Business Loan Council Bluffs, Iowa

Prior to meeting with 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, define how the money will be used, and show how you intend to to pay the loan back to the bank.

A well-defined business plan is is critically important. If the financing is to for a going concern, you should also have financial statements covering the last three years. In addition, you should itemize 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 secure the business with your personal assets, such as your individual retirement account or pension plan. The banks will check on your personal credit history 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 the banks in our list are SBA lenders. Before you sit down to talk with a small business banker, you may want to get up to speed 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 Council Bluffs.

More Advice on Raising Money

If you are serious about Raising Money, you need to educate yourself. If you haven't read it already, we recommend you review 504 Loans.