Think Like a Lender Before Applying for a Business Loan
Commercial loans, particularly small business loans, have been in the news over the past year or so. The federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program has been helpful to many companies, though fraught with administrative challenges.
As your business pushes forward, you may find yourself in need of cash in the months ahead. If so, more traditional commercial loan options are still out there. Before you apply, however, think like a lender to be as prepared as possible and know for sure that the loan is a good idea.
4 basic questions
At the most basic level, a lender has four questions in mind:
- How much money do you want?
- How do you plan to use it?
- When do you need it?
- How soon can you repay the loan?
Pose these questions to yourself and your leadership team. Be sure you’re crystal clear on the answers. You’ll need to explain your business objectives in detail and provide a history of previous lender financing as well as other capital contributions.
Lenders will also look at your company’s track record with creditors. This includes business credit reports and your company’s credit score.
Consider the three C’s
Lenders want to minimize risk. So, while […]