Guides
What You Need to Get Funded (and How to Prepare It)
The short document list a direct lender actually needs, what each one is used for, and the small preparation steps that turn a three-day file into a same-day decision.
The short answer
Most working capital decisions need three things: three to six months of business bank statements, a completed one-page application, and proof of business identity such as an EIN and voided check. Statements are the core of the file, because deposits are what a direct lender underwrites against.
Key takeaways
- Three to six months of complete bank statements is the core requirement — every page, all accounts where revenue lands.
- Send PDF statements downloaded from your bank, not screenshots or spreadsheets.
- If revenue is split across accounts, include them all or your revenue reads lower than it is.
- Anything unusual in the statements is better explained upfront than discovered later.
- A complete file is the difference between a same-day decision and a week of back-and-forth.
The document list for working capital is much shorter than the one your bank hands you. There is no business plan, no projections binder, no tax-return archive for most facilities. What there is, though, needs to be complete — and completeness is almost entirely what determines whether you hear back in hours or in days.
The core file
- 1
Three to six months of business bank statements
Complete PDFs downloaded directly from your bank — every page, including the ones that look blank. These are read for deposit volume, deposit consistency, ending balances, and how much is already committed to other financing.
- 2
A one-page application
Legal entity name, EIN, address, time in business, ownership, industry, and the amount you are seeking. A few minutes if you have your details to hand.
- 3
Proof of business identity
Typically an EIN confirmation and a voided business check or bank letter, used to confirm the entity and where funds should land.
How to prepare statements so they read accurately
Statements are the entire evidentiary basis of the decision. Small preparation errors cause real distortions in how your business appears.
- Download official PDFs from online banking. Photos of paper and exported spreadsheets slow verification and can invalidate a review.
- Include every page. A 9-page statement submitted as 7 pages is an incomplete file and will come back.
- Include every account that receives revenue. Businesses that route sales across two accounts routinely appear to earn half of what they earn.
- Use the most recent closed months. A gap between the newest statement and today raises a question that has to be answered before anything moves.
- Match the entity name. If the application says one legal name and the account says another, expect a verification step.
Explain the anomalies yourself
Every real business has a strange month. A large one-off deposit from an asset sale, a quiet January, a customer who paid three invoices at once. None of these are problems. They only become problems when an underwriter has to guess.
A dip you explain is context. A dip we find is a question — and questions cost days.
Two sentences alongside your statements — what happened, and why it is not the pattern — routinely saves a full cycle of back-and-forth. If your business is seasonal, say which months are the trough and which are the peak; seasonality that is described is underwritten completely differently from volatility that is not.
A realistic timeline
| Stage | Typical timing | What determines it |
|---|---|---|
| Application submitted | Minutes | Having your EIN and revenue figures ready |
| Statements reviewed | Same day | Whether the file arrived complete |
| Decision and structure | Same day | Complexity, amount, and open positions |
| Documents signed | Same day | Your availability |
| Funds delivered | 24–48 hours | Bank timing and cut-offs |
Notice that every row except the last is governed by preparation rather than by the lender. A complete file is the whole lever you control.
Express Capital Funding · Direct lender
See what your revenue supports
We underwrite in-house and fund from our own balance sheet. $10,000+ in monthly revenue and 6+ months in business is the gate — a decision the same day, funding in as little as 24–48 hours.
4.8★ from 579 reviews · A+ BBB accredited · $250M+ funded
Frequently asked questions
How many months of bank statements do I need?
Three to six months of complete business bank statements covers most working-capital decisions. Larger amounts or longer terms occasionally call for more.
Do I need tax returns for business funding?
Usually not for working capital from a direct lender. Tax returns are more commonly requested for larger facilities, longer terms, or bank and SBA products.
Can I use personal bank statements?
Business revenue needs to be shown in a business account. If your business currently deposits into a personal account, opening a business account and running revenue through it for a few months materially improves both what you can access and the terms available.
What if my most recent month was unusually slow?
Send it, and explain it. A single slow month within an otherwise consistent pattern is normal and is read as such — particularly when the cause is stated upfront.
Keep reading
Published by Express Capital Funding, a direct lender to U.S. small and mid-sized businesses. This article is general information, not financial, legal, or tax advice, and is not an offer or commitment to lend.
← More guides