photo credit: juhansonin

Starting a business is an overwhelming thought. One of the first things to consider is the funding you will need to get off the ground. In the past, you would need to either find investors, an angel investor, or attempt to get a business loan. Today, peer to peer lending is a new option that people are finding it as a viable option for funding a business.

The advantage of using peer to peer lending is the scale of your application. When you apply to a bank or approach an angel investor this is just one potential lender. If you use peer to peer lending, you are submitting a request for funding to thousands of potential investors. Everyone that is on a peer to peer lending site is a potential investor. Large sites like Prosper have a couple hundred thousand members. That is an exposure not easily achieved through the other models.

There are specific peer to peer lending sites that are designed for entrepreneurs. 40 billion is one of these sites. They offer a large range of funding from $1,000 to $99,000. It allows you to then sell your loan and business by giving you the ability to upload power point presentations and video. You can also invite people to invest in your loan to gain exposure and possible funding. To further help entrepreneurs, 40 Billion has business to business classified. This list could include attorneys, web development, and business cards.

The cons of using peer to peer lending for business loans are the limited amount of funds you could receive. If your idea is a large one and you need more than just a $100,000 then peer to peer lending might not be the route you want to take. Secondly, the loan will not be in the business’s name but in a person’s name. This person is then responsible for the loan regardless of how the business does. As a single entrepreneur this might be fine, but getting funding as a group means one person needs to take responsibility.

Peer to peer lending for small business has its place. For a person looking for just some start up money or just to expand, it could be ideal. Also, there is no guarantee that it will be funded so the borrowers need to sell it. If you are thinking about applying for a peer to peer loan be very clear on what it is for and what are your goals. This is a sign of a person who has direct and makes for a more confident business proposal.

To learn more about peer to peer loans visit Kyle’s website. There you will find great information about peer to peer lending

photo credit: karpov the wrecked train

In the past getting a loan used to be a pretty intimidating process, getting dressed in your Sunday best, looking your best and venturing into town to the bank for a date with the Bank Manager. Once there you used to have to throw yourself at the mercy of the manager and plead for them to lend you money, getting declined for a loan was often a demoralising and embarrassing process.

These days applying for a loan is much more stress-free with the decision on whether you get given the money being based more on details such as your income, credit report and other factors, but still people can get turned down for reasons other than a poor credit record. In light of the recent credit crunch many banks are being more cautious about whom they lend money to and in some cases have ceased offering unsecured loans.

Luckily there is another option for those turned away, and no it isn’t visiting the local mafia! Peer to Peer Lending is a recent phenomenon in the lending business where organisations bring people looking to borrow money together with people who are willing to lend money. Companies such as Prosper, Zopa and Lending Club offer this service and have proved popular.

These personal loans are a bit of a hit and miss though with some lenders sticking to a high Interest rate in order to make their investment worthwhile, lenders are warned that the larger the amount they are willing to lend is, then the more risk they are putting themselves into. Obviously all loans from these services are not secured loans and so there is little equity for the lenders to be assured by.

Lenders are urged to check the site’s procedures for getting repayments as in some cases the lenders may default on their repayments and this is to be expected as the type of borrowers this scheme appeals to are mostly people who have been deemed high risk by the banks and refused conventional loans.

If you are struggling with debt and other expenses then maybe consider arranging personal loans for smaller amounts or if you need larger amounts and own property then consider secured loans as an option. As with all loans ensure you are able to make the repayments and consider the APR