United States
Updated: June 7th, 2023
Every business has busy periods, whether they operate seasonally or experience increased demand during certain times of the year. To get through a busy season with success, working capital is crucial.
Not only do you need enough cash to cover mid-season expenses and potential emergencies, but you also have to pay for upfront costs.
Starting a busy season on the right note requires upfront spending. Fortunately, financing can help. Here are six reasons you may need an injection of capital:
If you sell products, inventory is your lifeline. Having enough stock to last the busy season doesn’t just help you maximize sales. It also allows you to secure returning customers.
A few months before customer demand spikes, start ordering additional supplies, hiring extra labor, and ramping up production to ensure your products are ready to go. In addition to re-producing your bestselling items, you may also want to create new products or tweak existing ones to better address customer feedback. Financing can give you the cushion you need to put out high-quality products on time.
Increasing your marketing efforts before and during a busy season can help you draw in returning customers, attract new ones, and boost sales. Review the data from your past marketing efforts and double down on the most effective strategies, whether that includes email campaigns, social media ads, or attending local events. It’s also a good idea to budget for one or two marketing trends you haven’t tried, like content marketing or videos.
Investing in the right distribution methods can help you expand your customer base before a busy season begins.
Prepping for a busy period requires the right team. Depending on your business, you may need to reinvest in training for your full-time staff or hire contractors or seasonal employees to help with the extra workload. Building a stellar team requires capital, but the additional payroll and training costs can pay dividends. After all, your employees’ skill level and productivity on the job can make the difference between merely scraping by and handling additional business with ease.
It’s difficult to predict what will happen during a busy period, but it’s important to prepare for the worst-case scenario. That means protecting your business against the threat of natural disasters and financial crises, like losing a key client before a busy season. Having a cash reserve for unforeseen costs can help you remain open and serve customers or clients, even in challenging situations.
Repairing and replacing equipment can be expensive, but reliable machines and technology are essential to your business’s success. Maybe you own a pie shop and need a second delivery vehicle to manage customer orders during the holidays. Or perhaps your dated computers are slowing down backend processes like online order fulfillment and customer management.
Having enough money to repair or replace ineffective or damaged equipment can help prevent downtime and lost revenue.
Going the extra mile to take care of your customers can set your business up for long-term growth. High customer satisfaction translates to better reviews, more customers, and increased revenue. Consider how you could enhance your operation this busy season. You might be able to expand your services, extend your hours, or offer customers free shipping. Whatever your goal, financing can help.
Financing before and during a busy season can help you stay afloat and take advantage of opportunities. When it comes to business loans, there are plenty of good options, but Funding Circle stands out for our speed and flexibility.
If you’re considering financing to help cover upfront or mid-season costs, here’s what we offer:
Time and brainpower are precious commodities during a busy season. We have a simple application process that doesn’t require you to draft a business plan or sort through stacks of paperwork. You can fill out your application online in just a few minutes, with only a handful of key documents.
During a busy time, you need cash flow to go toward inventory and marketing, not debt. At Funding Circle, our fixed interest rates are competitive with traditional lenders. Plus, we offer once-monthly payments, so you always know what to budget.
There are no hidden fees or prepayment penalties ever. You only pay interest on the time you borrow, so if your busy season goes well, you can pay off your loan early with no issues.
Having flexibility with your capital won’t help you survive the busy season, it’ll also help you thrive. At Funding Circle, you can borrow between $25,000 and $500,000 for a period of six months to five years. Our flexible terms and repayment periods are perfect for helping you get through the next few busy seasons with minimal stress.
When you’re preparing for your business’s most demanding time, you need fast cash for critical expenses. Unlike traditional lenders, we don’t take 90 days to review your application. At Funding Circle, our goal is to get you an answer within 24 hours; then, if you’re approved, you can get funding in as few as five business days.
Getting a Funding Circle loan gives you a chance to build business credit while still handling your seasonal costs. Improving your business credit score can help you secure lower interest rates and better terms on future financing opportunities.
We’re passionate about seeing businesses like yours succeed. If you think a Funding Circle loan could help your business make the most of busy seasons, apply today or learn more about how we operate.
Paige Smith is a content marketing writer who specializes in writing about the intersection of business, finance, and tech. Paige regularly writes for a number of B2B industry leaders, including fintech companies, small business lenders, and business credit resource sites.
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