Every business wants to equip the most cutting edge technology for operations. This technology gives them a unique space in their industry. Not only customers but competitors of that business also praise them because of the technology they use. Also, the latest technology helps the company have low production costs and low overhead costs, and hence they can sell at a much cheaper price then their competitors.
So do you want to equip your business with the latest machinery and equipment? I know you want to, but you have a constraint, right? “MONEY.”
Which business does want to have all the latest equipment? But most of the companies lack financial strength due to which they cannot afford to have all those latest and fast machinery which can help them grow even faster. But wait! Not having your financial resources does not mean that you cannot have that machine for your business. You can go for a business equipment loan and have the equipment for your business and grow it.
But wait! Everything is not always what it looks like. So if you are now rushing towards the business equipment loans, just wait and first understand what it is and what you have to keep in your mind before applying for it because nothing is free in this world.
Everything comes with something good and bad with it. So let us see what you have to keep in your mind when you opt for a business equipment loan.
What is a business equipment loan?
As the name suggests, it is a focused business loan in which a lender (mostly banks) lend you or give you money to buy that equipment for your business against collateral which mainly is that equipment. You, as a borrower, take the payment against the invoice for that equipment.
Easy right? But not so fast. Before you open your laptop and search for the business equipment loan lender near you, you must have to keep these things in your mind.
Things to keep in your mind for equipment loans
Following things have to be held in your mind when you are going for equipment loans:
1. Ownership of the equipment
Even though you have done all the work to get the stuff into your manufacturing facility, you cannot declare the complete purchase of the material. Since someone else has paid for the machine, that machine which is in your factory is not yours but is his, and he can take that machine back from you if you do not pay the agreed amount of money on time.
Your ownership on the computer is just that you can use it, and you have to pay all the expenses like maintenance of the device, utilities that engine uses, and much more. So when you are going for the loan, do consider that the device is not entirely yours.
2. Collateral
It might seem very attractive that you do not have to give any guarantee for the loan. But you are missing the most crucial point here. The machine which you are going to purchase or that equipment for which you are going to get a loan is the collateral. No lender would pay you the money until he has the surety that his money is safe.
How can you assure him? By giving him something equivalent to the amount he is carrying. In the case of a business equipment loan, it is that equipment.
3. You will pay more for your machine
On one side where you can get money instantly to start your own business and increase your sales, you have to pay more for getting that equipment under your name on the other side. Since it is a loan, a lender will add interest to the money he will lend to you. This means that you have to pay the capital amount of the equipment plus the interest amount too. This will result in paying more at the end.
Just see this illustration. The stuff you want to purchase is for $1,000/-. A lender agrees to give you an interest rate of 8%. This means that you will pay at least $1,080/-. This might look nothing because this is not what you will have to pay; it is just an illustration of paying more for equipment.
4. Interest rate
I know we have talked about the interest rate above and the impact it has, but there is more. Do you have to look at what type of interest is applied to the loan offered? Is it a fixed interest rate or a floating one? Both have their pros and cons like if your interest rate is floating, you might have to pay a different amount of interest payments every month while in fixed, your payments will be like a straight line. However, if you have a fixed one and the interest rate in the economy goes down, you will end up paying higher interest while if you are on floating, you will be paying a lower interest amount and vice versa.
5. Credit score
Your credit score have an impact on your loan. With the help of your credit score, a lender determines the risk involved in lending you the money apart from the purpose you are taking the money for.
If you have an attractive credit score, you might get the loan for a risky investment because the lender will know that you will pay the money back. However, if you have a bad credit score, the lender will offer you a high-interest rate for a safe investment because he will think that you might run away or something. So you have to keep your credit score in your mind before applying for the loan.
What is the way forward?
Look, every business wants to have the cutting edge technology because they know the benefits of having them in your industry. But the problem comes when you want to purchase the machine, but you do not have enough money in your pocket, or you might have money, but if you consume it, you will not be able to have cash for daily activities.
So what to do? The option which comes into the mind is business equipment financing. But shall you be going for it? Well, you have to keep these in mind.
Conclusion
The ownership of the equipment is not yours because, despite the business equipment loan, do not take any collateral because the computer you are buying is the collateral for the lender. Hence you just have the ownership to use it the way you want it to, but you have to pay back the money, or else you will lose the asset. In addition to this, you might end up paying more than the value of that equipment, which means that you will have to pay more because of the interest payment on every payment you make back to the lender and many more.
So just keep these things in your mind before opting for the business equipment loan for your business growth and remember this one most important thing. If you qualify for a loan, it does not mean that you should go for it. Evaluate everything very carefully and make the decision wisely.
