Most Entrepreneurs Don't Realize There Are Different Types of Credit Lines Available to Them - Picking the Right One For You Is Important

Business owners tend to gravitate toward their local banker for financing, seems logical. But there are options for lines of credit your banker may not be thinking of that could work better for you.

Whether it's for your business or your personal finance, having ready access to cash is never a bad idea and serves as an insurance policy. Many people are fearful of debt (and rightly so), but with a credit line, you only use it when you need it. Many credit lines expire after never being used.

For many business owners, a straightforward vanilla line of credit isthe best and only choice.  However, if you are a business-to-businesscompany that has receivables and possibly inventory you could also be eligible for an asset-based line of credit.

Let's run some numbers

For our example, let's say our company has $3 million in annualtopline sales, $500,000 in accounts receivable and $300,000 ininventory.

As a general rule, a bank will lend about 10 percent of a company'stopline sales or, in this case, $300,000, with a straight line ofcredit.

But with an asset-based line of credit, a lender is generally willingto spring for 85 percent of accounts receivable ($425,000 in this case)and 50 percent of inventory ($150,000) for a total of $575,000.

And there's the added liquidity you might need.

Some other details

Because an asset-based line of credit is secured by your accounts receivable, the lender will want to see that you have sales to commercial clients that are creditworthy. Anything shady (or potentially shady) is going to make a lender think twice.

Your accounts receivable can't be tied up with any other kind of financings, such as another business loan -- or the existing lender would have to agree to subordinate its position.

Also, your financial reports should be in sterling shape, with clear evidence that you have an active and established process for collecting receivables.

On the positive side, the financial covenants involved with asset-based lines of credit often are more flexible than those with conventional credit lines; covenants for the latter might include maintaining a specific net worth, having a monthly certification and maintaining financial ratios at predetermined levels.

Interest rates on asset-based loans are typically slightly higher than a straight line of credit.  So you have to evaluate if extra liquidity is worth the additional cost.  There will also be regular reporting into your lender to validate your assets.

So how do you decide

As with any loan or financial commitment, take the time to make the best decision for you. Build a forecast of your business going forward and decide how much liquidity you will need to grow and meet your objectives. If an asset-based line gives you more flexibility, it might be worth the extra cost.