THE LONG-TERM DEBTS AND SMALL BUSINESSES

Purchasing a home, a car or using a credit card are all forms of debt financing. When business owners need money to operate their business day-to-day or to make large purchases, they may need to obtain some financing for the business. 

External financing may be needed if sources of internal financing—like personal funds the business owner can use or funds from family and friends—are not available. Even if family members lend you money for your business, they must charge the minimum IRS interest rate in order to avoid the gift tax.

Long-term debt is debt that matures in more than one year and is often treated differently than the short-term debt. Longer-term debt usually requires a slightly higher interest rate than shorter-term debt. However, a company has a longer amount of time to repay the principal with interest.

• The higher your debt balances, the more you commit to paying on them each month. This means you have to use more of your monthly earnings to repay debt than to make new investments to grow.
• If you start to miss payments, you incur late fees and hurt your business’s credibility. Plus, the inability to keep up with current debt makes it hard to convince lenders to issue you new debt.
• It is also more difficult to attract more customers because you don’t have enough money to invest in marketing.
• inability to keep up with current debt makes it hard to convince lenders to issue you new debt.

Even though the repayment on long-term debt is more structured and comes with a greater legal obligation than equity, equity is often more expensive over time. Successful companies have to continue to offer owners a return on equity in perpetuity, whereas long-term debt eventually matures.

The greatest advantage to long-term debt is that it allows for expansion without immediate revenue obligations. Startups or cash-strapped companies can use debt to strike while the iron is hot if current reserves are insufficient.

Debt may be difficult to obtain in the early stages of a business because you don’t yet have a clear track record.

If you have any questions about this, you can get in touch with our accounting team at 323-538-5358 or write to us via info@wordpress-840213-2895535.cloudwaysapps.com.