Financing Follies for Startups
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Date: 28 March, 2008 - 11:53

A few weeks ago, I came across something interesting in my inbox from the Go Big Network. If you're not familiar with it, it's a place where startups, investors, and people looking to join investors can connect up, recruit one another, and generally get a bit of exposure.

They also have a regular newsletter that goes out covering different issues and that's where this post kicks off.

In case you didn't know... sometimes in a new business, money is tight. Very tight. As in "omg, can we pay the bills this month!?" tight. Therefore, startup owners almost always have to get their hands on outside sources of money... in the mISV realm, this could be custom development. In other areas, this could be investors, friends & family, a second mortgage or even - ye gods, no! - credit cards. Those options get more and more expensive as you go to the point where using credit cards can be downright suffocating. But for those of you who aren't happy with those interest rates, you can go even higher with a Merchant Cash Advance.

Click the above image to see Go Big Network's pitch. 

If you're not familiar with them, it's quite simple. It's effectively a Pay Day Loan. You have some money coming from customers, etc later on, but you need money now. Therefore, you take a loan against those Accounts Receivable (or future credit card transactions) and get the cash now. Of course, the rates are higher... I've seen 20-25% but I suspect they can (and do) go higher.

While there definitely is a place for these sorts of loans, they are a terrible idea for startups.

If you run a restaurant and can track your sales on a day to day basis and can see a benefit from one of these loans - like buying a new oven - then they could make sense and not wipe you out. In a startup... until you have customers... you're taking a huge risk. A ridiculously huge risk against future revenue that you might not have.

Let's face it. The technology realm is fickle and difficult to navigate. You're already taking risks that terrify most people and can wipe you out if you're not careful. Why would you want to add a 20%+ loan on top of everything? Don't you have enough to deal with? Don't you have enough things pulling your attention? Can't you get a better rate somewhere?

I don't have all the answers and I don't pretend to... but this just seems to be a Bad Idea(tm).

Personally, I think it's borderline irresponsible for Go Big Network to endorse these types of loans to startups.


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I believe we can not blame

I believe we can not blame Go Big Networks alone for irresponsibility.

It is the startups that should be doing a very pragmatic analysis of their situation before entering such a financial scheme.

Startups are the ones that should know if the return of the investment will be higher than the cost taken with financing.
Considering there are no other sources at lower rates, entering such schemes would only make sense if the startup could get revenues at higher rates than the ones paid. That's what is called financial leverage, to use someone elses money to get a higher return rate than the rate supported.

Another problem is terms, if you are using a short term solution you should not use it to finance medium to long term investments.
Use Short term financial solutions to cover Short term assets, use Medium/Long term financial solutions to fund Medium/Long term investments.

Therefore you should not use Credit Cards or Go Big Networks as a solution for Long term investments because they are typical funding sources of Short term payment.
Credit Cards are good solutions for 20 days financing because that's the usual period of time they grant you financing without interests.
Go Big Networks is therefore probably worse than using a Credit Card.

Want an advice:
Get the Customers first, then you will have a better negotiating position with other financial institutions and could get other financing options.
Truth is banks do not lend to people that need money, they lend money to people that don't need it, because that's where the lower risks are, and if your risk is lower then your interest rate will also be lower.

Yet another advice:
Don't presume that loan money is yours, it is not.
Don't go and waste the money when you have it, because you will have to return it sooner or later, do use it wisely, and focus on its purpose.

Cheers,

PA

Opportunitsts

They are definitely out to help themselves first - they engage in some less than altruistic and authentic practices now and then.

I think it is a complicated

I think it is a complicated thing &due to th irresponsibility.It is also depends on the strtups about the loans & others.

we can not blame

I think we can can not blame Big Networks alone for irresponsibility.It is start up which is doing a very penumatic analysis for thier situation before entering in such financial scheme.

loan

i think the benefits of this service is pretty good,like some of them are
1. get cash now and pay it back with future credit card earnings.
2.receive cash within 72 hrs of being approved.
3.

They are definitely out to

They are definitely out to help themselves first - they engage in some less than altruistic and authentic practices now and then.

Funding for a startup

Funding for a startup is not a easy joke. To get a start up kick off, the idea alone doesn’t mattter. A detailed business plan, a prospective business idea along with the needed funding is essential to survive in the market among competitors.

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