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Borrowing guides
FILE 037U.S. & Canada

Business loan application checklist

A strong application makes the business understandable. Organize evidence around the request, the repayment source, and the questions a lender will need to resolve.

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037Business loan application checklistA strong application makes the business understandable. Organize evidence around the request, the repayment source, and the questions a lender will need to resolve.U.S. & CanadaRead file 038How to compare total borrowing costPut offers on the same basis before choosing a rate. The useful question is how much usable cash arrives and what leaves afterward.U.S. & CanadaRead file 039Interest rate versus APRTwo percentages may measure different things. Find out what each quote includes before deciding which offer costs less.U.S. & CanadaRead file 040How business financing factor rates workA factor rate can make the headline math look simple. The repayment timing and additional charges reveal the fuller picture.U.S. & CanadaRead file 041Financial statements for business borrowingThe statements tell related parts of one story: what the business owns, what it earns, and how cash moves.U.S. & CanadaRead file 042How to read a business balance sheetA balance sheet is a snapshot. Its value comes from understanding the quality, timing, and claims behind the numbers.U.S. & CanadaRead file 043Understanding a profit and loss statementRevenue starts the story. Margins, recurring expenses, and the quality of earnings explain what the business can sustain.U.S. & CanadaRead file 044Reading a cash flow statementFollow the movement of cash to see how operations, investment, and financing interact. A larger cash balance can have several explanations.U.S. & CanadaRead file 045Build a cash flow forecast lenders can followForecast when money reaches and leaves the bank. Timing is the difference between a profitable plan and a payment problem.U.S. & CanadaRead file 046Debt service coverage explainedCoverage compares resources available for debt service with required payments. The definition matters as much as the resulting ratio.U.S. & CanadaRead file 047Personal guarantees on business financingA business obligation can also create a personal obligation. Understand exactly who promises what before signing.U.S. & CanadaRead file 048Collateral and business loan securitySecurity gives a lender rights in specified assets. What is covered, who ranks first, and how it is released all matter.U.S. & CanadaRead file 049Business financing and credit checksKnow whose credit information is being reviewed, why it is needed, and at which stage authorization is requested.U.S. & CanadaRead file 050Understand business loan covenantsCovenants turn part of the operating plan into contractual obligations. Make them visible before they become a surprise.U.S. & CanadaRead file 051How to review a debt term sheetA term sheet helps frame a financing discussion. Its place in the approval process and any binding clauses need separate attention.U.S. & CanadaRead file 052Business loan prepayment and payoff costsPaying early can save money, cost money, or leave the contractual amount largely unchanged. Read the payoff mechanics before choosing a product.U.S. & CanadaRead file 053Business loan broker fees explainedUnderstand how your broker is paid and how that payment relates to the options presented. Clarity starts before the financing closes.U.S. & CanadaRead file 054How to choose a business loan brokerChoose for judgment, transparency, and execution. A large lender count alone does not tell you who can handle your transaction well.U.S. & CanadaRead file 055What to do after a business loan declineA decline is information about one request and one decision process. Use it to understand the gap before sending the same file elsewhere.U.S. & CanadaRead file 056Build an existing business debt scheduleA debt schedule shows the obligations that already compete for cash. It is essential context for evaluating any new financing.U.S. & CanadaRead file 057Choosing between debt and equity financingThe right capital depends on risk, timing, repayment capacity, and the ownership outcome you are willing to accept.U.S. & CanadaRead file 058Financing a startup businessAn early business must finance uncertainty as well as activity. Build the amount around milestones and the evidence available today.U.S. & CanadaRead file 059Assess your business funding readinessReadiness means being able to explain the need and support the repayment story. It is preparation, not a prediction of approval.U.S. & CanadaRead file 060Understanding accounts receivable agingNot every unpaid invoice has the same quality. Aging shows how long balances have remained outstanding and where collection risk is building.U.S. & CanadaRead file 061Write a business plan for financingA financing plan should make the business and the proposed investment understandable. Useful evidence matters more than an impressive page count.U.S. & CanadaRead file 062Business borrowing in the U.S. and CanadaSimilar product names do not make financing rules interchangeable. Start with the legal borrower, operating location, currency, and project.U.S. & CanadaRead file 063Financing a construction businessA busy project schedule can still produce a cash shortage. Finance the gap between paying for the work and collecting for it.U.S. & CanadaRead file 064Business financing for restaurantsA restaurant’s sales can be daily while its investment recovery takes years. Separate the opening project from the ongoing operating cycle.U.S. & CanadaRead file 065Retail business financingRetail financing follows inventory, selling seasons, and the cash left after markdowns. Buying more stock only helps if it can sell profitably.U.S. & CanadaRead file 066Ecommerce business financingOnline sales data can be rich, but cash still moves through suppliers, platforms, advertising, returns, and settlement delays.U.S. & CanadaRead file 067Manufacturing business financingManufacturing ties cash to materials, work in progress, finished goods, and customer terms. Financing should reflect that full production cycle.U.S. & CanadaRead file 068Trucking and transportation financingA truck creates capacity and operating obligations together. Finance the vehicle and the cash required to keep it earning.U.S. & CanadaRead file 069Healthcare practice financingClinical capacity, collection timing, and professional obligations shape the financing need. Keep patient information out of a general financing discussion.U.S. & CanadaRead file 070Financing professional services businessesService businesses borrow against the strength of relationships, earnings, and collection discipline. Headcount growth often requires cash before it produces receipts.U.S. & CanadaRead file 071Financing SaaS businessesRecurring revenue helps describe a software business, but retention, margins, cash burn, and repayment structure determine the financing conversation.U.S. & CanadaRead file 072Agriculture and farm financingAgricultural financing follows production cycles, biological assets, and weather as well as financial statements. Match repayment to the operation’s actual cash generation.U.S. & CanadaRead file 073Hospitality business financingHotels, lodging, and event businesses combine property, operations, and seasonality. The financing plan needs to show how those parts interact.U.S. & CanadaRead file 074Wholesale and distribution financingDistributors often pay suppliers before customers pay them. Growth can increase the funding gap even when orders and margins look healthy.U.S. & CanadaRead file
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