Business loans can be availed by aspiring entrepreneurs for starting a new business or by existing businesses for various purposes. The biggest problem faced by aspiring businesspersons is that of investment. A business start up loan however can provide them with the necessary investment required. For existing businesses, lenders in UK have both secured and unsecured business loans to offer.

Business Loan borrowed by would-be entrepreneurs are usually secured against collateral. It would be a huge risk to the lenders if business-start-up loans were sanctioned without collateral. Any security offered in the form of property allows the lenders to sanction the loan on easy terms and conditions. The interest rates of such business loans are low and the repayment term is long thereby reducing the monthly instalments substantially. The disbursement of such loans however is not fast due to the evaluation of the collateral involved and the consequent paper work. There is also a risk factor for the borrower to consider. If he fails to pay back the loan, the property offered as collateral would be sold off and the loan amount would be recovered by the lender.

Business Loans borrowed by existing business can be secured or unsecured. Secured business loan can be borrowed by offering some of the company assets as collateral. This makes the lenders job easy and he sanctions the loan on easy terms and conditions. However, the terms and conditions of the unsecured loans are strict. Though they reach the consumer very fast, they pose greater risk to the borrower than the secured business loan. Secured or unsecured business loan for existing businesses may be used for

Buying new machinery, equipments, and raw materials that the company may require
Spreading the business
Paying off the old debts of the business
Delivering the business from current financial problems

Before applying for a business loan, an aspiring entrepreneur should jot down on paper his future plans for the business he intends to start. For existing businesses, it would be better to indicate what turn the business would take in the immediate future. All this will make the lenders job a lot easier. Also, compare the rates of different lenders before filing the application.