How to successfully obtain a loan for your startup business

You may think that in order to start your new business all you need is a great idea. While having a great idea is certainly an important component of establishing a new business, it is crucial to realize that most new businesses take money (and a lot of it), to get started. This means that you will need to seek out funding for your business. Today it can be extremely difficult to get financing for a new business. One of the biggest problems in obtaining business financing for a startup is that lenders realize that new businesses have the highest risk. However, the good news is that if you take the time to do your planning and some research you may just be able to get the business loan that you need. Here is what you need to know about how to successfully obtain a loan for your startup business-

- Be an expert-It is important to keep in mind that everything you do needs to inspire the confidence of the lender in your ability to make your business a success. You want to show any potential lender that you have taken the time to learn all you can about the market you are entering. You should be able to present your lender with a very detailed market analysis. This market analysis will be part of your overall business plan. It should include not only a complete overview of your market, but also a detailed analysis of your competition, and a report of what the market conditions are currently. You should also be able to show what percentage of the market you will be able to capture (realistically). Finally, you should be able to show a financial plan that details your potential income, expenses, and cash flow projections fairly accurately.
- Show where the money will be spent-Keep in mind that simply telling your lender that you will use the business loan to open your business won't be enough. You will need to be able to show pretty much down to the penny where the money will be spent. Too often prospective business owners skip this step deeming it to tedious. However, having a business budget will not only show your lender will you spending the money but will also show you exactly how much money you will need. When you have a business budget it shows you exactly how much things will cost. The reality is that if you can't show where you are going to spend the money the chances are fairly high that you will walk away from meeting with lenders empty-handed.
- Demonstrate your expertise-Savvy lenders understand that they are really investing in the people who run a company and not the actual product or service. This makes it crucial that you are able to show prospective lenders that you and any other management involved with your business are the right people in the right jobs. You need to be able show that you have both the experience and the expertise to start, run, and grow your business successfully. Business owners need to be problem solvers so anything you can do to demonstrate that you can solve problems will increase your chances of getting a business loan. It will also increase your chances if you are opening a business that you have some experience in. While it may seem fun to open a party planning business if you have never planned a party then the chances of you getting startup financing are slim. You should also be prepared to pledge some collateral for your new business. Your lender will want to see that you are willing to take on some of the risk for the success of your new business.