Significant weight is placed on the company's record in servicing its credit obligations. If your company is privately held, lenders also will review the personal credit histories of its principal owners. Business operation and character. Lenders look for well-run companies with experienced management, competent and loyal employees, adequate business insurance and a good reputation within the market and community. Start collecting press clippings, awards or other evidence pointing to your company's success or good will and status as a good employer.
Lenders can be adverse to lending to companies in certain industries.
This may reflect negative past experiences, or it may be the result of regulatory pressures on banking institutions to maintain a diverse portfolio. In some cases, bank consolidation may change a bank's lending appetite. Non-bank commercial lenders may be more flexible. Lenders like to know who your customers are and will want to see a customer backlog report showing locked-in customer contracts. If you have few clients or a heavy customer concentration, try to diversify your customer list or have a plan in place to do so.