Small businesses need money in order to grow—and banks have plenty of it. Here's how to build a business, a bio and a background that will win over even the pickiest small business lenders.

By: MATT ALDERTON

Whether you're a new business or an old one, a small business or a large one, you need to spend money before you can start making it.

For start-ups especially, however, capital is hard to come by. After all, a newborn company is an awful lot like a newborn baby: For the first several months, or even the first several years, all it does is consume. Like the baby needs a crib, clothing, food and diapers, the business needs real estate, inventory, marketing and supplies. Only after its grown a little bit will consumption finally give way to production, be it walking and talking or customers and revenue.

If your business needs money to help it mature, its best friend will probably be your bank, as borrowed money, in the form of a traditional bank loan, is often the best and most affordable type of on-demand financial fuel.

Of course, not everyone qualifies for bank financing, as small businesses represent a big risk. In fact, more than half of all small business start-ups fail within their first five years, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

For that reason, only the brightest businesses with the best chances for success get the green that they need. You can make sure that yours is one of them by grooming yourself to be the bank's perfect mate. Here are five things—the five Ms of borrowed money—that small business lenders are looking for in their perfect match:

1. Mojo

While a strong business idea is key, banks are even more impressed with a strong business owner. In order to earn the bank's confidence, therefore, consider making a presentation to lenders that puts your own qualifications, credentials and character front and center. Dress up your business idea, for instance, with persuasive arguments that detail why you, of all people, are the right person to execute it. What can you bring to the table that will make your business successful? Focus on your strengths and be willing to defend your weaknesses. The key is convincing the bank that you're a Type A personality for whom failure is not an option.

2. Maturity

Banks don't want to train new business owners. They want to profit from them. If you want to qualify for a bank loan, then, you should make sure it's for a business in which you have plenty of experience. You need not have owned another business, or even worked as a manager in the industry; you should, however, have a few years under your belt in a given line of work, such that you understand how the industry works and what it takes to be successful in it. If you're young and green, and lack experience in your chosen field, consider going to work for someone who can be your mentor before striking out on your own. The bank will be pleased and you will be more successful because of it.

3. Money

You're going to the bank because you don't have any money, right? Wrong. If you're going to the bank, you must be ready to put up some collateral when you get there. Lending you money is a risk, after all; if you want to be approved for a loan, you'll need to show the bank that you're serious about your business—serious enough, in fact, to invest your own money in it and to risk your own assets for it. If you're willing to risk capital for your company, the bank will be more likely to do the same. And if the bank still isn't sold: Lay out a plan for how and when you plan to make back the money that you borrow, as banks are more likely to lend to business owners who have formulated a strong strategy for paying them back.

4. Matrimony

No, your bank doesn't want to get married. It does, however, want to have a relationship with you. While there's no guarantee, banks are more comfortable with their own customers and therefore more likely to lend them money. If you're starting a business, it's a good idea, therefore, to stop banking exclusively with your ATM and to start banking with real people, instead. Get to know the people who work at your bank, including management, and be willing to build a loyal, long-term relationship with them. When you do, money is that much easier to borrow from them.

5. Method

The single most important tool in a borrower's toolbox is his or her business plan. Having one that's strong, clear and incisive is by far the easiest and most essential way to get approved for a bank loan with which to start your business. Make sure it has a detailed biography, a complete marketing plan, solid financial projections and a smart operating plan. Prove that you've already thought of everything; if financing really, truly is the only missing piece in an otherwise promising venture, then your bank should be more than willing to supply it.

An editor for the ProNet Small Business Resource Center, Matt Alderton is a Chicago-based journalist and entrepreneur who specializes in content for, by and about small businesses. For more of his work, visit The Shop Floor Blog or his Web site, www.sliversandscribbles.com.