loans in California and nationwide. Frustrated with the banks, they come to us for answers. We have successfully secured loans for inventory purchases, equipment lease and purchase programs, purchase order financing, lines of credit, term loans and SBA loans to name a few. Is your bank making it difficult to get a loan to grow your business? Contact us and explore your options 714-719-8966 or at patrick@huntingtoncoastcapital.com. How far can your business go?

13Jul By Patrick

What Is An Asset Based Loan?

Huntington Beach, CA: The term asset based loan is widely used to describe a loan secured against an asset of value as security for the money borrowed. Huntington Coast Capital has been securing asset based loans for our clients in California and across the nation since 2010. Asset based loans consist of loans secured by commercial real estate, inventory, accounts receivable, purchase orders or equipment. Below is a brief summary on how we have assisted our clients in securing asset based loans in California and across the United States in these different categories.

Commercial and investment real estate. Companies that lack sufficient business collateral are often required to pledge outside collateral as an abundance of caution in this type of asset based loan. Often referred to as bridge loans, these loans usually have terms of 6 months to 3 years and are offered through private money capital providers. These asset based loans are offered in California and throughout the country.
Inventory loans. For companies in the manufacturing, distribution, wholesale and retail spaces, inventory represents cash tied up in goods for sale. Inventory can be used as security in an asset based loan. Depending on the type of inventory however, a loan may not be available. For example, if a company is selling fresh fish, meat or poultry, finding an asset based loan will likely not be possible due to the quick turn of this type of product and the potential for spoilage. Other forms of inventory such as t-shirts, tires, dried goods and other products with long shelf lives have a much better chance of being accepted as collateral for an asset based loan.
Accounts receivable and purchase orders. These two assets represent an amount owed and an order for shipment. Both of these asset types qualify for an asset based loan. In fact, these two asset classes are the most popular asset based loan being requested from our clients in California. Companies in search of improved working capital utilize their accounts receivable as collateral for an asset based loan and their purchase orders as collateral when looking to obtain funding to cover their cost of goods to suppliers.
Equipment loans. Asset based loans used to purchase or refinance equipment are for a specific purpose. Retail sector companies such as restaurants are big users of equipment loans as well as companies in the manufacturing sector. Often times in business acquisitions, equipment loans provide a portion of the funds required for the purchase if the equipment is currently owed free and clear and has a usable life of over 10 years.

Asset based loans are vital to the economy and provide funds to companies when more traditional finance programs can not meet the need. If you are a California company in search of an asset based loan or are located anywhere in the continental United States and looking for financing to take advantage of growth opportunities, consider an asset based loan.

Need assistance navigating the capital markets? That is our specialty and we are eager to help. For advise and counsel on asset based loans or any other form of business financing, give us a call 714-719-8966.

To your success!

Patrick Zazueta
Huntington Coast Capital, Inc.

27JunJune 27, 2017 By Patrick

Why Do Most Business Owners Struggle To Get Bank Financing?

Huntington Beach, CA: According to Bloomberg, 80 percent of small businesses fail within the first 18 months. Some fail because their products do not fit current market needs, others because they do not adequately differentiate themselves from established competitors, and others because they do not effectively communicate value propositions to consumers. Of course, startups would in many cases be able to fix those problems, if only they had time.

The Increasing Difficulty of Securing Funding

Although business owners have access to a wider variety of financing options than ever before, finding capital is becoming increasingly difficult. Referencing a survey of small business owners–The Small Business American Dream Gap Report–Levi King (CEO of Nav), writes in Entrepreneur:

“Within the previous year, the survey revealed, 20 percent of the small businesses surveyed said they had considered shutting down, primarily because of lack of growth or cash-flow issues.”

Why Businesses Have Difficulty Obtaining Bank Loans

Banks fail to approve small business loans for a variety of reasons, including the following:

Poor credit history: the personal credit threshold for many business loan products is around 660; banks typically have a higher score threshold of around 720. Traditional banks and some privately-owned finance companies have a preliminary scoring system based on running a credit check on the individual’s credit first. This is the first hurdle in getting approved for a loan. Poor personal credit most often stops the review process before any real underwriting has taken place on the business.
Time in business: the magic number for time in business is 2 years. Why is this? Because most businesses fail within this time period. Not only is time in business important, but also profitability. It is not good enough to simply be in business for two years. Banks look to see at least two consecutive years of profitability on the business tax returns. Business tax returns are the most conservative numbers for the business (because of the natural tendency to keep profits down to avoid paying taxes), and thus, are the numbers used when applying for a bank loan.
Historical Debt Coverage: banks frequently fail to approve loans because business owners do not have the necessary debt service coverage for the loan when they apply. Banks look back in time when determining whether or not the business can afford the debt. This in contrast to looking at projections and possible increase in profitability as a result of using the funds provided from the loan to grow the business.

Are There Any Financing Options Other Than Banks?

Fortunately, there are forward-leaning companies that help businesses secure financing. These groups are private funding companies providing asset based loans and working capital products with fewer restrictions and qualification hurdles to jump through. These companies are the cavalry to the rescue for many business owners. Without the second tier, private money programs in the marketplace, many more business owners would have to close up shop. Connecting business owners with this second tier market is what Huntington Coast Capital was formed to do. We are on the side of business owners and help them navigate the secondary markets when the banks say, NO!

Conclusion

Companies like Huntington Coast Capital succeed for 3 principal reasons:

We are unbiased in providing business loan options and comparisons;
We serve a broad range of industries; and
We specialize in securing loans for businesses that have been turned down by the bank.

If you’ve been turned down for a bank loan and want to learn more about our innovative financing options, contact us today.

Sources:

Entrepreneur: Five Reasons 8 Out Of 10 Businesses Fail

Entrepreneur: The Real Reason Banks Deny Loans to Many Small-Business Owners

Nav: Nav’s Small Business American Dream Gap Report Reveals Surprising Reason Many Loan Applicants Get Denied

Business News Daily: 6 Factors That Keep You from Getting a Small Business Loan

Huntington Coast Capital: Why Us?