Why is the loan summary section important in a business plan for a Full Service Restaurant?

The loan summary section of a business plan for a small business like A Touch of Tuscany gives a business owner like Jack Gordon the ability to list out the loans and lines that the business will be undertaking in the three years of the business plan. Business loan lenders and potential partners need to be able to see very early in the business plan just how much debt the business will be taking on and that is why it is important to have the loan summary section give that information to them separately from the financial section where this information also got to be included.

Is it not a better idea to bury this information deep in the financial section of the business plan for a small business like A Touch of Tuscany?

No. Information about the projected financial well being of the business and especially the level of indebtedness of a business are key to the folks looking to lend business loans or potentially partner up with a business. Readers of a business plan do not like to have to dig through the plan for important pieces of information like that - the more they have to dig - the more they begin to suspect the motives of the business planner. It is always better to be upfront and clear about the how much money the small business will be needing in the days ahead.

Are term loans better than lines of credit - how should a small business owner like Jack Gordon decide?

Both fully amortizing term loans and interest only lines of credit have their own benefits and drawbacks. A typical term loan locks a small business owner like Jack Gordon into a loan and they have to pay back the entire term loan with principal and interest that is determined at the outset of the loan. An example of a typical term loan is a car loan where once you close on the loan, you will have to pay back the entire amount of principal and interest to get rid of the loan. Terms loans are best suited for the purchase of assets where the business knows that it is going to need to buy the asset and will be using the asset for a long period of time during its operations - computers, machinery, automobiles and equipment are typically what small businesses purchase with term loans.

An interest only line of credit on the other hand is a different animal. With an interest only line of credit a small business owner like Jack Gordon only has to make the minimum payment of interest on the amount of debt outstanding. Further, these lines typically allow the small business owner to borrow against and pay down the line as they need giving them a lot more flexibility. Thus a line of credit is an excellent source of capital for all short term financing needs and we recommend that all our small business customers have a small line of credit in addition to other sources of financing. The reason we do not recommend that interest only line of credit for longer term purchases is that these lines are typically renewed every year at the discretion of the lender and thus if feel you will need to access this line next year to finance an important purchase and the following year your line does not get renewed, your expansion plans could be placed on hold.

How about credit cards? Should a small business owner like Jack Gordon contemplate using personal credit cards?

Many times, especially in the case of start up companies, a small business owner like Jack Gordon may not have the ability to access loans and lines of credit from banks. In these cases, many business owners resort to using their personal credit cards to finance their business. Indeed many businesses have been financed by family loans and credit cards. Clearly, this form of financing is not sustainable and we do not recommend that personal or corporate credit cards be used unless they are being paid off at the end of the month and other benefits like frequent flyer miles and discount points from stores can be earned. Some banks even offer credit cards that give business owners cash back in the form of a check at the end of the year - these can prove to be very good credit cards and as long as the balances on these cards are paid off quickly, they can prove to be a convenient method of payment.

Quick Links:

1. Go to the Corresponding Template section for this industry.
2. Go to the Corresponding Business Plan section for this industry.