Prepare Paperwork in Advance

Think ahead and gather all the necessary paperwork that you would otherwise start looking for and writing down when the leasing company requests it. There are no mysteries about the required documentation. You’ll need to provide an actualized business plan, detailed information on what your equipment needs are and what the equipment will be used for, the market your company works in, the competition and your differences with them. You need also to include your credit history and commercial references, contact information for satisfied clients, providers and financial institutions that have helped you in the past.

Review Your Credit Position

Ask your accountant if necessary or whoever is in charge of the financial side of your business, for a report on your credit situation. The report should include, bank accounts, loans, lines of credit, assets, current financial performance, income, expenses (both including credit payments and not). With this information you can foresee which will be your financial needs in the future and what might be the answer of the leasing company to your requests. In accordance to this information you should see which leasing terms can be the best option for you.

Request Multiple Quotes

You can request free quotes from leasing companies prior to deciding who are you going to work with and what terms will you look for. You should contact different leasing companies and request several leasing options for acquiring the equipment you need. With this information you’ll be able to put together a better request when the time for actually applying arrives.

The more, the merrier

Don’t worry if you think you are providing too many references or too many information on your financial situation. Lenders tend to like this kind of behavior from applicants. It shows that you have nothing to hide and that you can provide proof that you are a good payer and someone to be trusted when it comes to doing business.

Nevertheless, make sure to filter out anyone you might have had problems with even if it was in the past. When contacting references, lenders have the ability to obtain this kind of information even if your reference is happy now with your services.

Last but not least, regardless of how urgent the leasing transaction is, you should always have the leasing contract reviewed by a legal advisor. Once a contract is signed it will rule the relations between your business and the leasing company for many years. Thus, it is not something to be neglected or not taken seriously. Think what might happen if the equipment turns to be of no use and you loose the deal you worked so hard to get!