How to Get a Small-Business Loan in 5 Steps

Getting a small-business loan is a major hurdle facing small businesses, mainly due to tight lending standards by banks. But obtaining outside financing is often necessary to start or grow a business or cover day-to-day expenses, including payroll and inventory.

1. Ask yourself, why do I need this loan?

Lenders will ask you this question, and your answer will likely fall into one of these four categories:

l  To start your business.

l  To manage day-to-day expenses.

l  To grow your business.

l  To have a safety cushion.

2. Decide which type of loan is right for you.

Your reasons for needing the loan will dictate the type of small-business loan you get.

If you’re starting a business, it’s virtually impossible to get a loan in your company’s first year. Lenders require cash flow to support repayment of the loan, so startups are typically immediately disqualified from financing.

Instead, you’ll have to rely on business credit cards, borrowing from friends and family, crowdfunding, personal loans or a microloan from a nonprofit lender. Here’s more information on startup business loans.

For businesses with a year or more of history and revenue, you have more financing options, including SBA loans, term loans, business lines of credit and invoice factoring.

3. Determine the best type of small-business lender.

You can get small-business loans from several places, including banks, nonprofit microlenders and online lenders. These lenders offer products including term loans, lines of credit and accounts receivable financing.

You should approach small-business-loan shopping just as you would shopping for a car, says Suzanne Darden, a business consultant at the Alabama Small Business Development Center.

Once you determine which type of lender and financing vehicle are right for you, compare two or three similar options based on annual percentage rate (total borrowing cost) and terms. Of the loans you qualify for, choose the one with the lowest APR, as long as you are able to handle the loan’s regular payments.

4. Find out if you qualify.

WHAT’S YOUR CREDIT SCORE?

Your place on the credit spectrum is one factor that will determine which loans you’ll qualify for. You can get your credit report for free from each of the three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — once a year. You can get your credit score for free from several credit card issuers as well as personal finance websites, including NerdWallet.

5. Gather your documents.

Once you’ve compared your options, it’s time to apply for the loans that fit your financing needs and that you qualify for.

You can apply for multiple small-business loans within a short time frame (about two weeks) without a negative effect on your personal credit score.

Depending on the lender, you’ll need to submit a combination of the following documents with your application:

l  Business and personal tax returns

l  Business and personal bank statements

l  Business financial statements

l  Business legal documents (e.g., articles of incorporation, commercial lease, franchise agreement).