One thing I love about my job is hearing the stories from small business owners all over the country. Last year, we helped 97 small business owners in 27 states purchase, construct, renovate, or refinance their commercial property. When you work with that many business owners, you’re bound to hear some wonderful stories about overcoming adversity, going the extra mile, and finding creative ways to solve problems.
I probably don’t need to tell you this, but being a small business owner (and working with small business owners in an advisory role) takes a considerable amount of thinking outside the box. In today’s post-recession economy, there’s a “new normal” that a lot of us are still trying to figure out. For those looking to start a new venture but not sure where to begin, franchising may be a really exciting option.
Franchising as a business model has seen steady growth since the Great Recession, and it’s great for the continuing lean economic environment. Aligning yourself with a proven business model that provides support for training, operations, marketing, and more can make it easy to get up-and-running in a relatively short time. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a franchisee, go here to read my latest Huffington Post blog about the 15 do’s and don’ts of starting a franchise. Since I work with franchisees here at Mercantile, and I’m also a franchisor/franchisee with my second business (Kennedy’s All-American Barber Club), I have a unique perspective on the process.
The other thing I’ll share with you today is that I keep hearing from business owners how difficult it is to secure financing from ordinary banks. Even banks that have money to lend continue to impose far too many and too stringent restrictions on their potential small business borrowers (in my opinion). But creative business owners are still finding ways to make it happen. Go here to read today’s FOX Business article about specialist lenders and credit unions that are giving small business owners the support and funding they need to grow and succeed (hint: Mercantile is one of them).
What are some creative ways you’ve made things happen for your business (or your clients’ businesses)? Tell me about it in the comments section below.
Dedicated to Your Continued Success,
-Chris
P.S. If you or someone you know is looking to purchase, construct, or renovate commercial real estate for a small business, contact me right away to find out how we can help. I can be reached at ChrisHurn@MercantileCC.com or 1-866-622-4504. Unlike those ordinary lenders who continue to make it tough for small business owners, we like to find creative ways to help our clients get the loans they need to grow their businesses. Call or email today to find out just how creative we can get (still, no churches or apartment buildings, though)…
P.P.S. If you’re looking for even more outside-the-box thinking, then you should pick up a copy of my book, The Entrepreneur’s Secret to Creating Wealth. In addition to being a step-by-step guide for generating real and lasting wealth in a small business, every chapter ends with one of those small business success stories I mentioned at the top of this blog post. Go here to get your copy from Amazon.com today!
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