WRITING GUIDE – Small Business Bank Loan Request
Readers who do not yet have the advantage of knowing you will judge you by your writing.
Pay some attention to what you say and how you say it. What follows is a sample cover letter
for a bank loan request. Note how much information is packed into a short letter, and that it
focuses on what a banker would most want to know.
Write as you would speak, but just a little more formally. Avoid slang and contractions. Do not
try to make it too fancy. Start with a list of the main points you need to get across; then start
explaining them. Use only the three basic tenses, past, present, and future. Refer to your
business by its name, or "it". Thus, , Ltd. was formed in 1996 etc., is now called Adventure
Works. Use "I" or "we" only when referring to the actions of the individual owners. Write in the
active voice and in short sentences.
This document sample has been provided by SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives).
Executive Summary
ADVENTURE WORKS is a high-end design and remodeling firm with a reputation for
integrity, quality craftsmanship, and excellence in management. In three years annual sales
have increased to be well over a million dollars.
ADVENTURE WORKS was formed by Brian Groth as a Sole Proprietorship in December 1997.
In 1998 a combination of activities involving residential design, consulting, and general
construction brought Gross Sales of $250,000.
The Company experienced steady growth since its inception, and incorporated in March 1999,
(see Appendix 6, Articles of Incorporation). In 1999 Gross Sales of $750,000 were achieved. In
2000, signed contracts show that Gross Sales are expected to be $1,300,000 (see Appendix 2,
current Backlog).
The Company has its address in leased premises at 1234 A Street, Springfield, MD 40523. Its
activities fall under the Standard Industrial Classification SIC 1521 and 1522. The owners are
Brian Groth and Julie Bankert.
ADVENTURE WORKS is involved in four distinct ac