Key takeaways
- Small business loans are not hard to get from online lenders that tend to have more relaxed lending requirements than traditional banks.
- Personal loans tend to also have relaxed eligibility requirements, such as accepting a bad personal credit score.
- The choice between the two comes down to which loan has the features you need, such as a low interest rate or approving your startup.
Both personal loans and business loans are not hard to get, as long as you apply with a lender that will accept your qualifications. For small business loans, if you go through a traditional lending institution (like a bank), it can be hard to get if you don’t have great credit and strong finances. As a result, there’s a widely spread myth that a personal loan is much easier to get.
But thanks to the rise of online lenders with streamlined application processes and more relaxed qualification criteria, getting a small business loan can be much easier than many expect. Yet you can find personal loans with similar requirements as online business loans.
If you’ve been considering a personal loan for business purposes, compare the latest small business loan vs. personal loan options first. You might discover that a business loan actually serves you best. Let’s look at some key factors you should look at when deciding which loan type is right for you.
Speed and convenience
Personal loans are not hard to get, and you can often receive the money the same or the next day, meaning you get the money from the loan fast. A lot of personal loan applications only require basic personal information. Personal loans have long been a solution when people — including business owners — need a lump sum of cash.
But does that mean a small business loan is hard to get? Getting a business loan from a bank or credit union has long been a time-consuming, work-intensive process. But fast business loans from tech-supported lenders offer online applications that you can fill out in minutes, get approval in hours and funding the same or next day. In other words, small business loans from online lenders often rival personal loans in speed and convenience.
Startup businesses
In the small business loan vs. personal loan debate, the time-in-business requirement has often shifted startup founders toward personal loans. Personal loans don’t require you to have a certain amount of time in business — you only need to prove that you have enough personal income to repay the loan.
On the other hand, many business lenders require at least two years in operation before they issue a business loan. If your startup business needs a loan, that can be a deal-breaker. Fortunately, though, many of the online lenders operating today have dramatically shortened that requirement to six months. Still, that requirement can edge out startup businesses that need funding just to get off the ground.
If you favor getting a startup business loan, you could look into an SBA-backed startup loan, though these aren’t easy to get. SBA loans will require more documentation and a longer timeline to receive funding. But because the Small Business Administration guarantees these loans, lenders often offer lower interest rates, bigger loan amounts and longer repayment timelines than personal loans. If you can wait one to three months to receive your loan, it may be worth seeing if you qualify for an SBA startup loan.
Bankrate insight
A business credit card can also be a solid option for a startup small business owner. Credit card companies won’t consider your time in business to approve you. Plus, top card issuers offer travel and cash back rewards for purchases and other benefits. You can even build business credit without interest charges as long as you pay your balance in full each month.
Low interest rates
If you’re going for the lowest interest rate, you may want to prequalify with both business and personal loans to see which type gives you the best offer. If you have excellent credit, you may want to go with a business loan for the lowest rates.
In the small business loan world, business owners with strong credit may qualify for rates as low as 8 percent to 9 percent, while owners with poor credit may see rates as high as 50 percent to 60 percent. Lenders offer the lowest interest rates to companies that look financially solid. That usually means operating for six months to two years with strong annual revenue. The lender will also consider both your business and personal credit scores.
So, is it hard to get a business loan with a low interest rate? That depends on how your company’s finances look on paper. Similarly, scoring a low rate on your personal loan depends on your personal finances. If you’re going for the lowest interest rate, you may want to prequalify with both business and personal loans to see which type gives you the best offer. If you have excellent credit, you may want to go with a business loan for the lowest rates.
Bankrate insight
Personal loans use an annual percentage rate (APR) to assess costs, which gives you a clear idea of the full cost of the loan including fees. Comparing APRs across personal loans makes it easy to find the most affordable loan. On the other hand, the cost of small business loans might be expressed as an APR, a simple interest rate, a factor rate or more. As a result, comparing business loan costs is often more challenging.
Loan amounts
The amount of money you want to borrow will also play a role in which type of loan you choose. A lot of personal loans come in the range of $50,000 to $100,000. That amount can be limiting for businesses with big goals, and it’s hard to get a personal loan over $100,000.
On the other hand, small business loans are easier to get when you need a large loan amount. Amounts often range from $5,000 to $5 million, depending on the lender and type of loan. And even if you’re a startup or you don’t have a good credit score, there are plenty of business loans over $100,000 that you can explore. If you need less, several business lenders also offer low starting loan amounts.
Bad credit
If your credit score could use some work, you can choose between a business loan or a personal loan as both provide options to bad credit borrowers. Bad credit business loan lenders will work with applicants who have a minimum credit score of 500 to 600. Personal loan lenders also accept bad personal credit scores in the 550- to 600-range. But even the best bad credit business loans come with higher maximum interest rates than personal loans.
If your credit score is below the 550 mark, you can also look into personal loans. Some lenders have relaxed eligibility criteria. For example, you can get an Upstart personal loan for business purposes with a minimum credit score of just 300 and a personal annual income of $12,000.
Repayment terms
Personal loans typically offer shorter repayment terms than small business loans, usually allowing you to repay within two to five years. Small business loans often have terms of up to a decade or more.
But your financial profile comes into play here. If you don’t have strong credit or revenue, a business loan lender may only offer you short repayment terms of six to 24 months. In addition, some online business lenders only offer short-term business loans.
Getting a long-term business loan usually requires you to meet requirements like a solid annual revenue, decent time-in-business and a good personal credit score. If you can’t meet those criteria, a personal loan might be a better option for a longer repayment timetable.
Bankrate insight
Repayment terms for some SBA loan types can go as high as 10 to 25 years.
Bottom line
Personal loans aren’t hard to get when compared to other types of financing. They often accept low credit scores and can approve you for startup financing whereas a business loan might not approve you.
But a small business loan is also not hard to get if you go through an online lender. In fact, lenders increasingly offer business financing to business owners who have bad credit. Ultimately, if you can qualify for a personal loan, you can probably qualify for a business loan.
Take the time to research your loan options — both personal and business loans — and evaluate interest rates, time-to-fund and loan amounts. That way, you can be confident you’re getting the best loan for your specific small business’s needs.
