04 / 08 · Readiness
Credit, suppliers & bank readiness
Walk into the bank with a plan, and out with better terms.
The problem“The bank wants a business plan and three years of forecasts by Thursday.”
A credit file the bank understands, and a CFO next to you in the meeting. Better terms, less stress.
How to walk into the bank prepared
- Prepare the credit file: forecasts, covenants, collateral story
- Negotiate supplier and customer terms to free working capital
- Sit with you in the bank meeting
- Restructure existing credit lines where it makes sense
Forecast & covenants · 36 months
- documents the bank wants
- 4
- page that explains it all
- 1
- typical cost of credit
- −1.2%
What you get
Not a feature list. What changes next Tuesday.
- BeforeBank asked for a plan by ThursdayAfterA bank-grade plan with your name on it
- BeforeThe relationship is only about overdraftsAfterLower cost of credit, longer supplier terms
- BeforeCovenants set by the bankAfterA relationship with the bank that isn’t only about overdrafts
- 4documents instead of 11
- 36months of forecast
- 1page that explains
- 24hours to the summary
Why it matters
Walk into the bank with a plan, and out with better terms.
A file the bank understands
Forecast, covenants, collateral story. In a format the relationship manager can pass to credit committee without translating.
Working capital released
Longer supplier terms, faster collections. Sometimes that removes the need for credit at all.
In the meeting, with you
The bank should know the CEO. The CFO sits next to you, not instead of you.
How it unfolds
- Week 1
Diagnose
Existing facilities, costs, covenants, collateral. What the bank sees when it looks at you.
- Week 2–3
File
36-month forecast, use of credit and how it comes back, one page that explains everything.
- Week 4
Suppliers & customers
Negotiate terms. Every 10 days of payment terms is worth points of revenue.
- The meeting
At the bank
One-hour prep. CFO beside you. Afterwards: follow-up, paperwork, close.
What it looks like in practice
A credit file the bank understands, and a CFO next to you in the meeting. Better terms, less stress.
- Before
- The bank sends a list of 11 documents. You send 4 that answer everything.
- In the meeting
- The CEO presents the business. The CFO answers on covenants and scenarios.
- After
- Written summary to the bank within 24 hours. Revised offer within two weeks.
- Ongoing
- Proactive quarterly reporting to the bank. Next time is easier.
What people say, and what’s true
- They say
They say: “The bank wants a business plan.”
In practiceThe bank wants confidence that someone is watching the cash. The plan is the paper; the forecast and regular reporting are the signal.
- They say
They say: “We won’t get better terms.”
In practiceA company arriving with its own forecast and covenants gets, on average, lower rates and lower collateral. Because the risk looks lower.
- They say
They say: “We’ll manage without the bank.”
In practiceMaybe. But an unused credit line is cheap insurance. The time to open one is when you don’t need it.
“Strategic, hands-on, and commercial. They improved our financial clarity and decision-making fast.”
Who it’s for
Companies before the bank, before a credit renewal, or under working-capital pressure.
Who it’s for →Frequently asked
- Do you deal with the bank for us?
- With you, not instead of you. The bank should know the CEO. We make sure you walk in prepared.
- How do you get better terms on bank credit?
- Arrive with a 13-week cash forecast, actuals against budget, one page on what the credit is for and how it comes back, and covenants you propose yourself. A company that shows someone is watching the cash usually gets lower rates and less collateral.
Not sure you need a CFO yet?
30 minutes. You tell us what’s happening; we tell you honestly whether a CFO is what you need.
Book a diagnostic call