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What is Debt Financing?

Almost all businesses, big or small, need to borrow money at some point. Whether it is for large assets such as land and buildings, or simply for supplies to keep a business running, debt financing plays a major role in modern business.Put simply, debt financing is the borrowing of money to keep a business running, to expand a business, or to acquire assets. Long term debt financing is usually associated with larger assets such as machinery, equipment or real estate, and it is paid back over many years. Short term debt financing, on the other hand, is most often used for business operations such as supplies or payroll, and it is often paid back within a year.

The alternative to debt financing is equity financing, which involves the acquisition of money from investors and/or savings. However, we will focus on debt financing in this article.

While most companies in Britain receive their financing from internal finance, 39 percent rely on external sources of finance, usually debt financing in the form of a bank loan. The business will agree the term of the loan and the interest rate, whether variable or fixed, with the lender. As with any loan, companies will have to show the bank how it is going to repay the money and secure the loan against an asset. The asset will usually be a premises or a piece of equipment that covers the value of the loan. In addition, a bank may require that some kind of personal asset is offered as security.

Financial institutions tend to favour companies that have good management, a reliable projected cash flow and good growth potential. The business may have to demonstrate that it can meet the monthly payments from projected revenues in its business plan. Of course, the company will have to comply with the payment schedule specified by the lending institution, and it may run into trouble if it deviates from this. Longer term loans are usually provided in this manner.

Debt financing products

Companies looking for debt finance to cover day to day running costs often opt for an overdraft instead of a long term loan, although these are falling in popularity because of high interest rates, steep fines and the obligation to repay on demand.

There are many options currently available for companies looking to avail of debt financing. Factoring and invoice discounting allow small businesses to take loans out against sales, while leasing allows for the borrowing of money to buy machinery or equipment.