Understanding the Canadian Government Business Loan - Federal SBL Loans Work for New & Existing Businesses

As some , certainly not all ( that's why we're here) Canadian business owners know the federal government has a long standing and very successful business financing program , aka the ' government business loan '. It's a federal program in Canada, sponsored by INDUSTRY CANADA, and it is probably suited for your new or existing small (New or under 5,000,000.00$ in revenue) business capital needs.

There's just one problem we've e perceived over the years. Simply that understanding how the program works, and you get approved seems to be a mystery to a lot of the clients we meet looking for this type of financing.

Let's examine some of the key underpinnings of the program, focusing on what this great financing program does, and, more importantly, how you get approved.

First of all, talk about a great partner for your loan. Have you ever needed a co signer? Here's one for you, the government of Canada! We heard their credit is excellent! What we mean of course, when we speak to clients about the program is that the government guarantees the majority of your loan to the bank that underwrites and administers your financing. Talk about a good deal. And you thought you might have to ask your brother in law!

Naturally it goes without saying that this incents the banks and some other institutions that offer the loan to provide your firm with financing that you might not otherwise be able to achieve in a normal traditional financing request.

So we all agree it's a challenging business financing environment out there. So how can government business loans help your firm?

First of all they finance only 3 things, and that always seems to be a mystery to clients who think the program is a cash or working capital loan. It is not! The three items that the program finances are equipment, leasehold improvements, and real estate. Under the equipment category many of our clients choose to also finance software, which is allowed under the program. And by the way, that's application software, not software you are going to develop yourself.

So how does a business owner navigate, successfully, the program? We assure clients that you can almost assuredly guarantee yourself approval by following a very specific course of action. There are numerous conditions that can negatively affect your chances of approval, and if you know them you can avoid them.

It's quite frankly all about your proposal, how it's presented, to whom its presented, and ensuring you have the basics covered. Those basics are as follows - a minimum 10% equity investment in the financing, reasonable personal credit, a business finance plan that clearly identifies you, your business, and some financial projections that make sense relative to the loan amount you are requesting.

So, the bottom line, you can make understanding the Canadian government small business loan complicated, or easy. We're for easy, so if you want some practical direction in getting a small business loan up to 350,000.00 in place speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor on the positive expectation of an SBL loan approval.