Business Financing - The Best and Worst Finance Trends of 2007

It was truly a good news mixed with bad news situation when reviewing business finance developments that occurred during 2007. Many of the commercial loan trends that emerged last year have significant implications for commercial borrowers seeking either new financing or refinancing in the coming months.

For business cash advance and credit card processing services, the past 12 months have been characterized by significant changes. There were many providers both entering and exiting these business activities. The fact that many poor providers have been forced to stop their role in these complex working capital services is positive news for business owners. But the bad news is that there are still many new and inexperienced companies attempting to operate in this complex field.

A similar trend involving inexperience can be seen in viewing the large number of residential financing brokers now attempting to transition into business financing. Since by some estimates approximately 100,000 residential financing employees lost their jobs during 2007, there is a real possibility that thousands of unqualified brokers will be entering the business finance field during 2008 or have already started the process.

There was a visible reduction in SBA loan providers during the past few months. This is primarily a positive development, since the field has long been overpopulated with inadequate business lenders.

Likewise many local and regional banks visibly reduced or eliminated their business financing activities during the past 12 months. The bad news about this trend is that very few former commercial lenders provided their borrowers with adequate notification of their intent to exit the business. The silver lining to this otherwise negative trend is that a surprising number of borrowers have obtained improved financing as a result of dealing with a new lender that truly specializes in working capital management and commercial real estate financing.

A general business loan trend impacting refinancing is the reduction in loan-to-value ratios, especially when borrowers are attempting to get some of their equity out of the business in cash. Increased down payments are increasingly necessary to purchase special purpose properties such as churches and funeral homes.

Although the general decrease in interest rates during the past year is a positive development, there will probably be some confusion among commercial borrowers who have adjustable rate terms when they do not see their rates reduced. In all likelihood, this will be due to a common clause applied to most commercial loan contracts that stipulate that the minimum rate for such agreements will never be less than the initial rate. With such a floor rate provision, this means that if a borrower starts with an adjustable rate set at 10% and then rates fall, the effective loan rate will remain at the initial rate.

A major commercial property investment trend has been some increasing activity due to the current decline in viable residential investing options. This seems to be particularly true for business opportunity situations which do not have a real estate component, an aspect of increasing importance to investors who want avoid property ownership at this time.

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