The struggles businesses have when it comes to getting a business loan are well known for even well established businesses. But what if you are a start-up or a relatively young business? Simply put the climb you face will be steeper than the one confronting your more mature counterparts.
So what factors do banks take into consideration when assessing a business loan request?
If you are a start-up or a relatively young business you can increase your chances of success by better understanding how banks will assess your finance request. In fact businesses of all ages would also benefit from this.
One framework which sums up their approach is CAMPARI; get a tick for each aspect of this framework and you’re on the right track.
Character
First of all you need to understand that in the SME world the bank is lending to you, not your business… you are the business. It is you that can make or break your business and so naturally the bank is going to pay close attention to your character.
The bank will consider your age and health; the assets you have; how you have operated your bank account; and whether you come across as a person of integrity and honesty.
The key factor though will be the information contained in your Credit file. Do you have a clean record, or do you have a list of past loan defaults? For lower value loans the results from a credit search can be the main factor in you getting a yes or a no.
Ability
Closely linked to your character is your ability to make a success of the business. In terms of the sector you’re operating in do you have relevant experience? Do you have suitable qualifications which benefit you in this business?
What specific business skills do you have which will help control and grow the business? If you are missing key skill sets, what are you doing to close the gap? Do you have a clear plan for what you want to achieve?
All of these factors will help in assessing your ability to deliver on what you are promising.
Margin
This next part of the CAMPARI framework is not the definition of margin you will be familiar with. This is the amount of margin the bank will be charging you i.e. the interest rate and other charges they will apply.
The question for the bank is whether the interest rate and fees proposed is sufficiently high enough to compensate them for the risk they are taking.
Purpose
The bank will want to make sure that the purpose to which the finance will be used adds value to the business; the money lent has to assist you in moving the business forward and not just to get you out of trouble by paying off pressing bills for example.
The bank will also consider the sector you are operating in. Banks have sectors they are happy to lend to and sectors in which they are more cautious. The less favoured the sector, the tougher it will be to get what you want.
Amount
The bank does not expect to be advancing the total cost of the project; you will be expected to make a contribution. So what percentage are you putting in?
In terms of the project, are you asking for too little or too much? Either of these will put the bank off. The acid test is whether the amount you’re requesting matches with what your financial projections are showing.
Repayment
At the very heart of the bank’s assessment process is your ability to repay the finance you’re requesting. The bank will be looking at your Annual Accounts, your Management figures and your financial projections (Profit and Loss, Cashflow and Balance Sheet), all to confirm you can afford the repayments.
What about your past repayment track record? Have you had previous borrowings which were either paid back with no problems or where you struggled to pay? All of this is taken into consideration when assessing your ability to pay back.
Insurance
And lastly the bank is going to look at its insurance in terms of the security you can offer for the bank to fall back on should you fail to repay.
The issue of security is a very emotive subject. If you are looking to borrow a relatively small sum then the issue of security won’t arise as the bank will lend purely against your past credit history. However, for larger amounts the bank will be looking for assets which it can sell should you fail to pay.
The Next Step
As you can see there are a number of elements that the bank will look at when assessing your finance request. How do you stack up against the CAMPARI framework?
What actions do you need to take to improve your chances of getting a ‘yes’?
Rob delivered a series of 3 workshops aimed at understanding how finance houses look at finance propositions with the aim for us as a team to deliver more of a bespoke offering to our customer base. The training was delivered to a mixture of staff who work with new businesses start-ups and existing established businesses across Mid & South West Wales. Rob delivered the training with an abundance of passion and has really helped my team look at financial propositions in a different light, many thanks again Rob and I look forward to work with you in the near future.
Rob kindly agreed to attend the recent Pontypridd RFC sponsors networking evening and delivered what can only be described as an excellent talk on 5 Tactics to Boost Your Business and Your Profits. He kept the audience engaged throughout and the feedback from everyone was excellent. Rob is very knowledgeable on business and finance and on top of that is a genuine nice guy. We hope to have him back at a future event and I have no hesitation in recommending Rob’s services.
Hi Rob, it was so interesting and entertaining listening to you at the Kevin Green Wealth Coach Workshop in Reading this weekend! I didnt realise you can find Finance proposals such fun!. Brilliant tips! Thanks.
I wanted to thank you for such an insightful, energetic, and entertaining talk at the Kevin Green Wealth event on securing funding and creating a successful plan. It was brilliantly executed and a pleasure to listen to and the ideas I’ve learned are definitely going to help me in going forward.
Further to your recent presentation at LEAD Wales just wanted to say it was very refreshing to see somebody talk passionately and positively about finance, very insightful!