Profit Producing Blog

Dakota Routh

Founder | CEO

Welcome to the Profit Producing Blog – your go-to hub for all things business, sales, and marketing. I'm Dakota Routh, and I bring 25 years of hands-on experience in the sales and marketing industry. Back in 2010, Google gave me a nod as a top 1% small business advertiser for lead and sales generation using Google Ad's. In 2023, I was awarded the SaaSpreneur Award. It was a great addition to my 2 Comma Club award for raking in a cool million through one single sales funnel.

But it's not just about awards – it's about sharing real-world insights. Hosting the "Profit Producing Activity (PPA) Podcast" is my way of giving you a front-row seat to the ever-evolving world of business and entrepreneurship.

I've turned all my knowledge and experiences into several blog articles, which you'll see below. As you dive into these blog articles, I hope that you find value in each article. If you have any questions, please reach out to my team by using the chat widget in the bottom right hand corner.

So, buckle up and get ready to glean some knowledge. These blog articles aren't just about my journey; they're about helping you carve your own path in the world of sales, marketing, and business innovation. Let's make some moves together!

Business Loans

Business Loans: Common Pitfalls and Ways to Avoid Them

December 20, 20235 min read

Financing is the basic and the most important instrument in launching a new product, expanding a business, upgrading it or starting it from scratch.

Business Loans

Provide great relief in the conditions when the budget becomes a constraint. Whether it’s a conventional term loan from the bank or an alternative financial support solution, financing your business with a loan can prove to be a handy way to seize new opportunities taking your business towards great heights, make it through the difficult financial crisis, acquisition of value-added talent and so much more.

Undoubtedly, financing a business through Business Loans can provide a lot of benefits but it can turn into numerous pitfalls too if not used carefully.
So, 

Apply for Business Loans only after thorough financial planning so that it does not become a nightmare for you to tackle it later. Here are some points that will dictate some common pitfalls of Business Loans and how you can avoid them.

Lack of a solid business plan

It’s particularly easier to apply for a Personal Loan as with Business Loan, you just need to provide a certain set of documents along with your pay stubs. However, the case is entirely different when you want to apply for a Business Loan as you need to demonstrate to the lender the whole business model, how it will operate to generate profit, and so on. A solid business plan is an utmost necessity to make your lender believe how serious you are for this business, your goals and intentions of reaching them, your past and current financial status and why they should invest in your business.

Insufficient to provide adequate collateral

Traditionally, money lenders seek for some security from you to protect themselves from any sort of default in the payment. The property that you own, future invoices from your business, liquid business assets or the equipment you are using for your business can be used as collateral by the bank to lend you the cash you need for running your business. In case, you are insufficient to repay the bank loan within a stipulated period of time, the bank might use your collateral assets to overcome the loss.

Not knowing your credit score

One of the biggest influential factors in the approval of the Business Loan and all associated interest rates and repayment terms is your credit score. There are certain online applications and websites that will let you peek into your qualification to apply for a Business Loan without going into many details. However, you can also obtain a copy of your credit information report from several credit bureaus to  Apply for a Capital First Business Loan.

Loss of liquidity

After getting a loan, you might feel easy and incredible, especially if you are utilizing that money to pay off high-interest loans or scaling up your business. It’s good if you are generating a good amount of money from the sum borrowed as a Business Loan from the bank but not all loans give a hike to your business. If you need to buy tangible assets such as real estate or vehicles for your business workforce, it can add up to the monthly expenses. Paying off loans can strain up your business if it is already running in loss and can reduce the liquidity to the considerable amount. Remember, you cannot use the money elsewhere, which you need to repay as a Business Loan.

Insufficient capital

There is absolutely no denial of the fact that only money can generate more money. A loan is a necessity for starting any small business and almost all new businesses start blooming up in debt. It is always a good idea to borrow cash from the lender to start generating a profit in your business and pay it back once your business is on the right track. A little help in the form of a Business Loan to afford staff, raw materials, raw materials, and startup utilities can perk up your business as well as lifestyle if used wisely.

Lack of commitment

The initial years of business can be very tough. There can be numerous lessons to be learned and many big hurdles. A strong, confident and committed workforce plays a very crucial role in taking a new business to great heights. If the workforce remains committed to excellence from day one, there are chances that get major rewards down the line. You being the owner of the business should be dedicated towards your goals along with your team.

Loan approval

The list of pitfalls would remain incomplete without mentioning the hardships that go into getting a Business Loan approved from a lender. While some platforms, such as crowdfunding and P2P lending offer simpler, shorter and more streamlined ways to get funds, conventional loans still ask applicants to provide a list of financial, tax, and marketing plan information to get it approved. Most Business Loan providers ask questions such as if you have a profitable business, have two to three years of sales or profit records, and whether you are eager to demonstrate constant growth for the life of the loan. For a new business, this can be little out of the place to provide these documents and therefore they choose alternate methods of funding.

With the increase in inflation day by day, it seems impossible to save for business capital all by yourselves. Getting even a small portion of funding can make a big difference in achieving your goal of either setting up a business or expanding it. By preparing in advance for your Capital First Business Loan application or application for any other lender, investigating every possible option available for funding your business, and being cautious about the types of debt opt, it’s possible to make the risks well worth the rewards. Many small businesses are flourishing with the help of Business Loans and despite certain pitfalls, small funding can help flourish your business.

By incorporating Level Up Pipeline into your marketing strategy, you can centralize and optimize your customer engagement processes. The platform's customizable templates and workflows cater to the unique needs of your business, providing a user-friendly experience. Efficiency is key in today's competitive landscape, and Level Up Pipeline empowers businesses to manage all aspects of their customer interactions seamlessly.


Dakota Routh

I'm Dakota Routh, an American entrepreneur, author, speaker, and internet personality. I'm the founder of Level Up Pipeline, a company that helps entrepreneurs and small businesses grow their sales. I'm also the author of three books, "Secrets of Social Media Marketing," "The Social Game," and "Grow Your Influence(rs)."


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