Business Loan Alden, New York

Before reaching out to banks to discuss getting a bank loan, you will need to develop the specifics of your loan request.

You need to be able to clearly explain your business, explain how much you want to borrow, walk the banker through the planned use of proceeds, and show how you plan to pay the loan back to the bank.

A well-defined business plan is an important prerequisite. If the financing is to for a company that is already doing business, you should also have financial statements covering the last three years. Bankers will also want to know what collateral you have available to guarantee 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, you will likely be asked to pledge your personal assets, such as your individual retirement account or pension plan. 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 read up on 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 help you learn more about local small business lenders, here's our list of small business banks in Alden.

This is a list of banks outside of Alden, New York that have provided SBA loans to Alden businesses. Some of these may be national banks with local branch locations.

More Advice on Raising Money

Take the time to learn as much as you can about Raising Money. To get the ball rolling, we recommend you read Getting a Small Business Loan.