Having bad credit and getting a small business loan is not something that people imagine happening at the same time. It’s no doubt a lot more difficult than if you had a clean slate and a great credit score, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not doable.

In order to succeed under more dire circumstances, you will need to be willing to settle in some aspects, and also work a little harder in others. Next up, we’ll be talking about how you can get a small business loan even if you have bad credit.

Working on your credit score

This goes without saying but if you have bad credit, your first step is to try and repair it as much as you can before actually applying for a loan. The most efficient way is to learn about how business credit works and how it differs from personal credit. Also you need to understand that your personal credit is taken into account just as much, if not more than your business score when applying for a business loan. If your business hasn’t been active long enough, they’ll just look at your personal credit.

The action plan

Asking for a small business loan won’t be enough to get approved. The key to how to get a business loan is by knowing what to do with a small business loan. This means that you need a business plan which will show your intentions regarding the money you just borrowed, or want to borrow. Showing your lender exactly how you plan on spending this investment on their part will be a decisive factor in their decision. Come up with a plan of action, a projected result and outline the benefits. Putting it all in front of the lender will sway them in the right decision for you.

Prove that you deserve it

While you don’t usually borrow money often or at all for that matter, lenders see small business owners come in and ask for a loan all the time. You need to prove to them that you are actually worth the investment and that you’re different from the other 50 people that have come in before you. Make sure to approach the loan application and process with passion and dedication, so that they know you have the motivation to put that money to good use. If you just treat it like a chore and give them no reason to believe in your vision, they probably won’t.

Look around

It’s important to mention that getting a loan doesn’t necessarily have to be from a bank. There are multiple types of lenders out there, and you van even find third party lenders offering their services online. All these different entities come with different offers and shopping around will help you find the best loan offer for your business. You might be able to find a much lower interest rate with another lender than your local bank. Just going for the bank option right away might cut you off from a potentially great deal.