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People often ask me how to get a loan to start a business, or what type of documentation is needed to apply for a small business loan.  Although every bank has its own requirements, many documents are mandatory across lenders. Before applying, here are the basic small business loan requirements to keep in mind.

According to the recent second annual women-owned business study by Biz2Credit, the average time period is just two years when a female entrepreneur applies for a loan. Meanwhile, in Illinois, a male-owned firm averages 31 months before it applies for a loan. That figure for the women-owned companies is lower than the average total of 27 months when women apply for loans, according to the Biz2Credit.

If you are applying for a loan to finance your small business, you are probably aware that lending institutions will scrutinize your credit score. But perhaps you've made a couple mistakes in your financial history that caused your credit score to lower, and you ended up with sky-high interest rates whenever you applied for loans. Or worse, you were denied loans altogether.

Most entrepreneurs want to cast a wide net when applying for loans. Traditional bank loans, secured business loans or unsecured business loans… these are all valid questions that small business owners often consider when seeking funding.

Once a Marine, always a Marine. They stand for an uncompromising code of personal integrity; accountability, self-reliance and discipline. honor, courage and commitment are the bedrock of a Marine's values," Wentz says. These are values that apply to entrepreneurs and their commitment to their businesses.

You may not realize it, but your website can damage your ability to get a loan. It would be crazy to imagine that if you have an existing business website when you apply for a loan your lender would not look at it. What do you want them to see? You want them to see a site that will draw and keep customers. After all, how can you pay back a small business loan if you do not have customers?

Whether you are starting a new company, buying more real estate for your established business, or acquiring new equipment, you will most likely need to apply for a small business loan to secure financing. The process of acquiring capital can be a lengthy one.

How it grew: With a website that makes it easy for small companies to apply quickly for commercial loans online, seven-year-old Biz2Credit has positioned itself for profit. Biz2Credit's ever-expanding group of lenders, including a number of small banks, is eager to make deals with small firms at a time when bank loans under $1 million have stagnated, according to a Federal Reserve Bank of New York survey. Last year, Biz2Credit facilitated $380 million in loans, up from $200 million in 2012.

A warm feeling has spread across the state of Florida for women business owners. In Biz2Credit.com 's second annual report of 10,000 small companies that applied for funding in 2013, on the average, the earnings of companies owned by women rose 54 percent.