Although banks and other business lenders have made a pointed effort to portray themselves as lending normally, very few business owners are likely to suggest that there is anything normal about obtaining financing from current commercial finance programs. It has become a routine occurrence for small business owners to be told by their current commercial lender that it will be necessary to seek another source for commercial loans and working capital.

I published several earlier articles which addressed some of the problems that commercial borrowers are experiencing when they attempt to obtain working capital financing and commercial loans. It has become clear that current commercial lending conditions have become even more difficult for most business owners. For example, one of these commercial finance reports described the unfortunate possibility of firing your banker as one of several guerrilla financing techniques that might be required for a small business to survive in the face of extreme business banking conditions.

It would not be realistic to suggest that there are one or two obvious business lending sources that will solve the working capital needs for all businesses in need of help. Nevertheless I would not advocate the guerrilla financing tactic of firing your bank and your banker if there were not suitable alternative sources for small business financing.

Identifying the most likely alternatives can be accomplished in several ways but one of the most effective approaches will include detailed discussions with commercial loans experts that are experienced in nationwide business financing similar to what the business owner currently needs. Realistically the search for new commercial lending sources must start with an admission from a small business owner that they do in fact need to find a new source for business loans.

The best commercial finance solutions will depend on the business location, type of financing, kind of business, operating history and size of loan desired. A key point for business owners to remember is that there really are a number of viable and effective commercial lenders that are currently active in making commercial loans to businesses that are in desperate need of commercial financing. Some of the most realistic sources for small business loans are operating regionally rather than nationally.

In addition to the advice contained in this article, small business owners should review commercial finance resources such as The Working Capital Management Guide, a free online publication which focuses on short term capital financing strategies. Commercial borrowers should also have a candid discussion with a commercial loan expert who is capable of providing appropriate help for their unique business financing needs.

Contingency planning (“always have a Plan B”) is likely to help small business owners avoid complex problems. But when it comes to commercial loans and commercial mortgages, working capital strategies often fail to include adequate attention to contingency plans and what can go wrong.

One of the most entertaining and effective depictions of contingency planning is a movie called “Rare Birds”. This movie stars William Hurt and includes variations of the line, “Always have a Plan B”. For any business owner who doubts the importance of contingency plans, the movie will provide an enlightening perspective.

The usefulness of a Plan B mentality is likely to be beneficial to many aspects of running a successful business. Contingency plans appears to be under-utilized when business owners seek new working capital funds via strategies such as commercial mortgages and business cash advances.

A major reason for this oversight is that many commercial borrowers probably assume that there are not effective alternatives to the business financing they are seeking. With this thinking, business owners might believe that it would not make sense to devote time to exploring a contingency finance plan. After watching the movie mentioned above, it will become much easier to understand at times like this that it is not a waste of time for businesses to “Always have a Plan B”.

In this regard, Plan B contingency commercial financing should be viewed as insurance to protect a business owner in the event that something goes wrong with their working capital management. A few examples are provided below.

First, a surprising number of local and regional banks have recently decided to pull the plug on future business financing in their lending portfolio. When they do so, very little advance notice has been provided in most instances. If a business has commercial loans or commercial mortgages with a regional or local lender, a Plan B should be developed for the contingency that alternative business loan arrangements could be needed in the near future.

Second, many small businesses have commercial loans that contain recall provisions that permit the lender to review the loan each year (or every two to three years). Even though in this instance the commercial lender might continue a financing role for some businesses, they will in fact selectively eliminate what they consider to be marginal loans by use of the recall loan terms. If they do, the borrower will need to pay off the entire loan or refinance within a limited period of time. The loss of control by the borrower even though they might have been making timely payments is perhaps the most disturbing aspect of recall features. The best solution for avoiding this possibility is to review current business loans and explore Plan B refinancing options if recall terms are included.

Third, numerous prominent providers for business cash advances routinely make unrealistic promises about what they can do and how long it will take. Business owners should have thorough discussions with a potential business financing advisor to adequately prepare for this possibility. In this case the Plan B approach occurs prior to finance arrangements being finalized (unlike the first two examples in which financing was already in place).

Fourth, many lenders for SBA loans, business opportunity financing and commercial mortgage loans are frequently guilty of under-delivering and over-promising. Local and regional lenders seem to produce a disproportionate number of problems like this. Similar to the recommended approach for business cash advances, commercial borrowers should pursue Plan B contingency financing. The ideal timing to discuss alternative commercial financing options is before committing to a specific lender.

Finally, for the four examples noted above as well as the numerous other possibilities where contingency planning is appropriate for commercial loans and working capital loans, we do have a closing thought. “Always have a Plan B”.

Commercial loan mistakes can have severe financial consequences. However, with proper time and effort, the business finance problems described in this article can be overcome successfully.

Unanticipated business financing mistakes are often difficult to avoid because they involve complications that are not easily understood by many commercial borrowers. There is often a tendency for borrowers to ignore or overlook factors that can produce long-term financial problems with complicated commercial loan situations.

What benefits will you realize when you avoid a common business financing mistake? Commercial borrowers should expect to avoid potentially devastating business finance problems and secure improved commercial loan terms by taking some extra time and caution when they are obtaining a new business loan or commercial mortgage. The stakes are high and this will admittedly require a concerted effort by business owners in order to successfully avoid commercial financing mistakes.

This report will address two approaches for avoiding mistakes with business financing. Both are considered to be of somewhat equal importance, so it is strongly suggested that business owners devote time to both approaches.

You should make an initial evaluation of the need for long-term or short-term business financing. It is essential to consider all possibilities before you commit to a commercial loan. With a long-term business loan, borrowers are likely to incur substantial penalties if they need to refinance in the first three to five years. With short-term business finance agreements, business owners could be faced with the need to obtain new financing that will replace an existing loan at an inopportune time.

The biggest potential mistake could occur if a borrower is not aware of the terms in their commercial financing. Even though a commercial borrower might have what appears to be a long-term commercial mortgage, many traditional lenders include recall terms that allow the lender to require early repayment of the commercial real estate financing under specified conditions. Lack of knowledge about such loan terms can prove to be a serious mistake. Here is a recommended solution to help avoid this specific problem and other related problems: Commercial borrowers should look for resources which will provide relevant solutions for a business owner contemplating business purchase or real estate refinancing.

Working with an experienced business finance lender and advisor is an absolute must. Following such advice will not be as easy as you probably imagine due to the recent chaos in the residential real estate mortgage field. This unexpected financial turmoil has resulted in an increasing number of residential brokers and lenders seeking to become active in the business financing field. What this means is that there are now substantially more inexperienced financial advisors attempting to advise business owners about how to obtain a commercial mortgage or commercial loan.

Obviously there is a high probability of serious mistakes occurring if an inexperienced loan advisor is used, and these mistakes are unfortunately likely to be of a critical nature because of specialized business loan requirements. Here is a suggested solution: Business borrowers should thoroughly discuss financing alternatives with a commercial financing expert before buying or refinancing a business investment or commercial property.