Lenders typically ask the following questions:

• How much do you want?
• What’s it for?
• How will you generate profit to repay on time?
• Can they trust you?
• Do you have a good credit history?
• Do you manage your business well?
• What if you can’t repay on time?
• Is there sufficient collateral to repay the loan?

Relevant information which lenders usually require includes:

• Cash flow projection
• Income projection
• Balance sheet projection
• Sales forecast
• Cost plan
• Debt-to-equity ratio
• Other key ratios
• Market analysis
• Past records
• Scenario analysis
• Executive summary
  • Concise, direct to the point
  • Written last
  • Introduce the business owner and the business
  • Projected sales, profit and keys to success
  • Peer review