In some cases, the social entrepreneur must plan for both interest payments during the term of the loan and the loan repayment after the loan term has ended. In a popular model, the social entrepreneur starts to repay the loan (the principal) after two years. Another option is the complete refinancing at the end of the loan period.
The social enterprise should also negotiate the interest payment and principal repayment schedule in case of distress to secure the necessary financial flexibility.3 Options can be a delay of the interest payments or an extension of the credit period to reduce the financial burden.
However, the social entrepreneur must consider the worst-case scenario. In the case of default or bankruptcy, the loan provider‟s rights to be repaid might take precedence over the social entrepreneur‟s rights. For this reason, the social entrepreneur should avoid taking on personal liabilities for the social enterprise or negotiating extensive debt to equity swaps in case of default. A debt to equity swap gives the loan provider a certain share of the equity capital (ownership) if the social enterprise defaults on its debt.
3 Some contracts include financial covenants which secure that the company operates within certain limits (e.g. certain limits of ratios such as “Net Debt to Operating Profit” or “Operating Profit to Interest Costs”).
Box 3
The dos and don’ts of negotiating the financing terms:
- Avoid any personal liability
- Consider the consequences in case of default
- Secure the necessary entrepreneurial flexibility for the operations (voting rights only as far as necessary)