Business Loan Albany, Oregon

Before reaching out to banks to discuss getting a bank loan, you will need to have a specific plan.

You need to be able to clearly explain your business, explain how much you want to borrow, define how the money will be used, and show your ability to pay the loan back to the bank.

A well-defined business plan is is critically important. If the loan is to for a going concern, you should also have financial statements covering the last three years. You will also need to discuss what collateral you have available to secure the loan. Collateral is relevant because banks always want to be prepared for a worst-case scenario in which cash flow from the business does not meet your projections.

If the business has few assets, the bank may ask you to to pledge your personal assets, such as the equity in your home. The banks will look at your personal credit report in any case, so hopefully you have good credit history -- you may want to get a copy of your credit history prior to meeting with the banker.

Many of these banks are SBA lenders. Before meeting with the banker, you may want to do your homework on SBA loans programs to see if you qualify. SBA 7(a) loans, SBA 504 loans and SBA disaster assistance loans may be available to you.

To assist you in finding a small business banker, here's our list of small business banks in Albany.

More Advice on Raising Money

Take the time to learn as much as you can about Raising Money. To get the ball rolling, we suggest you read Angel Investors.