You’ve gotten your PPP loan, spent it properly and hopefully qualify for full forgiveness. Congratulations! What’s next?
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Here are six steps you can take now, after receiving and spending your PPP loan, to help ensure your business continues on the road to recovery:
Get a grip on your bookkeeping
If applying for PPP funding was challenging because your bookkeeping wasn’t up-to-date, now is the time to fix that. You’ll either want to develop a system so you (or an employee) keeps your books up-to-date, or you’ll want to work with a bookkeeper or accounting professional who will do it for you. Either way, your bookkeeping shouldn’t be something that waits until tax time. At a minimum, records should be entered and accounts reconciled each month if you just can’t tackle it daily or weekly (which is what I recommend).
After your PPP loan, update your business plan
Your business plan should be a living document, updated when conditions change. Many business owners find that they need to overhaul their business plan to adapt to new economic realities. You may find your business landscape is shifting quickly; your business plan must adapt.
If you’re struggling to change your business approach, take advantage of free help from SBA resource partners such as Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) or SCORE. Both provide free mentoring and other resources to small business owners.
Related: StartupNation Radio: “Ask the Expert” About Customer Acquisition Featuring SCORE of Southeast Michigan
Consider a second draw PPP loan
If you didn’t get a second PPP loan, you may still be able to apply for one. The rules for Second Draw PPP loans are a little different than first draw loans. You’ll need to demonstrate at least a 25% reduction in revenues from one quarter of 2020 compared to 2019 (or year-over-year). If you qualify, though, you may get a second round of funding that can also be forgivable.
Business owners who are self-employed may find they qualify for more funding the second time around, because they can now calculate their loan amount based on gross income rather than net profit. And businesses with a NAICS code starting in 72 (such as restaurants or hospitality businesses) may get 3.5 times average monthly payroll, instead of 2.5 times average monthly payroll as in the first round.
Line up a line of credit
Many small business owners are still struggling with cash flow. Even those with healthy revenues may find their customers are paying more slowly. When businesses can’t collect from other businesses, it can create a domino effect that impacts suppliers and vendors.
A line of credit can smooth out cash flow while giving you some peace of mind. You’ll only pay interest on your outstanding balance. That means you won’t have to borrow until you need to. The best time to get a line of credit is before you urgently need it.
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Get a business credit card
A business credit card offers a line of credit that’s available when you need it. Even if you pay your balance in full each month, you’ll have extra time to pay for items you charge, depending on when you make the purchase. And if you do need to take advantage of the line of credit your card offers, your interest rate may be lower than other types of fast financing.
Finally, many cards offer lucrative rewards including cash back or points that can be used for travel.
Consider an EIDL loan
If your business is still struggling, an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) may provide low-cost, critical financing. Your application will be evaluated to determine “economic injury,” so this SBA loan is not for businesses that haven’t been affected by the pandemic. The SBA recently raised the limit for EIDLs due to the COVID-19 crisis from $150,000 to $500,000. The interest rate is 3.75% for 30 years. The SBA requires acceptable personal credit and collateral is required for loans above $25,000.
This article originally appeared on Nav.com by Gerri Detweiler
The post 6 Things to Do After Receiving Your PPP Loan appeared first on StartupNation.
via https://www.AiUpNow.com/ by Nav, Khareem Sudlow
