How to write a business plan for a bank loan, step by step
Not a generic template — the specific sections a Canadian lender looks for, in the order that makes your case.
A loan plan is a persuasion document with a fixed structure. Hit these, in this order:
- Executive summary — the whole case on one page.
- The business — what you do, structure, location.
- Management — why you can run it (lead with this if it's strong).
- Market — customers, competitors, your edge.
- The ask — amount, use of funds, your contribution.
- Financials — revenue basis, costs, cash flow, DSCR.
- Assumptions — the reasoning behind every number.
- Risk — what could go wrong and your mitigation.
The one thing most owners skip
The assumptions section. It's the least glamorous and the most important — it's what turns your projections from claims into something a lender can check.
See where your plan stands
Paste the plan you have into the free Scanner. It scores you against the eight criteria Canadian lenders use — in about thirty seconds, no account, nothing leaves your device.
Score my plan — freeLenderReady is an educational service, not a lender, broker, or financial advisor. Lending criteria vary by institution and change over time; treat this as a starting point, not a guarantee.