Where's the Bank Credit?
By Eric Hagerman Thursday May 20, 2010The point of all that TARP money funneled to banks beginning in late 2008 was to end the credit crunch. And in recent months at least three of the country's biggest lenders have announced ambitious plans to ramp up lending to small businesses this year.
Loan Denied? Here's Your Plan B
By Eric Hagerman Thursday May 20, 2010When the bank says no, that’s only the beginning of a small business owner’s quest for credit. There are other ways to find your financial footing, both public and private, and some may be right in your backyard.
7 Secrets to Landing an SBA Loan
By Eric Hagerman Thursday May 20, 2010At a time when banks everywhere are denying loans and severing credit lines, SBA loans are actually up. But what are they, and how do you get one?
The Smartest Financing Opportunity You've Never Heard of
By Eric Hagerman Thursday May 20, 2010When Joseph Reini walked into his bank in late 2008 looking to finance the steady growth of his engineering firm, Mason-Grey, he ran into a brick wall. Reini needed his bank to extend his credit line so he could hire more people to take on more business. But in a classic chicken-and-egg scenario, his bank wanted to see the increased revenue on the books before they would extend the line.
Your Credit Cheat Sheet
By Eric Hagerman Thursday May 20, 2010ABL: Asset-Based Loan or Asset-Backed Loan
Does Facebook Make Sense for Your Business? Not Always
By Craig Stoltz Tuesday May 4, 2010If the idea of using Facebook to support your business seems like a stretch, good for you. Fact is, a successful Facebook presence is a lot harder to pull off than a decent Twitter feed or a blog. There’s a quirky art to it. And it is well-suited for only certain kinds of businesses. The most important initial disqualifier is about you as much as your business:
Why Company Blogs Still Matter
By Craig Stoltz Tuesday May 4, 2010To the social media smart set, blogging is old-school. The phenomenon dates to the Clinton Administration and flourished from about 2002 until 2007, whereupon Facebook and then Twitter swept into the gray matter of digital America. Still, a blog can serve a small business well, even if the tactic bores the high-concept social media consultants looking for the Next Big Thing. (Which, as of this writing, is something called Gowalla, but don’t worry about that yet.)
Why Your Business Needs Twitter
By Craig Stoltz Tuesday May 4, 2010The list of potential uses of Twitter — ranging from the ingenious to the imbecilic — is as long as both your arms and one leg. But for doubters and beginners trying to use this odd, potentially powerful platform for small business, an initial plan can be fairly simple. There are at least three good reasons to begin using Twitter:
How to Sell Your Product on Twitter
By Craig Stoltz Tuesday May 4, 2010So one day I’m Tweeting away and mention that Koko, my African Gray parrot, is sitting on my shoulder. Within minutes a young woman sends me an @reply saying — oddly enough! — that she too has an African Gray, and has this great book I should know about, whose short url she just happened to have at hand. At least I think it was a young woman. Her picture made her look that way — and like an attractive one, if you must know.
Social Media Marketing: Do It or Die
By Craig Stoltz Tuesday May 4, 2010Social media is wonderfully easy to ridicule. Take Twitter. Please. First there’s the name, which sounds like a little girl giggling. Then there’s the vapidity of much of the content — I have, in fact, read Tweets from people actually reporting what they had for lunch. A blog sounds like something stuck in the drain. Facebook? Puh-leeze. Go on, “friend” someone from high school you were not friends with then but now feel oddly compelled to connect with.