How much debt is too much for your company? (2024)

FAQs

How much debt is too much for your company? ›

If your business debt exceeds 30 percent of your business capital, this is another signal you're carrying too much debt. The best accounting software can help you track your business debt, manage your cash flow, and better understand your business' financial situation.

How much debt should a small business have? As a general rule, you shouldn't have more than 30% of your business capital in credit debt; exceeding this percentage tells lenders you may be not profitable or responsible with your money.

Generally, a good debt ratio is around 1 to 1.5. However, the ideal debt ratio will vary depending on the industry, as some industries use more debt financing than others. Capital-intensive industries like the financial and manufacturing industries often have higher ratios that can be greater than 2.

Debt is a necessary part of most business journeys. Businesses use debt to improve cash flow, pay suppliers, run payroll and more.

In general, many investors look for a company to have a debt ratio between 0.3 and 0.6. From a pure risk perspective, debt ratios of 0.4 or lower are considered better, while a debt ratio of 0.6 or higher makes it more difficult to borrow money.

Bad debt – a tiny but menacing threat!

The bad debt to sales ratio measures the slice of revenue a company loses because customers aren't settling their invoices. In 2022, the average bad debt to sales ratio for enterprise businesses was a mere 0.16%.

Bad debt is debt that cannot be collected. It is a part of operating a business if that company allows customers to use credit for purchases. Bad debt is accounted for by crediting a contra asset account and debiting a bad expense account, which reduces the accounts receivable.

Most lenders say a DTI of 36% is acceptable, but they want to lend you money, so they're willing to cut some slack. Many financial advisors say a DTI higher than 35% means you have too much debt. Others stretch the boundaries up to the 49% mark.

A DTI ratio of 36% or lower is considered healthy for a small business, as long as mortgage or rent payments constitute 28% or more of that debt, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. However, this can vary depending on the industry you're in and your business' financial circ*mstances.

What is a companies toxic debt? ›

Toxic debt refers to debts that are unlikely to be paid back in part or in full, and therefore are at high risk of default. These loans are toxic to the lender since chances for recovery of funds are small and will likely have to be written off as a loss.

Reasons why companies might elect to use debt rather than equity financing include: A loan does not provide an ownership stake and, so, does not cause dilution to the owners' equity position in the business. Debt can be a less expensive source of growth capital if the Company is growing at a high rate.

What counts as a good debt ratio will depend on the nature of the business and its industry. Generally speaking, a debt-to-equity or debt-to-assets ratio below 1.0 would be seen as relatively safe, whereas ratios of 2.0 or higher would be considered risky.

According to the result of a survey conducted in 2022, 16 percent of small- and medium-sized companies in the United States had debt outstanding between 250,000 U.S. dollars and a million U.S. dollars. Meanwhile, 28 percent of SMEs reported having no outstanding debt.

Generally, too much debt is a bad thing for companies and shareholders because it inhibits a company's ability to create a cash surplus. Furthermore, high debt levels may negatively affect common stockholders, who are last in line for claiming payback from a company that becomes insolvent.

So as a general rule of thumb, good debt generates more value or money than the loan itself costs. Good debt has a positive impact on your business: it allows you to expand by financing things like equipment, premises, skilled employees, and marketing.

Taking control of your debt-to-income ratio can help your business and its chances of getting funding at good rates. Ideally, you should aim to have a debt-to-income ratio no higher than 36%.

According to data from Statista, 17 percent of small and midsize businesses have outstanding debt that ranges between $100,000 and $250,000. Businesses can use debt to manage cash flow, supplier payments and payroll.