Crowdfunding Platforms — Competitor or Partner?

April 22, 2013 By Bob Coleman Editor, Coleman Report With the conflicting reports out there that small business lending is up.. no wait down…there is one undisputed fact. Crowdfunding is up significantly. Crowdfunding allows anyone to become a bank, and lend a small amount, even $25, to a small business. Crowdfunding is expected to lend…

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Ten Reasons for Small Business Failure

April 22, 2013 By Bob Coleman Editor, Coleman Report Ten Reasons for Small Business Failure I’ve written in the past that there is only one reason for small business failure – the journey has become too hard and the entrepreneur simply gives up. Here is a contrarian view that I don’t necessarily disagree with. The…

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SBA’s Efforts to Induce Lenders to Make Smaller Loans

April 19, 2013 By Bob Coleman Editor, Coleman Report New York Time Small Business Journalist Robb Mandelbaum has written an excellent recap of agency’s push to help lenders’ make loans less than $150,000. The percentage of SBA 7(a) loans less than $150,000 has dipped to 9% of the program, off the 24% peak in 2007.…

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Fraud Friday – Criminalizing Bad Loan Decisions Update

April 19, 2013 By Bob Coleman Editor, Coleman Report The trial of five former community bankers continues in Virginia, where the federal prosecutors’ main witnesses are two borrowers who were lent $40 million from the Bank of Commonwealth. This week’s highlights: Co-defendant, real estate developer, Dwight Etheridge, had a groundbreaking ceremony for a five-story office…

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Loan Growth or Contraction?

April 18, 2013 By Jon Winick Clark St. Capital According to the Federal Reserve Beige Book, there is increasingly positive economic activity. The survey described steady to rising loan demand in most districts. Loan demand was steady to slightly up at most District Banks that commented on lending. The Philadelphia District, however, said loan volumes…

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SEC Seized SBA Lender Update of Mark Feather’s Small Business Capital

April 18, 2013 By Bob Coleman Editor, Coleman Report SEC Seized SBA Lender Update of Mark Feather’s Small Business Capital It’s been almost a year since the SEC seized Northern California SBA lender Small Business Capital. During that time the court-appointed receiver has been winding the operations of the firm previously owned by Mark Feathers.…

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Is Small Business Ready for the Recovery?

April 17, 2013 By Bob Coleman Editor, Coleman Report New Jersey community bank president Frank Sorrentino has an interesting blog post at Forbes.com where he challenges small owners to be positioned to take advantage of an economic recovery. Main Street must shed their “wait and see” mode, and take action now. His advice? 1) Talk…

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Main Street Cuts Borrowing for Second Straight Month

April 17, 2013 Says the Thomson Reuters/PayNet Small Business Lending Index, “Perhaps more telling are early signs that financial stress is building. “Trucking companies, whose behavior historically has led that of other small businesses, are having more trouble paying back their loans. “Delinquencies of 31 to 180 days among transportation service and warehouses companies rose…

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Bitcoin 101 — 4 Small Business Case Studies

April 16, 2013 By Bob Coleman Editor, Coleman Report Bitcoin, the virtual currency has been in the news recently has a new alternative currency. Here is how four entrepreneurs use bitcoin. 1) One accepts bitcoin due to speed. No waiting one or two days for Paypal or credit card deposits. 2) A BBQ restauranteur mines…

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Character Matters as Much as Cash Flow

April 16, 2013 Bob Coleman: We’re with Azim Saju and Rocky Pintozzi at the Choice Owners Council in Phoenix, Arizona. Gentlemen, thank you for inviting me; wonderful day. Financing is key for your members. What is the main take away that the attendees are going to take with them back to their locations? Azim Saju:…

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