New Guidelines Cut Real Estate Business Loans

On September 11th, I asked "Will Real Estate Loans to Business Dry Up?". The Wall Street Journal had reported that bank regulators were becoming increasingly concerned that too many bank loans were secured by business real estate creating an undue level of risk in bank loan portfolios.

Today's LA Times reported that Federal regulators issued guidelines Wednesday on the amount of commercial real estate loans that banks can hold without triggering greater oversight, a move widely opposed by small and mid-size banks.

One of the big questions is whether Federal regulators will interpret these new guidelines as guidelines or as hard and fast thresholds in determining which banks need to cut back on their real estate business loans.

If your company needs a business loan and is thinking about using real estate as collateral, it might be helpful to see if your bank is close to the new thresholds and has capacity to make your loan. Otherwise, maybe it's time to think about using other business collateral - receivables, inventory and equipment - to secure the needed funding.

Need help finding the right lender for your secured business loan? Read "Matchmaking for Business Loans" and give me a call!


Related Tags: LA Times, accounts receivable, business loan, bank loans, equipment leasing, Wall Street Journal

Carnival of the Capitalists - Thanks for Visiting!

As this week's Carnival of the Capitalists comes to a close, I wanted to say "thanks" to the many visitors who found their way to my humble site.

You visited from not only the United States, but from over 25 other countries around the globe including Canada, Australia, India, Malaysia, Poland, The Phillipines, Finland, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Israel and the United Kingdom.

Also wanted to say thanks to the many sites that pointed traffic my way - without them, carnivals wouldn't survive. A special "thanks" to The Carnival of the Capitalists, Business Pundit.com, The Entrepreneurial Mind, Blog Business World, Execupundit.com and Business Opportunities Weblog who showed up most frequently on my Statcounter lists. My apologies in advance if you sent visitors my way and I left you off the list!

I've volunteered to host again in early 2007 - but don't feel like you have to wait until then to come visit again!

Related Tags: The Carnival of the Capitalists, Businesspundit.com, Entrepreneurial Mind, Blog Business World, Execupundit.com, carnival, Business Opportunities Weblog

Show Me the Money Welcomes Carnival of the Capitalists

The goal of Carnival of the Capitalists is to bring together on a weekly basis some of the best postings from blogs around the world on the broad subject of business and capitalism.

Show Me the Money has been selected to host the December 4th Carnival – it’s my first time as host! Sorry to say this blog is not affiliated in any way with William Shatner’s game show of the same name so the only riches you’ll enjoy here will be from the enrichment of your mind! I reviewed over 30 postings and have categorized them for you to review.

I’m also including my first ever submission to a blog carnival, Unique Business Loans for Minorities. Hope you enjoy it as well as the other postings for this week’s carnival.

Would love to hear your feedback on which posts you liked so feel free to leave me a comment.

Enjoy your visit to Show Me the Money and come back to visit again!


Business
In Listen to the Music, David Daniels of Business and Technology Reinvention shares his thoughts on Microsoft’s new MP3 player, Zune.

Kevin Henney of Quartz Mountain Communications believes that there are Lessons from Walmart’s Black Friday that we can use in our own businesses.

If You Don’t Build, They Will Leave is offered by Starling David Hunter from the blog The Business of America.

Jack Yoest of Reasoned Audacity speaks to the Entrepreneurial Exchange Group at NYU on business plans, management tactics and cultural challenges. So who is the mysterious teenage dreamer?


Management
In The Truth About Communication, Carmine Coyote says that organizations today are suffering from a plague of pointless and unnecessary communication.

In The Power Game, Michael Wade of Execupundit.com gives tips on maintaining and using power in the workplace.

In The Next Big Trust Scandal, Charles H. Green of Trust Matters tells us where to look for the next problem in establishing trust in the business world.

Whether on Main Street USA or in Krakow, Poland, Pawel Brodzinski believes that people are the most important thing in project management.

At The Instigator Blog, Ben Yoskovitz tells us that nothing lasts forever including business partnerships.


Accounting & Finance
Leon Getler of SOX First offers Rewriting SOX – It’s got nothing to do with baseball, but everything to do with honesty!

Marshall Lebovits of Show Me the Money tells us about SBA-like business loans to minority businesses when the bank cannot in Unique Business Loans for Minorities.


Economics
Menzie Chinn at Econbrowser asks Will the Dollar Fall? Would that be so Bad?

The Democrats are in charge and Brian Gongol goes on record with “Problems in Raising the Minimum Wage”.


People
At Queercents, read Ten Money Questions for Kara Swisher, a Wall Street Journal columnist and reporter covering all things digital who blogger Nina believes is a digerati rock star!

What lessons might you have learned if Steve Jobs had spoken at your college graduation? Read what Mike Dawson of the Time and Money Group might have learned.

David Maister presents a podcast interview of Business Week executive director, John Byrne, entitled “Passion, People and Principles”.


Marketing and Sales
Rob May of Businesspundit tell us “Why Branding isn’t a Source of Competitive Advantage”.


Blogging
Wayne Hurlbert’s November 30th posting in Blog Business World suggests you look beyond your website’s home page to watch your sales numbers and company revenue grow.

Here are a few tips from James D. Brausch entitled, “Writing Articles, Brain Dead or Not”.


Stock Market
In Stock Market Beat, equity analyst William A. Trent provides insight into why he’s not buying Sony stock.

At Fat Pitch Financials, read what George has to say about stock Coldwater Creek's potential as a wide moat stock. Yes, he'll also explain what a "wide moat" stock is.


Entrepreneur
Jeff Cornwell of The Entrepreneurial Mind offers an important lesson for all entrepreneurs: "It isn't over until the fat lady sings."


Personal Finance
At The Simple Dollar, Trent gives us a few pointers on investing for a child’s future.

InsureBlog points out in Younger and Younger that long term care insurance isn’t just for the elderly. Henry Stern says us young whippersnappers may need it too!

Free Money Finance claims More Education Equals More Pay and offers statistics to back it up!

Think Money Wouldn’t Change You? Think Again! Life Coach Laura Young has a few thoughts on the psychology of money at The Dragon Slayer’s Guide to Life.

Sagar Satapathy presents "Lessons from Mom: 33 Easy Cost-Cutting Tips “.


Other
When Wenchypoo can’t sleep, she writes about all kinds of things. From one of her recent sleepless nights, here’s Taking a Bad Thing and Making it Worse.


Poetry & Humor
Investors havin a little fun at Market Poetry offer “How to Get Rich Without Going Crazy”. Don’t worry, you don’t have to know anything about assonance or alliteration.

Mad Kane’s Humor Blog offers up “Ode to Prosperity”.


Related Tags: carnival of the capitalists, blog carnival, cotc, Show Me the Money

Unique Business Loans for Minorities

SBA-like business loans to minority businesses when the bank cannot.

That sums up the Certified Minority Lenders program created by the National Minority Supplier Development Council and the Business Consortium Fund (BCF).

BCF is funded primarily through investments and contributions made by NMSDC corporate members and other organizations including companies who wish to support minority businesses in the United States including Walmart, General Electric, Sears, Boeing and Coca Cola. The targets for these loans are businesses controlled by U.S. citizens who are Asian, Black, Hispanic or Native American who are conducting business with a member of the National Minority Supplier Development Council which is practically any household name in corporate America.

Minority businesses that qualify may have weak cash flow, negative equity, a history of losses and little to no secondary source of repayment. Even with these challenges, a prospective borrower must still have solid management and sales experience in their field. The specific financial requirements will vary from account to account based upon the underwriting criterion of the lender – you had better have a good story and a complete application.

If your business qualifies, you can apply for business loan programs ranging in amount from $100 thousand to $1 million at rates that currently don’t exceed 12%. The loan can be structured as a short term or long term borrowing and proceeds can be used for working capital, contract financing, equipment purchases and other business purposes.

Generally, the borrower must pledge sufficient assets, to the extent they are reasonably available, to secure the business loan. Personal guaranties are required from all principal owners of the business. Liens on personal assets of the principals also may be required.

Sound interesting? If I can help you with an introduction to a lender who can lend nationwide, please give me a call!


Related Tags: minority, Certified Minority Lenders, factoring, business loans, working capital, cash flow, Business Consortium Fund, National Minority Supplier Development Council, SBA

Uncle Sam Offers Contracting Bonanza

According to All Business.com, the federal government is about to launch a massive upgrade of its computer systems that should present a multibillion-dollar opportunity for small technology vendors.

All Business.com cites a BusinessWeek report that the General Services Administration has already advanced contracts to upgrade the government's phone and computer systems, and the contracts include a $35 billion set-aside for small, minority, and disadvantaged businesses.

The contracts are considered just the tip of the iceberg as the government gears up to overhaul its communications and information technology systems over the next 10 years.

As I mentioned in my posting on government contracts funding, if you're providing products or services to the government or to a prime contractor fulfilling a government contract, don't get caught in a working capital squeeze. Cost effective financing is available - feel free to give me a call and see if I can help.

Need help finding the right lender or telling your story the right way? Read "Matchmaking for Business Loans"


Related Tags: government contracts, federal contracts, factoring, accounts receivable, business loans, bank loans, AllBusiness.com, GSA, working capital, cash flow, Business Week

SBA Announces New Women's Business Centers

Just last night, I was asked if there were any resources available specifically to assist women in their quest to become successful entrepreneurs and find business loans. The answer is "yes"!

In fact, the SBA just announced funding to add 19 new women's business centers throughout the United States in addition to continuation of funding for 80 existing women's business centers.

The women's business center program served more than 144,000 clients across the country last year, providing help with financial management, procurement training, marketing and technical assistance.

And of course, that assistance includes advice on business loan programs available through the SBA including Express, 504 and 7(a) business loans.

Happy Thanksgiving!




Related Tags: SBA, Women's Business Center, Express Loan, 504, 7(a), factoring, business loan, bank loans

As Much Money As You Want

There is so much money chasing M&A deals right now that there is growing concern that a bubble may be developing.

As reported in the LA Times, private equity buyers have announced about 1,000 U.S. takeovers this year worth a record $356 billion, according to data tracker Thomson Financial.

Private equity firms have raised an unprecedented $178 billion in new capital from investors this year, about 10 times what they raised in 1995, according to data firm Dealogic.

That's a lot of money!

Back in August, I wrote that the M&A markets were at record levels so this LA Times article isn't new news to my faithful readers. The big questions are "when will M&A activity slow down?" and "will it be driven by buyers who put their foot down on escalating prices or lenders who refuse to provide the increasingly risky business acquisition loans?"

By the way, if funding sources aren't lined up outside your door and you need help finding the right lender or telling your story the right way, read "Matchmaking for Business Loans" and give me a call.


Related Tags: LA Times, M&A, business loan, bank loans, factoring, private equity