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With so many businesses now online, there has been a dramatic shift in how many companies need upfront funding. But that doesn’t mean that you won’t need a cash injection further down the line.
So what can a small business loan do for you? And how can you make the most of the sba 7(a) lending program?
Here are some of the most effective ways to use your small business funding.
Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash
Equipment
One of the best ways that you can spend your small business loan is on equipment. It might be that you move away from renting equipment to purchasing it, or you may choose to extend the equipment that you have.
All of your equipment is an asset to your business, which adds value.
Equipment may also be things like vans to make deliveries or adding new product lines to your business.
It may also cover electrical items too.
Website
In the early days, your website probably did a great job of effectively delivering information to your visitors. However, over time, many people want to upgrade their website and have it professionally made.
Having your website professionally made will mean you can add features and useability that most people who self-build can’t quite get.
Not to mention that as your client base or customers grow, you will need to have a more effective way to manage them or a more sophisticated payment portal or accounts.
A refreshed website can also be the perfect time to rebrand, which brings us to the next point.
Branding
Many small business owners have an idea of what they want to convey to the viewer but often miss with their branding. It is not for the lack of vision, though; often, it is to create a cohesive look and get brand assets down on paper.
Hiring a branding professional will mean that you can talk through all of your ideas and discuss where you see the business going in the future. Eventually leading to a high-quality and long-lasting brand.
If you consider some of the biggest brands in the world, they have colors, fonts, and even the language they use feels cohesive. It is that cohesiveness that adds to their success.
Marketing
If people don’t know about you – they can’t hire you! Attracting new customers is a tricky thing to do in many markets – because there is so much competition. A small business loan can help you to make the most of your marketing.
And, just like the branding expert, you have the chance to hire a professional to take the reins, so you get the most out of the budget.
You can hire in-house staff or outsource the work to a company or a freelancer – the choice is yours.
Inventory
For product-based businesses, small business loans can be the ticket to making sure that you have all of the inventory you need to grow. It’s not just to get more of the same products that you already have either – it can be an ideal opportunity to get feedback from your customers about what they want and source it.
Offering a wide selection of goods can often help to bring in new customers and keep the ones you already have loyal.
Training
It is not just your staff that can benefit from training – wouldn’t you like to be even better at what you do? Investing cash in yourself and your staff will mean the work that you produce is of higher quality and value.
Depending on the responsibilities of your staff, you might want them to take deeper training – or just widen their skill set.
Investing in your skills is investing in your company long-term.
Hiring
Hiring the right staff can be tricky and costly, but a cash injection can make it much simpler. You can use some of the funding to field the hard work of finding the right people out to a recruitment specialist.
They will be able to ensure you get a highly-qualified pre-vetted person through your doors for an interview.
Space
If you have been working from your kitchen table or perhaps a room in your home, then maybe your cash injection should be used to get yourself some time as a co-working office for a few months; often, a membership is required.
Or if you need to rent a unit for a few months. Be sure not to get tied into contracts that are either too long or too expensive.
Perhaps one of the essential things is that loans need to be paid back, so it is vital that you know if your business can make those repayments before you take the loan: What Makes a Profitable Business? – Idyllic Pursuit.
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