The state of our economy for the past few years has been hard on small business owners. Not only have small businesses and individuals taken a hit in regards to their income, but it’s been very hard to even get the funding necessary to support a small start up.

Can 2012 possibly be the year of change for small businesses owners?

A recent bill, the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act, has been signed and put into law. This bill will hopefully mean that banks will finally approve loans to help small business owners start off on the right foot.

With the loan limits now up to $5 million, it’s going to be up to the banks to help small businesses get the money they need to get started.

So, how can you best use your loan money? Having a firm plan in place will help banks see your vision and approve your loan. Here are a few of the most important items you’ll need on your list to show banks that you mean business.

1) Building Space: First things first, one of the biggest start-up costs is finding a place to conduct business. Finding a building for rent and paying the monthly fees will be one of your biggest expenses, and the number one most important item for getting started. Do your research and find potential rental spaces in an up and coming area, or a spot that is relevant for your specific business venture. Though you will need the money to close the deal, go into your loan meeting with a few solid leads, and as close to starting negotiations or even closing as possible.

2) Business Furnishings: After your actual renting expense, having the supplies you need to run your business will be your next largest cost. Have a clear budget set so you know how much you’ll need in loans to cover the cost of filling your building. Whether you’re running a restaurant, hair salon, clothing boutique or specialty store, you should have a list of furnishings, supplies and appliances you’ll need along with a clear cost analysis and planned budget. Always factor in extra money for getting the space up to speed, repairs and unforeseen expenses.

3) A Company Car: If your business relies heavily on transportation in the form of deliveries or a lot of travel time, you may not want to put the miles on your own vehicle. A company car would be a responsible use of loan money. Compile a list of possibilities for finding a reliable company car. You can save money buy buying a used vehicle. If you’re looking for the used cars Oklahoma has to offer, you might consider Tulsa Ford or even buy here pay here car lots in Oklahoma.

Going into your loan meeting with a clear goal, budget and list of start-up expenses will help banks realize that you are serious about starting your small business. While the bill has been signed into law, it is still up to you and the banks to make your dream real!

Buying a new car can be an expensive task.  However, you can often save a lot of money by being aware of and acting on various rebates and incentives offered by manufacturers and car dealers.  Many prospective buyers aren’t aware of these programs, until the dealer themselves tell them.

Most times, manufacturers offer rebates and incentives to try to get rid of cars that aren’t in high demand.  This is particularly the case these days.  This is because the automotive industry is suffering from decreased sales. A while ago, Toyota had to issue a widely publicized recall.  Not many people were visiting Toyota dealerships shortly after that happened.  In response, they started issuing rebates and incentives to try to get more customers in the door.  This was a great time to get a Toyota Corolla or Toyota Prius, for example, for a great deal.

There are many different types of rebates and incentives that you may not know about.  You can easily find information about some of the ones available to you by going here: New Car Rebates – InternetAutoGuide.com or HERE. In the meantime, here are some of the most common that you’ll find:

An incentive to buy or lease a new car.  The manufacturer’s financing division will offer you lower interest rates on a new loan in order to entice you to buy a new car.  However, there is one disadvantage of this.  In order to get this incentive, you will need to meet strict eligibility requirements.  You likely won’t qualify if you have less then great credit, especially nowadays, because bad credit auto loans mean that the buyer should be happy to get a car in the first place—incentives nonwithstanding.

Dealers will also offer cash rebates.  They are very common to find.  After you have bought the car, you will be entitled to a cash rebate.  This can range anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand. There are various ways that you can use these cash rebates.  You could request a check in the mail.  You could also use the money toward your down payment.  If the rebate is high enough, it could provide all the money you need for your down payment.  However, most people combine the rebate with what they’re already putting down so that they don’t have to finance as much money.

You may also find dealerships that are offering loyalty rebates.  In order to get this rebate, you will have to own a car from the dealership.  For example, if you owned a Ford Explorer, you may be entitled to a loyalty rebate if you go back to the dealership to purchase another Ford car.

There are also conquest rebates.  As their name suggests, they are the complete opposite of loyalty rebates.  You may be offered a rebate if you’re driving a certain type of car and the dealership wants you to switch brands.

There are also rebates depending on what you do for a living.  Manufacturers commonly offer rebates for students.  This enables them to get their first car for a slightly cheaper price.  Military personnel are often offered rebates too.  In order to get this type of rebate, you will need to provide proof that you’ve actually served in the military though. Also, check with your employer as many large corporations have some ties to the auto industry.

Interested in a hybrid, or other green car?  You’ll often be offered rebates and tax breaks whenever you purchase one of these vehicles.  There are both federal and state incentives and credits to encourage people to buy these cars.

There are certain times when you’ll find plenty of rebates and incentives to choose from.  Whenever new car models come out, dealerships may have models left over from last year.  They will often offer rebates in order to get rid of this excess inventory. Another good time to go shopping for a new car is during the holidays.  Most people are focused on buying other things during this time of year.

It’s important that you not talk about the rebate when negotiating the price of your car.  Instead, wait until you’ve come to terms before telling the salesman you want to accept the rebate.

Now that you know how many are available, you’ll just need to search for ones that you qualify for, and what type of car you’re looking to buy. There are some sites out there that promise to get you a car for below invoice (for example this site), but with some nice outgoing models and sweet rebates, you may get the same price with no hassles.

Have you reached the stage in your life wherein you are finally old enough to purchase your dream car? You already saved the needed amount for the down payment, made sure that you have a credible income, and then suddenly, someone tells you that you are not qualified. Why? You find out that the only thing that is stopping you is your bad credit score.

The Relationship between Credit Scores and Cars Loans

If you want to be able to get money through loans, may it be personal or for a car, one of your best tools in order to get approved would be your credit scores. Your credit score is usually used by creditors and banks in order for them to determine if you will be able to pay back the money that you need to borrow.

A car loan is one loan type that takes into consideration the credit scores of a customer. The people who provide this kind of business usually don’t just look at the things that you’ve done recently. Most of these companies even go as far as 7 years ago and they use whatever information that they have to check if you are qualified or not.

Get the Car of Your Dream by Getting a Bad Credit Car Loan

You might have a bad credit score due to various reasons but this won’t change the reality that needing a car is a fact of life. Wanting to have a car while having a bad credit score at the same time is a tough situation for anyone, but it is definitely not impossible. You have to deal with your bad credit score and treat it as a way of life. Nevertheless, a car loan for people with bad credit is still doable.

Follow the Instructions Provided Below and Start Driving The Dream Car of Yours

• Make sure to offer the largest possible cash or check down payment. The more you can straight away pay off the balance of the car; you will have a bigger chance of getting a loan for the remaining balance. This will make the bank and the car dealer see the effort that you placed in reducing the balance for the car.
• You should be prepared to pay finance charges that are higher than the usual. This is actually normal and unavoidable for people who were able to obtain a loan despite a bad credit score.
• You should get a co-signer to help you qualify for your loan. Get someone who has good credit score so that there is a big chance for the bank to approve the loan. Combining the large down payment and a co-signer will make it easier to qualify. Be aware that the co-signer is the one who will be responsible for the loan in case you can no longer make the payments.
• Try to get a car loan from a bad-credit car dealer. These types of companies provide services to individuals who do not have good credit by working with banks that also cater to bad-credit customers. However, keep in mind that the APR will be higher than usual.