Slatemont Capital Group, a small-business funding broker in Bismarck, North Dakota, explains how to prepare a business plan for a bank loan: lead with the request, show the use of funds and repayment capacity, cite Burleigh County Census figures correctly, and attach the financials a reviewer expects. Free advisors can help; the lender decides.
Put the request on page one
Open with a short summary that states the amount, the purpose, the repayment term you are asking for and how it will be repaid. A reviewer who has to search for the request reads the rest of the plan less charitably. Owners searching 'how to make a business loan proposal' are really asking for this page: a one-page cover that the plan supports.
The sections a reviewer reads first
| Section | What it must show |
|---|---|
| Request summary | Amount, purpose, term, source of repayment |
| Use of funds | A line-by-line table matched to quotes |
| Repayment capacity | Cash flow that covers the new payment with room to spare |
| Collateral and guarantees | What secures the loan and who signs |
| Financial statements | Recent history plus realistic projections |
| Market and competition | Who buys, and why from you |
| Management | Who runs it and what they have done before |
Use local figures, and cite them properly
A market section is stronger with public numbers that a reviewer can check. A few from Burleigh County, with the source and year to cite:
- 3,218 employer establishments, 51.3% with fewer than five employees (County Business Patterns 2023)
- 390 construction, 380 retail trade and 379 health care and social assistance employers (County Business Patterns 2023)
- 8,577 businesses with no paid employees (Nonemployer Statistics 2024)
- 303 new housing units authorized by building permits in 2025, up from 200 in 2023 (Census Building Permits Survey)
- 9.6% (+/- 1.1) of employed residents self-employed (American Community Survey 2020-2024)
Two cautions. Do not add employer and nonemployer counts together; they come from different programs and years. And say which geography a figure describes: a ZIP 58501 count is not a city of Bismarck, ND count, because the city covers only about 47.5% of that ZIP's land.
Projections a reviewer will believe
Base projections on your own history where you have it, show the assumptions in a short list, and include a downside case. A plan that shows the payment can still be made if revenue falls by a stated share earns more trust than one that only shows growth.
The financial attachments
- Two to three years of business tax returns, and personal returns for each owner
- This year's profit and loss to date, with a balance sheet as of the same date
- A schedule of each loan, lease and advance with its payment
- Recent business bank statements
- Quotes, bids or purchase agreements behind the use-of-funds table
Free help with the plan
Small Business Development Centers help owners write plans and projections at no charge. Our Bismarck-Mandan resource list covers local options, and the North Dakota business loan guide puts the plan in the context of the whole application.
When a bank says no, or not yet
A plan is useful beyond one bank. If a bank declines or the timing does not work, the same plan answers most questions other lending partners ask. The six funding options show the alternatives, and our process explains how a broker fits in. Three more local posts are on the blog.
By Slatemont Capital Group · Updated