Omaha, Nebraska Small Business Loans

Prior to meeting with lenders to discuss getting a bank loan, you will need to determine exactly what size loan you will be asking for.

You need to be able to clearly introduce your business to the banker, explain how much you want to borrow, describe what the money will finance, and show your ability to pay the money back to the lender.

Having a business plan is is critically important. If the loan is to for an existing business, 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 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 stocks and bonds that you might own or life insurance policies. 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 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 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 Omaha.

More Advice on Raising Money

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