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Before You Apply: The 1-Page Funding Checklist

Free checklist · From Business Funding Secrets

Before You Apply: The 1-Page Funding Checklist

No pitch here. This is the short list of what lenders look at, so you know where you stand before you apply anywhere.

Go through it in about ten minutes.

Veteran-owned · Plain language · Honest costs

Michael Fieger, Business Funding AdvisorMichael FiegerBusiness Funding Advisor
Partner of National Business Capital
1

Name the need

Pick one: cash flow, inventory, equipment, or growth.

If you have two needs, make two separate requests.

2

Write your Funding Ask

One sentence with three parts: how much, what for, and by when.

Example of the format: “I need $50,000 by August 15 to stock six weeks of inventory.”
3

Know your three numbers

  • Cash runway: cash on hand divided by your average monthly costs. This tells you how many months you can operate.
  • Margins: how much you keep from each sale after costs.
  • Debt coverage: whether your income covers your loan payments with room to spare.
4

Gather the basics

  • Current profit and loss statement and balance sheet
  • Last two years of business tax returns
  • Recent business bank statements
  • A list of your current debts
  • Supplier terms, or an equipment quote if you are buying equipment
  • A short memo, two pages at most: what the money is for, how it helps, and how you will repay it
5

Match the funding to the need

  • Payroll or cash flow gaps: a line of credit or short-term options
  • Equipment: equipment financing sized to how long the equipment lasts
  • Inventory: a seasonal line or vendor terms
  • Growth: longer-term options, but only when you are truly funding growth
Rule of thumb: the life of the funding should match the life of what you are buying.
6

Read the fine print

Look at the total cost in dollars, not just the rate. Ask about fees, prepayment penalties, and personal guarantees. Ask for a clear payment schedule, and test the payment against your slowest month.

Credit not perfect? That does not automatically close the door.

There are flexible options, and I will tell you honestly what fits and what it costs. If you would like to talk it through, there is no pressure and no obligation.

Talk it through with me

Business Funding Secrets ebook cover

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My free guide, Business Funding Secrets, walks through every option step by step, with one clear action at the end of every chapter.

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Semper Fi,
Michael Fieger
Business Funding Advisor · Partner of National Business Capital

For education only. Not legal, tax, or financial advice, and not a commitment to lend. Terms vary by lender and business.