Talk to business owners about financing before they need it urgently

Business owners rarely wake up wanting a loan. They want a new machine, a second van, a bigger warehouse or breathing room while customers pay late. Financing follows the plan. A calling team that asks about plans, writes down when the current loans and lease contracts end, and calls back at that moment is useful. One that pitches rates is not.

The market: steady demand, high success rates, a crowded field

In Belgium, Febelfin reports that outstanding business loans reached a record 202 billion euro at the end of December 2025, 3.0% more than a year earlier. In the fourth quarter of 2025, the number of loan applications rose 2.7% and the number of loans granted 3.3% compared with a year before. The rejection rate stayed at the 2024 level. The potential clients are many and mostly small: Statbel counted 206,517 enterprises with employees in industry, construction and services in 2023, of which 35,139 had 10 or more.

In the Netherlands, the CBS Financieringsmonitor 2025, covering July 2024 to July 2025, found that 15% of SMEs in the business economy needed new external financing. Of the companies that explored their options or already knew them, 67% actually applied, and 93% of applicants got the amount fully or partly. Counted over all companies with a need, the success rate was 55%, the highest since the monitor began. At almost four in ten, a financial adviser was involved in the application. The CBS business register counts 72,340 businesses with 10 or more working persons on 1 October 2026 (provisional).

Banks, lease companies, factoring firms, alternative lenders and advisers all compete for the same owners. That makes timing and trust more important than the offer.

Who you call and what you ask

• Owner or managing director: decides on investments and on who to borrow from.
• CFO or finance manager: at larger companies, compares offers and handles the file.
• External accountant: often the first person an owner asks, and a partner worth knowing.

Moments that make a call relevant:

• Investment plans: machines, vehicles, a building, energy measures or an acquisition.
• Loans or lease contracts nearing their end: the natural moment to compare.
• Growth or late payments: both put pressure on working capital.
• A succession or a management buy-out.
• Year-end figures: many owners only discuss financing once the annual accounts are ready.

Discovery questions that work in this sector:

1. Which investments are you planning in the next twelve months?
2. How are your current machines and vehicles financed, and when do those contracts end?
3. How long do your customers take to pay on average?
4. Who do you usually discuss financing with: your bank, your accountant, someone else?
5. What would you need to see before you compare an alternative?

Owners make these decisions in steps and with several advisers. Read how B2B buyers buy to plan your calls around those steps.

What slows a calling team down in this sector

• Loyalty to the house bank. Many owners have banked with the same institution for years. A first call rarely changes that; a well-timed second or third one might.
• Trust. Owners are wary of unknown callers about money. Clear introductions, no pressure and written follow-up matter.
• Long decision times. Financing waits for quotes, figures and the accountant. Without planned follow-up, the moment passes.
• Rules on what you may say. Depending on the product, information duties and marketing rules apply. Callers need checked wording.
• Timing around figures. Before the annual accounts are ready, many owners postpone.

What it can bring you: efficiency, money and more

One financing client often returns for the next investment, so each new relationship has value beyond the first deal. The table below is an example with assumed numbers, not a forecast. Replace every figure with your own.

In this example, two new clients a month are worth 10,000 euro on their first deal, before any repeat business. Your own numbers will differ, which is exactly why it helps to measure them.

Efficiency is the other half. Measure for one week how long your team spends after each call on notes, contract end dates and remembering what was promised. Logging the outcome with one key, with the next call already planned, removes most of that. It also leaves a clear record of what was said and sent, which helps in a regulated field. Read how to follow up leads for a cadence that respects the owner's pace.

Want to see the calling screen first? Try the demo.

Rules to know

This section is general information, not legal advice. Which rules apply depends on what you offer and where.

• Belgium, lending to small enterprises. The law of 21 December 2013 on SME financing applies to credit agreements with SMEs. According to a 2014 summary by Lexgo, lenders must, among other things, tell a company the main elements behind a refusal, and for credits up to 1 million euro an early repayment fee may not exceed six months of interest. The law may have been amended since; check the current text.
• The Netherlands, business lending. In its 2021 study of non-bank small business financing, the AFM wrote that, unlike consumer credit, it had no mandate to supervise business lending. Rules may have changed since; check the current position.
• Investments, insurance and consumer credit are regulated more strictly in both countries, under financial supervisors such as the FSMA in Belgium and the AFM in the Netherlands. Keep calls about those products within the rules for your licence.
• Calling itself. B2B calls must also respect privacy and calling rules. See the rules for cold calling in Belgium and the Netherlands.

In every case: do not promise approval, rates or results on a call, and give balanced information. Ask your compliance officer or lawyer to check your script.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. Febelfin: Outstanding corporate lending reaches a new record at the end of 2025 (3 March 2026)
2. CBS: Financieringsmonitor 2025, summary
3. Lexgo: Het krediet aan kmo's is voortaan gedeeltelijk gereglementeerd (law of 21 December 2013)
4. AFM: Verkenning non-bancaire kleinzakelijke financiering (April 2021)
5. Statbel: Demography of enterprises with employees, by NACE and size class, 2023 (Bestat)
6. CBS StatLine: Bedrijven; bedrijfsgrootte en rechtsvorm (table 81589NED)