Clients seeking commercial finance loans need to remember that first impressions count – and their initial standard of presentation and communication will indicate to a potential investor whether they have a serious proposal or are just "tyre kickers", according to Ms Helen Bassett of commercialfundstogo.com

"Too often clients just visit a website, give it a quick glance over then fire off an email to the investment group asking broad questions, or requesting a loan without providing full details," Ms Bassett said.

"Quite frankly, this is not good enough, particularly when the client is seeking upwards of $50 million for a commercial property project.

"Clients need to keep in mind that potential private investors are already successful business people – they understand the commercial market and they have very sound investment judgment."

Ms Bassett said clients should initially read the web details carefully, download any lending guidelines and read them carefully, then prepare the required information and forward it as requested.

The first step in making a commercial funding request usually requires the client to complete a project profile online and attach an executive summary. There will then be specific submission instructions, which vary according to the type of loan.

She said the main reason for this structured approach was to minimize the decision making process.

Once the initial information is received, it is assessed and matched with a specific private investor, then discussions are held with the client. The next step is to arrange a face-to-face with the investor so the client can present their proposal.

A decision is often made within a few days after this meeting, thus a client can expect to obtain finance in anything from 20 to 90 days of the initial approach, depending on the type of project and finance.

By having the requested information readily available, the client is not only helping to speed up the application process, but is demonstrating to the investor they are serious professionals who are truly committed to their project.

The real benefit of private commercial programs is that they are more flexible than conventional banks and personal or business credit are not primary factors.

It means deals which make sense get done without red tape, last minute hold outs and lender hoops to jump through. Typically, there are no property restrictions and conforming transactions are also highly competitive as investors are eager to fund solid deals.