September 20th marks the 6th anniversary of the Rosemary D. Gruner Memorial Fund’s Bike for Cancer. The Rosemary D. Gruner Memorial Cancer Fund, in partnership with the Thomas A. Dee Cancer Center at Benedictine Hospital and the Benedictine Health Foundation, provides financial assistance to cancer patients seeking treatment in Ulster County who are in financial need, and frequently have no place else to turn. The fund provides for products and services not covered by medical insurance- nutritional products, prostheses, and gift cards to purchase groceries and gas just to name a few. The event honors Rosemary Gruner, who passed away from lung cancer in 2002.

In the first half of this year, the demand for financial assistance increased by a staggering 400% compared to last year. In 2009 alone, they anticipate distributing $75,000 in direct financial support to over 150 cancer patients and their families. Every $500 provides assistance to one cancer patient and their family for a year.

The event has three courses, 5, 25 and 50 miles. Martine Brown and I will be riding the 50-mile course that day. We are looking for more team members, and also your support. If you have a family member that has succumbed to cancer and would like to honor their memory, we will place their name on our ride shirts for a $10 donation to the fund. We anticipate placing 20 names on each jersey.

To find out more about the Rosemary D. Gruner Fund and to donate go to http://www.bikeforcancer.org If you would like to have your family member ride with us, please email me their name and make a $10 donation on line to the fund. Specify that the donation is for John and Martine’s ride and we will help you honor their memory.

If you would prefer, you can mail a check payable to the The Rosemary D. Gruner Fund to The Benedictine Health Foundation, Rosemary Gruner Fund, 105 Mary’s Avenue, Kingston, NY 12401.

We are looking forward to your support. Please pass this post on as you feel appropriate.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) has a variety of services available to American veterans who are looking to transition from the military to small business owner in the private sector. Each SBA office has a designated Veterans Business Development Officer. Their role is to help veterans prepare and plan for their new business venture. The Veterans Business Outreach Program provides business development training, counseling and mentoring to eligible veterans. Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) and SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) provide management experience to veterans whoa re current or prospective business owners.

The Patriot Express Loan program is one of steps the SBA has taken to increase their ability to help veteran owned businesses. The following groups are eligible for the Patriot Express Program:
* Veterans;
* Service-disabled veterans;
* Active-duty service members who are participating in the military's Transition Assistance Program;
* Members of the Nation Guard and Reserve;
* Current spouse of any veteran, (except if dishonorably discharged)

The Patriot Express Loan can be used for most business purposes.  These include start-up expenses, equipment purchase, working capital and inventory. In some cases real estate purchases related to the business may also qualify. Follow this link to find out more. http://www.sba.gov/patriotexpress

The SBA also offers special assistance for Reservists and National Guard soldiers who are called to active duty. Reservists and National Guard members who have an SBA loan for their business my request rate reductions and loan payment deferrals from their lender after they receive activation orders.

The Military Reservist Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program provides low interest rate loans to eligible small businesses to cover their operating costs as a result of the loss of a key employee who is called to active duty. The SBA has set up a special web page to provide more information about this program. Click on the following link to learn more. http://www.sba.gov/aboutsba/sbaprograms/reservists/index.html

The SBA has also established the Office of Veterans Business Development (OVBD). The OVBD develops and distributes materials such as the Veterans Business Resource Guide, VET Gazette and Getting Veterans Back to work. These resources can be accessed on line at http://www.sba.gov/VETS

Hopefully these resources are helpful for your new business or are able to provide assistance for your existing business. Please cal or email me with any questions. Like you, I am a Veteran and would like to help you navigate your way to the right program for you. You can visit my Business Banking Blog at http://businessbanking.wordpress.com.

Not the flight you think. The lending industry is full of this cliche. One that arises with each credit crunch yada yada.

The flight I am talking about is away from bad relationships to good relationships. Over the past few years there was so much business that we worked on a transactionaol basis and not a relational basis. Realtors and lenders became a commodity. When the bus crashed there was no one to call because we didn't build a solid foundation.

I recently began to qualify my clients and qualify my calls. I took old clients and began quarterly follow ups and updates with the top clients. I began rebuilding relationships. It works.

Take the time to do the same. All real estate and loan offices have a book of closed business. They also have loan officers and agents who have left the business. Take the time to call these people to thank them for past business and let them know of the changes that have occurred since they closed. THere is a tone of bad information. All provided by the news channels (ugh!!!). Overcome the angst by being proactive and letting people know what is happening locally. Real Estate is a local business. Don't let the national news keep them sitting on their hands.

When I started in the business I was told, "Work with the greedy, not with the needy". Busy people will use your time effectively. They will value your service and they will return to you for the next transaction. Needy people want it for free, won't value your expertise and if they do come back , they will base the relationship on price not value.

Lose those folks.

Happy Memorial Day. Rant is over.

It has launched. The Gateway Chapter of Business Network Internation launched it web site. Please take a little time to check out the site and learn about our members.

The Gateway Chapter of BNI meets on Tuesday morings at the I-84 Diner in Fishkill, New York at 7 am. We are hosting a Visitor's Day onm May 6th at 7 am. If your profession is not one of those occuppied by one of our current memebrs, please contact and join us to find out more.

You can go to our site at http://bnigateway.bnihudsonvalley.com

Let us help you turn your contacts into contracts!

Along with good rates and great programs a little thought to apply these tools is always helpful. 

 "The problem is never how to get new, innovative thoughts into your mind, but how to get old ones out. Every mind is a building filled with archaic furniture. Clean out a corner of your mind and creativity will instantly fill it."

Dee Hock

Have a spectacular day.

Another busy week for the 25 members of the Fishkill Chapter of Business Network International. Our 10 minute speaker was Dr. Richard Huntoon of the Advanced Alternative Medicine Center in Newburgh, New York.

Doc Rick, as we like to call him, discuss preventive health activities. Proper diet, exercise for health and not for fitness and ensuring that your body works properly by providing the right fuel and positive mental attitude. Since many of our members are either self-employed ort are commissioned sales people it is critical to fell healthy asd it impacts how we feel emotionally and thus how we perform in our jobs.

If we exercise, eat right and feel good about our bodies, we are fueling ourselves to perform at a peak level. This translates into better performance on sales calls, the endurance to make more qualified sales calls which ultimately leads to better financial health. The myth of working late, drinking coffee etc...is that... a myth.

You can learn more about your health and fitness at Doc Rick's website. THe address is www.spineboy.com

The Chapter has passed over $580,000 in referrals among its members this year and is a great way to start your Tuesday morning.

To find out more about BNI in the Hudson VAlley go to www.BNIHudsonvalley.com.

The Mortgage Action Alliance posted a summary of HR 3915 and forwarded it to their members. Many members of Active Rain, The MHVMBA and NAMB fought to have changes made so the bill became law as a more consumer and industry friendly law. It still needs to go to the Senate where it may be modified again and will go against legislation being proposed by Christopher Dodd (D-Ct).

Follow the lionk to the summary. HR 3915

To those in the industry who have remained involved and taken a few beatings, Thank you. For those of you who are sitting on the sidelines...please get involved.

I had a few thoughts this hoilday season. As we have just passed Thanksgiving and are approaching Christmas it is a good time to take a moment to ponder what I have done this past year. Not only for myslef and my business, but for my family and for those who I come in contact with.

My reminder was a call I received from a Not for Proft group through a call center. They promised that 90% of the money I sent would go back to my community. I don't remember who they were, Iassume they do well intentioned work and that it is necessary work. Given the year we have had I realized that I didn't have the cash to send even if I wanted to. It did cause me to realize one thing. I do have time to give each month. Time and expertise to help an organization in need or the community in general. As I look around my town and region, there are many worthwhile causes that need money. They also need volunteers. People to help clean, to help care and to share their expertise. These are often ordinary tasks, nothing heroic. Limited heavy lifting. But nonetheless thisngs that need to be done.

I started on the day prior to Thanksgiving and I am giving up to 4 hours each month. I can pick up trash on the side of the road, help clean a museum, coach children, help at a fund raiser, serve on a board of directors. These things need to be done in every town. Take the time to find out what you can do.Not only will it make you fell good, you will meet new people and make friends that you may miss out on.

I do not want to diminish the importance of contributing money. It is VERY important. There is no amount of sweeping and coaching I can do to eliminate Diabetes or Aids or Cancer... just to mention a few. Contributing money to these orgaizations will help millions. You can do both and everyone wins.

There are 59,954 members of Active Rain that live in communities thropugh the United States and Canada. If each of us commits to 4 hours per month that would be 239,816 hours per month and 2,877,792 hours per year. There are 720 hours in each month. 4 hours is a little more than 1/2 percent of those ours.

Think of what could be accomplished with this effort.

Talk about a WOW effect.

I have just launched my vacation rental web site. www.isladelsolrental.com. It is  our vacation condo in St Petersburg Florida.

We purchased this condo a couple of years ago and have enjoyed many warm falls and Christmases. We are looking to rent the condo to vacationers looking fr a few days to relax in the sun. Since I have gotten many ideas from fellow Active Rainers, I wouyld like to add your lionks to the site. I have an Active Rqin page there.

Please let me know if you would like to be linked. Send me you information and I would be glad to link you to the page. Please, Active Rainers only.

 I have been a member of the Gateway Chapter of Business Network International for over 12 years now. This year we set a record and have passed over $568,000 in referrals among chapter members. Fortunatrely for me BNI has contrinued to provide me with a steady stream of referred business. This while many other loan officers are suffering.

To find out more about BNI and the Gateway Chapter go to www.bnihudsonvalley.com or to www.bni.com.