Effectively requesting funding is an essential part of getting funding for your business. No matter how successful your business is, the number of high-quality clients you have, or the innovative products and services you offer, potential financial partners or lending institutions will not know these facts unless your proposal clearly communicates them.
The goal of your proposal is to show that you are different than the many other start-ups or business expansion projects. You can achieve this by providing relevant information about the following:
The strength of management-Showcasing the expertise of the owners and managers can ease the lender's mind and increase your chances to get funding for your business. This is particularly important for start-ups Small Business Funding.
The strength of your brand-Showcasing evidence of a strong, established company brand is crucial in this process. The lender will be more confident in your company's success if your Web site has traceable traffic information, evidence that you have discussed your products and services on forums or any other evidence of market awareness. If the company brand is strong enough, it can be used as collateral.
Your potential lenders will be impressed by your business strategy. A well-developed business strategy and the presentation of it will demonstrate that your business is focused and sustainable. If you can show lenders where your business will be in five, ten, or twenty years, they can only see the future.
Target Market- You must clearly communicate the fact that your target market for your products or services is known. You can have the most innovative products or services in the world, but targeting the wrong market for your products and/or services will cause the demise of your company. Do extensive research to find out the demographic information of your target audience. This will help you keep pace with changing markets and increase your chances of getting financing.
Competitor-Just like in the case with understanding your target market. If you can show your potential lender that your competitors are understood, they will believe that your ability to conduct constant research to stay on top of industry trends and offer cutting-edge products to compete with them.
Large Name Clients - Having well-known clients will make it easy for your company continue to attract companies of the same stature.
Innovation-Providing the same products or services to many markets is the best way for a business to fail. Create innovative products and services that will attract new customers (and lenders) to your company.
Intellectual Property-In addition to innovation, proving that you are the owner of a product or service idea is a way for your company to demonstrate that it will bring something new into your industry or market will increase your company's long-term stability.
Recommendations - Lenders will be more likely to trust your business if other financial institutions or businesses have trust in it. A few solid recommendations can make the difference between an approved and denied application.