Whether you are looking to start a business or are a well-established company, here are six steps to help you get small business financing.
1. Determine your funding needs
Create a detailed business budget to estimate what your business needs right now. Remember, business lines of credit act like a credit card, allowing you to withdraw funds on an as-needed basis. Unlike business term loans, you typically only pay interest on withdrawn amounts.
2. Evaluate your business qualifications
Each lender has its own set of business loan requirements, such as minimum credit score, business history, annual revenue and collateral requirements. You can monitor your credit scores for free with LendingTree Spring to see where you stand. If you’re buying a franchise, lenders will likely review the franchise’s success rate and earnings, in addition to your personal finances and creditworthiness.
If your options seem limited due to poor credit, try boosting your credit score or adding a creditworthy cosigner to increase the likelihood of approval.
3. Assess your collateral
Collateral requirements vary by lender and loan type, but generally include fixed assets like equipment, invoices or real estate, or financial assets like cash, investments or certificates of deposit. If you’re not sure which type of collateral is best for your business, start by listing your assets and their values on a balance sheet.
Some lenders may specify which types of collateral they will or will not accept. For example, Wells Fargo doesn’t accept real estate as collateral for its Prime Line of Credit. Meanwhile, SBA lenders typically do accept real estate as collateral, with it being the preferred choice for some loan types.
If you are unable to meet the lender’s collateral requirements, try starting with an unsecured line of credit. Find a lender who reports on-time payments to the major credit bureaus, which can help build your credit profile over time.
4. Compare secured business lenders
Shopping around can help you find the best line of credit that fits your business needs. If a lender doesn’t disclose eligibility criteria and business line of credit rates online, contact them to get more information. You can also read our list of small business lender reviews before applying to ensure a lender is a good fit for your company.
5. Gather required documents
Lenders typically require certain legal and financial documents when reviewing your secured business credit line application. While the exact paperwork will vary, here’s a general idea of what you might need to provide:
6. Apply and review
You can complete most credit line applications online, but some traditional lenders might require an in-person appointment. In general, secured loans typically take longer to process and fund since the lender has to review your assets. With SBA loans, for example, it could take up to several months to receive your funds after approval — unless you’re working with an SBA Preferred lender or applying for an SBA Express loan.
Review your business loan agreement before signing on the dotted line to ensure you understand the rates, repayment term and additional fees.