One of the first things that you need to look at before going to a lending institution is whether or not you have a good business plan together. This will show the bank where your business is currently and where you hope it will go once you have been approved for a loan.

The next step is to look at your company's financials. Clear as many debts as you possibly can. If you use a credit card start paying it off monthly or if you have a vehicle loan, you might want to consider paying it off. This will help your income to your debt ratio and make your business a more attractive prospect.

Then you should look at all the officer's credit reports. Every officer of the company will have a credit history run on them because they will be personally guaranteeing the loan. So make sure that the person’s income to debt ratio is good and clean up any bad marks against your credit.

It would be wise to start with a lending institution you already have a relationship with: a community or local bank. If your company is turned down don't take it personally but consider other options, such as the private market, financial banks in Europe and USA or an SBA / Euro loan, through the numerous administration bodies in the 27 EU countries.