What Is a Working Capital Loan?
A 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:working capital loan is a loan that is taken to finance a company's everyday operations. These loans are not used to buy long-term assets or investments and are, instead, used to 💟provide the working ca🍬pital that covers a company's short-term operational needs.
Those 🌟needs can include costs such as payroll, rent, and debt payments. In this way, working capital loans are simply corporate debt borrowings that are used by a company to finance its daily operations.
Key Takeaways
- A working capital loan is a loan taken to finance a company's everyday operations.
- Working capital loans are not used to buy long-term assets or investments; they are used to provide working capital to covers a company's short-term operational needs.
- Companies with high seasonality or cyclical sales may rely on working capital loans to help with periods of reduced business activity.
- Working capital loans are often tied to a business owner's personal credit, so missed payments or defaults may hurt their credit score.
Understanding Working Capital Loans
Sometimes a company does not have adequate cash on hand or asset liquidity to cover day-to-day operational expenses and, thus, will secure a loan for this purpose. Companies with high seasonality or 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:cyclical sales may rely on working capital loans to hel🐬p with periods of reduced business activity.
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Investopedia / Nez Riaz
Many companies do not have stable or predictable revenue throughout the year. Manufacturing companies, for example, may have cyclical sales that correspond with the needs of retailers. Most retailers sell more pro🅠ducts during the fourth quarter—that is, during the holiday season—than at any oth🧸er time of the year.
To supply retailers with the proper𝓰 amount of goods, manufacturers typically conduct most of their production activity during the summer months, readying inventories for the fourth quarter push. Then, when the end of the year hits, retailers reduce manufacturing purchases as they focus on selling through their inventory, which subsequently reduces manufacturing sales.
Manufacturers with this type of seasonality often require a working capital loan to pay wages and other 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:operating expenses during the quiet period of the fourth quarter. The loan is usually repaid by the time the company hits its busy season and no longer needs the financing. Businesses can also pledge their inventory to secure funds with 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:warehouse financing.
Important
Missed payments on a working capital loan may hurt the business owner's credit score if the loan is tied to their personal credit.
Types of financing include a term loan, a 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:business line of credit, or 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:invoice financing, a form♍ of short-term borrowing extended by a lender to its business customers based on unpaid invoices. Business credit cards, which allow you tﷺo earn rewards, can also provide access to working capital.
Pros and Cons of Working Capital Loans
The immediate benefit of a working capital loan is that it's easy to obtain and lets business owners efficiently cover any gaps in working 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:capital expenditures. The other noticeable benefit is that it is a form of 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:debt financing an�ও�d does not require an equity transaction, meaning that a business owner maintains full control of their company, even if the financing need is dire.
Some working capital loans are 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:unsecured. If this is the case, a company is not required to put down any collateral to secure the loan. However, only companies or business owners with a high 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:credit rating are eligible for an unsecured loan. Businesses with little to no credit have to 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:securitize the loan.
A 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:collateralized working capital loan that needs asset collateral can be a drawback to the loan process. However, there are other potential drawbacks to this type of working capital loan. Interest rates are high in order to compens💙ate the lending institution for risk. Furthermore, working capital loans are often tied to a business owner's personal credit, and any missed payments or defaults may hurt their credit score.