 TITLE: How to Get a Business Loan CONTENT: Alternatives to a Business Loan\n-------------------------------\nIf you can't qualify for a business loan, investigate these options for borrowing the money you need.\n*   **Business credit card**: If you don't need a lot of money, a small business credit card could be the answer. Getting a business credit card has other benefits: It can help you keep personal and business finances separate; may offer business-related rewards; and may have useful features to manage your money, such as tools to categorize spending. For new businesses, using a business credit card responsibly helps to build a business credit history, which can make it easier to get business loans in the future.\n*   **Personal loan**: Personal loans are generally easier to get than business loans and are available in smaller amounts. You're likely, however, to pay more interest than you would for a business loan. Late or missed payments will hurt your personal credit score, and commingling business and personal finances could cause problems for your business come tax time.\n*   **Peer-to-peer lending**: Peer-to-peer lending sites such as Prosper and Lending Club serve as middlemen for those who want to borrow and lend money. You apply for a personal loan, which is funded by money pooled from individual lenders. If your credit score is too low to qualify for a peer-to-peer loan, consider a lending circle such as the Mission Asset Fund. Lending circles are small groups of individuals who pool their money and lend it to each member of the group in turn.\n*   **Individual lenders**: Do you have friends or family members who can afford to lend you money? You may be able to get better loan terms from them than from a bank. Just be sure to treat the loan as seriously as a bank loan: Draw up a loan agreement, make your payments on time and pay the loan in full. END