Contractor Business Loans

Being a general or a sub contractor is a business model where the owner has the ability to do something they love, and get paid well! This is especially a business that requires working capital injections, often time more than others.

There are many reasons a contractor business loan may be a necessary component to keeping things running smoothly.

• Keeping up with rising material costs
• Bridging net term payments to stay ahead
• Bidding on new projects, or contracts
• Marketing & Advertising
• Hiring additional workers
• Dealing with regulatory costs, such as license, insurance and bonding requirements
• Unexpected situations, such as not being paid timely

As the saying goes, it takes money to make money. When a contractor is looking to expand, looking into contractor business loans and financing is a great place to start.

A bank is the best place to look if eligible, as rates will be the lowest. However, most businesses desire quicker access to funding, and with less documentation and hassles, there are a few solid options to grow your construction firm.

Short Term Business Loan

This is the quickest, and easiest way for a contractor to obtain working capital, in a quick time frame. Out of all contractor business loans, this would be the easiest to obtain. With repayment terms from 6-18 months, you will not be entangled in long term debt. Repayment terms are generally much easier to handle, typically with smaller weekly payments to ease the larger monthly payment commitment. For more details on short term funding, check out the benefits here.

Term Loan

For those bigger moves, such as taking on a project that can exceed 18 months, sometimes a quick repayment structure is not the answer. For contractors with 2 years in business, positive financials, and at least a 680 FICO score, a term loan may be the best loan option for your operation. Terms typically span 2-5 years, with a monthly payment and lower rates, typically 9-15% APR, with no prepayment penalty. You can learn more about term loans here.

Contractor Line of Credit

A revolving line of credit is a great asset to contractor that has funding needs crop up from time to time. Without the requirement of taking a lump sum of funding, a contractor line of credit can give you access to revolving credit, without having to charge up personal credit cards, and in turn lowering your FICO. The main advantage with this type of funding is the cost, it is cheaper than other programs, and you only pay interest on the time you have the funding. You can learn more specifically about lines of credit here.

Invoice Factoring

Invoice factoring is a very cost effective way to unlock your account receivables. In this type of financing, the lender simply will purchase your invoice at a small discount, unlocking your money for immediate use, and not creating any debt. This is best for B2B contractors who have larger invoices, such as those from government contracts.

As you can see, there are plenty of options for contractor business loans outside of a bank, or asking friends and family. Always ensure you are working with a company that helps guide you to the best options, and does not try and talk you into a specific one.