Do the Benefits Outweigh the Risk of Debt Financing?
While there is certainly the risk of debt financing, there are also many benefits. Staying in control of your business’ day-to-day operations as well as its long-term goals. Regaining control of your business if equity is already in employees’ or investors’ hands. Extending your cash runway between fundraising rounds. Supplementing an existing strong cash flow to launch a new phase of growth.
These are just a few of the many debt financing advantages SaaS owners can enjoy by going this route to secure capital. And while the perks are many, there are risks associated with debt financing. We’ve outlined a few of the risks of debt financing to ensure you are well informed when weighing your options.
Yes, the Interest Rate is High, But…
If you do your research, you’ll notice the interest rate associated with debt financing often surprises people. You’ll see rates from 14 percent to the low 20s. So why do companies take on debt with an interest rate that high? Well, there are some significant advantages to going this route rather than choosing an equity investor.
In our benefits of debt post, we highlighted an example of what your takeaway as an owner might be with debt financing versus equity financing. In this example, a $2 million loan plus interest had to be repaid, whereas nothing had to be repaid to the equity investor. However, because that investor owned a portion of the company, they were owed a certain amount of money when the company sold for $50 million.
The equity investor takeaway was nearly $6 million more than the $2.9 million debt repayment. The owner takeaway was that much less.
With Venture Debt, Collateral Requirements are Different
If you tried to obtain working capital through a bank loan, you’d find their collateral requirements might be assets such as property, equipment, other funds, and so on. As a growing SaaS company, those assets simply might not be available to you. Sure, you have the equipment, but it’s probably not enough to serve as collateral. With SaaS companies, the real value is intellectual property.
If your SaaS business already has strong cash flow and sticky subscribers, using intellectual property as collateral might be a risk you’re willing to take. Maybe you need the working capital not to extend your cash runway, but to invest in a new growth strategy that includes previously unused marketing platforms and tactics as well as a bolstered sales team.
In this situation, your foundation may be solidified well enough that using IP as collateral isn’t much of a risk. Of course, this is a risk of debt financing that’s highly subjective and dependent on your risk appetite.
How You Structure Your Loan Matters
Debt financing features negotiability and flexibility in that you can work with your lender to structure the loan. This might be how funds are needed, where your company stands and where it’s projected to be, and what the financing goal is.
Learn More About the Benefit and Risk of Debt Financing
Work with your lender to determine the best loan structure based on payments you can afford now versus later. These might include a step-up structure, balloon payments, and others. Ultimately, the most advantageous use of debt financing is for expediting growth. Work with your lender to structure your loan in the way that best helps you achieve your goals.
At River SaaS Capital, we’ll work closely with you to understand your growth goals and develop a SaaS debt financing solution to help you achieve them. Fill out the form below to get in touch with our investment team.
Learn why debt makes sense: Download our guide to growing your company with debt financing.
