Before applying, an Athens, OH owner can gather four sets of records: recent bank statements for every account that takes business money, business and personal tax returns, the quotes, leases and supplier invoices behind the purchase, and ownership papers with a short use-of-funds note. None of it goes on the request form; a funding partner asks later.
The statements and records an Athens, OH owner can gather before a business funding request.
Bank statements: how many months and which accounts: notes for Athens, OH owners
Bank statements show a partner what the business actually takes in and pays out. The number of months is the partner's call, so gather the latest months for every account that receives business money, not only the main checking account:
- The operating account where sales and card settlements land.
- A separate payroll account, if the business keeps one.
- Any merchant or processor account that holds card sales before transfer.
- A business savings account that money moves in and out of.
Download full statements as PDF files from online banking, every page included. A partner reading statements looks at deposits, ending balances, overdrafts and transfers between accounts. If the business changed banks in the past year, include the closing months of the old account too. A transfer between two business accounts is not new revenue, so a short note listing which account feeds which saves a question.
Statements also show existing debt: loan payments, lease debits and any advance collecting from card sales. A partner sizing a working capital offer sets it against those payments, so list them before a partner finds them.
Business and personal tax returns
Tax returns confirm the revenue on the statements over a longer stretch. A partner can ask for the business return and the owner's personal return, because the owner's income and debts can matter as much as the company's.
How the business is set up decides which return carries its numbers. In Athens County, OH, 5.0% of employed residents worked in their own business that was not incorporated, and 2.0% in their own incorporated business, according to the 2020-2024 American Community Survey. For the City of Athens the same survey put the shares at 3.7% and 3.1%.
For an owner whose business is not incorporated, the business results sit inside the personal return, on its business schedule. A corporation or partnership files its own return. Either way, collect:
- The full return, every schedule and statement attached, not only the first page.
- The returns for each year the partner names.
- A year-to-date profit and loss statement, since the return can be months old.
- Proof of filing or an extension notice for the latest year.
If a return shows a loss in a year with large equipment purchases, a short note from the preparer explaining that year helps a partner read it alongside the statements.
Equipment quotes, leases and supplier invoices
Documents tied to the purchase show a partner what the money buys and who gets paid. For equipment financing, a usable quote names the dealer, the make and model, new or used, the serial number for a used unit, and the price with delivery and installation listed apart.
The lease on the space matters too. A partner lending against a business at an address can compare the lease end date with the loan term.
Illustration only, invented figures: a shop has 26 months left on its lease and asks for a 48-month term loan. In this example the loan would run 22 months past the lease end, so the partner may ask whether a renewal is in hand or under discussion.
For stock purchases, recent supplier invoices show order sizes and payment terms. For a contract job, the signed contract or purchase order shows the money coming in. Keep each one with its date and the supplier's or customer's name visible.
Ownership papers, licenses and a short use-of-funds note
Ownership papers answer who owns the business and who can sign for it. Gather the formation documents filed with the state, the operating agreement or bylaws, the letter assigning the federal employer identification number, and any license the trade needs, current and in the business name.
Check that the business name on each paper matches the name on the bank account exactly. A trade name used in place of the legal name needs its own registration to show the link between the two.
Legal services (NAICS 5411) counted 20 employer establishments in Athens County, OH in 2023, and 14 had fewer than five employees (CBP). An owner whose papers are scattered can ask the office that formed the company for copies.
Finish with a use-of-funds note of a few lines. It ties the amount to the purchase and keeps the request consistent from the first call to the offer.
Illustration only, invented figures: a request for $27,400 breaks down as $19,850 for a reach-in freezer and a two-door prep cooler, $4,300 for delivery and installation and $3,250 for opening stock. In this example the three lines match the requested $27,400 to the dollar.
None of this goes on the request form, which holds contact details and a few ranges. The blog has a post on how long each step takes once the file is ready.
By Blackleaf Capital Group · Updated
