Over the last five years, peer to peer lending has become a popular alternative to traditional bank lending for individuals.
However, just as mortgages and other traditional lending products have been used to finance small businesses and startups in the past, peer to peer lending can be an affordable source of funding for a new business. Let’s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of this new financing option.
How does P2P work?
Peer to peer lending is essentially marketed as individuals and businesses borrowing capital from other individuals. In reality, this point of difference is typically overstated; peer to peer lending and bank lending are similar on one level as both products involve individual investors lending money to a borrower via an intermediary.
In exchange for potentially higher returns, investors in peer to peer lending typically have a higher risk tolerance than traditional bank depositors. This means that peer to peer lenders may be willing to extend credit more quickly or with less security than a bank. Peer to peer lenders typically have a lower cost profile (they’re typically an online only service), meaning that they can often offer borrowers competitive rates while continuing to offer reasonable returns.
Efficient Service
Time is usually of the essence when a small business is attempting to fund a new project or purchase. Businesses generally aim to meet costs from operating revenue, so borrowed capital is usually for a large project or to take advantage of a fleeting opportunity rather than to cover operating expenses such as everyday manufacturing inventory. Peer to peer lenders usually market themselves as a quick line of credit, with most providers turning a loan application around in a matter of hours or days.
Access to Credit
One of the largest barriers for small business growth is access to credit, and peer to peer lenders have responded by offering much smaller loans than banks and other traditional lenders. Borrowers that are looking for less than $500,000 typically struggle with banks, whereas a peer to peer lender would usually be willing to extend credit for $50,000. This makes peer to peer suitable for an early stage startup that needs to buy an initial outlay of manufacturing inventory or minor plant and equipment.
