Summary:
- Unsecured funding lets businesses borrow money without having to borrow against their business assets.
- To be considered eligible the business owner must be over 18, the business must operate as a limited company, and the business must be registered and based in the UK.
- Businesses can borrow between £1,000 – £500,000 and repay the loan over a period of 1 – 24 months. The loan is repaid monthly and interest is charged on the loan.
- Once the application is submitted, businesses can be approved for funding within 24 hours.
What is an unsecured business loan?
An unsecured business loan allows companies to borrow money without having to attach security. This means that businesses do not have to forfeit property or assets should they default on the loan.
How can I apply for an unsecured business loan?
Applying for an unsecured business loan is simple when applying with For Kredit. Applicants will need to complete the online application form and provide some basic information about themselves and their businesses. Successful applicants can be approved for funding within 24 hours of the application being submitted.
How much money can I apply for with an unsecured business loan?
Businesses can borrow between £1,000 – £500,000 when they apply for an unsecured business loan with For Kredit. It is down to the business to decide how much money they would like to apply for. As the loan amount is subject to approval by the lender, the initial amount applied may not always be offered.
Is my business eligible for an unsecured business loan?
To be considered for unsecured business financing, the small business must meet the following criteria:
- The owner of the business is over the age of 18 years old.
- The business is a limited company.
- The limited company is based in the UK.
Although a business may be considered eligible for a business loan, it does not necessarily mean that the business will be guaranteed unsecured funding.
What are the repayment terms of an unsecured business loan?
Businesses can choose to repay an unsecured business loan over a period of 1 – 24 months depending on what they prefer. The repayments are made via monthly payments and interest is charged on the funding borrowed but only for the days that you have not repaid the loan (2%-6%). There are no early repayment fees, so businesses can choose to repay the loan early if they wish to.
Does the business owner have to sign a personal guarantee?
Yes, as the loan is unsecured the lender is exposed to a greater amount of risk therefore the business owner/director is required to sign a personal guarantee.
The personal guarantee helps to minimise the risk as it legally obligates the signee to personally repay any of the outstanding loans should a business close down or fail to repay the loan. This means that the owner would have to use their personal assets to repay the difference of the unsettled debt.
I have a poor credit score, will this impact my application?
Having poor credit can affect the terms of an unsecured loan but does not always mean that the business is automatically refused funding. Having a poorer-than-average credit score can lead to a lender offering a smaller loan amount or increasing the interest rate charged on the loan. However, a business with an extremely poor credit rating may not be accepted for finance.
Lenders will usually undertake credit checks (both business and personal credit scores) upon a business following their application. This is a necessity as it provides the lender with greater clarity of how the business operates and helps to ensure that the lender meets responsible lending standards.
The lender will also look at how the business performs by looking at VAT returns and bank statements which helps to inform the decision made by the lender.
What is the difference between a secured business loan and an unsecured business loan?
Secured business loan
A secured loan requires the borrower to ‘secure’ collateral when they borrow money to ensure that if they fail to repay the lender, the lender receives the attached collateral in return. The collateral required as part of a secured loan generally varies, as long as the value of the business asset meets the loan amount it can technically be anything.
In general, a number of business assets can be used as collateral, such as equipment or real estate. If the business fails to repay the secured loan, the lender is entitled to seize the collateral that was attached to the loan in order to settle the debt. Interest rates are still charged on a secured loan but are generally lower than an unsecured loan as there is inherently less risk for the lender.
Unsecured business loan
An unsecured loan is where a business borrows money from a lender, but does not require the borrower to attach any business assets to the loan. Some small business owners prefer this form of funding as it means there is less risk to the borrower of losing expensive business equipment or property. This does sometimes mean that as it does not require security it may lead to higher interest rates.
One of the benefits is that unsecured loans from online lenders are a much faster process to receiving funding compared to secured funding. This is because secured funding requires greater legal scrutiny as well as somebody to actually come and value the equipment secured to the loan. However, most business owners are required to sign a personal guarantee when they take out an unsecured loan.
Why do businesses apply for unsecured business funding?
Faster approval
One of the benefits of an unsecured business loan is that funding can be approved fairly quickly providing the application has been detailed. Often secured financing requires external bodies to get involved such as legal or valuation companies to assess how much the collateral is worth.
Wide range of providers
An unsecured business loan is a fairly popular form of business funding which means that it is quite an accessible form of financing for businesses. Businesses can find unsecured funding via credit brokers, direct lenders, or even public loans by the British Business Bank.
Helps raise capital
Unsecured finance is generally fairly flexible which means businesses can raise capital for a variety of different needs. A business may wish to use an unsecured loan to purchase new equipment, hire new staff, to aid with cash flow, or for marketing.
What other funding options are available?
Unsecured funding can be used for a number of situations and different business types due to its popularity and flexibility as a funding product. Below are a variety of other unsecured funding options for a business to consider.
- Startup business loans
- Small business loans
- Bad credit business loans
- Cash flow loans
- Limited company loans
- Short-term business loans
FAQs
How much money can I apply for with an unsecured business loan?
Businesses can choose to apply for unsecured funding between £1,000 – £500,000 when applying online with For Kredit. All loan amounts are subject to the evaluation of applications by the lender.
How can I apply for an unsecured business loan?
Businesses can apply online for an unsecured loan by completing the online application process at For Kredit. The application takes minutes to complete and requires basic details about the business owner and the business. Successful applicants can be approved for funding within 24 hours of the application being submitted.
How long do I have to repay the unsecured business loan?
The business owner can decide how long they need to repay the loan, as long as it is within 1 – 24 months. Repayments are made in monthly payments and percentage rates are charged on the loan.