Thursday 9 November 2017

What are the requirements to secure a business loan?

What does a person do when he wants to start a business or expand his existing one? And what happens when the person cannot arrange for the money himself? The most plausible course of action would be to apply for a business loan from a financial institution. This loan is also availed by established businesses to fund for startup expenses or pay for expansions. Business loans are actually borrowed capital which a company is obligated to pay according to the loan’s terms and conditions. A potential lender will surely want to know how a business intends to spend the borrowed amount. So business owners should surely have a clear outline regarding his plans on how to utilize their loans.

The basic requirements to avail a business loan are as follows:

• Bank statements – Bank statements provide lenders with an insight into how well you manage the cash which comes into your business. Lenders get to calculate your average bank balance, and this helps them to understand that whether your business is sustainable and whether you can pay back the loan amount with interest. This is particularly true for small business lenders.

• Balance sheet – A balance sheet helps the lender to understand what you have and what you owe, and this helps them to understand how well you manage your assets and liabilities. Business lenders often scrutinize these documents carefully.

• If you have a new business and it is relatively small, it can prove to be a bit difficult to get a loan for the business. Lenders want to have a look at your personal tax returns. This helps them to understand how well you are managing your own finances and help them to decide whether you are eligible for a loan or not.

• You should build cordial relationships with the people at the lending institutions even before you actually apply for the loan. This is because people generally do business with people they know and trust.

• You should have a clear idea of how you are going to utilize the money. And you should also work out the exact amount of money that your business requires. Underestimating the amount of money that you need will lead to lack of working capital and thus prove to be detrimental for your business.

• You should thoroughly and carefully prepare a loan application package (which is the paperwork) that is to be submitted to apply for a loan.

• Lenders often take into account the time period for which you have been running your business. In case of a small businesses, longer the period that the business is running, better are your chances of getting a loan.

Thus it is evident that there are a number of essential prerequisites that you need to complete before you can apply for a loan. Having a sound financial record is of utmost importance. Planning in advance and having a clear idea in your mind can put you in good stead to get your business loan approved.

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