Answer:
Yes they can be used to purchase goods or invest in a business.
Step-by-step explanation:
Loans from formal channels like banks and government agencies are usually given for an specific purpose if you own a business or can be handed out for any type of personal use if you request them as an individual. This applies to developed and developing countries.
Loans from informal channels can also be used by a business, specially small businesses, and obviously personal use. Large businesses will probably not take a loan from an informal channel since the interest rates will probably be higher and the amounts will be too small. But even on developed countries, someone who has just graduated can ask his/her parents or a friend for a loan to start a small business or buy a car. Informal channels are based on personal relationships and even though they don't represent a large percentage of loans in developed countries, they also exist.