Can we ask you a simple question? Actually, if it’s ok with you, we’ll ask 5 questions, and we trust and hope you will gain some valuable knowledge about the Canada government small business loan. Federal loans under the CSBF / BIL program could be your secret weapon in Canadian business financing.

Ok, so let’s get the questions out of the way first and onward to those answers! Here are our 5 key shares around the program based on questions we continually get from clients.

Why should we finance equipment with federal SBL loans? What are the basic requirements of the program? Can the government small business loan be used to refinance business debt? Can we use the federal loans program for cash flow and working capital? And finally can we purchase a business via the SBL loan?

Great questions, and now hopefully some surprising answers! Here we go.

Equipment and lease financing in Canada are solid alternatives for the financing of your asset acquisitions. Numerous lease finance options are available, so why does it make sense to use the SBL program for equipment financing. For a start the small business loan program in Canada finances 90% of your equipment financing needs, the other 10% comes in the form of your down payment, which the program refers to as your equity in the transaction. Numerous lease scenarios may require either larger down payments, first and last monthly payments in advance, and in some cases might have a higher level of credit due diligence requirements .Equipment can be financing on terms up to 7 years, and typically that type of term may not be available through lease financing scenarios.

So what about those basic requirements of the program? The government small business loan requires the aforementioned 10% owner equity in your financing. Business owners and your business should have a reasonable credit history; you also should be ready to prepare a simple cash flow forecast that allows you to demonstrate repayment of the loan. Typically no other collateral is required for federal small business loans in Canada. We determined over time that it makes great sense to be able to properly demonstrate that you have sufficient management experience in your business and industry, whether you are a start up or an established firm.

On to our third question – can you utilize the loan to refinance existing debt .The short and simple answer is that any debt you wish to refinance in terms of equipment, leaseholds, software, real estate, etc can be financing within a 6 month window. Example – if you bought a major piece of equipment 5 months ago it can be refinanced under the program, bringing additional cash flow and capital into your business.

Can the program be used for cash flow and working capital? Simple answer = No! Unlike the U.S. equivalent of the program the government small business loan is massively understood by many, thinking it’s a cash flow loan. The program only funds equipment, leaseholds, and real estate.

And on to our final question. Can you purchase a whole business via SBL federal loans in Canada .Categorically yes if the business purchase is within the government loan cap you absolutely can purchase a company, competitor, franchise, etc using this program? Some very basic steps apply, including an appraisal of the business you are buying for example.

Well there you have it, 5 answers to common questions we get from clients everyday on Canadian government small business loan. Want more info, or wish to explore other issues pertaining to your financing needs around this great program? Seek and speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor who can assist you in maximizing benefits of the program.

Success via a profitable franchise is of course the dream of every franchisee entrepreneur when he or she is seeking a franchise loan. While most would agree that nothing is ‘ guaranteed’ in business profitable franchises within growing industries certainly provide a strong level of comfort to the borrower. Let’s dig in.

When applying for a franchise loan (these are done via a specialty lender or under the BIL program in Canada) the concept of profits as they relate to cash flow and loan repayment are key.

In the case of a turnkey situation the franchisee and the lender of course will rely on the business plan and cash flow projections of the borrower. Loans are repaid from cash flow; it’s as simple as that. So your ability to project reasonable success in a business plan and cash flow statement is key.

We often meet with clients who are looking for a bit of a different story when it comes to a franchise loan. That story? They either wish to purchase an existing franchise from a current operator or, in some cases wish to complete a parternership buyout. (Partnerships are difficult!)

In the case of ‘ refranchising ‘ – i.e. the purchase of an existing location it’s critical to get a strong handle on the current financials of the business. If in fact is a predominantly cash business ( a huge per cent age of franchises are ) its critical to understand what happens to cash ( !) , is cash being reported and recorded properly , and if its sufficient to repay both existing and new debt . One tactic we’ve used successfully over the years is to ensure we are provided with 3 months of bank statements and credit card transactions to allow us to see the inflows and outflows of cash.

Again, staying with the idea of purchasing an existing business, it’s critical to get an appraisal done on the existing assets and leaseholds. These will form the basis for any term loan refinancing, and you want, as a prospective buyer to get a handle on current values, replacement values, and liquidation values. Those are of key interest to your lender also.

Many franchisors these days will mandate ongoing replenishment of leaseholds and assets to keep the business ‘ fresh ‘. That’s why your business plan and cash flow projections (if you’re not in a service business) should account for ongoing asset upgrades as needed.

Leaseholds are difficult to finance and they are in many cases best financed via the Govt SBL loan which allows for this type of financing. (It’s difficult for many lenders to accept ‘ fresh paint’ as collateral for your loan!)

Your business plan and cash flow is often best when you approach it as a living document – using it to answer basic questions of profitability, cash flow, reasonable growth, etc. We recommend that down the road the franchisee revisit the plan as a useful template to track financial and personal goal success.

Purchasing a franchise in a sector that has a strong chance of profit is part of the winning combination of franchising in Canada. The properly constructed franchise loan and financing plan will help guarantee this success. Seek out and speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor who can help you achieve that guarantee.

The Canada government business loan. Does it seem unattainable to you or your business? It shouldn’t be, and part of the process of getting approved for SBL loans is simply the fact that Canadian business owners need to understand how the basic process of business lending translates into Canada’s popular federal financing program.

So how popular? Well using 2010 as an example over 7000 businesses took advantage of the program, which begs the question – ‘ why hasn’t my firm looked into the program!’

The reality that we share with clients is that the process of obtaining an SBL loan is actually as important as being qualified and approved for the program. Let’s take a look at how the government, and the bank (banks administer this program) evaluate the SBL loan financing and what you need to expect. The bottom line, we’re going to show you how to avoid surprises.

Rightfully or wrongfully so we consider ourselves somewhat the champions of small and medium business in Canada. That’s why we commiserate with clients who tell us of the deep frustrations they have in getting an SBL loan approved. And talk about time. We maintain a proper SBL loan proposal can be approved in days – so why do clients tell us they have spent weeks and months stumbling thru the process.

It all starts with interest. And we are not talking about interest rate; we’re talking about disinterest from your banker or advisor. (By the way, the SBL Canada government business loan has some of the best rates in town!) The two most important things to recognize at the start of your SBL process is simply that you need to have a banker onside that both understands and supports the program. Ditto with an experienced advisor if you want a proper proposal in place that meets all the criteria of the program. And there arent a lot of criteria by the way.

Clients think that the bank and the federal government (the underwriter of the program) might view their application in a very conservative manner. The reality is that a huge majority of SBL loans are for start ups, and these loans provide ultra competitive busines rates, limited personal guarantees, and great structures, even offering no repayment penalties should you choose to pay off the loan.

If we had to isolate one or two major stigma around SBL loans surely one of them would be the issue of ‘ bureaucracy’ around the paperwork and approval. But, as we said, if you have a proper proposal in place your financing can be approved in a manner of days – its a case of ensuring your banker knows and supports the program . Since the government, via INDUSTRY CANADA, underwrites the program clients need to appreciate that the banker is responsible for providing a proper paper trail.

So what is that paper trail? It’s not as bad as you think. It’s a business plan with some solid financial projections, and some back up info on your busines, such as your premises lease, as well as documentation around the assets you wish to finance. Assets financeable under the program are all type of capital equipment, including software, leasehold improvements, and even real estate.

Don’t underestimate the fact that you need to be in a position to document your own busines skills as well as having a respectable personal credit history. Oh, and by the way, since it’s a federal loan you might want to ensure you have your personal incomes taxes filed and up to date! Common sense, right?

So, bottom line, can a seemingly complicated process become easy, and fast. Consider seeking and talking to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor who can put you on the fast track to success and approval for the Canada government business Loan – Make SBL loans work for you, in a timely manner!

Government loans in Canada, specifically the ‘ SBL Small business Loan ‘ program often seems ‘ unattainable’ to clients we meet who don’t understand the program. So if there is a key, or in our words, a ‘ fool proof ‘ formula for success in financing here its understanding eligibility. Let’s dig in.

We feel that because the program is so straight forward the only reason you can not be successful with such financing is simply because you didn’t know if you or your firm/project qualified. So let’s review some of those key qualifiers.

The true benefit of the program is of course the ‘ government guarantee ‘ that the Canadian government loans come with. So your ability to put forth a solid proposal hinges on ensuring that guarantee is available.

That goes for every use of the program, which predominantly finances assets and leaseholds, and in some cases actual real estate. Franchisees contemplating entry into the Canadian franchise financing industry also make maximum use of the program.

It’s also critical to understand ‘ sizing’ of the program. This loan program maxes out at $ 350,000.00, and finances 90% of all items up to and including this cap. That means two things of course:

Any financing you require over 350k must be met or arranged by the owner/owners

You will need a minimum personal equity investment, aka the ‘ down payment’ of a minimum of 10%. You should ensure that you should be able to meet two other key criteria of the program – a debt to equity ratio that is reasonable, and a positive ‘ current ratio ‘. That item simply signifies your need to show that a combination of cash, inventory and prepaids is able to meet 1st year debt repayments.

A great way to look at your potential success in Small business loan financing is simply to walk a mile in your banker/lenders shoes. That’s because unlike your suppliers that supply you with goods and services your financing sources is lending with the sole expectation of loan repayment, with interest income as their only profit.

Here’s where a solid business plan and cash flow kick in, as your ability to demonstrate realistic cash flow repayment becomes a key critical element in the SBL loan formula approval. That repayment is going to come from sales revenue and profits, receivables collections, sale of assets, etc.

Businesses that aren’t cash flow based should also be able to, within a reasonable amount of time, utilize business credit lines that help offset revenue bulges versus cash collections.

While many clients we talk to at first believe an SBL loan process takes weeks or months, the reality is that a properly prepared proposal should only take a matter of days for adjudication. The key? A properly prepared package that consists on owner information, business plan, cash flow, and financing requirements for assets and leaseholds to be financed.

The bottom line – the winning formula in government SBL loans really revolves around understanding eligibility and providing a tight package of the basic requirements which certainly are NOT onerous. Seek out and speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor who can fast track your SBL small business loan with maximum chances of success and minimum expectation in timing!

Government small business financing loans in Canada are often disregarded by Canadian business owners/financial managers if only for the reason that they have decided that the application process is somewhat of a burden.

Federal govt ‘ guaranteed ‘ loans are probably the most basic form of business application , so lets examine who’s right and who is wrong on that belief – in effect we’re cracking the safe on this somewhat misunderstood financing . Let’s dig in.

In Canada there are various perceptions around business lending in the SME COMMERCIAL finance needs area. Those perceptions include the fact that even though the 2008-2009 recession is well over business credit is still tight.

There are various reasons why the Govt Business loan isn’t being pursued. The program itself is a term loan, not a revolving line of credit or cash as many may have been led to believe. That implies taking on debt, as well as knowing that your firm in fact qualifies. That, coupled with our premise that many business people feel the application process is cumbersome (Spoiler alert – It is not!) may be some of the reasons that the federal ‘ SBL ‘ loan isn’t access by more businesses.

Safe to say also that despite that fact that close to 8000 Canadian businesses every year qualify and are approved for billions of dollars some entrepreneurs/owners might feel that don’t qualify. We say entrepreneurs because thousands of start ups and franchises are financed under the program also.

Let’s dig into that ‘ application process’. Is it really as ‘ intimidating ‘ as some think? Hardly we maintain. The process includes some of the most standard documentation that anyone would expect in business credit. They include:

An executive summary or business plan around your business/project (This should include some financial projections that clearly reference how the loan will be repaid

Confirmation that the owner/owners have reasonable personal credit

Breakdown of uses of the financing (By the way the program only finances 3 asset categories – equipment, leasehold improvements, real estate)

Basic legal fundamentals around your business – i.e. incorporation details, business address,

We’re the first to agree that ‘ time is money ‘ so your ability to properly prepare and present your proposal is key. Although all Canadian chartered banks offer the program it’s critical to locate a supportive and knowledgeable banker.

Success in the government business loan allows owners/entrepreneurs to:

Start a business

Buy a business

Acquire a new/existing franchise

Grow a company

For those that would still maintain this excellent program is not for them numerous alternative financing solutions still exist – they include:

Receivable financing

Inventory Finance

SR&ED Financing

Asset based non-bank lines of credit

Equipment Leasing/ Sale Leasebacks

Whether you’re looking to reap the benefits of the federal Government small business loan finance program, or looking to investigate other financing options seek out and speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor who can help you ‘safe crack’ finance solutions you can trust.

Small business guaranteed loans in Canada, vis a vis the federal ‘ BIL ‘ program often require some ‘ enlightenment ‘ on a handful of issues . Let’s dig in.

Bar none, the federal SBL program is one of the absolute best financing initiatives for a new or existing small business in the SME sector in Canada.

Why then is ‘enlightenment’ required. More often than not that comes in several categories:

Many entrepreneurs simply have not heard about the program

They misunderstand the type of financing required

They don’t know where to go or who to reach out to in order to simplify the process

They think the gov’t is involved (It is but it isn’t what you think!)

Financing options in Canada come typically under term debt or revolving debt (for example – a business line of credit). It’s important to not that the SBL guaranteed loan is a term loan, with fixed repayments at an attractive interest rate. Typical terms are 3-7 years depending on what is financed.

When we talk to clients about federal loans we sometimes get the feeling they are like deer caught in the headlights. That feeling more often than not comes from the issue that they perceive a lot of what we could call ‘ TRANSACTION COMPLEXITY ‘.

We don’t buy into that, as the entire process is in fact very straightforward and well documented. It’s a sensible program that requires that you supply the following in order to get approved:

Business plan/ executive summary
Cash Flow
Information on the owners – (mgmt experienced/ personal credit history, etc)
List of items to be financed
Proof of a business premises lease where the business will be located

Those items we’ve noted allow the loan to evaluated, and if they are submitted completely that should typically just take only several days.

But what about the ‘ government aspect’ ask our clients? The answer we give is often a surprise. While this is in fact a federal program out of INDUSTRY CANADA the reality is that the borrower never meets, talks to, or corresponds with anyone in government. That’s because Small business guaranteed loans are administered by the banks under the direction of the government.

That leads us to the concept of ‘ guaranteed loans’. What’s that all about then? , ask the client. Well here’s the scoop on that. Small business SBL government loans in Canada are guaranteed against default by the borrower for the majority of the loan. Borrowers are only personally liable for 25% of the loan if there is a default issue.

Two other quick points:

The maximum loan size is $ 350,000.00

The only items the program can finance are ASSETS and LEASEHOLD IMPROVEMENTS

If you’re looking for some ‘ enlightenment ‘ on small business loans in Canada as a guaranteed by the government seek out and speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor with a track record of success in loan financing that suits your business needs.

We’re big supporters of the Canada government loans, commonly called the ‘ SBL loan ‘. Why? This federal loan (you’ll soon see it’s not as federal as you think … it’s more local …) can be used for a variety of solid business reasons. What are those uses then? Let’s explore.

Canada government loans are the ideal financing solution for a business start up. SBL financing compliments significantly your own equity contribution to the business. A large amount of outside collateral is in fact not required for the federal SBL loan. Traditional financing via Canada’s chartered banks and other lenders often make it difficult to achieve any proper level of start up financing.

Amortizations are available that make sense for your start up. You are trying to minimize monthly payments and maximize cash flow. There isn’t a day when we don’t talk to an entrepreneurial client who doesnt feel their resolve to start and succeed in business isn’t tested, so the federal small business loan is a solution to the testing of your resolve!

Our second category or use of this financing is ‘ Equipment. When you are looking to purchase assets to grow and maximize your profits government loans make a tremendous amount of sense.

Your equity contribution, i.e. the down payment that you would typically associate with a lease financing is low, the 5-7 year term amortizations make sense, and the bottom line it’s a classic use of matching your new assets useful economic life to the term of a loan.

Use # 3 for Canada government loans. Buying a business. Funding from our proposed financing solution allows you to purchase an existing business.

We caution clients that the requirement for purchasing a business using the SBL vehicle requires that the seller agree to an asset sale, as opposed to a share sale. Almost any industry can be financed in this manner, as long as there are assets in the business that you are acquiring.

The good news here is that the emphasis on the financing of your proposed purchase is focused on the previous success of the business, as well as your ability and experience to run and grow the business. The SBL loan can also finance real estate as part of a business purchase – in this case the traditional limit of financing actually increases to $ 500,000.00.

Potential use # 4 for the Federal small business loan – refinancing! If you or your firm incorporated or otherwise have purchased assets within the last 6 months they can be refinanced under our proposed program. This generates working capital that can be put back in your business. In certain cases an appraisal might be required on the asset, but that is a very modest expenditure relative to the benefits of the financing received that come back into your business cash flow.

Finally, use # 5 for Canada government loans. It’s buying and financing a franchise. Entrepreneurs in Canada finance thousands of franchises each year under the program, which in many ways is perfectly suited to the challenges of a franchise.

There you have it, 5 solid uses for the utilization for the federal SBL Loan. As we noted federal denotes Ottawa and government, but Canada’s chartered banks administer and fund the program under federal auspices. Speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing on how you or your business can utilize this valuable Canadian business financing vehicle.