Small Business Lenders in Laurel, Mississippi

Before meeting with lenders 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, describe what the money will finance, and show your ability to pay the loan back to the lender.

A well-defined business plan is is critically important. If the money 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 guarantee the loan. Collateral is relevant because banks always want to be prepared for a worst-case scenario in which you cannot repay the loan .

If the business has few assets, you will likely be asked to to guarantee the loan with your personal assets, such as the equity in your home. 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 these banks participate in the financial assistance programs available through the SBA. Before you sit down to talk with a small business 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 help you learn more about local small business lenders, here's our list of small business banks in Laurel.

More Advice on Raising Money

If you are new to our site, you should know that we are dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs, and we have a lot of resources related to to Raising Money. If you want to learn about raising money, we would suggest you read 504 Loans.