When starting or expanding your business, you will need equipment such as furniture, electronic devices, and software. You can either choose to buy them outright or to borrow them using a lease or loan. The latter option is often preferable, especially for small businesses that might not have the resources to buy all the top-notch tools they need. An equipment lease allows you to conserve your capital while remaining flexible at the same time.
But how hard is it for a small business to receive such a lease? Will it be prohibitively expensive? The answer is that several factors affect your eligibility, and they include the age of your business, your financial stability, and the size of the lease you are asking for. Today, we will have a closer look at how we evaluate businesses and what you can do to increase your chances of a positive outcome.
How Hard Is Getting an Equipment Lease?
It’s not always easy for a small business to get started. If you have a physical location, you will need to pay for staff, rent, furniture, and professional equipment. Having to pay for everything upfront might make it almost impossible for you to open a new branch. However, this isn’t usually the case. Lenders such as Noreast Capital allow you to lease your equipment so you can spread out the cost and allow your business to grow before you pay.
When considering you for a lease, we will take several factors into consideration. Depending on your company’s age and the profit you are making, we might offer you a lease line of credit. When you’re ready to borrow your first piece of equipment, you won’t have to apply again, and we will simply be able to provide it. Your personal account manager can let you know how much you may be able to borrow.
The Age of Your Business
A crucial factor is how long you have been in operation. Most lenders prefer companies that have been running for at least two years because they have had time to become established and make a profit. Such businesses have records of their sales and expenses, which allows creditors to see whether they are making a profit and how much they will be able to pay.
However, just because you’re a new business doesn’t mean you won’t be eligible. There is a chance that you can borrow from us even if you are just getting started. To make a decision, we will look at the financial background of the owners. You will almost certainly have to back your lease with a personal guarantee in such a case, and we might ask you for additional documentation like your business plan or your supplier contracts.
The Financial Health of Your Business
Every high-quality lender will do their due diligence before issuing a small business with a lease. When you apply to Noreast Capital, we will require you to provide certain financial documents. They include bank statements, trade references, or financial statements. To make the process easier, you should have all your paperwork in place before you contact us.
Once you have provided us with the necessary documentation, the equipment lease application process is surprisingly straightforward. Depending on the size of your lease, you might receive an answer within a few hours or a few business days. You can then select the tools that best fit your needs and either pick them up or have them delivered to your location.
The Size of the Lease
Before providing you with a lease, we will check that you are able to handle the amount you applied for. Smaller and newer businesses should get started with a minimal amount so that they don’t run into problems later on. As your company grows, you can then increase the size of your debt to help you expand faster.
In general, amounts under $50,000 are reasonably easy to receive. If you are an established firm, you won’t even have to provide us with financial statements, and the application is a simple one-page form. Any amount over this threshold will be checked more closely since your monthly payments could be substantial.
Ways to Ensure Eligibility
As you can see, getting a lease for your business isn’t extremely difficult, but lenders do check that you have a sound financial background. The process is easiest for businesses that are over two years old and are able to demonstrate solid and steady performance. If you don’t fall into this group, there are several ways you can ensure eligibility.
For example, you can back your lease with a personal guarantee, which means that you will be liable if your business can’t pay. Alternatively, a guarantor with a stable background could help. Your account manager might ask you to provide documentation such as your business plan, resumes from the company’s founders, and pro forma financial statements, which can prove that you are experienced in your field and on track to make a profit.
Why Leasing Could Be a Great Strategy for You
Getting a office equipment lease is possible for most businesses, but it will take some time and effort. Is it worth the hassle? In most cases, the answer is yes. Not only can you conserve your precious capital, but you can also remain flexible and adapt to changing market conditions more quickly. The type of lease you get can be tailored to your company’s needs, and you can choose from a wide variety of equipment, no matter what industry you operate in.
Conserve Your Capital
Arguably the most important reason why you should lease your tools is that this allows you to conserve your money. If you are a new business, you might not have the option to buy everything you need, so leasing is the way for you to start out with high-quality equipment. For more established businesses, it is a way to grow faster and reinvest your capital to expand the company.
When opening a new branch, you might have to pay for additional employees as well as rent. This can be enough of a financial burden, and leasing the furniture and equipment can take some of the pressure off. That way, you might be able to expand faster and therefore make more of a profit in the long run.
Retain Flexibility
Another key benefit of an equipment lease is that you don’t have to lock yourself into an expensive deal. Our terms are often between 12 and 36 months, and at the end of the lease, you can choose to keep the tool, give it back, or take out another lease. If your needs have changed or the market is different, you can simply choose something else.
This is particularly important when it comes to equipment that is time-sensitive, such as electronic tools and software. These items need to be updated frequently, but they can also be extremely expensive. By getting a lease, you can stay on top of current trends and upgrade much more frequently, since you didn’t spend all the money upfront.
Choose a Plan that Suits You
Every company is different, which is why we at Noreast Capital offer such a wide range of leases to suit various needs. If you already know that you would like to buy the equipment at the end, you can go for a capital lease, which allows you to purchase the objects at a minimal price, such as $1, once your lease is up. If not, you can opt for a contract that offers you multiple possibilities at the end, such as giving back your equipment or upgrading.
Brand-new business might benefit from a special contract that doesn’t require payment for the first few months. You will be able to build up a clientele before having to worry about paying for your equipment. Similarly, seasonal businesses can pay less during the quiet months and more when they are busiest to prevent cashflow problems.
Choose from a Wide Variety of Products
In terms of the equipment you can lease, there is an enormous variety available. In addition to furniture, you can also choose from a wide range of industry-specific tools and electronic gadgets. In fact, we even offer software for accounting, client interaction, graphic design, and more. No matter what you need, you should speak to our customer service team, who can present you with all the options.
Getting an equipment lease or Fair Market Value or FMV leasing can be a challenge for small businesses, but it is not impossible. As long as you have a good financial history, have been in business for a few years, or are willing to personally guarantee the lease, you should be able to borrow all the equipment you need. The best way to find out more is to get in touch with a lending company and explain your situation.
You will be allocated an account manager, who can take you through the application process and help you increase your chances of getting a great deal. They might speak to you about the kinds of financial documents you need to provide and how much equipment you can expect to borrow. Call us today at Noreast Capital to find out more and open your lease line of credit.
