Alternative forms of credit available to homeowners

With credit harder and harder to come by these days, many small business owners have turned to nontraditional credit in order to fund their companies as they try to get off the ground. The traditional lending markets have become so dire that some are even taking out home equity lines of credit. According to one blogger, entreprenurs should think long and hard before committing to any loan program, and they should have an exit strategy. "When it comes to borrowing money through any loan type it is always a wise decision to have an exit plan," SubprimeBlogger.com suggests. "Many small business owners feel that they need as much money as possible right now but what they must understand is that they need a plan to pay this money off in the near future. A large number of small businesses fail because small business owners do not plan when it comes to paying loans back." Business owners may also want to be careful because of an uptick in home equity loan-related identity theft. The Minnesota Star Tribune reports that Burnsville, Minnesota, resident Mike Calcutt had an ID theif run up nearly $90,000 on his home equity line of credit before he noticed.