Madison, Wisconsin Business Loan

Before meeting with banks to get a bank loan, you will need to develop the specifics of your loan request.

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

Having a business plan is an important prerequisite. If the money is to for a company that is already doing business, you should also have financial statements covering the last three years. In addition, you should itemize 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, you will likely be asked to pledge 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. Prior to visiting local banks, 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 assist you in finding a small business banker, here's our list of small business banks in Madison.

More Advice on Raising Money

Make it a priority to learn as much as you can about Raising Money. For starters, we suggest you read 504 Loans.