Companies like Microsoft, Google, Wal-Mart and Starbucks are goliath testaments to the fact that there's no better time to start a business than during a recession.Increased guarantee coverage of SBA backed lending, exemption of SBA guarantee fees and the influx of a better educated and trained workforce has made debt financing easier and cheaper. Combined with lower real estate and equipment costs (whether buying or leasing) and labor expenditures, setting up a business is 10 to 30 percent cheaper today than July of 2008. The trick is – how to access capital for your startup when even well-established businesses are having a hard time getting a loan. In all this gloom and doom, there is good news for small business lending, and our numbers prove it. We have facilitated more startup financing in the last 3 months than we did last year this time. Of course great personal credit, a personal 20 to 50 percent contribution of the overall project cost and collateral coverage in the form of home equity, investment property, savings, stocks and bonds all are necessary qualification parameters. But qualifying isn't everything – to negotiate the rates and the terms that make sense for your business, you need to be able present the strengths of your deal. We've compiled a few tips to help you get a start up small business loan that works for you. 
Market your experience: A start up financing project has a higher chance of being funded if the entrepreneur can showcase their experience in the prospective industry. A person working in health care, who wants to start a business buying medical diagnostic centers, will have a higher chance of getting funded than if they were to try setting up a food franchise business. This reduces operational management risk in selecting a team that has the right kind of experience and expertise to grow the business. Banks prefer to give start up business loans to people who have prior experience. 
Strike a bargain: In a startup, revenues are blood, and spending is bleeding. The entrepreneurs should follow this as a core mantra and scrutinize every cost item. Prior experience can help out with the vendor selection stage, and eliminate the trial and error. Getting a great deal on rental space, or a discount from a supplier, reduces projected expenses, increasing debt servicing ratios and makes banks feel confident about your ability to pay back the loan. 
Hire a good lawyer & accountant: There are plenty of places you can cut corners and save money when operating a business. Hiring a good account & lawyer is NOT one of them. It's imperative to have sound legal and financial advice from industry experts who have worked with small businesses before. Banks require personal financial information and an accountant who is organized and quick to respond can really reduce the time lag in the financing procurement stage. 
Rollover IRA, 401k or other retirement savings: For entrepreneurs looking to invest in a new business this is a good time to roll over the IRA. This helps you to avoid the tax liability as well as escape the ravages of falling stock and real estate market. Besides this, a larger project contribution or collateral coverage can provide leverage to negotiate better terms with your prospective financier. 
Building and highlighting key partnerships: Establishing meaningful partnerships can help startups enter new markets and build a client pipeline without spending much on marketing or public relations. For example, a food franchisee should look to spread the word in the neighborhood to cater for local events, parties and religious festivities. Getting involved with associations and community events can help businesses showcase their services or products while creating a friendly rapport with the local community. Partnerships can be marketed to banks as potential future contracts and business.