How do I convince my bank to lend to me?  There’s an old saying, “The time to get a banker is when you don’t need one.”  That’s because most people wait until there’s a severe cash flow crisis before they contact a banker to obtain a much-needed loan. Unfortunately, a retailer's chances of getting a loan are greatly diminished if the store is unprofitable and losing money. But even the most profitable music stores can put themselves out of business if they don’t have the financing needed to acquire inventory, buy computers to improve office efficiencies, or make leasehold improvements to attract new customers and keep the current ones returning.