Loan-planning document checklist
Prepare three connected groups: your planning package, supporting records and the lender’s own application requirements.
This is a preparation checklist for a prospective US small-business borrower. The exact submission depends on the lender, program and project. SBA directs 7(a) applicants to work with a participating lender; obtain its current requirements before treating any checklist as complete. Official SBA guidance.
1. Documents the planning process can produce
| Document | Purpose | Check before sharing |
|---|---|---|
| Business plan | Explain the offer, market, operator, execution and risks. | The staffing, opening date and sales logic match the forecast. |
| Financial model | Show monthly drivers, statements, debt and scenarios. | Cash and balance sheets reconcile; assumptions have evidence. |
| Funding summary | State the amount, purpose, contribution and repayment logic. | It matches the same dated model version. |
| Sources and uses | Assign funding to every opening use, including a reserve. | Total sources equal uses; contribution is supported. |
| Assumptions and sensitivity note | Explain the estimate, source and consequence of key inputs. | Downside cash needs are shown rather than omitted. |
| Document register | Track requested records, owners and remaining gaps. | No missing record is represented as supplied. |
2. Evidence the owner or a third party must provide
- Owner and entity records: true ownership details, relevant experience and formation records, as requested.
- Financial records: requested tax returns, bank statements, existing debt schedules and evidence of available contribution.
- Site and equipment: lease or property terms, current quotations, installation scopes, condition reports and applicable permissions.
- Demand support: location-specific research, real customer evidence and reconciled trading history when available.
- Acquisitions: transaction terms and seller financial information requested by the lender; a startup example is not a substitute.
A document-generation service can organize these records and explain gaps. It cannot create authentic tax filings, bank records, licenses, customer contracts or historical trading results.
3. Follow the lender’s form instructions
Use the official form version the lender requests. Examples include the SBA borrower information form and, when applicable, the personal financial statement. Their appearance here does not mean every applicant must submit both, or that this list covers every program.
Keep a simple evidence register
Record the item, source or owner, issue date, model line it supports, current status and next action. For example: an espresso-machine listing can support a machine allowance while freight, installation and electrical work remain unresolved. Keep those gaps visible in the budget instead of labeling the entire equipment package “quoted.”
Share sensitive records only through the recipient’s agreed secure process. This website has no document-upload facility. See the proposed deliverables and projection guide.
Official links checked 1 October 2026. This preparation framework is editorial guidance, not a lender-issued universal list.
Turn the checklist into a lender-specific evidence register
Start with the lender's actual request and the proposed use of funds. Give each requirement an owner, due date, model line and evidence status. “Received” means you have a document; “reviewed” means its scope and date support the intended claim. Neither status establishes lender acceptance.
| Requirement | What it must support | Status example | Next action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lease or premises proposal | Rent, deposits, permitted use, landlord work and possession date | Draft; works split unresolved | Confirm signed terms and responsibility for mechanical works |
| Installed equipment quote | Selected model, quantity, delivery, connections and commissioning | Product listing only | Request delivered/installed scope and quote validity |
| Demand evidence | Paid transactions, memberships or signed job milestones | Inquiries collected | Validate conversion, cancellation and collection terms |
| Owner funds | Amount available after personal obligations and timing of transfer | Statement requested | Provide through the lender’s secure process |
| Monthly projections | Sources/uses, roster, debt and lowest cash balance | Draft linked model | Reconcile quotes and timing; test downside |
| Licenses/approvals | Authority, exact activity, premises and conditions | Authority identified | Confirm requirements and application lead time |
Download a blank loan-planning evidence register (CSV). It contains fields for requirement, owner, source/date, model line, scope gap, status and next action. Store documents securely; the template does not collect or submit personal financial records.
Change the evidence with the operating format
| Format | Evidence to obtain | Why it changes the forecast |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant | Retained hood/fire/grease scope, menu costing and daypart roster | Replacement works and kitchen throughput can change opening funding and paid coverage |
| Remodeling | Signed job scope, payment milestones, change-order terms and subcontract quotes | Collection timing can be more restrictive than accounting job margin |
| HVAC / repair | Specified fleet or installed lift scope, service coverage and technician capacity | A cheaper purchase assumption may not match payload, vehicle coverage or installation |
| Childcare | Authorized ages/capacity, staffing qualifications, usable premises and payment terms | Licensing and whole-classroom coverage change the opening date and enrollment intervals |
| Gym / salon | Measured fit-out, retained wet/mechanical services, presales/bookings and cancellation terms | A fitted shell and a conversion have different capital and cash requirements |
These examples supplement a lender's checklist; they are not universal SBA document requirements. For official program context, use SBA 7(a) guidance and the lender's current instructions. Keep confidential identity, tax and bank records out of public business-plan examples.
Check completeness before sending the package
- Reconcile the requested amount, owner contribution and uses across the narrative, model and quotations.
- Check legal names, premises, dates and operating scope against the supplied records.
- Flag stale, expired, unsigned and incomplete documents with a specific replacement action.
- Separate confirmed approvals from applications or planned activity; do not describe assumed capacity as authorized.
- Use the recipient's agreed secure delivery process and retain a version/date log.
When a lender asks for a change, record the request, update its affected assumptions and replace the entire connected version. A polished narrative cannot cure contradictory quotations or a cash schedule that does not reconcile.