Bankers and Artists

background abstract art with gold dollar sign in center“When bankers get together for dinner, they discuss Art.
When artists get together for dinner, they discuss Money.”
~ Oscar Wilde

Bankers have the money, control the money, determine where the money will go and who will get it.  In the vernacular, those decisions are called “loan approvals.”  Do Banks skew to the conservative when making lending decisions?  Depends on the Bank, but overall, the answer is probably “YES.”  Sure, riskier credit scenarios can find a home, along with commensurate difficult terms including higher interest rate and other factors.

That leaves the Artists, or, you, the Business Owner, out in the cold and wondering about how to obtain the capital you need to grow your business.

At Aurora Consulting, we believe the path to success for your business credit financing request lies in three factors.

The first factor is the choice of Lender.  Different Lenders have different tolerances for risk.  And, different Banks have different perspectives to find a profitable return for their Depositors’ money. Any given Bank may create lending opportunities due to a strategic decision to lend more in certain credit profile areas.  In both these types of Banks/Lenders, though the credit risk may scare away a more conservative Bank, the terms of the loan don’t have to be onerous.

We believe the second, and maybe the most important factor in credit financing success is in presentation.  We recently watched the Will Smith movie “Hitch” where he plays a coach of sorts to lovelorn men seeking to get out of their own way to find success in love.  Much of the advice “Hitch” gives has to do with presentation, the manner in which a man listens to a woman, the way he honors her presence, and more.

We think that the Loan Application and the manner in which it is presented to a Lender is the fundamental key to success, combined with the other two success factors.  That’s why we strive to ask all the same zillion questions an Underwriter may ask, why we collect so much documentation up front from our clients, and why we carefully package our loan requests to present to Lenders.

The final factor for success in credit financing is the positivity of “The Close.”   Obstacles pop up along the way in every financing transaction.  Our aim is to overcome obstacles with positive attitudes and a sharp focus on getting to the closing.  We use positive language, we seek out positive solutions; we refuse to be waylaid by negative emotions, words, challenges.  This is our Closing Attitude at Aurora Consulting.

Bringing these three success factors together is what we do at Aurora Consulting.  It’s no secret to any experienced financial professional, but it certainly feels like it’s our own secret recipe for credit financing success.

Pages from a Salvador Dali notebook including doodles and calculations of income and expenses, the artist thinking about Money.  
Pages from a Salvador Dali notebook including doodles and calculations of income and expenses, the artist thinking about Money.

Whether you are an entrepreneurial “Artist” seeking to bring your vision for success to life with business credit financing, or a Business Owner searching for the best solution for your working capital needs, let us at Aurora Consulting be your concierge to guide your financing needs to the right conclusion, the one where the Bankers embrace your “art” and release the money to fund your continuing business success story.

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The Scorsese Way

Martin Scorsese has had a long and storied career in cinema.  The legend he has created is that of the Director using his extensive knowledge of film to enhance his cinematic creations. As a Director, he pushed the boundaries of macabre crime drama.

Along the way, according to this latest biographical feature in the New York Times, Mr. Scorsese developed his own way of working within, or rather, without, the “Hollywood machine.”  In particular, Mr. Scorsese created a separate path for financing his films using independent financiers and eschewing the financial support from the studios.

Frustrated with the unrealistic pressures of working within the confines of the studio system, he came to believe that Hollywood studios had become his “mortal enemies.”

As he says in the NYTimes piece, “It’s like being in a bunker and you’re firing out in all directions…you begin to realize you’re not speaking the same language anymore, so you can’t make pictures anymore.”

The latest development in the “Scorsese Way” of making his movies is his partnership with Netflix, the streaming service that is about as far from the Hollywood studio system as you can get in the early 21st Century.

We think the key element of this aspect of Martin Scorsese’s story is the financing component.  In short, those folks with the money–Hollywood Studios–brought unrealistic expectations, exerted extraordinary pressures, and ultimately hampered one of the greatest cinematic talents of the past 100 years from achieving his true potential.

We see this time and again with Small and Middle Market Businesses too.

If your business marches in the “big leagues” that is, with gross revenues exceeding $3Billion annually, then Bankers are the friendliest bunch of people on the planet. But if your business is in the Middle–$10 Million up to $3 Billion in revenue—or worse, a Small Business (below the $10M mark), you’ll find Bankers are not so friendly.  

To define friendly, let’s refer to our description above of the Hollywood Studio system’s treatment of the incredibly talented and successful Martin Scorsese.  In the NYTimes piece he discusses the unrealistic pressures from studio executives (the folks with the money) to shorten movie running times, and other extraordinary requirements for his films, “The last two weeks of editing…‘The Aviator’…I said if this is the way you have to make films then I’m not going to do it anymore.”

Imagine that.  Imagine the cultural and entertainment loss sustained when a talent as large and ambitious as Mr. Scorsese decides he’s had enough because the people with the money keep telling him what to do.

We blogged recently about “Don’t Tell Me How To Make My Pizza” about a similar story about an ambitious and creative young business owner.  He’s created a unique new type of sourdough pizza.  As he grows his business, he needs capital.  But he chose to bring in equity investors instead of engaging with us at Aurora Consulting to find quality credit financing.  You can be sure that sometime in the near future his equity “partners” seeking higher returns on their investments, will insist on changes to that unique pizza recipe.  Martin Scorsese all over again.

It’s the New Year and we’re committed here at Aurora Consulting to financing solutions for your business success story.  We believe in access to credit.  We’ll work diligently and enthusiastically to find the best credit financing solutions for your business.  

Take a page out of the Martin Scorsese playbook (except the part where they dump the bodies!), and find your own “Scorsese Way” to finance your working capital needs while preserving your vision of how your business should run and grow.

Download our DOCUMENTS CHECKLIST here.

The Lender Reviews Everything

When you apply for financing and your tax returns and/or personal financial statement shows that you have interests in other businesses or property, the lender will want to review the financials on those other businesses.

When it comes down to it, the Lender has the right to ask for this information.

The question from our client is often, “Why is this germane to my financing request for my business?  That other business has nothing to do with the business I’m financing.”

While this may be true, remember that you’re asking the lender to assess the risk of lending money to you and to your business (the one on the application), and if there are negative aspects to your other businesses that affect the financial health of this business, the lender wants to assess that risk.

The good news is that you can control the narrative to an extent. Describe what the other business is via a summary statement and how it interacts with the business you are financing.  Especially with regards to debt.

There’s nothing wrong with full disclosure.  Get it out of the way upfront. Don’t wait for the Lender to ask for it.

Understand why the Lender wants that information instead of fighting the request.

The Lender has the right to ask these questions.  Pushing back is okay, as long as you do so in a gentle fashion.  In the end, it’s about achieving your goal of obtaining the financing you need to grow your business with the least muss and fuss as possible.

Download your “HOMEWORK”! You’ll thank us later.

Stop worrying about what's required when pursuing a business loan for your small business. This list will indicate what a lender, bank, SBA, etc. will want to know about you and your small business if you're looking for a business loan. These are prudent documents that help tell your small business story. Without them, it's difficult for lenders to assess you as a risk when it comes to lending your small business money. This is NOT SPECIFIC to the SBA EIDL loan.

It Can Happen That Fast

We’re famous here at Aurora Consulting for the phrase, “Growth sneaks up on you!”  We’ve written a blog about it and have done a few videos where this notion comes into focus as the reason we are doing the video in the first place.

Even the best-prepared, most-organized, super-efficient Business Owner can find themselves with a new client who’s blowing up the revenue to extraordinary levels, or new orders for products and services that far exceed previous orders and expectations.

We like to say, “One Vehicle leads to 20 Vehicles.”
It can happen that fast.

We believe in your business success story.  You are putting in the effort every single day to grow your revenue and live the business life of your dreams.  That’s why we also believe that your financial services relationships today are so vital to your business growth tomorrow.

Begin with your Banker relationship.  It’s not enough that you know your Business Banker’s cell number; she has to answer it when you need her.   It’s not enough that she promises to get it done; RESULTS are the only thing worth talking about.   

Both these items are great metrics to help you understand if your Business Banker puts as much value in your relationship as you do.   If your Banker is meeting these basic standards, then you’re in good hands.  If not, then you should reconsider your banking relationships.

Along the lines of your relationships is thinking about future credit financing. We heartily recommend you invest some time at least once a year, if not more often, to sit down with your Business Banker and review your business’ financials.  You want to know if you are positioning yourself in the most favorable way possible to apply and be approved for credit financing when you need to grow from ONE vehicle to 20 vehicles.

Some Business Owners fear exposing their financials to their Banker.  Maybe the fear surrounds the Banker questioning the Bank’s commitment to your relationship.   We have found the opposite to be true for one reason.  

Your Banker’s commitment to you is driven by the motivation to maintain and grow your banking relationships with the Bank.  When we say relationships, we mean bank accounts.  Bankers are driven to grow depository relationships.  That’s their goal.  And once they have your business, they want to grow it and make sure you stay with them.

Reviewing your financials with your Banker can only further the Bank’s confidence in you and your business.  And it may provide you with cogent advice and knowledge that will help you prepare for that moment when you need 19 more vehicles.

At Aurora Consulting, we are Brokers. We work for you, not for the Bank.  And we know the tolerances that Lenders have for financing businesses on a growth trajectory.  

We understand the Underwriting guidelines and how your business financials fit into those “boxes” at different Banking institutions. We’re happy to review your financials too and prepare you for the eventuality you’ll need credit financing for more vehicles.

Getting Unstuck

Wall’s Ice Cream is a very popular ice cream brand in The United Kingdom.  The Wall’s logo is prominently displayed at convenience stores, groceries and restaurants and cafes all throughout England. Wall’s is apparently also famous for their “Stop me and Buy One” tricycles roaming the streets filled with ice cream treats.

I haven’t personally seen the logo there by visiting England.  No, I’ve seen the logo often when I watch my favorite British Detective mysteries.  But enough about me and my Brit-Binge.

Wall’s has been making ice cream for over 100 years, but Wall’s didn’t start out as an ice cream business.  No, Wall’s was a butcher shop!  T. Wall & Sons Ltd. was a sausage maker since 1786.  But in 1913, the owner, Thomas Wall, realized that his sausages weren’t very appealing to his customers during the warm Summer months.  He hit on the unique idea of selling ice cream during the Summer to increase sales and to save the jobs of his employees.

It didn’t hurt the bottom line, either. Now Wall’s survives over 100 years later, branded and thriving.  As an ice cream provider.

Would you make a similar choice in your business, a choice where you change your entire business model so that your employees are taken care of?

Do you have to make such a radical choice?

Maybe there is another way to demonstrate your sincere interest in the financial well-being of your employees.  In this economy of nearly full-employment, it is certainly in the best interest of businesses to hang on to valuable employees.  Time and again, successful companies have proven their success comes thanks to the people working for them, the people showing up every day eager to do their jobs and to see their employers achieve long-term success.  Surely it’s in the best interest of the employer to invest in those employees, whether that’s in small ways or in a radical way.

Like Wall’s, a company in business literally for centuries, but thriving in incredible ways for the past 100 years thanks to a small but ingenious investment on the part of its owner at the time.

Where will your business be in 100 years?

 
Visit our FINANCING FODDER YouTube Playlist for more info on how you can prepare a financing request that will knock the Lender’s socks off.

Streamline Your Financing Request

Want to become a priority with the banker?

Summarizing your financing package can help to prioritize how your banker reviews your financing request.

We recently submitted a client’s financing request to one of the Lenders on our lending matrix.  Our Lender Rep. said, “Holy cow, you guys are on top of it with your summary. Not many brokers make it this easy to review the package.”

We made it easy because the client provided us with their financials. The financials were comprehensive. It’s a multi-million dollar corporation and we’re at the early stage of presenting to the lender. We want to show something that’s easily digestible. We want to ease  the process for the lender to give us a prompt review and tell us their interest in offering the financing.

Summarizing your financials is easy to do.  When you have a lot of line items that lead up to one, just one, type of deduction or one type of income source, simply summarize it. Drop it down to as few lines as possible so the lender can do a quick review and say,  “Okay, I see the picture here.”

The Lender doesn’t need to know the granular line by line details at this early stage; you want the Lender to give a fast review to gauge their interest. If the Lender expresses interest and offers a Letter of Intent for the financing, you can present the more detailed financials with your full loan application package.

For each financing request, present a one or two page statement describing the background of the business, the reason for their financing request, and, in bold, large font, the amount of our financing request.

Our presentation package for the initial Lender review is compact yet complete.  The “first glimpse” by a Lender is sufficient to tell us if that particular Lender is the right fit for our client’s request, or if we need to locate a different Lender.

Visit our Financing Fodder YouTube Playlist on how to prepare your business loan request.

Lessons, Lenders, Decisions and Documents

Lessons with Lenders and Decision with Documents

When we locate the right Lender to provide a financing solution for your capital needs, the Lender requests documents as part of the application process.  We prefer to collect and review as many documents as possible early in our qualifying process.

We review each document you submit.  We do this to determine your business’ qualifications for the different financing products available through our matrix of Lenders.  But we also review your documents to look for any issues that might arise in the financing request and to resolve those issues before we submit your request to a Lender. Not all Lenders require all these documents, and occasionally we prefer to submit certain documents only after a detailed conversation with a Lender.

The definition of a successful Loan Application is the approval you want, the approval you need, and the approval that meets your timeline.

Early on in our long experience working in the financial services industry, we learned the lessons of successful applications:

Lesson 1: The Application can make or break the deal.  The Application is the source of all information and, ultimately, the guidepost for processing and Underwriting.  The more complete and accurate an Application, the better the Underwriting RESULT.  That RESULT is not only an approval, but a timely one.  The complete Application typically anticipates the Underwriter’s thinking and answers questions before they’re asked.

Lesson 2: It’s all about the paper.  Yes, even in the 21st Century (is it time yet to say, “Beam me up, Scotty?”), you have to support your Application with documents.

Lesson 3: The front-loader.  When you submit your Application with a complete basic set of documents at the onset, your process moves much quicker along to the goal line.

Lesson 4: Give ’em what they need, not what they want. Many times a Lender and/or Underwriter will ask for more documents than are necessary.  We’ve learned time and again to push-back on certain documents requests.  Often, we’ll ask the Underwriter for a valid reason for the document request.  Piling more documents into the Application package simply because they “want it” slows down your approval timeline.  You’d be surprised with how many times a requested document isn’t actually needed for the loan approval.

Lesson 5: Garbage in, garbage out.  A single document, presented incorrectly, can torpedo your financing request.  At the very least, a document that presents a challenge to the loan approval process should be presented with an accurate explanation, whether the document provides a positive or negative aspect to the entirety of the Application.  We learned long ago the value of the phrase, “Garbage in, garbage out.”

Lesson 6: Underwriting is Subjective.  Underwriting is more a subjective than an objective process. You want your Application to move quickly through the system for one important reason: don’t give the Underwriter time to develop a dislike for your Application.  When an Underwriter can move efficiently and quickly through a Loan Application, they don’t have time to develop negative opinions about the Application. The lingering-loan-application simply provides an Underwriter with more time to excessively scrutinize details that may not really be negative, but can develop into a negative aspect in the Underwriter’s subjective way of thinking.  You know, they’re human too.

Subscribe to our Youtube Channel and check out our video on DIY your Business Loan Application.

Visit our Financing Fodder YouTube Playlist for more information on how to prepare yourself when requesting a business loan.

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FEE Fi Fo Fum

When you walk into your bank to apply for Business Credit Financing, the most likely result is the Banker chats with you for a few minutes then hands you an application package for you to complete.

It’s a nice package. The Bank logo is prominently displayed and the information required is laid throughout the package.  The documents are listed in the package to make it easy for you to move through them in a logical progression.

When you’re done with the package, you bring it back to the Bank, along with your supporting documents (Tax returns, Updated Financials, etc.), and the application fee.

The bank isn’t taking any action or providing you with a decision, or even feedback on your financing request without the completed application and accompanying fees.

At Aurora Business Consulting, we’re happy to be your resource to spend the time BEFORE the application is presented to the Lender to determine your business’ qualifications, identify obstacles, consider strategies and outline the financing products that will help you to achieve financing success that will help to attain your goals. 

We find the right Lender for your needs.  It doesn’t stop there.  We’ll act as your “concierge” as we handle all the documentation and communications with the Lender.

In short, when you begin your process to find Business Credit Financing with us, we don’t simply hand you an application package and ask you to fill it out, return it and pay the fee. Yes, we do require a small investment from you in the form of our processing fee.  

We ask this and require this because there is a process to qualifying your financing request and we invest time to search for the best financing solutions for your financing needs.

Occasionally we’ll meet a new prospective client, conduct our initial telephone interview and discuss how we can move forward.  We send out our Introductory Broker Package which includes our Broker Fee Agreement, an Overview of the process and a Credit Authorization Form to run credit report(s).   

Occasionally the prospective client doesn’t return the package nor pay the fee. They disappear.

We understand that sometimes the upfront fee might seem to be an obstacle in the mind of the prospective client.  

But, we also understand the common procedures in our industry and that processing fees are a standard requirement. We’re not the Bank.  We’re YOUR Broker.  We work for you, not the Bank.  We’re investing our time and experience to a dedicated strategy: Find your requested financing.

We are not the right fit for everyone and that’s okay. Some of the clients we work with may have already been down a dead-end path with lost money and time to show for it.

We work with people that understand and value the time it takes to vet the banks that have specific appetites for your financing request.

We value your time and appreciate the consideration it takes to move forward to build your business. 

Visit our Financing Fodder YouTube Playlist for more information on how to prepare yourself when requesting a business loan.

Don’t Tell Me How To Make My Pizza!

We had a conversation with one of our Real Estate Broker Extraordinaire friends about all things business-related and, more specifically, about PIZZA.  She loves pizza similar to one of us here at Aurora Consulting (we’ll let you guess which one).

The chat happened while discussing an innovative pizza-restaurateur who created a wonderful and completely yummy pizza product.  This brilliant entrepreneur has come to realize his business is growing so rapidly that he suddenly finds himself in need of working capital to fund an expansion simply to keep up with the growth.

Good problem to have…except for the seeking working capital part.

The money part is where it gets challenging for this smart young pizza-entrepreneur.  He faces an important choice while facing the money challenge.

Should he search for a Lender to provide credit financing, or, surrender part of his business to an equity investor?

At Aurora Consulting, we believe this question has a simple answer.

Why surrender equity, and cede control, when you might very well find a credit solution to obtain the much needed working capital?  Yes, the answer is a question!  Or, the answer to the pizza-entrepreneur’s question can better be stated with the retort, “Don’t tell me how to make my pizza!”

Bringing in an equity investor for any growing business could (someday sooner or later) lead to your equity investor asserting control with how the business should be run.  That opinion could include, for this innovative pizza entrepreneur, suggestions on how to adjust the unique pizza recipe, you know, to make the product more cost-efficient.

Or the opinion from the new “partner” could be any number of other ideas, suggestions, opinions, plans, assertions, on growing the business, you know, to be more profitable.

That equity investor may have no idea at all about how to make pizza.

Many business owners are concerned with the idea of credit financing.  Let’s face it, credit financing can scare the heck out of many people.  Thank you to the global credit bust and subsequent recession for that anxiety-filled-ideation.  Borrowing money from a Lender, whether a traditional bank, or a non-traditional portfolio lender, is often a much more tranquil experience than you might think.

The question becomes one of finding the right lender.  The question never, ever, ever, becomes one of, “Hey, how about we use this ingredient in the pizza recipe instead of your original because this ingredient is cheaper and our product will be more profitable?”

Yeah, that question.  It’s not going to happen when you finance your capital cash needs with the right loan product and the right lender.

Visit our Financing Fodder YouTube Playlist for more information on how to prepare yourself when requesting a business loan.

Growth Can Be Sneaky

Growth?

Sometimes, it sneaks up on us!

And when it does, sometimes we need working capital to finance that growth.

That is, if you welcome growth and want to ride that momentum.

If change is NOT your thing, STOP reading NOW!

IF YOU ARE STILL READING, there are ways to access the capital you need to ride the growth wave very quickly.

You’ve been busy growing your business, and it’s paying off.  You’re keeping your financials current and do your best to predict future market trends, sales goals, and costs.

But growth can sneak up on you.  And when it does, you need to fund that growth, whether it’s for marketing expenses, operating capital, equipment purchases or other costs dynamic to your growing business. If you have sufficient cash assets, then you’re all set.  If you have a sufficient line of credit from your Bank, you’re good to go.

The problem is, when you set aside those cash assets in the first place, when you created that line of credit, you couldn’t perfectly predict the cash you’d need when the moment of truth arrived in the future.  Growth has a way of surprising you, a lot like flood waters after a heavy rainstorm, but in a good way.   You may find yourself scrambling to find the capital you need to fund that growth.

Traditionally, businesses caught in this capital-crunch-conundrum turn to their Banker for assistance for a new Line of Credit or an expansion on an existing Line.  Maybe a straight loan, or a loan mixed with a Line of Credit.  The business owner in this scenario can’t predict if the Banker can or will take on the appropriate risk to fund the right amount of capital needed.  The Banker may not see the optimistic opportunity presented by your sudden collision with your growth floodwaters.

Plus, the timeline to obtain the requisite capital funding from your Banker may be too lengthy to get the cash in hand quickly enough.

For the business owner confronted with the surprise of growth, the uncertainties faced with the traditional Bank financing may be too much to bear as they consider matching capital needs with growth experiences.

Pivot to the other extreme, business owners find themselves funding their capital requirements with funding that is quickly available and sufficient in dollar amounts, but the cost of that capital can be astronomical.

In the middle ground between these two financing scenarios exist alternative options.  Asset-Based Lending leaning against your Accounts Receivable or Inventory, or specialized financing against your Purchase Orders, provide timely, strategic and cost-effective solutions.

There are also hybrid solutions, financing that meets your short term needs while you work on completing the more complicated traditional financing package.

At Aurora Business Consulting we seek out those alternative financing solutions with a creative mind towards getting you the capital you need in an efficient timely basis to continue your business success story.

There’s no surprise in how we work, with diligence, enthusiasm, and experience.

Email Trevor for more info on how this may or may not work for you!