When starting a new business, it’s essential to understand how to avoid finance traps. The best way to avoid finance traps is to avoid borrowing. If you absolutely must borrow money for your business, make sure to read the contracts and avoid the most common types of finance traps. These traps can make it difficult to avoid the financing you need for your business. As you read the contracts, you’ll want to look for any hidden clauses that will hold your money back.

The superiority trap: Some people are overconfident, thinking they know better than professionals or the market. While being clever and intelligent doesn’t mean you’ll always outsmart the pros, you’ll need the help of an independent advisor. Becoming overconfident will lead you in the wrong direction. If you don’t want to be a victim of this trap, you’ll probably be easy prey for other traps.

Upselling: Lenders love to upsell. This is not a good thing, and you’ll end up paying twice the interest on each advance. Also, don’t let lenders pressure you to buy additional business loans, like a line of credit. These kinds of fees can eat into a significant portion of your profits. Further, it’s important to avoid lenders who try to upsell you on their services.

Debt traps: Don’t borrow more money than you need. You can never avoid taking out a loan, but you can avoid financial traps by planning ahead and avoiding major purchases. When you borrow money, be sure to pay it back promptly. And try not to take out loans that charge excessive interest rates. As with any other loans, make sure to stay within your budget to avoid any financial traps.

Compensation traps: If you’re a parent who’s not making any money, the chances of you being a victim of compensation traps are extremely high. When your child is working for an employer, he or she will likely talk about his or her “needs” with their parent. Then, other family members who work in the same business will hear about the new compensation. Inevitably, this will cause family friction and feelings of resentment toward parents and their business.

In addition to financial traps, there are also risks of having an over-inflated start-up capital. If you have negative balances on your credit cards or checking accounts, your bank will close them. This will negatively affect your business’s health rating. The bank will report them to the debit bureaus, which will collect on insufficient funds. A detailed report will give you insight into whether your startup cash needs are reasonable and achievable.

BNPL traps can include “no interest” BNPL brands. These types of loans often come with a “business meeting” requirement that is disguised as a timeshare sales pressure. Make sure to look for terms that don’t include timeshare sales pressure or interest. Whether you use a credit card for personal expenses, you should make a budget. Once you have a budget, you can make sure you’re on track financially.