Three Sources of Franchise Financing

By Jeff Elgin of Entrepreneur.com



Everyone knows the current lending environment is a challenge -- especially if you're trying to finance a start-up. Yes, there's still financing available for qualified people, but selecting the right funding strategy is more important than ever. It's time to get creative when thinking about financing options.

Despite what you hear on the news, money is available. There are institutions and individuals who haven't been affected by the housing market and still have money to lend. It's important to note, however, that we're seeing some big changes from traditional lending procedures in the franchise industry.

The first change is that it's more important than ever to start sourcing financing options before even choosing the franchise you want to buy. While historically we've seen much of the franchise finance market driven by home-equity lines of credit, this type of financing is more difficult to obtain in the current financial climate. Therefore, it's never too early to look into financing alternatives.

Another change is that your credit score is far more important now than it was even a few months ago. In today's climate, getting financing will be difficult with any credit score below about 700.

Also, once you've decided on your franchise and are approved for a loan, act on it quickly. Lenders aren't going to leave credit commitments outstanding for 30 days or more the way they used to; they want you to act in five to 10 days. If you don't take it, they'll cancel their offer and lend the money to someone else.