Stimulus Relief Extended for SBA Loans

The Wall Street Journal

Click HERE to view original article online.

By EMILY MALTBY

The Senate voted this weekend to temporarily extend funding for two popular stimulus provisions that reduced fees and boosted guarantees on Small Business Administration-guaranteed loans.

The provisions, which helped bolster small-business lending over the past year, had run out of funding in late November. With the new extension, included in the Defense Appropriations bill, the government's maximum guarantee on SBA loans is restored to 90%, compared to pre-stimulus levels of 75%. Fees that the agency normally changes banks are also waived.

Small businesses have been left in limbo since the funding ran out," said Mary Landrieu (D-La.), one of the senators who requested the extension, in a statement. "[The legislation] will provide a lifeline to small businesses in need of credit."

The provisions, however, are only extended through February. Lenders and small-business advocacy groups will have to wait on another piece of legislation – the House's Jobs for Main Street Act, which passed in the chamber last week – for the provisions to be extended through next September.

Access to credit, with or without the stimulus provisions, has remained a problem for Main Street businesses. "The conventional credit market will not near normal until sometime in 2011 because the typical small business will walk in with negative trends on his financial statement," said Tony Wilkinson, president of the National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders in Stillwater, Okla. "But that's why the SBA programs are important, because lenders can say, 'Hey, this is a survivor who will probably make it.'"

The provisions were originally enacted as part of the Recovery Act in February 2009, and have been widely credited with drawing banks back to the small-business lending arena. SBA Administrator Karen Mills called the increased guarantee and reduced fees on SBA loans "a powerful combination" that has already directed $16.5 billion to small-business owners and brought more than 1,200 lenders back to SBA loan programs.

After the SBA announced in mid-November that funding had nearly drained, lenders acted quickly to approve as many loans as possible under the stimulus provisions. In one week, the SBA received a surge of loan applications, forcing the agency to create a waiting list of 1,069 small businesses seeking $530 million in loans. The extension should move all of those businesses out of the queue, says SBA spokeswoman Hayley Matz. "As we get to the end of February, we will implement the queue again as a way of orderly winding down the process."

Next week marks the end of the SBA's first fiscal quarter. Even if the loan volume has increased for the past three months, credit is still not easy to come by, many business owners say. Earlier this month, President Obama publicly addressed how the credit crunch has impacted small businesses and pledged to institute programs, including the extension of the higher guarantees and waived fees, in order to propel lending. He has also outlined a plan to use TARP funds, though details of that program are still pending.

Janet Crenshaw Smith is skeptical that government programs will help her score a loan. Even before the stimulus funding ran out, she was having trouble at the bank.

Her company, Ivy Planning Group LLC, a 19-year-old consulting and training firm in Rockville, Md., had its $750,000 credit line cut off from Wachovia about 12 months ago. Ms. Smith depended on the line when clients failed to pay within 90 days. The bank expanded the line of credit year after year, leading her to believe that the line wasn't in jeopardy.

"I thought that would never happen to me; I thought I was special," Ms. Smith says. "I went nuts when I got the letter." She has had to scrutinize her cash flow since then, particularly after she lost some large Wall Street clients during the worst months of the recession.

Although she now feels ready to hire and launch new training products, she's hindered without the cash. The next stop, she says, is her community bank, although she's doubtful. "Their guidelines may be too tight," she says. "But this is my opportunity to capture market share because many of my competitors are long gone and won't be back."

SOLD!

SOLD!

SIBR is a Gold Sponsor

Sunbelt Indiana Business Resource was a Gold Sponsor at the 2009 "Small Firm: Big Business" conference for the Indiana CPA Society.

The event was held on November 19 from 8:30-5:00 in Muncie. It focused on how to better yourself as a small firm practitioner and the many "hats" that are worn to accomodate clients.

Larry Metzing (Senior Partner at SIBR) and Steve Pierce (Senior Broker at SIBR) were both in attendance.

If you would like more information on the event you may contact Larry or Steve at 317-573-2100 or click HERE to view information on the event online.

Sunbelt's Ed Mysogland to Speak at Seminar

Ed Mysogland, Managing Partner at Sunbelt Indiana Business Resource, will be one of four faculty members at the one-day seminar for Business Valuation/Continuing Education courses.

The seminar is on December 17, 2009 from 9:00am-4:30pm at the Hilton Indianapolis North Hotel. It is a basic-to-intermediate level program designed for Attorneys and In-House Counsel who need more information on business valuations and is meant to deepen your knowledge of valuation methods and approaches. It may also be a benefit to CPAs, CFOs and Business Owners. Continuing Education credits can be earned by attending the live seminar.

For more information or if you are interested in attending, please contact Ed Mysogland at 317-218-8616 or emysogland@sunbeltindiana.com.

Business Assets SOLD!

Another SOLD Business!

SOLD!

Local lenders support small-biz loan initiative

IBJ.com
October 22, 2009
Scott Olson
Click HERE to view the article online

Small business lenders in Indianapolis are supporting a proposal announced by President Obama Wednesday that would increase the size of government-backed loans.
Small-business lenders in Indiana are supporting a proposal announced by President Obama that would increase the size of government-backed loans.

Under the plan announced Wednesday, loan amounts made through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s flagship 504 and 7(a) programs would increase to $5 million. Current maximums are $4 million for 504 loans and $2 million for 7(a) lending.

The initiative would be funded by the Troubled Asset Relief Program and would need to be approved by federal lawmakers.

“I think that increasing the caps on SBA lending is absolutely the way to go,” said Joe DeHaven, president and CEO of the Indiana Bankers Association. “It’s the correct way to spur small-business loans.”

The credit crunch has severely slowed lending activity, although most bankers contend that capital remains available to clients with a solid credit history. Still, the number of SBA-backed loans in Indiana dropped nearly 30 percent in fiscal 2009 from the previous year.

For the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 1,035 loans totaling $266.8 million were made through the two SBA programs. That compares with 1,460 loans totaling $307 million in the previous fiscal year.

“We’re still cautious, but I think we are lending to credit-worthy borrowers,” said Scott Burns, vice president of SBA lending at the Indianapolis office of Pittsburgh-based PNC Financial Services Inc. “And you’ll see [lending] starting to step up over the next year.”

Burns thinks Indiana’s large manufacturing base could benefit most from the proposed increase, because a mid-size factory can’t purchase a lot of equipment with a $2 million loan.

The Washington, D.C.-based Independent Community Bankers of America issued a statement supporting the proposal, as did the National Association of Development Companies.

NADCO is the trade association for the nation’s certified development companies that make 504 loans. Jean Wojtowicz, director of the Indiana Statewide Certified Development Corp. in Indianapolis, is chairwoman of Virginia-based NADCO.

“Raising the ceiling on SBA 504 loans to $5 million is a big step toward bringing more job-creation money to Main Street,” Wojtowicz said.

504 loans typically are used to purchase land, buildings and equipment.

The SBA currently guarantees as much as 90 percent of loans it backs through approved financial institutions. The guarantee provides an incentive for banks to lend to small businesses that are more at risk of defaulting.

Just SOLD!

SOLD

SBA Announces Maximum Fixed Rate

SBA Announces Maximum Fixed Rate

by Ethan W. Smith, Esq.
September 30, 2009

Historically, SBA has been permitted to publish a maximum allowable fixed rate for its guaranteed loans in the Federal Register, see 13 CFR 120.213(a). However, up to this point, the Agency has not done so. Lenders have been reluctant to make fixed rate loans under the 7a program because they have been restricted to a maximum rate equal to the Prime Rate (or LIBOR Base Rate) plus the maximum rate spreads identified in 13 CFR 120.214 (d) and (e) and 13 CFR 120.215. Currently, this results in a maximum rate of approximately 6.00%, which is not a rate most lenders are willing (or able) to lock in at for a long-term loan.

Yesterday, the SBA published in the Federal Register, its guidelines for calculating fixed rates for long term 7a loans, effective October 1, 2009.

The new guidance establishes a calculation for a "Fixed Base Rate" which is equal to the LIBOR Base Rate plus the average of the 5-year and 10-year LIBOR SWAP Rate (each as established on the first calendar day of the month). The maximum allowable fixed rate for 7(a) loans (excluding SBA Express and Export Express) will be calculated using the Fixed Base Rate plus the same spreads available on variable rate 7a loans, typically between 2.25% and 2.75%. See 13 CFR 120.214 (d) and (e) and 13 CFR 120.215.

Accordingly, the maximum fixed rate for loans with a maturity greater than seven years would be 9.17% using the September, 2009 LIBOR Base Rate (3.26), plus the average 5 and 10 year LIBOR Swap Rates (3.16), plus the maximum spread (2.75).

"This is good news for lenders and borrowers" says Bob Stephan of Coastal Securities, "Borrowers want to take advantage of this low interest rate environment to lock in a fixed rate, but lenders need a rate higher than what was previously allowed, in order to make offering a fixed rate feasible." Additionally, Stephan says that lenders can sell the guaranteed portion of their fixed-rate loans for a premium in the 4 point range and can still retain a 1% servicing fee, thereby reducing their exposure to these fixed rate loans.

The new maximum fixed rate policy is effective for loans submitted on or after October 1, 2009.

Dick Parks Joins Sunbelt Indiana Business Resource

Indianapolis, IN, August 18, 2009 – Sunbelt Indiana Business Resource, the place to go to buy or sell a business®, is pleased to welcome Dick Parks as a business intermediary. Parks is the latest addition to Sunbelt’s professional business broker staff which services the business communities of Central Indiana.

“We are excited to have Dick join our team of professionals,” said Brian Knoderer, Senior Partner at Sunbelt Indiana Business Resource. “Dick brings rich experience in helping the buyers and sellers of Main Street and Small Middle Market companies.”

Mr. Parks has provided a wide range of business counseling, financial advisory, and acquisition and integration services to business owners and companies of varied industries as an owner of his own business consulting company. His experience as a business owner and financial expertise makes Dick a great asset to anyone considering selling their business.
Additional information is available from Dick Parks by telephoning 317-218-8621. He is also available to the news media on a continuing basis as a source of information and comment about developments affecting the efficient, economical and profitable transfer of business ownership and on economic trends affecting the business community.

Senior Partner Brian Knoderer on Sunbelt Radio

Tune in this Friday, September 18, hosts Pino Bacinello and Matt Ottaway will have Brian Knoderer, Senior Partner at Sunbelt Indiana Business Resource in Indianapolis, IN on the show to discuss hotels and motels.

Click here- http://www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vshow.aspx?sid=1574 to tune into the show live or view the "Episode Directory" in the middle of the page to listen to our archived shows.

Restaurant Financing 2009 Update Re-cap

Restaurant Financing 2009 Update Re-cap
-From Colemanpublishing.com

September 15, 2009

2009 Restaurant Financing Update
-Roughly 50,000 SBA loans since 2000
-$11 Billion 7(a) and 504
-1 out of 9 SBA Loans finance restaurants
-15% failure rate
-12% of all Charge-offs since 2000
-1 Million Restaurants in United States
-(1 Restaurant for every 320 Americans)

Nathaniel Booker, President of First Innovative Financial Group, Inc. explains, "Quite often many of the deals that we have done are in strip centers, sometimes in malls. This is why it's very critical underwrite the business.

When you underwrite the business, you're underwriting the owner, management is very critical.

You want someone who has experience operating a restaurant. If they are opening up a second or third location you mitigate your risk of loss. When you're opening up a new location you need projections that are listed and supportable. Many of them don't do what I consider very critical analysis regard to table turn.

Chris Hurn, President & CEO of Mercantile Capital Corporation explains, "I want to see that they know their space well. If they're a sit down or fast casual, knowing what else is around that particular location is helpful.

"I'm a big believer that you can tell a lot about a company with the kind of measures restaurants have in place to try and make it such that the employee's enjoy what they do and then actually show it to the customers as well.

"Is the experience delivered consistently every single time? In the case of restaurants, do the waiters or waitresses check their attitudes at the door and they put on a performance when they're there. These are all non-financial, intangible items, but it's important to know that. It helps a lender contemplate doing a particular loan to know some of these things because it gives you a better feel for what this concept is going to be like and whether they should actually do it or not.

New SBA Changes

With its release today of SOP 50 10 5(B), the U.S. Small Business Administration dramatically altered its requirements regarding goodwill financing. The current rules, which were implemented on March 1, 2009, restricted lenders' ability to finance goodwill under the 7a program to the lesser of 50% of the purchase price or $250,000, whichever is less.

The new rules released today significantly modify the existing rules. In summary, the new rules provide that if the purchase price of a business includes intangible assets (including but not limited to goodwill, client/customer lists, patents, copyrights, trademarks, and agreements not to compete) in excess of $500,000, the borrower must provide an equity injection of at least 25% of the purchase price of the business to process the loan under PLP delegated authority. The new regulations further provide that the borrower's equity can be any combination of a direct contribution from the borrower and a seller note that is on full standby for minimum of two years. The new SOP provides that exceptions to this new policy may still be submitted under CLP or GP processing.

New requirements effective as of 10/1/09

Six Ways to Speed Up SBA Loan Approval

Six Ways to Speed Up SBA Loan Approval

By DIANA RANSOM

Attention small-business owners: Time is running out on an opportunity to access fee-free business loans that are guaranteed up to 90%.

Earlier this year, the Small Business Administration set aside $375 million to temporarily eliminate loan fees and increase the agency's loan guarantee to 90% for certain loans. The moves were part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which was signed into law by President Obama in mid-February. So far, the SBA has used about 55% of those funds; they have translated to $6 billion in loans under the 7(a) and 504 programs, says John J. Miller, an SBA spokesman.

However, barring another act of Congress, SBA-backed loans will revert to their pre-Recovery Act status by the end of November or December, Miller says. The impact will be palpable. Loans made once the funds run out will only get a 75% to 85% guarantee, down from 90%. The decrease will make it tougher to get approved for a loan because lower guarantees raise a bank's risk, says Eric Grimstead, a business advisor at the Center for Economic Vitality at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash. In addition, business owners taking out loans through the SBA loan will have to pay a 2% to 3% loan guarantee fee again, he says.

November is more than two months away, but given that the SBA loan approval process can take as long as 120 days, applicants had better get cracking, says Dave Mulcahy, the director of the Small Business Development Center at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas.

Here are six ways to speed up the application process for SBA loans:

Update your financials
To accelerate a loan's approval, prepare and provide at least three years of tax returns and up-to-date financial statements, including income and cash-flow statements, balance sheets and sales projections, says Tom Burke, the senior vice president of Wells Fargo SBA lending in Minneapolis. If you don't have a business plan, write one. And if you don't have a marketing plan, write one of those too, he says. "Business owners have to be able to show that they can pay everyone back," Burke says. (Click here for the SBA's loan application checklist.)

Tap a preferred lender
Use a preferred SBA lender such as TD Banknorth or KeyBank, Grimstead says. Conventional wisdom says business owners should consult a bank with which they already work, but if that institution doesn't currently work with SBA loan programs, the process can be take weeks longer than comparable loans at SBA-ready lenders, he says. Not only is there a massive learning curve when working with SBA programs, which are complex and change frequently, but nonpreferred lenders also have to send loans into the SBA for approval, which can take up to four weeks, Burke says. Conversely, preferred lenders are generally able to underwrite their own SBA loans, he says.

Ensure the right fit
When scanning the list of preferred lenders, find ones that cater to businesses like yours, Burke says. For instance, some banks won't authorize SBA loans to start-ups. Others may avoid restaurants or other similarly risky ventures, he says. Also, take into account differences in banks' credit policies. For instance, Wells Fargo will extend a real estate loan for 25 years, but other banks do so for just 20 years.

Hedge your bets
Even if you secure the word of a preferred lender, make sure you've applied to a couple other banks backups, Grimstead says. "Some borrowers get three or six or even 12 weeks into the process only to get a 'no' from someone at the bank," he says. To slash your risk of rejection, apply to a few different banks at the same time. (Note that going through the application process at several banks will not harm your credit, says Mulcahy, from the SBDC in Beaumont, Texas.)

Offer more backup
SBA loan programs often require less of a down payment than typical business loans, says Becky Naugle, the state director for the Kentucky Small Business Development Center at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. For instance, banks providing normal business loans might require owners to put 20% to 40% down, but banks working through an SBA program might require just 10% down. Despite this lower standard, consider putting more down or offering some sort of personal guarantee, she says. "If particularly risky business owners can mediate a [bank's] risk by having a personal guarantee, that could push it through faster," she says.

Get help
An experienced business advisor can also help push your company's loan through quicker, Burke says. Check out a local Small Business Development Center, or tap a volunteer business professional in your area via SCORE, a nonprofit business counseling service, he says. There's also at least one SBA district officer in each state whom business owners can ask questions about SBA loans.

Marketing in an Economic Downturn

Marketing in an Economic Downturn
By: Tony Fannin - President, BE Branded

Category: Marketing and Brand Development

In a down or tight economy the most rational thing for a business to do is conserve cash, cut costs, and invest less. Just hang on tight and hope your customers remember you and how wonderful you've been to them in the past. It happens time and again that I see the first thing to go is marketing budgets. Many believe that the best time to market is during the boom times.

The counterintuitive thing to do, and the most strategic, is to market as aggressive as you would if the economy is doing well. Here are several points why:

1. The chatter is down – what I mean by that is "everyone" is pulling back their marketing dollar, including your competitors. This opens up opportunity to be one of the minority of voices heard in the market space or your market niche.

2. The cost goes down – many media vehicles, including web, are ready to make deals. With the same marketing dollar you'll be able to garner more value from your investment because of simple supply and demand. With more supply, you'll be able to demand greater value.

3. Consumers find refuge in brands – this gets a little tricky because you'll need to have established your brand during the good times. When the economy tightens, research has shown many consumers fall back to brands they are familiar with and trust. Of course, there are always exceptions in various industry categories such as food (price is king here, but brands still dominate. i.e. McDonalds, Spam, Campbell's). But, if you've established your brand when the times are good, you've helped insulate yourself some when times are not so good.

4. You'll be stronger when the economy changes – because you've stayed visible while everyone else went dormant, your brand awareness and value will have given you an established platform to launch from when the economy gets going again. Plus, it will take less because your marketing machine is already in motion and hasn't stopped. Others will have to re-establish their brand and market value from a dead stop which means spending even more money and paying premium rates across the board because their will be less supply and more demand from magazines to web banners and everything in between.

Here are a few examples and comments from other marketers:

P&G, Colgate-Palmolive, Kraft Foods, Kellogg Co.

In a testament to how important advertising has become to their businesses, Procter & Gamble Co., Colgate-Palmolive Co., Kraft Foods and Kellogg Co. all have boosted or at least maintained their marketing budgets, even as they've had to implement cost controls elsewhere. And that trend looks set to continue as these giants are forced to hike prices in response to rising commodities costs – a move that will require them to continue pitching consumers on the merits of their brands.

P&G and Colgate last week reported stronger-than-expected organic sales growth, at least in the U.S., along with strong earnings growth. Both said private-label market shares were flat to down in their categories. The spending hike appears to have helped P&G pull out a surprising 6% sales increase in the U.S. last quarter, more than double the 2%-3% growth in retail sales it tracked in its categories and ahead of its 5% organic sales growth globally."

Bounty paper towels. It may reside in a commodity category where private label has been making big gains, yet Bounty has been gaining share throughout the downturn. Parent Procter & Gamble reported in January that Bounty's U.S. value share grew 1.5 points to more than 44%. The brand has continued to innovate within its premium product line without ignoring its lower-priced Bounty Basics line. Bounty has also maintained a strong marketing presence and honed its value messaging."

Anne Bologna – CEO, Toy

"In the Great Depression, Kellogg continued to market its cereals while rivals cut budgets. Kellogg pulled ahead of Post in sales, a change that has never been reversed. Point is, what you sacrifice now, you pay for later. Every thinking business person knows that, but few have the courage to invest. Be brave. You'll never regret it."

Joe Tripodi, CMO – Coca-Cola Co.

"Don't waste this opportunity to enhance brand love. This is the time to engage people and deliver experiences that excite them in unexpected ways. As an example, we recently introduced a new global marketing campaign around the idea of 'Open Happiness.' We are bringing it to life not only through traditional advertising but through the release of a music single, online experiences, social media, impactful point-of-purchase materials and the integration of the core creative idea into all of our existing properties, like the upcoming Winter Olympics in Vancouver. This is not the time to stop talking with consumers. If you use this opportunity to broaden your dialogue with the people who love your brands, you will come out of this period with a much stronger and deeper relationship with them."

In the end, it's about keeping your value and uniqueness out there, regardless of the conditions. In every downturn, there's opportunity. Being brave, bold, and unwavering in your brand and value your company brings is the only way to take advantage of the situation and not just trying to react to it.

Selling When Business Valuations Are Low

Selling When Business Valuations Are Low

By DIANA RANSOM

Investors weren't the only losers when the stock market crashed last September. Business owners also watched their company valuations plummet.

Timothy Butler, the president and chief executive of Tego, an RFID chip maker in Waltham, Mass., saw his firm's value fall quickly with the market's downturn. Moreover, the recession spooked venture investors. Before the crash, Butler had expected to land investment funds in the range of $1.5 million to $2 million. Instead, he says his firm wound up with just a third of that amount in its coffers.

"It was a very difficult time," Butler says. "We reduced salaries temporarily. We had to cut certain projects and renegotiate the timing and paying of creditors. And we had to rewrite our business plan to recognize current realities."

Many firms turned to equity financing during the downturn to make up for their cash shortage. That solution can help keep a business afloat, but each time this type of funding is raised, a company must be appraised, says Jeffery Sohl, the director of the University of New Hampshire's Center for Venture Research. If owners revaluate their companies when values are lower, they may have to hand over more ownership in the company because the same amount of money buys more when values sink, he says.

In an effort to shore up his firm's valuation, Butler decided to forgo traditional equity financing. Instead, he issued convertible debt, which is seen as less risky than regular equity investments. The strategy has paid off. Since February, Butler has managed to raise $1 million in debt financing.

Butler was able to avoid a lower valuation, but many other business owners — especially those who are older and angling for retirement — haven't been so lucky. In the second quarter, the median sale price for completed business sales dropped 20% to $160,000, from $200,000 the year before, according to BizBuySell.com, a web site that tracks business sales. "There's no question that it's a challenging environment," says Anthony J. Citrolo, a principal at New York Business Brokerage, a business brokerage firm in Melville, N.Y. "If the last three or four quarters haven't been great, some owners [looking to sell now] will have to accept about 12% to 15% less than what they would have gotten a year ago," he says.

Still, low valuations aren't impossible to overcome, says Citrolo. In fact, they might even benefit some business owners, he says. Here are three ways to sell your business when values are low:

Keep it in the family
For business owners who want to keep their companies in the family, now may be an ideal time to hand over the reins, says Matt Painter, a tax partner at LBMC, an accounting firm in Brentwood, Tenn. The total amount any one person is allowed to give away as a gift, tax free, over his or her lifetime is $1 million. So at this point, business owners can effectively give away a larger percentage of their businesses because valuations are lower, Painter says.

Let's say a business that was worth $2 million a year ago was broken down into 10,000 shares worth $200 each. Let's also say that business lost 20% of its value after the downturn, sinking the firm's shares to $160 each. So instead of being restricted to giving away 5,000 shares (to stay within the $1 million exclusion), the owner can now give away a larger percentage of her business (6,250 shares) to her children. The move could also mean a windfall in the recovery. "Depressed values are [likely] going to bounce back," Painter says.

Transition to employees
At a time when buyers are scarce, another option for owners is to sell the firm to its employees. Of course, buying a business on the spot is likely a stretch for cash-strapped workers. In addition, taxes, which are payable by employees, kick in on stock transfers to employees, says Matt Vandenack, an attorney who counsels small-business customers for the Principal Financial Group in Des Moines, Iowa. Still, as valuations are lower, so are taxes, he says. As a result, employees may be more willing to purchase the company via stock transfers today, Vandenack says. "It's an opportunity to get into the business for cheap," he says. "If you sell them a portion of the business today, that percentage of the business will presumably increase. And even if the company's value goes up before [employees] finish buying it, they've at least gotten a discount on a portion of the business."

Sell with earning potential
Getting anyone to pay for a business in full is a tough proposition these days. And although seller financing — transactions in which sellers agree to hand over the business in return for installment payments — has picked up steam, it doesn't encourage business owners with low-valued businesses to sell. Instead, many owners are increasingly turning to transactions known as "earn outs" in which business owners agree to sell their lower valued firms today in exchange for a cut of the company's future profits, Citrolo says. Here's how it works: Sellers and buyers agree on future earnings targets. If buyers meet these targets, sellers receive some agreed upon percentage over and above the target value, Citrolo says. However, if the buyer doesn't meet his target, the seller still receives payment. "In effect, the buyer is hedging his bet," he says.

SOLD!

Learn to Impress Lenders

Learn to Impress Lenders
Proper preparation is key when you're angling for money to fund your business.

By JOSEPH BENOIT, ENTREPRENEUR.COM
Posted: 2009-08-11 13:21:31
Filed Under: Small Business, Small Business Funding

While obtaining a loan may be challenging amid the current economic climate, you can increase your viability as a loan candidate by taking steps to prepare for that initial meeting with a lender.

First, be thorough when preparing documents a lender may request. These include: past financial statements and tax returns, a copy of your current note and payment schedule (if your business is already established), and a detailed business plan.

Your business plan should include:

* Executive summary: A critical introductory statement encapsulating the main points of the plan; a window into every facet of your business.
* Market analysis: A thorough overview of your industry, target market and competitors.
* Company profile: A summary of your company's industry and a description of the elements that will make your business stand out.
* Organization description: A description of your management and organizational structure, the marketing and sales strategy; a description of services or products and financial information, including the requested loan amount, your company's current and forecasted income statements, balance sheets and cash-flow statements.

In addition to preparing a comprehensive business plan, consider these strategies prior to seeking a small-business loan:

* Contact a financial advisor early. Consider cultivating a relationship with your financial advisor before you need a loan. By establishing a relationship early on, you can build a foundation the advisor can draw on later to make a determination about a loan.
* Research loan options. Find out which loan options will best suit your needs and be prepared to discuss these options when meeting with a lender. Will you seek a secured (collateral-backed) or unsecured loan, and what type of payment terms would best meet the needs of your business?
* Plan ahead. Anticipate the questions a lender may pose and have honest, well-researched answers ready. Decisions to lend are fact-based; don't be idealistic when answering questions and providing projections. Lenders will appreciate your practical perspective. It may also be wise to organize all of your documents prior to the meeting for easy access to specific items when requested and to highlight your meticulous attention to details.
* Lend to your venture. Amid the tightened credit market, managing risk is increasingly important for lenders. With this in mind, consider providing ample collateral or money toward your venture if possible. Your willingness to invest in your success may reflect added confidence in your plan.
* Preparation before meeting with your lender is key. The time and commitment you dedicate in advance may help increase your appeal as a solid loan candidate in this competitive market.

Joseph Benoit is the small business banking executive for Union Bank, N.A. Visit www.unionbank.com for more information.

SUNBELT INDIANA’S BRIAN KNODERER AND TIM LYONS RECEIVE CMAA DESIGNATION

SUNBELT INDIANA’S BRIAN KNODERER AND TIM LYONS RECEIVE

CM&AA DESIGNATION

INDIANAPOLIS – Brian Knoderer, Senior Partner at Sunbelt Indiana Business Resource in Indianapolis, IN and Tim Lyons, Transaction Advisor, received the prestigious Certified Merger & Acquisition Advisor (CM&AA) designation recently. The Alliance of Merger & Acquisition Advisor’s (AM&AA) CM&AA designation is the premiere advanced professional credential available to today's business advisory professionals, including CPAs, CFAs, attorneys, and many others.

Knoderer and Lyons were awarded the CM&AA designation after demonstrating a superior knowledge about the functions and applications of merger and acquisition services, documenting practical experience, participating in a five-day curriculum, completing 36 contact hours of attending AM&AA courses, passing a comprehensive examination, and pledging to uphold and practice the Association’s Code of Ethics.

The Alliance of Merger & Acquisition Advisors® (AM&AA) has emerged as a leading provider of educational, marketing, information and transaction resources for corporate financial advisors. The goal of the CM&AA certification is both simple and lofty: to maintain the highest recognized standards of professional excellence for corporate advisory and transaction services, while providing a recognized standard of professional expertise within that overall body of knowledge. Larry Metzing, Senior Partner at Sunbelt Indiana Business Resource, states, “Tim and Brian have achieved a significant professional standard of excellence that identifies their mastery of knowledge in mergers and acquisitions, as well as their commitment to staying abreast of new developments in the field.”

Additional information is available from Brian Knoderer by telephoning 317-218-8638, and from Tim Lyons at 317-218-8631. They are available to the news media on a continuing basis as a source of information and comment about developments affecting the efficient, economical and profitable transfer of business ownership and on economic trends affecting the business community.

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Just SOLD!

Just SOLD!

Recovery Act Changes To SBIC Program Mean Increased Funding Available For Small Businesses

U.S. Small Business Administration


-- News Release --


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Release Date: July 10, 2009
Contact: Dennis Byrne (202) 205-6567
Release Number: 09-47
Internet Address: http://www.sba.gov/news


Recovery Act Changes To SBIC Program Mean Increased Funding Available For Small Businesses

WASHINGTON – Effective today, small businesses that would otherwise have difficulty securing private equity or venture capital may find funding easier to get as a result of changes made as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Small Business Investment Company program.

“The Recovery Act expands SBA’s venture capital program to increase the pool

of investment funding available to the Small Business Investment Companies licensed by SBA,” said SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills. “We believe those companies will be better equipped by these changes to help sustain and grow small businesses for their next important growth steps.”

SBICs are privately owned and managed venture capital firms which are licensed and regulated by SBA. SBICs use a combination of funds raised from private sources and money raised through the use of SBA guarantees to make equity and mezzanine capital investments in small businesses. There are approximately 338 SBICs with $17.4 billion in capital under management.

The changes made as part of the Recovery Act are:

•The Recovery Act makes SBICs eligible for greater SBA guaranteed funding and requires SBICs to invest 25 percent of their investment dollars into “smaller” businesses. Also, the amount of funding an SBIC may invest in a single small business is set at 10 percent of an SBIC’s total capital rather than the previous limit of 20 percent of an SBIC’s private capital only. This translates to an effective 50 percent increase in funding available to a single business by an SBIC.

•Maximum SBA funding levels to SBICs will increase up to three times the private capital raised by the SBIC, up to a maximum of $150 million for single SBICs, or up to $225 million for multiple SBICs that are under common control.
The cap for all licensees was set at $137.1 million before the Recovery Act.

•These limits are even higher for SBICs that are licensed after October 1, 2009, that certify that at least 50 percent of their investments will be made in small businesses located in low-income areas, up to $175 million for single licensees and up to $250 million for jointly controlled multiple licensees.

•Changes made to the SBIC program under the Recovery Act are permanent.

Industry associations have commended SBA for these changes and SBA continues to encourage new SBICs to apply for licensing and actively participate in the program.

The SBIC program was created to stimulate the growth of America’s small businesses by supplementing the long-term debt and private-equity capital available to them. Since the SBIC program’s formation in 1958 through April

2009, it has invested approximately $56 billion in more than 106,000 small businesses in the United States. For more information about the SBA’s Investment Division and SBIC program, go to www.sba.gov/INV or call 1-800-U ASK SBA.


# # #

Just SOLD!!

Webinar - Preparing Your Business For Sale: Using an Intermediary to Maximize Value

Sunbelt Indiana Business Resource is hosting a free webinar!

Preparing Your Business For Sale: Using an Intermediary to Maximize Value

If you have ever considered selling your business, you won't want to miss this free webinar. You will hear from two experts that will explain how the process of selling a business works, what you can expect from a professional intermediary, and how to maximize the value of your business. ANONYMITY - you will be able to log in and listen/participate without disclosing any information about yourself or your business.

If you are interested or would like more information, please email webinar@sunbeltindiana.com or call 317-218-8629.

SBA Lenders Pick Up Steam

SBA Lenders Pick Up Steam
Small Business Lender Sentiment Survey
On Lending and Employment
June 2009

More lenders lending again thanks to secondary market improvements!
The SBA is hiring more lending people than all banks combined.

This months’s survey provides promising news. More banks are lending again and the SBA is reporting significant improvement in the number and dollar volume of loan approvals. Almost all SBA districts are reporting sharp increases in loan activity in April and May. The PLP Approval Office is hiring credit staff as quickly as they can find them. This encouraging sign shows a strong commitment by the SBA to a continued quick turn on PLP approvals.

While more loans are being approved, credit remains as tight as it has been all year. However, the number of small business applications continue to rise. Those interviewed for this survey reported high loan applications. And it appears the customer is more willing than ever to meet the lender’s loan requirements to get approval. This includes additional capital injections and providing more collateral as requested. In addition, there is very little argument over the pricing of the loan.

Many lenders have reported that the biggest issue they are facing is real estate appraisals that continue to come in lower than required. This is particular true in hard hit states like Florida, Nevada and California. And apparently, sellers are more willing than ever to negotiate to make the deal work.

The industry is showing signs of improvement but, it appears that this economic recovery is going to be protracted. With growing delinquencies in commercial real estate loans, credit managers are not likely to loosen up approval parameters in the foreseeable future.
******

Click HERE to view the rest of the article.

Using Technology to Increase Business Value Before a Sale or Merger

Using Technology to Increase Business Value Before a Sale or Merger

“My friend Norman Katz contributed this great article” Chris

Improvements in information technology and business processes can make an important difference in not just the perceived value of a business, but the actual value too.

Technology improvements that are visible to potential buyers are the business software applications that run the company. The Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system is typically the core business software application, encompassing functions such as purchasing, sales order processing, accounting, inventory control, manufacturing, and distribution. Sometimes separate applications for inventory control or fixed asset management can be implemented to gain quick control of chaotic situations. And with chaos controlled and business processes running smoother, a potential buyer will see a well-run – or at least better-run – enterprise. Further, new business software enables better reporting, showing the potential buyer information based more on fact than on fiction.

The use of barcode scanning for fixed asset management, inventory control, picking & packing, and receiving showcase a company that has kept up with available – and quite affordable – technologies and is operating more efficiently than one who still processes such information manually. In fact, such technology implementation may be required in order to provide potential buyers with satisfactory reports in regards to the company’s operations and financial position.

For companies who are required to conduct business with customers via Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and have taken steps to integrate inbound and outbound data to business software applications (i.e. the ERP system) showcase to potential buyers that they are committed to reducing non-value-added manual processes such as data entry of information, which is also prone to errors.

And while the implementation of such up-to-date technologies does not mean that fraudulent activities have been reduced, there is an argument that the use of such technologies does go along towards the mitigation of fraud versus manual or paper-based transactions.

Advances have made these technologies achievable (affordable and available) for even small business owners to embrace and represent a worthwhile return on investment.

Norman Katz is President of Katzscan Inc., a consulting firm located near Fort Lauderdale, FL specializing in supply chain technologies, business operations, turnaround management help, and fraud & risk detection & reduction. For more information, please contact Norman through the company web site at www.katzscan.com.

Book: Selling Your Business for Dummies

Feel free to check out the book: "Selling Your Business for Dummies" by Barbara Findlay Schenck.

Foreword by John Davies, CEO of Sunbelt Business Brokers.

Stimulus Prompts Small Business Loan Scams

Stimulus Prompts Small Business Loan Scams

Though the SBA doesn't give stimulus package loans directly to small businesses, savvy scammers would have you believe otherwise

By Karen E. Klein

Q: My sons own and operate an architectural/engineering firm and a steel fabrication firm. These are Main Street firms, needing operating capital. What department of the stimulus package do they apply to for a loan?

—J.R., posted online

A: The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (also known as the "stimulus package") signed into law last month provides $730 million to beef up the loan guarantee programs of the U.S. Small Business Administration. Part of that sum is supposed to reduce the fees that borrowers pay for SBA-backed loans and to increase government guarantees on the loans, making them more attractive for bankers. These measures are designed to help thaw the current credit freeze.

Another program in the works, a joint Fed and Treasury program known as the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility, or TALF, also aims to get credit flowing again to Main Street borrowers.

However, it is important for your sons and other small business owners to realize the government does not give loans directly to small businesses. The government works through commercial lenders, such as banks, by guaranteeing the small business loans of banks that participate in their loan programs.

The confusion on this point has unfortunately opened the door to fraudulent operators who charge fees purporting to help small business owners and individuals get government money, says Alison Southwick, spokesperson for the Council of Better Business Bureaus in Arlington, Va. "Anytime there's a story dominating the headlines, scammers are going to take advantage of it," she says. "When people hear the word 'stimulus,' they know that's something they heard about in the news, so it must be legitimate."

Hundreds of complaints have poured in to the BBB in the weeks since the stimulus package was passed, she says, most of them from people who responded to Internet ads leading to Web sites featuring "testimonials" from individuals claiming they got government money to start businesses or pay off bills. For a fee, many of the Web site pitches say, they'll send you a CD or a mail-order kit explaining how to have access to government stimulus money.

Lucky Winners?

These Web sites are extremely misleading, Southwick says, including some that incorporate blogs that appear to be written by the lucky winners of all that stimulus cash. However, not only is the government not cutting checks to would-be entrepreneurs, you don't need to pay for information about SBA loans or government grants (most of which are available only to nonprofit organizations or very specialized research companies).

"They're charging you for free information, in the first place. And maybe they send you a CD or maybe they don't. But what happens is that people's credit cards start getting billed and there's no way to stop it," she says. "A woman I talked to today said she started getting billed not only for the stimulus information but also $25 per month for a newsletter she didn't want, either."

Victims often wind up paying $60 to $80 a month, and if they don't realize it, the scam can go on indefinitely. "They keep on billing and hope that a certain percentage of people aren't going over their credit-card statements closely," Southwick says. Even those who catch the unwanted charges often find there's no way to stop the billing unless they cancel their credit cards.

The bottom line: Provisions of the stimulus package and other government programs are aimed at increasing access to government small business loans and getting the banks back in the business of loaning money again. Good information about SBA loan guarantee programs is available here. Other government sites offer free information about grants, student aid, and government benefits.

There is no reason to pay for software or guides to apply for government loans or grants. Companies that offer such information for a fee—when it is already available for free online—are likely to be scams, so stay away from them.

Karen E. Klein is a Los Angeles-based writer who covers entrepreneurship and small-business issues.

SBA Launches New 100-Percent Guarantee ARC Loan Program to Help Struggling Businesses

News Release

PRESS OFFICE

Release Date: May 18, 2009

Contact: David J. Hall (202) 205-6697
Release Number: 09-30

Internet Address: http://www.sba.gov/news

SBA Launches New 100-Percent Guarantee ARC Loan Program to Help
Struggling Businesses


WASHINGTON – Small businesses suffering financial hardship as a result of the slow economy may be eligible to receive temporary relief to keep their doors open and get their cash flow back on track through to a new loan program announced today by SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills.

Beginning on June 15, SBA will start guaranteeing America’s Recovery Capital (ARC) loans. ARC loans are deferred-payment loans of up to $35,000 available to established, viable, for-profit small businesses that need short-term help to make their principal and interest payments on existing qualifying debt. ARC loans are interest-free to the borrower, 100 percent guaranteed by the SBA, and have no SBA fees associated with them.

“These ARC loans can provide the critical capital and support many small businesses need to make it through these tough economic times,” said Administrator Mills. “Together with other provisions of the Recovery Act, ARC loans will free up capital and put more money in the hands of small business owners when they need it the most. This will help viable small businesses continue to grow and thrive and create new jobs in communities across the country.”

As part of the Recovery Act, the ARC program was created as a no-interest, deferred payment loan to help small businesses that have a history of good performance, but as a result of the tough economy, are struggling to make debt payments.

ARC loans will be disbursed within a period of up to six months and will provide funds to be used for payments of principal and interest for existing, qualifying small business debt including mortgages, term and revolving lines of credit, capital leases, credit card obligations and notes payable to vendors, suppliers and utilities. Repayment will not begin until 12 months after the final disbursement. Borrowers don’t have to pay interest on ARC loans. After the 12-month deferral period, borrowers will pay back the loan principal over a period of five years.

ARC loans will be made by commercial lenders, not SBA directly. For more information on ARC loans, visit http://www.sba.gov/

You can receive all of the SBA’s News Releases via email. To subscribe, visit http://web.sba.gov/list and select “Press Office.

# # #

Click HERE to view article online

Indiana's Outlook for 2009

Indiana's Outlook for 2009
Jerry N. Conover, Ph.D.
Director, Indiana Business Research Center, Kelley School of Business, Indiana University

November 2008, updated December 2008

Indiana is not immune to the forces shaping the national and global economies, so its outlook for the year ahead is similarly cloudy. At the same time, certain aspects of Indiana's economy cause the Hoosier State to perform in idiosyncratic ways. This article briefly overviews several dimensions of our state's recent performance and its outlook for 2009.

Overall Economic Output
The broadest measure of our economic activity is gross domestic product (GDP) at the state level. Indiana's GDP grew very slightly (0.3 percent) in 2007 following two years of small declines. Although these three relatively flat years followed several years of 2 percent to 4 percent annual increases, the rest of the nation has seen stronger GDP growth; since 2000, only Ohio and Michigan have had slower GDP growth than Indiana.

Indiana's manufacturing output has decreased over the past three years, but manufacturing's share (28 percent) of Indiana GDP is still the largest of any sector; only one state (Oregon) is more reliant on manufacturing. Indiana sectors with GDP that has grown in recent years include retail; transportation and warehousing; arts and entertainment; health care; technical services; and administrative and support services.

The outlook for 2009 calls for limited growth in GDP, given the weak national and global economies on which so many Indiana firms depend, coupled with weakness in the consumer sector and the automotive industry. There is some potential for further downward momentum (depending in part on the speed and effectiveness of federal stimulus actions), although late in the year we may see some GDP growth return....

To view the rest of the article, click HERE

Hiring Business Brokers

Business Brokers
We need a hard working, aggressive deal maker.

Very high commissions. We provide complete training.

If you would like to learn more about this exciting

high income field, call Ed Mysogland.

317-218-8616

Recently Sold!

SOLD!!

The undersigned assisted in the negotiations leading to the conclusion of this transaction and acted as a transaction advisor to the Seller.

Brian Knoderer

317-218-8638

Good Time To Sell

Most news for small business owners isn’t so hot. Business owners believe that waiting out the economic storm and their retirement is a prudent fiscal move. While this notion has merit, awaiting better economic times does not necessarily ensure higher value(s) when the business is sold.

The unfortunate reality is that in many instances value deteriorates due to external forces (economy) as well as internal forces (the business owner). There was a study a number of years ago that suggested that an owner actually becomes less effective over time (7+ years) as the original enthusiasm wanes. As business owners approach retirement, it is not unusual to see a decrease in revenue and profits as the business begins “retiring” before the owner does. The result is that the business owner may delay retirement but not increase value equity.

The sale of a profitable company in this environment (or any other) is a viable strategy for business owners who are committed to sell. Value is a very fluid and timing often makes a difference in acquisition prices. Quality sells in any economic environment and profitable, motivated, flexible businesses that are properly positioned are still in demand.

Despite the economic conditions, limitation on credit, and changes to government backed loans, which are forecasted to continue for the near future; we have not experienced a significant slowdown in buyer inquires. However, over the last six months we have noted the following:

• Displaced “blue collar” buyers are seeking to “buy a job”
• Middle management individuals caught in layoffs are utilizing severance or their own 401(k)s to invest in going into business for themselves. Alternative investments such as the bank or the stock market are not nearly as attractive as they once were.
• Strategic (or synergistic) buyers and Private Equity Groups (PEGs) are actively seeking add on or platform acquisitions.

The Business Brokerage Press cited that the business value for most owners equates to approximately 75% of their net worth! This is a considerable statement when evaluating the time to sell and price positioning. Our experience is that planning is key to maximizing value. We have had clients who we started dialog with years ago who heeded (and some not) our advice on the necessary preparations and will fare well as we begin confidentially exposing their business to the marketplace.


For More Information Please Contact:
Ed Mysogland
Managing Partner
317-218-8616
emysogland@sunbeltindiana.com

Sunbelt IBR In the News....

Fearful business buyers
April 22, 2009
Posted by Norm , trackback


You might think people would be hankering to buy businesses, what with the frail economy tripping trap doors beneath more and more jobs.

Not so, says the managing partner of the state’s largest business brokerage.

Ed Mysogland says the Web site for Sunbelt Indiana Business Resource is getting more hits. But the actual number of serious inquiries is at similar levels to the same period last year and even the year before, when the economy was still roaring.

Why? Mysogland is left to speculate. But his informed opinion is that fear of risk is still a formidable barrier to entry. Younger people shouldering responsibility for children and carrying mortgages and student loans are particularly skeptical about taking on additional risk.

“Most people will think twice about small-business ownership,” he says. “Getting a paycheck every week doesn’t sound so bad.”

It’s not as if good deals aren’t available. Businesses are selling for less largely because their revenues and profits are down. Restaurants are still going for 25 percent to 50 percent of revenue, but the total sale prices have slipped because most restaurants are generating less revenue.

What about you? Are you considering buying a business or starting one? What do you think about conditions?

Click HERE to view original article online.

Projected Top 10 SBA 7(a) 2009 Lenders

Just SOLD!

Optimism Index: Article by Anita Campbell

This is an Article by Anita Campbell from Small Business Trends:

The NFIB’s latest report on small business sentiment is out. The NFIB’s Optimism Index is one of the longest standing indices of small business sentiment, and so I tend to place a lot of weight on it.

It shows that conditions and sentiment are not a pretty sight among small businesses.

Although there have been some tiny signals — albeit weak signals — from other sources suggesting things may be looking up in the economy, you wouldn’t know it from looking at the NFIB report. First of all, there’s this chart:


Pathetic looking, isn’t it? You don’t even have to know what the numbers stand for to know that’s a bad chart — the steep downward line speaks for itself.

Essentially, this chart is saying that the Small Business Optimism Index of the NFIB is near an all-time low – actually the second lowest reading in the 35 year history of the NFIB survey. Only during the 1980-1982 recession was the index lower.

Remember, this is a group of small business owners reporting their sentiment — how they feel — about the economy. The survey was taken during March 2009 of 867 small business owners.

And how do they feel? Not so hot.

Employment among small business firms is down. profits are down, capital spending is down — well just about any number you look at is down.

But there is a silver lining, according to William Dunkelberg, the chief economist of the NFIB. He says that such a sharp downturn as we are in now, is leading to pent-up demand for spending. That means we are likely to have a sharp upturn once the economy starts recovering, as he writes (emphasis added):

“Small business owners are clearly cutting costs at a very rapid pace (as are larger firms as well), which primarily involves reducing employment. Cost cutting is likely being over-done since there is uncertainty about the future, in particular when the recession will end, and earnings are in the tank. What this portends, however, is a rapid improvement in employment and earnings once the economy establishes a forward momentum. Sharp recoveries are possible only after sharp declines. Capital spending and inventory investment are at or near record low levels and, more importantly, have remained their longer than during any recession in the 35 year NFIB survey history. This is feeding an ever enlarging pool of “pent-up demand”. Consumers are accumulating a similar pool of unfilled spending needs as well. Car sales will not continue all year at the 9 million rate recorded at the start of 2009. More will be bought, not a return to 16 million, but a gain. Normally, well over a million new homes, apartments and condos are needed each year, but new construction is a third of that. More houses will be built. This will be the start of the private sector rescue of the economy. Some fiscal stimulus will start to filter in, but it will, as always, be late to the party. The “stimulus package” and the political urgency surrounding it was a smoke screen for other agendas.”

So there you have it from the NFIB Small Business Economic Trends report for April 2009 (PDF): not a pretty picture now, but once things start to recover — things could go up up up.

I agree with the assessment about a sharp recovery. We’ve been affected by the non-stop media coverage about the economy and crises and bailouts — beating into our heads how bad things are — making a bad situation seem much worse. Naturally people stopped spending, out of fear. When you don’t spend in a consumer economy like ours, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy as demand drops. Then sales drop, then employment drops, and everything slows or declines like dominoes falling.

It’s time to shake off this climate of fear and get on with the economic recovery.

SBA Announces Dip in 504 Loan Rates

Click HERE to view original article online.

INDIANAPOLIS (April 15, 2009)—Historic low interest rates announced this week by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) 504 loan program, combined with the recent elimination of two real estate financing fees, generate compelling new options for business owners who plan to expand their facilities and operations, according to Premier Capital Corporation Executive Director David Amick.

Amick pointed to the significant opportunity available to small business owners and lenders who choose to utilize the SBA 504 loan program. The current 5.25 percent interest rates follow the temporary suspension of two fees typically required by the 504 loan program. These two developments enhance an already outstanding borrowing program, Amick added.

The 504 loan program accessed through Certified Development Companies (CDCs), the local organizations that work in tandem with lenders and small businesses, currently offers long-term, fixed-rate financing for commercial real estate at the lowest interest rate since the program’s inception. The SBA works with its local lending partners—the CDCs—to provide such loans for small business borrowers who wish to use the financing program to leverage their investment and grow their business.

Following is a brief summary of the changes behind these new financing options:

* On Monday, April 13, the 504 program announced a 5.25 percent 20-year fixed interest rate, the lowest in the program’s history. Business owners who plan to seek financing for facility expansions can lock in 20-year fixed rate financing on a portion of their expansion project creating certainty in cash outlay for occupancy costs.

* A major component of the federal government’s stimulus package unveiled in February eliminates two processing fees associated with 504 loan programs. The elimination of these fees is expected to last through 2009, or as long as funds are available, Amick said. For example, on a $1 million loan, a borrower can save roughly $20,000.

“Businesses of all kinds need long-term, fixed-rate financing options to acquire the real estate or the equipment they need to expand their businesses and create jobs,” Amick said. “That has been a challenge in the current environment. We’re living in an era in which tighter credit markets and the general economic downturn have forced many small businesses to delay their growth plans or cease operations entirely.

“I believe this new combination of rate incentives and stimulus measures will spur significant new activity for businesses everywhere and help advance our nation’s economic recovery,” Amick added. “Business owners who take advantage of these incentives will reduce a portion of their out-of-pocket expenses, lock in long term fixed rates creating positive new opportunities in the marketplace.”

About Premier Capital CorporationSince 1976 Premier Capital Corporation has empowered more than 800 Indiana businesses by serving as one of the state’s leading certified development companies accredited by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). By supporting both business owners and bankers, Premier Capital is truly an engine of the Indiana economy, putting the power of the SBA in the hands of business owners and lenders and providing long-term financing for real estate, machinery and equipment.

Source: Premier Capital Corp.
***

Recently SOLD!

Recently SOLD

Are Family-Owned Businesses Planning for the Future?

The 2007/2008 Family Business Study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers found that nearly half of family-owned businesses have no succession plan in place, despite 25% of them expecting to change hands within the next five years.

The majority of family businesses do not make it to the next generation and either are sold or cease operations upon the founder’s death. According to the Cox Family Enterprise Center at Kennesaw State University in Georgia, only one-third of family businesses, worldwide, are passed along to the next generation.

PricewaterhouseCoopers argues that family-owned businesses do not make it from one generation to the next because of a lack of planning.

Businesses are encouraged to create an exit strategy. For succession, outline the details for family members to join management and also encourage the successors to be involved in the business now.

An exit strategy to sell the business also requires careful planning. Business owners should seek guidance from their attorney, accountant and business broker.

~Sunbelt Business Connections Newsletter

Before You Buy That Small Business

Before You Buy That Small Business
Buying an existing business is often safer than starting one on your own. But watch out for these red flags.
By Cliff Ennico June 18, 2008

There's no doubt that buying an existing small business is less risky than starting one from scratch. Why? Because, unlike a startup:

•the business has equipment and inventory;
•the business already has a location, and maybe there's a few more years left on the lease;
•the business has employees, some of whom you may actually want to keep;
•the business has customers, most of whom probably will stick with you (unless this is a professional service business or practice); and
•most importantly, the business has a track record--you can look at the business' books, records and tax returns and get some sense of how much money you will make.

But there's still risk. Whenever you buy an existing business and look at its records, you're looking at the past. There's no guarantee things won't change going forward. If you're negotiating to buy a business and you think the seller is giving you a great deal, be very suspicious--there's probably something heading down the road at 90 miles an hour that will blow this business apart when it hits.

To View the entire article click HERE

Larry Battershell
317-908-9550
inbizsales@aol.com

SBA News! Update!

U.S. Small Business Administration

-- News Release --

***********************************************

Release Date: March 16, 2009
Contact: Mike Stamler (202) 205-6919
Release Number: 09-17
Internet Address: http://www.sba.gov/news

Statement from SBA Acting Administrator on Recovery Efforts Announced by President Obama Today

WASHINGTON – The following statement was issued today by Acting Administrator Darryl K. Hairston of the U.S. Small Business Administration following the announcement by President Barack Obama of important steps being taken by the SBA and the U.S. Department of Treasury to address the economic challenges facing small businesses and entrepreneurs across the country.

“U.S. small businesses employ about half our nation’s workers and over the last decade have created about 70 percent of all new jobs. But their access to credit and lending markets has dried up, making it harder every day for small businesses to keep their doors open and their employees working. American small businesses are one of the strongest engines for economic prosperity in the world, and we can’t let this crisis continue to undermine their growth and potential. Today President Obama reiterated his belief that we owe it to America’s small businesses to be the partner they need in the midst of this crisis. At SBA, we couldn’t agree more.

“SBA this week is implementing two key provisions laid out in the Recovery Act – we are temporarily eliminating certain loan fees and raising guarantees on some 7(a) loans up to 90 percent. With these critical steps by SBA, and the Treasury Department’s commitment of up to $15 billion aimed at getting lending markets flowing again, we are standing up with small business owners across this country and telling them how we are going to put much-needed capital in their hands.

“We hope small businesses will take the opportunity to ask their banks about the SBA loans that might be available to them. And, we encourage community banks and other lenders to work with us to reach as many qualified borrowers as we can during these difficult times.”

Beginning today, the SBA will:

• Temporarily raise guarantees to up to 90 percent on SBA’s 7(a) loan program, through calendar year 2009, or until the funds are exhausted. This increase in guarantee levels will help provide banks with the greater confidence they need to extend credit during the current recession, will mean more capital available to small business owners around the country.

• Temporarily eliminate fees for borrowers on SBA 7(a) loans and for both borrowers and lenders on 504 Certified Development Company loans, through calendar year 2009, or until the funds are exhausted. This will mean more capital available to small businesses at a lower cost. The fee elimination is retroactive to February 17, the day the Recovery Act was signed. SBA is developing a mechanism for refunding fees paid on loans since then.

Additionally, the President announced today that the Treasury Department will commit up to $15 billion to help unlock the frozen credit markets by purchasing small business loan securities currently frozen on the secondary market. By purchasing these securities, it will unlock these secondary markets, and in turn, free up more capital to jumpstart lending for small business owners. The SBA has worked closely with the Treasury Department to address the need to unlock these secondary markets for SBA loans.

For more information on the SBA and Treasury initiatives announced today by the President, visit the SBA Web site at www.sba.gov.


###

What Type of Business Entity Should You Form?

You will need to decide how to structure your business entity. Here are six types of business entities and their differences:

Posted By:

Larry Battershell

Sunbelt Indiana Business Resource

317-908-9550

inbizsales@aol.com

Private Equity Groups Growth

One of the major market shifts for the acquisition of privately-held companies has been the growth in the number of Private Equity Groups (PEGs). PEGs have become key players in business acquisitions. They offer flexibility as a liquidity source, giving entrepreneurs the ability to take some cash off the table, recapitalize their company or simply sell and move on. What do PEGs look for in an acquisition?: ongoing, profitable businesses that demonstrate growth potential.

The private equity market had traditionally been restricted to acquiring larger companies. But increased competition for those larger operations, the greater growth potential of smaller firms, and an easier path to investment of smaller firms. The primary ingredients that PEGS look for in an acquisition are:

· Superior profit margins
· Sustainable and defensible market niches
· Unique business models
· Stable product life cycles
· Strong growth opportunities
· Strong track record
· Low customer concentrations
· Deep management team

PEGs have become a major force in the acquisition arena. They can also be thought of as strategic acquirers in certain instances, when they own portfolio companies in your industry or a related area that addresses the same customer base. These buyers may be in a position to pay more than an industry or strategic buyer that does not have this financial backing.

Propert Valuation of Your Business

Sellers obviously want to get the most money for their business when selling. However, I have observed that sometimes asking prices that are set too high can impair the selling process and elongate or even prevent the sale. In the first 30 – 60 days that a business is listed will receive the most buyer attention. There are limited number of qualified buyers for any business and you are competing for that buyer’s attention. If you have an overpriced offering, it will turn these buyers away. Buyers that have looked at the business once, but have dismissed it because of the price, typically move onto other opportunities. Once they have moved on, it is very difficult to have them look again. Any extended time on the market will confirm their suspicion.

Sellers who want to obtain the highest price will typically do these following steps:

1) Have the business valued by a professional who is knowledgeable about the marketplace – This will give the owner a realistic idea of what the most probable selling price could be.
2) Hire a business broker – They have the training and experience to position the business in the market but also to successfully lead the buyer through the entire process
3) DON’T OFFER THE BUSINESS TOO HIGH – And be willing to reduce the price (if necessary) in order to increase buyer activity.

Working with a business broker will ensure your company is ideally priced from day one.

Written By:

Dave Gorman
Senior Business Broker
Sunbelt Indiana Business Resource
317-218-8626
Email: dgorman@sunbeltindiana.com

SBA Readies Emergency Biz Loans

SBA readies emergency biz loans
Agency has 15 days to create guidelines for $255 million emergency lending initiative approved by Congress.
By Stacy Cowley, small business editor

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Small businesses owners struggling to keep up with their bills may see some relief from a new $255 million emergency loan program authorized this week as part of the economic recovery bill.

Congress is pushing for the money to start flowing fast: It gave the Small Business Administration just 15 days to issue guidelines for the brand-new program.

Called the Business Stabilization Program, the initiative will offer loans of up to $35,000 that are essentially interest-free. The loans will only be available to companies that already have bank-issued business loans - Congress wants the new loans to be used to make interest payments and pay down principal on existing debt.

The loans can be used to make payments for up to six months, and no repayment on them will be due for a year. Businesses must fully repay their stabilization loan within five years.

The loans won't be coming directly from the SBA. Instead, the agency will offer a 100% guarantee - something it has never done before - to banks that issue the loans. If the business owner defaults, the SBA will pay off the debt.

The SBA will also fully subsidize the interest on the loans for their entire duration, making them low-cost for business owners and largely risk-free for banks.

Entrepreneurs ready to race out and apply for a loan will need to be patient a bit longer, though. Faced with a tight deadline to create an entirely new program, the SBA is still working out the details.

"We want to get everything in the bill in place as quickly as we can," said SBA spokesman Mike Stamler. "We're doing the best we can."

The SBA hasn't started discussions with banks about how the program will work, but lenders expressed cautious optimism that it will help strapped small businesses.

"We have plenty of customers that would be interested in that type of loan," said Michael Downes, chief lending officer of Unity Bancorp (UNTY) in Clinton, N.J. "We just have to guard against throwing good money after bad."


Rising defaults
Unity issued more than 150 SBA-backed 7(a) loans last year, totaling $73 million. But like many SBA lenders, it curtailed its lending after the economy's sharp deterioration at the end of 2008. Instead of extending loans throughout the East Coast, the bank is now focusing only on its immediate geographic area around New York and New Jersey.

Defaults and delinquencies have increased as borrowers struggle to keep up with their bills, Downes said.

One Georgia Bank in Atlanta became an SBA lender less than a year ago, in April. In its first six months in the program, it issued 14 loans. So far, none of those loans has gone late on payments, but President Chuck Lewis said he sees demand among business customers for options that will free up cash and give them flexibility with their bills.

"Any time there's a facility available for a small business owner to help them meet payroll or help them expand their cash flow, it's going to be a positive for that small business owner," he said.

The SBA is working to create the new program with fairly vague guidance from Congress and without a permanent leader in place. A confirmation hearing for President Obama's nominee as the agency's administrator, Karen Gordon Mills, has not yet been scheduled. In past presidential transitions, the SBA spot has gone unfilled until April or later.

Since Obama's inauguration, 30-year SBA veteran Darryl Hairston has been running the agency as its acting administrator.

The SBA's spokesman said the agency is scrambling to make policy and logistics decisions as soon as possible to begin implementing the array of new initiatives authorized in the stimulus bill signed by the president Tuesday.

The bill allocated millions in additional funding for several existing SBA programs, including the agency's microloan initiative and its flagship loan guarantee programs.

Ramping up those already-running programs to expand their capacity will be easier, Stamler said, than building structures for the two wholly new initiatives Congress created, the stabilization loans program and a new secondary market guarantee authority.

However, those two new programs are the ones Congress wants action on the quickest. It gave the SBA less than three weeks to issue emergency regulations for each.

For the stabilization loans, Congress allocated $255 million to fund the program through September 2010. Since that amount covers only the costs and subsides of the program, it can be used to fund several billion in total loan volume; the SBA is still working out the formulas to calculate how far the cash will stretch.

Only banks already certified to participate in the SBA's loan guarantee programs will be eligible to make stabilization loans. But the agency expects the loans themselves to be available to any small business customer at participating banks, regardless of whether or not the customer's existing loan was actually made through the SBA's guarantee program. (To find out whether your bank is an SBA lender, click here and go to the SBA's resource page for your geographic area.)

As the SBA pulls together its guidelines, lenders and business owners are eager to tap the new line of capital.

"One of the reasons that we were proactive in getting involved in the SBA was because we saw the economy beginning to weaken," said One Georgia Bank's Lewis. "Any time the economy weakens, it's going to be the small businesses that will lead the country out of an economic spiral."

It's a Buyer's Market

A report recently published by the International Business Brokers Association, found that 61 percent of the survey participants (business brokers) believe that more businesses will go up for sale in 2009, while 66 percent indicate say they will sell more businesses this year compared to 2008. Several trade magazines (Inc., Entrepreneur, the Wall Street Journal) indicate seller’s market historically existed, but a as baby boomers retire the buyer’s market would gradually appear over the next decade overtaking the seller’s foothold. The prevailing economic conditions have accelerated the predominance of the buyer’s market…welcome to 2009.

So now what? If you are thinking about selling your business, make it more attractive. Buyers are more selective today because they can. Therefore, improve cash flow as best you can, keep books and records updated, spend more time on the value and pricing of the business. You will be competing for the attention of many buyers. Don’t sell your business short because of not taking care of the basics.