Music to the ears of any entrepreneurial spirit, low cost financing options on the rise, is precisely what 2013 has in store for many franchise operators looking to expand or upgrade. Seeking out loan support from banks in recent years has seen its ups and downs, and this year is pulling through with increased loan availability for business developers in various regions of the US.
Tight credit standards can mean the loss of jobs, the loss of enterprise, and the effects of diminished growth can be felt in even unexpected ways that ripple throughout economies. Thus with credit standards becoming even more flexible for investors, developers, and franchise operators looking to expand their regional or (inter)national foothold, new locations can develop and progress with the support of accessible credit, granted their research is in order along with persistence.
Some franchise operators looking to expand have sought out the support of both large national and smaller regional lenders, with some success seen on either side. Yet many of these loan seekers have seen an upsurge of success locating the right loan for the right rate with a smaller scale operation bank located in their home operation area. This kind of connection between those going into the business of franchising and their regional ties may find that their local banks offer more support for local businesses than they may expect to find with other lenders.
With 19.1% of banks reporting an increase in commercial and industrial loan demand as of the final quarter of 2012, it is clear that business spending is increasing. This increased interest in lending is certainly beneficial for the expansion of franchising while budget cuts are yet to be decided on by Congress for the coming years.
The demand for loans from empowered franchise partners and franchisors coupled with the strength of healthy competition is fast driving banks to alter their approach to loan offers, access standards, and implement changes that suit this new wave of loan requests. Each rise in demand promotes new policies that will enable small to medium business to get off their feet and expand, which is naturally good for the economy, a huge part of job generation.