{"id":10667,"date":"2019-12-11T14:13:40","date_gmt":"2019-12-11T12:13:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/?p=10667"},"modified":"2021-01-07T13:10:58","modified_gmt":"2021-01-07T11:10:58","slug":"alternative-business-funding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/alternative-business-funding\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Best Alternative Business Loans in 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Have you tried getting a business loan from a bank lately?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If so, we don\u2019t need to tell you how frustrating it can be to get rejected for financing by the place that you\u2019ve been using to conduct your financial transactions!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019re here to tell you not to throw in the towel just yet. There are alternative business lending solutions out there for you &#8211; you just need to know where to look.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Get the full scoop on alternative lending just below.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What are alternative business loans?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To put it plain and simple, alternative business finance is any method of obtaining business loans <\/span><b>other than<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> traditional bank loans. And it\u2019s a good thing alternative business funding options are out there considering the fact that more than <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebalancesmb.com\/small-business-loan-2947070\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">80%<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of small business loan applicants are denied funding by their bank. It\u2019s a nightmare, to put it lightly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But hey, if you do fall in that 80%, boy do we have some good news for you&#8230;<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p>[bctt tweet=&#8221;Believe it or not, the rapid advancements that we\u2019ve all seen in #digital #technology go far beyond emojis, selfies, and \u2018swiping right\u2019!&#8221; username=&#8221;Become_co&#8221;]<\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Believe it or not, the rapid advancements that we\u2019ve all seen in digital technology go far beyond emojis, selfies, and \u2018swiping right\u2019. Thanks to advents in financial technology, the role of banks in the business financing industry may eventually be confined to the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/a-brief-history-of-loans-business-lending-through-the-ages\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">history of business lending<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Financial technology (or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/fintech-lending\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FinTech<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) is leaving a particularly large mark on the business lending industry. FinTech has opened the doors for alternative business lending to become an increasingly popular route that small businesses are taking to get their hands on the funds they need to grow.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In fact, the percentage of business owners who applied for loans through online lenders has gone up by more than <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fedsmallbusiness.org\/medialibrary\/fedsmallbusiness\/files\/2019\/sbcs-employer-firms-report.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">13%<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> over the past 3 years. That\u2019s even more impressive when compared to the steady (<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">or declining<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) rates of loan applications to other lending institutions like banks and credit unions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alternative business funding takes many shapes and forms; thankfully, Become brings them together in one place with their <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/online-marketplace-for-business-lending\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">online business lending marketplace<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.become.co\/apply\/?k=blogbanner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-10922 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Frame-9.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"415\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Frame-9.png 1200w, https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Frame-9-300x104.png 300w, https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Frame-9-768x266.png 768w, https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Frame-9-604x209.png 604w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wondering what the big deal is? Well, the advantages offered by applying for alternative business loans through <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.become.co\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Become<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A quick application process<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No credit check when applying<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Increased funding odds<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ability to compare and choose from alternative lending options<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With dozens of top alternative lending institutions from across the country in one online marketplace, Become is able to provide you with some of the best alternative business funding solutions available for small business owners.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What are the different kinds of alternative lending options? We\u2019re glad you asked&#8230;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10681\" src=\"https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/GettyImages-1066422156-min.jpg\" alt=\"Alternative Business Finance\" width=\"1024\" height=\"694\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/GettyImages-1066422156-min.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/GettyImages-1066422156-min-300x203.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/GettyImages-1066422156-min-768x520.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/GettyImages-1066422156-min-1200x813.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/GettyImages-1066422156-min-399x270.jpg 399w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6 best alternative business loans<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alternative business finance is a blanket term that encompasses many different types of business funding. For your convenience, we\u2019ve selected some of the best alternative business loans available for small businesses. Have a look!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>6 best alternative business finance options:<\/b><\/p>\n\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. SBA loan<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Small Business Administration (SBA) loans are a type of business financing that is partially guaranteed by the government. This eliminates much of the risk for the financial institution that\u2019s actually issuing the loan and results in some of the lowest rates around.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To be clear, the SBA is not the entity providing the loan &#8211; they\u2019re giving a guarantee to the lender who <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> providing the funds. It\u2019s also important to mention that SBA loans take a bit longer to process than other kinds of alternative business loans. If you\u2019re looking for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/best-fast-business-loans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fast business loans<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, SBA loans are not the quickest.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><b>Top Pro:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Low monthly payments<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Top Con:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Not for startups<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><b>Credit Score:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 600+<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Time in Business:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 3 months minimum<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Loan Amount:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Up to $350k<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Time to Funding:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 14 days minimum<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Loan Term:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Up to 10 years<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><b>Top Lender:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> SmartBiz<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong><a class=\"btn btn-lg btn-success\" href=\"http:\/\/www.become.co\/sba-loans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Apply for SBA Loan<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. Unsecured business loan<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An unsecured business loan is a form of business financing that simply doesn\u2019t require any collateral for a small business to qualify. This means that you won\u2019t need to place your personal or business assets on the line and risk them being taken away should you fail to repay your loan.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Loan amounts and interest will vary depending on a variety of factors including your credit score and your business\u2019s monthly revenue.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><b>Top Pro: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No risk to personal assets<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Top Con: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Higher interest rates<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><b>Credit Score: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">350+<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Time in Business: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6 months minimum<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Loan Amount: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Up to $250k<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Time to Funding: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3 hours minimum<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Loan Term: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6-24 months<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><b>Top Lender: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">OnDeck<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong><a class=\"btn btn-lg btn-success\" href=\"https:\/\/www.become.co\/unsecured-business-loans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Apply for Unsecured Loan<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. Business line of credit<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A business line of credit is a type of business financing that allows funds to be used on an as-needed basis and up to a specified limit. Unlike term loans, which provide a lump-sum of money to a borrower, a small business line of credit doesn\u2019t place business owners under pressure to use all of the funds available (compare <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/business-lines-of-credit-vs-sba-loans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">business lines of credit vs SBA loans<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, for example).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The money is there when you need it and can be used however you deem fit. It\u2019s a great safety net, as you\u2019ll only be required to pay interest on the funds that you actually use!<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><b>Top Pro:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Use funds as-needed<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Top Con:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Penalties for late payments<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><b>Credit Score: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">300+<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Time in Business: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3 months minimum<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Credit Line: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Up to $100k<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Time to Funding: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4 hours minimum<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Interest Rates: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As low as 4.66%<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><b>Top Lender: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fundbox<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong><a class=\"btn btn-lg btn-success\" href=\"https:\/\/www.become.co\/business-line-of-credit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Apply for Line of Credit<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4. Equipment financing<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Small business equipment loans are a specific type of business funding intended to cover the costs of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/equipment-financing-vs-leasing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">purchasing or leasing equipment<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or tools which are to be used for business purposes. Think of kitchen equipment for a restaurant or a cement mixer for a construction company.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unlike other types of business loans, equipment financing usually doesn\u2019t require valuable assets to act as collateral. Typically, the machinery acts as its own collateral.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><b>Top Pro: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No collateral needed<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Top Con: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Equipment devalues quickly<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><b>Credit Score: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">450+<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Time in Business: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3 months minimum<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Loan Amount: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Up to $250k<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Time to Funding:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 2 hours minimum<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Loan Term: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Up to 5 years<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><b>Top Lender: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Everlasting Capital<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong><a class=\"btn btn-lg btn-success\" href=\"https:\/\/www.become.co\/business-equipment-loans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Apply for Equipment Financing<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5. Invoice factoring<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Invoice factoring is the process of selling unpaid invoices to a lending institution that will then collect the overdue payments on your behalf. The lender will typically provide around 80% of the value of the invoices upfront, and provide the remaining 20% after the overdue payments have been collected (keeping 1-4% as payment).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is a particularly useful form of alternative business finance to help you <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/unpaid-invoices\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">deal with slow or non-paying customers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><b>Top Pro: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Access funds tied up from slow-paying customers<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Top Con: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Placing customer relationships in the hands of a third party<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><b>Credit Score: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">530+<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Time in Business: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3 months minimum<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Loan Amount: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Up to $5 million<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Time to Funding: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3 hours minimum<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Loan Term: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1-13 weeks<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><b>Top Lender: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BlueVine<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong><a class=\"btn btn-lg btn-success\" href=\"https:\/\/www.become.co\/invoice-factoring\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Apply for Invoice Factoring<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6. Merchant cash advance<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A merchant cash advance (MCA) is a lump-sum loan that a business repays by automatically drawing on a percentage of future debit and credit card transactions. Typically, cash advance loans have a shorter repayment period compared with other alternative business funding options &#8211; they also have smaller and more frequent payments.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MCAs are relatively easy to qualify for when you consider <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/small-business-lending-statistics-2019\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">business lending statistics<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on how hard it is to get approved. Plus, they\u2019re a particularly useful alternative business lending solution for businesses that conduct a large percentage of their transactions through debit and credit cards.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><b>Top Pro:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Fast access to cash<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Top Con:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> High interest rates<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><b>Credit Score: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">500+<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Time in Business: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6 months minimum<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Loan Amount: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Up to $150k<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Monthly Revenue: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">$12k minimum<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Loan Term: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2-10 months<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><b>Top Lender:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Uplyft Capital<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong><a class=\"btn btn-lg btn-success\" href=\"https:\/\/www.become.co\/merchant-cash-advance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Apply for MCA<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10685\" src=\"https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/GettyImages-928362764-min.jpg\" alt=\"Alternative Business Lending\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/GettyImages-928362764-min.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/GettyImages-928362764-min-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/GettyImages-928362764-min-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/GettyImages-928362764-min-1200x801.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/GettyImages-928362764-min-405x270.jpg 405w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When should you choose alternative business financing?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even for those small business owners who are knowledgable of the pros and cons of alternative business finance, it\u2019s important to recognize that there are certain circumstances when alternative lending far outweighs traditional bank loans. Those situations become even clearer when you familiarize yourself with the main <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/reasons-for-business-loan-rejection\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">reasons why your business loan application was rejected<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the past.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Let\u2019s have a glance at a few examples of when alternative business loans are the better way to go&#8230;<\/b><\/p>\n\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. Alternative business funding for poor credit scores<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Data shows that more than <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fedsmallbusiness.org\/medialibrary\/fedsmallbusiness\/files\/2019\/sbcs-employer-firms-report.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">80%<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of small business loan applicants with a <\/span><b>high <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">credit risk received either \u2018some\u2019 or \u2018none\u2019 of the financing they applied for &#8211; compared to just 19% that reported receiving either \u2018most\u2019 or \u2018all\u2019. On the other hand, 72% of small business loan applicants with a <\/span><b>low <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">credit risk reported having received \u2018most\u2019 or \u2018all\u2019 of the financing they applied for.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clearly, having a poor credit score is a major concern for those in search of business funding &#8211; thankfully, there are plenty of alternative business finance options that are accessible to businesses even if they have less-than-perfect credit scores. In fact, you can qualify for certain alternative <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/business-loans-no-credit-check\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">business loans with no credit check<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at all.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. Alternative business funding for fast access to cash<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Banks are not fast financers. It\u2019s a simple fact, and the statistics support that claim. To be specific, recent <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fedsmallbusiness.org\/medialibrary\/fedsmallbusiness\/files\/2019\/sbcs-employer-firms-report.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">research<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> shows that more than twice as many business loan applicants reported long waiting times for funding when applying through banks compared to online lenders (26% for banks vs 12% for online lenders).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That paints a pretty clear picture that, indeed, alternative business lending solutions are much more time-efficient than their more \u201ctraditional\u201d counterparts. If you\u2019re looking for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/same-day-business-loans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">same-day business loans<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, for example, then alternative lending is what you should be searching for!<\/span><\/p>\n\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. Alternative business funding for an easy application process<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When small business owners apply for loans through banks, long wait times aren\u2019t the only thing they\u2019ll have to worry about. There\u2019s also a mountain of paperwork that they\u2019ll need to dig through just to get the application submitted. As a matter of fact, nearly 1-in-4 business owners who applied for loans through banks reported having a difficult application process.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alternative business lending not only makes applying for loans simpler but also quicker, oftentimes by using the power of digital technology. For example, small business owners applying for <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.become.co\/business-loans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">business loans<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> through Become can complete the entire loan application process in a matter of minutes. That, in turn, reduces the time to funding to *as little as 3 hours!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><i>*Time-to-funding may vary depending on the lender and loan type.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alternative business funding for e-commerce businesses<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Banks and other lending institutions tend to view e-commerce businesses as if they&#8217;re the same as any other type of small business, but that&#8217;s not the reality. The biggest difference between online businesses and offline businesses is that there are far more sources of data available for e-commerce businesses to provide to potential lenders.<\/p>\n<p>Wondering why that&#8217;s a big deal? Whereas banks look at data points like monthly revenue, time in business, existing loans, and so on, e-commerce businesses can provide a wealth of other online data points which lenders can then use to paint a far more accurate picture of the business&#8217;s overall financial health and even make better future predictions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>In short:<\/strong> some alternative lenders, such as those partnered with Become, are able to provide <a href=\"http:\/\/www.become.co\/ecommerce-loans\/\">e-commerce loans<\/a> with much better terms, rates, and so on.<\/p>\n\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Go your own way<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Applying for traditional business loans is often difficult and rarely a breeze. Technology has opened up funding possibilities for small business owners that didn\u2019t exist just a few short years ago. And with the information provided here, you now have a great tool to give you head-start in finding the best alternative business loans for your needs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now get out there and get funded!<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.become.co\/apply\/?k=blogbanner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-10726 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Frame-10-min.png\" alt=\"Alternative Business Funding\" width=\"1200\" height=\"385\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Frame-10-min.png 1200w, https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Frame-10-min-300x96.png 300w, https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Frame-10-min-768x246.png 768w, https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Frame-10-min-604x194.png 604w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have you tried getting a business loan from a bank lately? If so, we don\u2019t need to tell you how frustrating it can be to get rejected for financing by the place that you\u2019ve been using to conduct your financial transactions! We\u2019re here to tell you not to throw in the towel just yet. There [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10699,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,79,1,12],"tags":[234,140],"class_list":["post-10667","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aus-resources","category-business-guides","category-uncategorized","category-us-resources","tag-fintech","tag-funding"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>6 Best Alternative Business Loans in 2021 - Business Funding Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.become.co\/blog\/alternative-business-funding\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"6 Best Alternative Business Loans in 2021 - Business Funding Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Have you tried getting a business loan from a bank lately? 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