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How Do Short-Term Loans Work?

 

Sometimes your business just needs extra cash—right away.

But can you actually get financing that fast?

SMI Funding helps businesses get funding in all shapes and sizes… Including loans that make it to your bank account before you know it.

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Let’s take a closer look at how these smaller short-term loans can make a big difference.

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When Can a Short-Term Loan Help You?

 

Anyone who runs a small business knows: it takes money to make money.

That makes access to working capital essential—whether you’re just starting out or have big plans to expand your existing business.

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In fact, just about every business needs extra working capital from time to time. When that’s the case, a short-term loan might be the best option.

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For example…

 

Some Short-Term Loan Case Studies

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What if you have the opportunity to fill a massive order for a customer who can pay you in 60 days, but your supplier needs to be paid in a week?

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Without access to cash, you might have to pass up that golden opportunity.

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But with a short-term loan, you could get the funding you need to fill that order—and then pay your loan back when your customer pays you.

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Or maybe you have a seasonal small business that needs an influx of capital just before the holiday season.

Getting a short-term loan would give you the funding to cover promotional expenses and build your inventory well before the holidays—even though you might be short on cash right now.

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Other businesses find that a short-term loan is a great way to fund business expansion, refinance other short-term debts at more favorable terms, pay upcoming taxes, put extra cash into their business to take advantage of new opportunities, or meet pretty much any short-term financing need.

 

The big point?

Fast financing gives you the flexibility to spend how you need.

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Mechanics of a Short-Term Loan

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Short-term loans work like traditional term loans: predictability is the name of the game.

Overall, it’s a straightforward loan product.

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You receive a set amount of cash upfront that you agree to pay back, along with the lender’s fees and interest, over a predetermined period of time.

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But with short-term loans, loan amounts tend to be smaller, the repayment period drastically shorter, interest rates higher, and you often pay the lender back on a daily or weekly instead of monthly schedule.

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On the flip side, they’re usually easier to qualify for, faster to apply for, and quicker to fund.

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One thing to keep in mind, though: short-term loans are some of the most expensive loans available to small businesses.

Although they make sense for plenty of situations, the best loan for your business is always the lowest-cost loan. Do your research, apply for a few different loan types, and if it comes down to it, make sure your business has a clear plan on how it will pay back short-term debt.

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