Restaurant Lending Outlook: 2025 Brings Stability, but Beef Costs Up 12%

August 11, 2025 Bob ColemanFounder & Publisher Main Street Monday — Restaurant Lending Outlook: 2025 Brings Stability, but Beef Costs Up 12% For lenders eyeing the restaurant sector in 2025, the narrative is shifting from crisis management to strategic opportunity—but with a few red flags worth noting. Inflation Easing, Planning Horizons ExpandingThe Federal Reserve projects…

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NJ Loan Broker Pleads Guilty in $7 Million SBA Hotel Flip Scheme

August 8, 2025 Bob ColemanFounder & Publisher Fraud Friday: NJ Loan Broker Pleads Guilty in $7 Million SBA Hotel Flip Scheme A New Jersey loan broker has pleaded guilty to a complex SBA 7(a) loan fraud scheme that exploited hotel transactions, fake equity injections, and concealed ownership to defraud lenders out of millions. Jennifer Watkins,…

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Movers & Shakers: Tonya Mazurek, Van Phan, & Alfonso Castell De Oro

August 7, 2025 Bob ColemanFounder & Publisher Movers & Shakers: Tonya Mazurek, Van Phan, & Alfonso Castell De Oro Tonya Mazurek Joins Community Bank & Trust as Senior Vice President, SBA BDO “I’m excited to join a team of top-notch SBA professionals here at Community Bank & Trust,” says Tonya. “This role allows me to…

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A Coleman Conversation: Shay Kleinschmidt

August 6, 2025 Bob ColemanFounder & Publisher In this week’s episode of A Coleman Conversation, Bob Coleman sits down with Shay Kleinschmidt, Vice President of Lending at FranFund and a 2019 Coleman Emerging SBA Lender of the Year. Shay shares her unique path into small business lending, the rapid growth of franchise financing, and her…

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Meet the Candidates: Charles Rho & Diane Heyden for NAGGL Board

Meet the Candidates: Charles Rho & Diane Heyden for NAGGL Board A Coleman Conversation: Charles Rho In this episode of A Coleman Conversation, Bob Coleman speaks with Charles Rho, President of VelocitySBA and a candidate for the NAGGL Board of Directors. With over 20 years of experience in commercial finance, including a high-level tenure at…

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Leverage ChatGPT & Microsoft Co-Pilot to Craft SBA 7(a) Credit Memos — Workshop in Ontario, CA on 9/25

A Coleman Workshop Live in Ontario, CaliforniaDate: Thursday, September 25, 2025Includes e-certification & recording . This is not a webinar. This is a true Coleman Workshop—an interactive, hands-on training event where your team will engage directly with Bob Coleman to master AI tools that revolutionize SBA 7(a) credit memo preparation. Event Details Workshop Highlights Pre-Workshop Networking…

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Georgia Businessman Brandt Frost IV Accused of Operating $140 Million Ponzi Scheme

August 1, 2025 Bob ColemanFounder & Publisher Georgia Businessman Brandt Frost IV Accused of Operating $140 Million Ponzi Scheme Brandt Frost IV, a Georgia-based businessman, has been charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for allegedly operating a $140 million Ponzi scheme through his company, First Liberty Building & Loan. According to the SEC’s…

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Movers & Shakers: Andrew Bond, Travis Dribble, & Kim Eells

July 31, 2025 Bob ColemanFounder & Publisher Movers & Shakers: Andrew Bond, Travis Dribble, & Kim Eells Countybank’s Andrew Bond Elected Assistant Vice President “Andrew is a key member of the commercial banking team in the Upstate, and this promotion is well deserved,” says David Tompkins, Senior Vice President and Commercial Banking Manager. “Andrew works…

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