Field notes
Canadian business loan and plan guides.
Plain-language guides to Canadian business loan applications. Written for entrepreneurs and SMBs working with Canadian lenders.
10 min read
How do you value a business you're buying in Canada?
Canadian small businesses trade on normalized earnings times a multiple. SDE vs EBITDA, sector multiples, what banks discount, and when a QoE report pays.
10 min read
BDC vs EDC: which one does your business actually need?
BDC lends directly; EDC guarantees and insures so your bank lends more against exports. What each Crown corporation does, when to use which, and how they stack.
10 min read
What personal credit score do you need for a business loan in Canada?
Canadian lenders check the owner's personal credit before the plan. Real score thresholds at the Big Five banks, CSBFP lenders, BDC, and alternative lenders.
10 min read
How much down payment do you actually need for a business loan in Canada?
Owner equity runs from roughly 10% on a CSBFP file to 35% on a commercial mortgage. What lenders expect by loan type, what counts as equity, and how to present it.
10 min read
How do I write the use-of-funds section lenders actually approve?
The use-of-funds section is where most Canadian loan applications quietly fail. The line-item format underwriters want, DSCR tests, and CSBFP cost classes.
10 min read
Is the owner-operator LMIA still worth it in 2026?
The owner-operator LMIA's special pathway ended in 2021. What ESDC now requires, what the plan must show, and when it still beats a C11 work permit.
9 min read
Merchant cash advances and online lenders in Canada, compared
Merchant cash advances vs Canadian online lenders: how factor rates differ from APR, what daily remittance really costs, and when speed is worth the price.
9 min read
Can you use the CSBFP for a rental or real-estate holding company? (No — here's the real route)
The CSBFP excludes holding companies and rental property. The real route is a commercial mortgage — down payment, LTV, DSCR, and the owner-occupied exception.
10 min read
Does a construction or general contractor business plan need a surety bonding strategy?
For Canadian contractors, the business plan is a bondability document. How sureties underwrite the three Cs, the core bond types, and Ontario's public-contract rule.
10 min read
Why is a farm business plan different in Canada — and who actually lends to farmers?
Farming is excluded from the CSBFP. The real routes — CALA's 95% federal guarantee, Farm Credit Canada, and the banks — and why seasonal cash flow decides.
9 min read
How does CanExport SMEs work — and what plan unlocks it?
CanExport SMEs reimburses up to 50% of export costs, max $50,000 non-repayable — but only against a credible market-entry plan. How to be ready for the next intake.
9 min read
What business plan does Futurpreneur (and BDC) want from a young or newcomer entrepreneur?
Futurpreneur pairs up to $75,000 in collateral-free financing with two years of mentorship — but only after a business plan and cash-flow forecast. What's required.
10 min read
How do I write the business plan for a CSBFP loan?
The CSBFP's 85% guarantee doesn't replace underwriting. Exactly what the bank's underwriter wants in the plan, projections, and use-of-funds schedule.
9 min read
What do Canadian lenders actually read vs. skim in your business plan?
A section-by-section walk through underwriting — which pages drive the credit decision, which are reference, and how each maps to BDC's 5 Cs of credit.
11 min read
How to build the 3-statement financial model for a Canadian business plan
Why Canadian lenders want the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow linked — and how to model the assumptions with CRA and ISED benchmarks.
8 min read
How long should a business plan be in Canada?
There's no fixed page count — length should match the reader. How long a Canadian business plan should run by purpose, loan size, and audience.
9 min read
Do you actually need a business plan to get a business loan in Canada?
Banks, BDC, and the CSBFP all list a business plan among loan requirements — but how much plan you need scales with the loan size and the lender.
10 min read
What does a BC PNP entrepreneur business plan (business concept) need to show?
BC PNP Entrepreneur registration is scored on a 200-point grid. How the business concept maps to net worth, investment, jobs, and location points.
10 min read
What business plan does an intra-company transfer (ICT) new office require?
Opening a first Canadian office via the ICT start-up stream (C61)? The business plan, HR roadmap, premises, and financial evidence IRCC actually weighs.
9 min read
Is the Start-Up Visa still open? What the December 2025 closure means for your business plan
IRCC stopped accepting new Start-Up Visa applications after December 31, 2025. Who can still file, what it means for your plan, and where the pivot goes.
10 min read
What business plan do I need for a C11 owner-operator work permit (2026)?
The C11 permit is the main federal entry route for foreign entrepreneurs in 2026 — and IRCC tightened it in May 2025. What changed and what the plan must prove.
9 min read
How to write a business plan executive summary
What underwriters read first — and often only. The one-page structure, words that signal competence, and the red flags that kill files.
11 min read
Business plan for buying a business in Canada
How an acquisition plan differs from a startup plan: what BDC and CSBFP fund, vendor takebacks, valuation methods banks accept, and goodwill limits.
9 min read
Canadian business plan templates: free vs. custom
BDC, RBC, and Innovation Canada all publish free templates. What each covers, where they fall short for real underwriting, and how RMs spot one in 30 seconds.
10 min read
Business plan for a Canadian franchise loan
Which Canadian lenders fund franchise purchases, which keep pre-approved brand lists, what the FDD adds to your plan, and cost ranges by sector.
9 min read
5 reasons Canadian banks reject business plans
Loan approvals fell and collateral demands jumped in 2024. The five things Canadian bank adjudicators flag most often — and how to address each one.
10 min read
How to write a business plan for a BDC loan
What BDC underwriters look for — current programs, ratios, timelines, and the 2024–2026 changes that affect your application.
10 min read
Cash flow projections for a Canadian business loan
Years of forecasts, monthly vs. quarterly, DSCR targets, scenario analysis, and the Canadian tax line items most projections miss before underwriting.
11 min read
CSBFP vs. BDC vs. big-bank business loans
A side-by-side of Canada's three main small-business lending paths — CSBFP, BDC, and the big six — with current rules, rates, and a decision framework.
9 min read
How much does a business plan cost in Canada?
Real CAD pricing for DIY, online tools, freelancers, consultancies, and premium boutique services — plus what actually drives the price.
12 min read
Canadian entrepreneur immigration pathways in 2026
SUV paused. Owner-Operator LMIA ended 2021. Ontario and Saskatchewan PNP entrepreneur streams closed. What's actually open in 2026 — and what each plan needs.