I can’t help but hope that our government will get it right this time.  Small businesses are the pulse of our economy and yet they are failing daily.  We need help Mr. President!!!  No need to worry about us Small Business owner not taking care of our obligations. Typically our “obligations” and our “customers” are one in the same.  And as small business owners, we are smart enough to know WHO to take care of.  Let’s get it right this time around.

http://whitehouse.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/10/20/looking-ahead-obama-administration-to-help-small-businesses/

I was picking the kids up from school the other day and as I was waiting on the light to turn green, I saw a sign that read “Trying to Stay in Business Sale”. I was expecting the sign to read “Going Out of Business Sale”, like so many others. But this one was indeed different. If I had a need and the money to spend, they would have made a sell that day.  It was encouraging to know that I am not in this fight alone.  After seeing that sign, I was compelled to take a look at my own business.  What am I doing to stay in business?  Have I cut costs where I can? Have I added a new product or service? Have I increased my prices?? The answer is yes!!  I have…  I wish I could tell you that it has made a grand difference, but it hasn’t.  What I can tell you is that I am still in business.  And everyday, I become keenly aware that more and more small businesses are not. 

Please share with us some of the things you have personally done to stay in business.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/31444409#29942504

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/31444409#29678141 

I am eager to try many of the things that are working for the company they interviewed, especially video conferencing.  They hired a consultant to go out to each team member’s location and set up the necessary technologies as well as train them on how to use it.  I spoke with a IT friend of mine Bob Wells, with Bob’s Computer Company and here is what he had to say,  “Telecommuting/working is definitely a big deal these days.  Today’s technologies make it easy to setup and use; employees can access company resources, email, line of business applications, data, you name it 24/7.  It just makes sense.” For more information regarding Telecommuting, Please contact Bob Wells (678)315-0954 www.bobscomputercompany.com

Our next tour has be scheduled for August 19th.  Registration will open on July 15th.  Be sure to check our website as we get closer to the date. www.clscause.com/events/

Properties From Last weeks Causeway Tour.
A retail strip center on Memorial Drive in Atlanta
A 6 unit multifamily in Virginia Highlands
A commercial building  on Moreland Avenue (tenant in Place)
A retail building on Glenwood Avenue (tenant in place)
For more information regarding the properties on last weeks tour, please contact
Mark Harris
ALAN JOEL PARTNERS
A member of CORFAC International
962 Howell Mill Road
Atlanta, GA  30318
404-869-2606 Direct
mark@alanjoelpartners.com
www.alanjoelpartners.com

If you need money for your business, your first thought is go to your local bank and speak with your favorite banker.  The banker than takes your request to their loan officer.  Once this person reviews your information, they will contact and advise you as to whether or not your request fits into their lending parameters.  This is the key to securing funding for your business with any lending institution.  Does your need fit their portfolio requirements?

Lending Parameters are very real and vary from lender to lender.  For example, there are some lenders who prefer not to include hotels in their lending portfolio, which means a customer desiring to acquire or construct a hotel would not fit into their lending practices.

True story….  I received a referral from a lender who was unable to fund the construction of a hotel for one of her favorite customers.  The project itself made sense.  The borrower had bought and built over 14 hotels over a 20 year span.  All of those hotels still in his portfolio are performing well even in this economy.  He has already invested over $1.2 million of his own capital in this project and needs less than $3.0 million to complete it.    His personal financial statement is stellar and experience level superb.  So why on earth would a lender not do this project for one of their longtime customers?  Because the property type (Hotel) no longer fits into their lending parameters.  Simply put, the lender is not interested in hotels.

The beauty in this is there’s funding available with other lenders who actually have a taste for YOUR business.  Whether it’s a restaurant, hotel, office building, industrial building, etc., the key is to find the right fit for both the lender and borrower.  This is one of the values of working with a reputable commercial broker.  For example, CLS has already made the upfront investment with dozens of funding resources to understand their lending parameters, their appetite for certain transactions and their tendencies for SBA guaranteed loans. Bridging the cause of borrowers and lenders, that’s what CLS does best.   What’s your cause?

Erica Parker, Owner/Broker    Commercial Lending Solutions     www.clscause.com

Commercial Lending Solutions is unique because nobody else offers PROPEL–Progressive Review and Opportunity Proposal for Excellence in Lending.

We are unique in the commercial lending industry because of our exclusive service to borrower and lender called PROPEL. Some brokers offer an executive summary, but the affect is not very compelling. Our propriety service is propelling, increasing the likelihood of closing with favorable terms & conditions.

We first understand your cause, then invest in it. We make a propelling case for the optimum lender, advancing your deal to closing table.