What does working capital mean? It’s very simple, working capital is the amount set aside by the business owners for operational expenses that occur daily. For a business to run successfully, even during a low sales period, this working capital is essential, and as not all business owners are expected to bare the working capital expenses from their savings, few of them might consider taking loans to meet these expenses. In such situations they prefer to take a loan from financial services and such loans are called working capital loans

It is important not to misunderstand small business loans as working capital loans. It is a loan taken for covering day-to-day needs which means it covers the employee salaries, stocking of materials needed, and any miscellaneous expenses.

Concept of Working Capital Loans

To understand how working capital loans work, let us consider a situation where the business’s current needs are more than its financial resources. They have already exhausted all the money and the only way to bridge this gap between the resources and the increasing expenditures is to secure a loan so that the business will run smoothly. Working capital loan suffices the short-term needs and provides money for the smooth operation of the business but if we see for the long run it doesn’t ensure benefits to the business but helps make the business operations steady.

A working capital loan’s basic period usually is from 6 months to 12 months. The period is generally low as it is to provide support for operational needs and business is expected to use this money and also pick their sales up. The tenure and interest rates depend on the loan providers.

 Before approaching working capital loans, the business owner has to check his liabilities and current assets and deduce the liabilities from assets which gives the exact money needed for covering the liabilities. This will provide a brief idea while opting for a loan.

Types Of Working Capital Loans 

There are two types of working capital based on which the loan should be selected.

  • Positive working capital: As defined, working capital is an amount needed for smoother everyday business operations. It is obvious that when a business is started, there will be some liquid or immovable assets used for funding the expenses. These savings or resources are called assets in financial terms. The expenditures that take place in business are called liabilities. When the liabilities are lower compared to the resources, it’s called positive working capital. In such cases loan is not required.
  • Negative working capital: Negative working capital is where the liabilities are more than the assets. It means that the available savings will not suffice and the expenditures are shooting high, Here the necessity of a working capital loan becomes essential, and the business owner can check for the best suitable loan.

The assets and liabilities help in understanding the necessity and space to use the working capital loan efficiently.