Essay On Debt Financing

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There are two main ways to raise money for a project, growing business, or startup company: debt financing and equity financing. Debt financing includes long-term loans, while equity financing is the process of raising capital through the sale of shares in an enterprise. It is essentially the sale of an ownership interest to raise funds for business purposes.
Debt financing allows you purchase assets before you earn the necessary funds, which can be a great way to pursue an aggressive growth strategy (especially if you have access to low interest rates). Items like mining equipment, buildings, machines, equipment can all be obtained immediately once a loan is acquired. One of the advantages of debt financing is the ability to pay off your debt in installments over a period of time. Relative to equity financing, you also benefit by not relinquishing any ownership or control of the business. Finally, it is easy to forecast expenses because loan payments do not fluctuate.
The most obvious disadvantage of debt financing is that you have to repay the loan, plus interest. Failure to do so exposes your property and assets to repossession by the bank. Debt financing is also borrowing against future earnings. This means that instead of using all future profits to grow the business or to pay owners, you have to allocate a portion to debt payments. Overuse of debt can severely limit future cash flow and stifle growth. Debt is a bet on your future ability to pay back the loan. What if your company hits hard times or the economy, once again, experiences a meltdown? What if your business does not grow as fast or as well as you expected? Debt is an expense and you have to pay expenses on a regular schedule. This cou...

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...anks and lenders, investors putting up equity tend to take a more long-term view and most don't expect a return on their investment immediately. None of the profits will need to be channeled into loan repayment, and more cash on hand will be available for expanding the business in addition to there being no requirement to pay back the investment if the operation or project fails. On the other hand, a bank or lending institution has no say in the way you run your company and does not have any ownership in the business, and business relationship ends once the debt is repaid. Interest on the loan is tax deductible, and principal and interest are known figures you can plan in a budget (provided that you don't take a variable rate loan). Ultimately the best combination of equity and debt financing will depend on the business needs and what is the best fit for the project.

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