Check out Four Alternative Lending Options for Entrepreneurs...

There is much talk these days about the rise in alternative lending sources since the credit crunch really started to squeeze small businesses in late 2008... here is a great explanation of four of those alternatives...

Four Alternative Lending Options for Entrepreneurs

www.smallbusiness.foxbusiness.com
Published August 14, 2012

When the credit crunch begain in late 2008, traditional banks tightened the spigots on funding for small businesses. When the big banks said no, small banks and non-bank lenders increasingly said yes. While big banks reject loan applications almost nine out of ten times, and smaller banks approved less than half of small business funding requests, alternative lenders filled the void.

According to Biz2Credit Small Business Lending Index (figures for the July 2012), big banks (insitutions with more than $10 billion in assets) approved 11.3% of small business loan requests, while smaller banks gave the green light to 47.4%. Meanwhile, non-bank lenders picked up the slack. Credit unions approved 54.6% of requests, while alternative lenders, such as Cash Advance Network (CAN) and accounts receivable financers, okayed 61.4% of requests for funding from small companies.

So who are the alternative lenders? They are comprised of non-banks, such as credit unions, CDFIs, micro lenders and accounts receivable financers.

To read a full explanation of each alternative lender... click here to read the full article.

Great news for the craft beer brewing industry... continued growth!

Brewer's Association Reports 2012 Mid-year Growth for U.S. Craft Brewers

www.brewersassociation.org
Boulder, CO  *  August 6, 2012

Dollar growth up 14% in first six months of 2012; Total brewery count hits 125-year high

The Brewers Association (BA), the trade association representing the majority of U.S. Brewing companies, has released strong mid-year numbers for America's small and independent craft brewers. Dollar sales were up 14 percent in the first half of 2012, while volume of craft brewed beer sold jumped during that same time period.

Barrels sold by craft brewerd for the first six months of 2012 are an estimated 6.0 million barrels. Despite a number of challenges, including decreased overall beer sales, the mid-year numbers show signs of continued growth for craft breweries. The industry currently provides an estimated 104,000 full-time and part-time jobs, contributing significantly to the U.S. economy.

To read the full article... click here.

Check out Top 5 Social Media Fails from Inc.com

If your business keeps you  busy like mine does me, then you hardly have time to learn let alone utilize social media effectively... and the last thing you want is negative impact from it... here is a great article from Inc.com that gives you just a few things that you can concentrate on to upgrade your social media strategy.
- Business Sherpa

Top 5 Social Media Fails

Think you're pretty great at Twitter? A pro at Facebook? Fact is, your social media strategy could use an upgrade. Here are five ways to fix the little things you're messing up.

The White House does it, the world's biggest media outlets do it, and your business looks out-of-date without it: Social media. And it's widely beloved for providing some of the best word-of-mouth style maketing just a bit of money can buy.

To read the full article... click here.

Interesting... "10 Things Food Trucks Won't Say" by SmartMoney.com

Great article about the food truck phenomena...

"10 Things Food Trucks Won't Say"
SmartMoney.com
By Jonelle Marte
August 1, 2012

What's not on the menu at mobile eateries...

1. We're not supposed to be here.
2. You're favorite restaurant hates us.
3. We're not all held to the same standards.
4. I don't have a license.
5. It's not the cleanliness of the truck that should worry you.

To find out the other 5 things food trucks won't say, and see the details on all ten , click here to read the full article.

Check out 7 Silly Myths About The Economy, Jobs, Taxes & Small Business...

Posted on Inc.com, July 18, 2012
By Gene Marks

7 Silly Myths About the Economy, Jobs, Taxes & Small Business

America's Got Talent is the No. 1 show. Spider-Man is the No. 1 movie. Call me Maybe is the top song in the country. Who's the most popular guy in Washington D.C.?

Why, me! The small-business guy. Everyone's buzzing about me. That's because I represent more than 20 million others who are supposedly just like me. According to the National Federation of Independent Business, my confidence is down. Oh, no! But don't worry! The President and Congress are battling over ways to help me succeed. Hooray!

I appreciate everyone's concern. And I certainly love the attention. But, really, I don't want to waste your time. My technology company has 600 small business customers. And I agree that I probably don't have the right to speak on behalf of the other 19,999,400 small businesses in the country. But then again, why not? I know that small businesses will be an important part of this year's election. We're already getting a lot of attention from the media. So let me help explain a few things. And put to rest a few silly myths about us.

Silly Myth #1: Small Businesses collectively oppose higher taxes....

To read the full article, and find out the other 6 myths and their explanations... click here.

Check Out Questions Business Owners Ask Me and the Answers I Give Them

Great article by Loren Marx Schmerler put out by the Business Brokerage Press...

Posted @ 6/28/2012 9:13 am

Throughout my years of successfully assisting business owners in selling their companies, I've been asked the same questions by many potential sellers. In this article I have compiled a list of common question about selling a business along with my answers that you may find helpful.

1. How much is my business worth?
2. How long will it take to sell my business?
3. Is there anything I can do to make my business more desirable?
4. Is there anything I should not do during the listing period?
5. What is due diligence?
6. What else do you suggest I do to impress a Buyer?
7. What happens if I agree to do some owner financing and the Buyer misses a payment?

To read the answers Mr. Schmerler gives to the above excellent questions... click here.

Check out Starbucks Initiative to Brew Up U.S. Jobs through small business lending

A Starbuck Initiative to Brew Up U.S. Jobs

Posted by Michelle Goodman
Entrepreneur.com, January 2012

For little more than the price of a latte, the average American can help finance a new business startup. That's the premise behind Create Jobs for USA, the brainchild of Starbucks founder and CEO Howard Schultz. Through the program, every $5 donated at a Starbucks location or through CreateJobsforUSA.org supports $35 worth of small-business lending.

To get these funds directly into the hands of business owners, Starbucks partnered with Opportunity Finance Network (OFN), a collection of 180 Community Development Financial Insitutions (CDFIs) that specialize in lending to low-income and disadvantaged indiaviduals and underserved communities throughout the nation.

To read more about this great initiative of Starbucks... click here.