There is nothing worse than having a business idea that could be your biggest break, bring change, and create employment for many but, fail to implement it due to lack of funds.
Well, you are never alone, there are some reputable government and private institutions that offer start-up loans for small businesses just like the one you envisage.
You will have to get all your paperwork in order and have a clear plan for the whole business operation.
Obviously, you having a winning business idea does not guarantee to fund, there are requirements that you will have to meet to qualify for the loan, with one of the most important factors being your personal credit score.
Figuring out which loans are best, however, isn’t always easy so to simplify things for you, we highlight the best small business start-up loans available in South Africa that you can consider to invest in your success.
Government Grants And Funding Schemes
There are various sources that the government has set up to assist entrepreneurs. The Department of Trade and Industry offers a range of incentives and grants or loans to suit various business requirements.
The competition is tight, so for you to make it through, you will have to have a solid detailed business proposal in place, be registered, have a tax clearance certificate, an open business bank account in addition to a list of other requirements.
If you do qualify you will most likely be put through a mentorship programme. Interestingly, the benefit that this form of funding has over private funding from a bank is lower interest rates and significantly more flexible repayment plans. You can find out more about the various development plans from Incentives SA.
The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) offers a grant programme that is aimed at providing young entrepreneurs with an opportunity to access both financial and non-financial development support in order to enable them to establish or grow their businesses.
Their non-financial service includes mentorship, business consultancy services, cooperative development, and business management training programmes.
Small Enterprise Finance Agency (SEFA) is also part of the national government agencies that provide access to finance to small, medium, and micro enterprises throughout South Africa.
Banks And Private Lenders
Major banks such as Nedbank, Absa, Standard Bank offer loans to small and medium businesses.
All the banks have their own requirements which you will have to meet to qualify and their interest rates may differ depending on the bank and payment plan you would have agreed on with the lender.
Get the ball rolling and call your bank to find out how you could benefit from such opportunities.
There are various private lenders that you can also consider for financing depending on your needs.
Fincheck has partnered with banks, and lenders offering the user a simple application for multiple providers. Lenders benefit from an additional marketplace and extensive customer reach. Loan amounts vary from lender to lender.
Fees, interest rates, loan amounts, and credit scores influence the repayment terms.
Bright On Capital provides a range of affordable working capital funding solutions to small and emerging businesses with sustainable growth prospects.
They cater to small businesses that have been trading for at least 12 months, who are supplying one or more corporates or credit-worthy public entities and are expecting to generate at least R1 million in annual revenues.
Can You Get A Business Start-up Loan With Bad Credit?
Bear in mind that this is a loan so it will need to be paid back so before any financial institution considers anyone for a loan, one of the first things that they check is the eligibility of the applicant.
And one way through which they do this is by checking up the credit score of the applicant.
So, the applicant will have to make sure that their credit record is clean, and that they have a positive credit score as the lower the credit score, the riskier it becomes to be considered for a loan.
Business Start-up Loans VS Grants
Unlike loans, grants are way more convenient because they are designed to help you build your business with no repayment.
There will be no need for you to pay the grant money back (not even interest), but there may be certain conditions attached to the funding. For example, you may be required to hire local staff, as one of the government’s goals is job creation.
Start-up loans/grants are the best things that have ever happened to small businesses.
With various institutions willing to offer to fund anyone who qualifies for a loan, there are certain things that you as an applicant will have to look out for.
First things first, your proposal has to be on point and convincing. Followed by your supporting documents and a good credit score.
Remember, you must know exactly how much money you need and be specific about what you will be using the money for. Many financial institutions are averse to risk, so you need to demonstrate a willingness to put your best foot forward to get business start-up loans in South Africa.