Debt payoff schedule which determines the fixed rate in regular installments (monthly).

An individual or group who pays an upfront development fee to the franchisor to open a certain number of locations by a specific date, regardless of territory. Generally, there is also a franchise fee for each unit opened.

Refers to the ratio of debt obligations to assets after all liabilities have been satisfied. We generally look for a minimum of an asset coverage ratio of 1.5x the loan payments.

Repayment of the outstanding principal sum made at the end of the loan term if the amortization differs from the term duration.

A profit from the sale of property or of an investment

A detailed report of an individual's credit history. Credit bureaus collect information and create reports, which lenders use to determine credit worthiness.

Ratio of cash available for debt servicing to interest, principal and lease payments

A cash injection made by the borrower, which is a percentage of total project cost (typically 20-30%)

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization - a measurement of business performance without factoring accounting decisions or tax environments.

Money value of a property or of an in a property in excess of claims or liens against it

Contractual obligations to deliver cash or similar to another entity or a potentially unfavorable exchange of financial assets such as accounts payable, salaries, and income tax

A legal document containing information essential to potential franchisees which is presented to prospective buyers of franchises in the pre-sale disclosure process

An individual or entity which co-signs the credit agreement to provide additional assets to guarantee a loan.

Liquidity includes personal cash, cash in a business bank account that is owned 100% by guarantors, marketable securities not in retirement accounts, retirement funds (if reached retirement age), or home equity lines of credit.

Refers to the final payment date of a loan

Settlement or payoff of a loan before it reaches maturity

the prime rate is the interest rate that commercial banks charge their most credit-worthy customers.

Government backed program for start-up and existing small businesses. SBA does not make loans itself, but rather guarantees loans made by participating lending institutions.

(Uniform Commercial Code) is a legal form that a creditor files to give notice that it has or may have an interest in the personal property of a debtor

Process that a lender uses to assess the creditworthiness or risk of a potential borrower

Refers to any day-to-day business costs outside of fixed costs (rent, utilities, etc) that may be required to reach profitability