Exit plan builder: how your short-term loan ends

Why the exit matters more than the credit file

Short-term and specialist lenders are lending against an event: a refinance, a sale or a run of trading income. If that event is believable and well evidenced, a bruised credit file becomes a footnote. If it's vague, even a clean file struggles. That's why the exit plan is often the most persuasive page in a difficult application.

This builder takes the three common exits and lays the usual steps across your loan term, finishing before the term ends so there's a buffer. It then rates how ready the exit is and lists the documents a lender will expect. Use it to start the conversation with your accountant, and to set calendar reminders for each milestone.

Choosing the right term

Work backwards from the exit, then add room for delay. Lodgements take longer than planned, buyers' finance falls through and banks ask for one more document. A slightly longer term at the start is usually cheaper than an extension at the end. Our page on building an exit plan explains how to size it, and when the exit slips covers what to do if it does.

Which exit suits which situation?

A refinance exit suits a business whose decline reason can be fixed during the term. An asset sale exit suits owners with a property or equipment they're ready to sell. A trading exit suits businesses whose income comfortably covers repayments even in slow months. Not sure yet? Try the solution finder first to choose the route, then come back to plan how it ends.

When the plan looks right, a specialist can check it against your actual file. There's no credit check to enquire, and your details aren't passed around a list of lenders. Start your enquiry and describe your exit as accurately as you can.