subject: Getting Small Business Loans [print this page] Getting Small Business Loans Getting Small Business Loans
Banks are very conservative when it comes to lending money to businesses. Unlike most capitalists and angel investors, banks usually approve loans requested by companies that are already firmly established instead of those requested by starting business firms. This is because the chances of a small business not being able to pay loans are high, and the money that banks are lending out belongs to its depositors.
However, today, there are a handful of government agencies working with a lot of well-known banks in order to provide loans for small businesses with solid business plans and well-prepared requests for a business loan. Because of this, banks can now provide modest-sized loans for small businesses that consider loans offered by venture capitalists to be too big.
Before going to a bank, a small business owner must prepare all the necessary paperwork and records. The business plan is very important, as it will make or break a loan request for the business. It is also important to have a compilation of the recent financial statements as well as future plans for business growth.
When requesting for small business loans, business owners must state how they will be able to repay the borrowed money. A business owner may have some of his assets as collateral to guarantee repayment. Examples of collateral are machinery, land property, stocks, and other personal assets or guarantees.
Banks would also want to find out if the business owner is making his or her own investment in the business. If a business owner says that he or she will invest a portion of the required capital, a bank is more likely to give out small business loans because it is confident that the money will be repaid in time.
For money lenders to approve small business loans, a business owner should also explain how a business will operate and why it will earn money. If the bank sees that the business owner has the appropriate skills to make the business successful, the loan request will be approved and the business owner will have enough capital to start the business.
