Nebraska is located in both the Great Plains and the Midwestern United States. The state has experienced a positive population growth despite of it being lower than the national average. The state’s economy is more dependent on its service sector including transportation and public utilities, trade, insurance and finance. Moreover, Nebraska provides great opportunities for small businesses to thrive with reputed universities and very low cost of living compared to most other states. On top of that, the youth community consist of mostly professional individuals and helpful people. This makes it much easier for Nebraska small businesses to operate and grow. There are more than 160,000 small businesses in Nebraska, which makes up about 96.5 percent of all Nebraska-based businesses. Thus, Nebraska small businesses are undoubtedly vital to the state’s economy. There are various Nebraska small business loan options for the businesses in need.

How can I get a small business loan in Nebraska?

Most small businesses in Nebraska will require financial assistance at some point of their journey. Nebraska small business loans are providing much needed funding for all types of businesses at reasonable rates. It is up to the business owner to choose the best lending option.

A business can opt for Conventional Bank loan. Conventional bank loans are definitely the most looked for when a business needs financial assistance as they offer the best rates out of all. These loans are offered by both large and small banks in Nebraska. The company will be given a period of time to repay the commercial loan which will be specified in termed agreements. The repayment period may vary from months to even ten years depending on the amount. Moreover, rates for traditional loans vary from lenders to lenders. The company should research and find the best possible lender. They are mostly utilized by Nebraska small businesses to take hold of other businesses, purchase commercial real estate, refinance a business mortgage, help with expansion financing of other businesses, and offer small businesses working capital.

Small Business Administration (SBA) lending program is specially designed for small businesses to help owners take a firm hold of their business. These are long term loans and are controlled by the government. SBA loans are specifically designed for small businesses as they provide better security. This means, in case a Nebraska small business defaults, SBA loan reduces the lender’s exposure to losses as the government helps to cover up for most of their losses. However, being backed by the government, the process requires a lot of paperwork. The company will need to show strong health, a good borrowing history, good credit and demonstrate a profitable business plan and show their ability to repay the loan. SBA 7(a) loan is the most common out of many SBA lending options. The process takes about a month.

Cash advances are not actually any kind of business loans as they are business-to-business transactions where the small business sells a small portion of their future revenue to a much more established company in expectation of more efficient profit. This makes it possible for a Nebraska small business to get funded with a merchant cash advance even if they have a bad credit. Cash advances include long-term merchant cash advances, bad credit cash advances, additional position cash advances, and advances used for consolidation, which are repaid by either making a remittance to the cash advance funding company, or by having a set amount automatically sent to the funder using Automated Clearing House transaction via the business’s bank account.

Invoice Factoring is a business-to-business transaction that allows a company the potential to leverage unpaid 30, 60 and 90 day invoices to gain specialized short-term business financing before the customer actually pays the invoice. Nebraska small businesses receives much needed working capital to help with cash-flow at a feasible rate. Invoice factoring offers a very hassle-free process which requires much less paperwork than any traditional loans. Moreover, no credit check is required.

Challenges faced by small businesses in Nebraska

Nebraska suffers from lack of diversity, where the minorities find it difficult to grow their business no matter how professional they are. However, the people are anticipating positive changes in the future.

In this generation of technology, where social media plays a very important role in marketing, Nebraska is still very much reliant on Word-of-mouth marketing. This demands much more effort from the Nebraska small businesses, and discourages them to progress at some instances.

Unsecured business loans in Nebraska

Business lines of credit is a kind of small business loan that offers flexibility which usual loans does not offer. This type of loan is best to compensate for expenses that tend to fluctuate throughout the course of the year. Line of credit is offered by banks in Nebraska at revolving terms and the process can be completed as quick as 24 hours.

Equipment financing is another type of lending where new or used business equipment can be financed. While some Nebraska small businesses will find it easiest and most affordable to obtain a term loan or other type of lending facility to purchase business equipment, other small business owners may find that the best way to obtain the equipment is to lease rather than buy. This is because leasing reduces the amount of cash that would be required instead of leasing equipment. By leasing, the company won’t be forced to pay the full-price for the equipment upfront. On top of that, they will be provided with updated equipment.

Term loan is another form of loan which is paid in instalments over a set period of time. Term loans can also be used as acquisitions, and consolidations and refinancing business debt. This type of loan offers varying rates.

Documents required to get a small business loan in Nebraska

  • 1 page application
  • 3 months of bank statements

Nebraska small businesses can take advantage of the well-designed tax system and low living cost. Moreover, with a friendly community, and the right lenders, the businesses can progress smoothly with inevitable hiccups in the way.