Sue Malone is a champion of entrepreneurs across the U.S., a patriot and my very good friend. Her son serves in our military in Iraq and Sue is relentless in her pursuit to help our country's Veterans.
Sue is Club E's guest speaker at our January 6th event at our Club E Office facility in Tempe. What a way to bring in the New Year!
SBA Loan Expert To Share Secrets with Entrepreneurs About How to Secure Startup Loans
PHOENIX (December 31, 2009) – Club Entrepreneur, a national community of more than 7,000 entrepreneurs, will host one of the country’s leading experts in helping small businesses secure startup loans at its monthly meeting on January 6 at 5:30 p.m. at the Club Entrepreneur Office (CEO) at 1095 W Rio Salado Parkway, Suite 104, in Tempe.
Sue Malone will provide attendees with tips about how to start or expand their businesses by obtaining loans through the Small Business Administration. A recipient of the SBA’s 2009 Woman of Year award, Malone is the Nation’s #1 provider of SBA Community Express Loans, having funded over 25,000 businesses in all 50 states over the last six years.
“Sue is one of the most important guests we have ever had at a Club Entrepreneur meeting,” said Peter J. Burns III, the founder of Club Entrepreneur (www.clubeoffice.com). “This is a critical time for America’s economic recovery. There are millions of would-be entrepreneurs who can’t find capital to jump-start their business. Similarly, many small business owners are simply hanging on, and desperately need capital to ride out the economic storm.”
While she is based in California, Malone, with the assistance of the lenders she has partnered with, has been the SBA’s leading lender in West Virginia, South Carolina, Louisiana, Tennessee, Hawaii, North Carolina, and in the top five lender category in other states. Through Sue Malone’s efforts, over 240 Club Entrepreneur members have already received Community Express and Patriot Express Loans from the SBA.
“I am excited to come to Arizona where entrepreneurship is alive and well,” said Malone, who is the CEO of Strategies for Small Business (www.StrategiesForSmallBusiness.com). “Leading organizations like Club Entrepreneur are doing a fantastic job of creating a community for entrepreneurs, and providing resources that will help them succeed.”
Club Entrepreneur General Manager Toby Lindemann suggested that the Phoenix chapter is setting a tone by having Malone as its first speaker of the year.
“Each month, we are going to have a speaker, who will inspire our members, and also provide meaningful guidance that they can use to become successful entrepreneurs,” said Lindemann.
Interested media should contact Holt Hackney at 512-632-0854 or hhackney@hackneycommunications.com
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
The White House reaches out to the Private Sector...
A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege of participating in a Forum on Job Creation in the City of Avondale that was in response to a request directly from the White House. There were about 30 of us in the auditorium-business owners, City officials, educators- who took the time to answer questions and direct thoughtful discussion on the topic of job creation in America. The City of Avondale moderator was excellent and the results of that discussion are encapsulated below. We can only hope that the White House actually listens to the terrific advice given.
1. From what you have seen, or seen reported about the President’s Jobs Forum on December 3,
what seems most relevant to your community?
Because of the timing of our forum and the President’s speech on Tuesday, the attendees responded
more to the three key areas of focus that the President outlined yesterday rather than what was
reported from the December 3 forum.
• Access to capital for small businesses is a barrier to small business creation and
expansion. Existing programs (i.e. Community Express and Patriot Express) have been
instrumental in helping new businesses but need to be expanded and publicized.
• It appears that the three key focus areas are probably relevant to the community/state as
a whole; however, the group in attendance did not feel that the tax incentives for small
business are relevant because small business startups are not making enough profit to be
taxed and see benefits from those incentives.
• Focus on and incentives to micro-businesses and those small businesses with profits less
than a $1 million; creating access to capital is essential
• Fund staff at state and local level to conduct outreach and education for small business
(i.e. encourage formation of entrepreneurs clubs, organize business clusters, assistance
with business plans, accessing capital, networking events, mentorship programs)
• A local banker, unable to attend the Forum provided the following comment:
o National banks are unwilling to disburse funds they received. The national banks
control 95% of Arizona’s deposits and they ARE NOT lending here.
• Business start up groups to help them get started (education, guidance, resources).
Entrepreneurs helping entrepreneurs.
• Investment in energy efficient jobs is essential
• Federal government should give more strategic leadership that provides a coherent
energy policy which would engender public confidence in investments in green jobs and
green technology.
• Increase in funding for housing rehabilitation/weatherization/emergency repair because
those jobs most correlate with those lost in our community and funds can be spent
quickly.
• Energy Efficiency Block grant program is a good model for future funding distribution
because it gets money quicker by distributing directly to cities and it also allows for
administrative costs (staff to get the work done).
• Federal government should pressure the states but also provide incentives to implement
long term energy strategies.
• Federal government should pressure the states but also provide incentives to ensure that
educational systems are addressing the training needs for tomorrow’s industries and jobs.
Workers today need to be trained right now for the energy efficient jobs we are seeking.
• Support programs/projects/incentives that promote bio-energy. The technology is there,
there just needs to be support for and then a mechanism to get it off the ground.
• Infrastructure funds in AZ should focus on public transportation as cities in the Phoenix
metro area are not easily accessible nor linked by a regional transit system
• Additional infrastructure funds should not be distributed in the same manner as they were
with ARRA funds. Only small projects were accomplished. These projects did not expand
capacity or create a large number of jobs.
• ARRA timeframes prohibited major projects that would have created more jobs. As an
example many communities were only able to accomplish small street maintenance-type
projects which did not create a large number of jobs.
• There needs to be recognition at the federal level when establishing funding guidelines
that the infrastructure needs of communities in the western United States are different
from the older, more established communities in the East.
• Encourage leasing of residential and commercial solar and other energy efficient
equipment to keep up with new technology
• Tax cuts are great, but business stimulation has to come first
• Tax breaks to large businesses to help establish and grow small businesses
• Federal government should ensure and relay to the public that there is a strategic
interrelation of programs that are funded which address the three key areas
• A paradigm shift in banking regulations must occur
2. What parts of your local economy are working or thriving? What businesses and sectors are
expanding and hiring?
• Locally, some health related businesses are doing well
• Alternative energy
• Aerospace is doing well in Arizona
• Retail sector has not been impacted as hard locally as other areas
• Very few are expanding or hiring right now
3. What parts of your local economy are not working or thriving? What businesses and sectors
have been hit the hardest? What are people struggling with the most?
• Local government is still losing jobs due to reduction in sales tax revenue while other
sectors may be stabilizing
• Construction industry is still suffering
• Auto dealers
• Real estate
• Hospitality
• Long-term unemployed are unwilling/afraid to learn new skills or make the transition to a
new field where jobs are available
• Home value deterioration is still devastating for Arizona families
• Lack of local capital to business start-up or expansion
4. What are the opportunities for growth in your community? What businesses and sectors seem
poised to rebound? What do you see as the “jobs of the future”?
• Energy-related jobs
5. What are the obstacles to job creation in your community? What could make local businesses
more likely to start hiring?
• Access to capital is lacking for start up and stable existing businesses. It is common for a
business’ line of credit to be cut off irrationally due to “new” arbitrary bank underwriting
requirements. As an example, a local landscaping company does work locally for a
nationally recognized membership retailer that has decided to start paying its bills net-60
rather than net-30 as in the past which has created a hardship for the landscape company
because they could not get a line of credit to address cash flow issues.
o These lines of credit help to even out cash flow issues. Revenues might be
coming in, but it is a timing issue for many small businesses that need to make a
weekly payroll. The clients will pay at the end of the month or every other month,
but the payroll and inventory are due weekly.
o The initial cost of doing tenant improvements, furniture and office equipment
purchases are costs that a small business often needs to borrow funds to provide.
o Others firms need construction financing to expand or open new facilities
These are examples of the capital needs small businesses have and that have dried up.
Firms with good credit and steady business income cannot get these types of funds from the
banks today. No one knows exactly why these normal business transactions with the bank
have been stopped. These needs are of much greater importance than tax credits, because
without this support from the banks the business will fail and the tax credits are meaningless.
• Opportunities for affordable training and education is critical
• Partnerships to make skill retraining more accessible. Local colleges and universities are
a possible resource for this.
• Psychologically, businesses are being more positive although cash flow is not catching up
yet.
• Bartering programs between businesses are growing and should be embraced.
• Tax credits for small businesses.
• Health care reform that does not hurt medical providers,
• Increased funds and expedited funding for SBA lenders.
• Perception that there is a high demand for renewable energy, but only a few renewable
energy sources have been created.
• Federal government should send message to the utility companies to accept alternative
energy on the electric grid system either through mandates or incentivizing the production
of renewable energy to make it more affordable
• Cities need to update codes to accommodate renewable energy
• Federal government should consider adding housing rehabilitation/weatherization to the
infrastructure list for funding. The need for affordable housing is staggering.
6. What other issues and ideas should the President consider?
• Increase WIA funding available as there is a there is a huge demand for training funds –
Local ARRA WIA funds are nearly exhausted ahead of schedule
• Programs to help people who have been out of work get back to work.
• Send more federal money through process such as CDBG
• Establish Small Business Czar who is small business owner to advise the government
• Expedite the approval of foreign trade zone applications
• A resident, unable to attend the Forum, provided the following thoughts:
o Recipients of unemployment benefits should take jobs available and/or offered to
them rather than wait for something that paid what they used to make
o Those who are unemployed should be required to spend one day a week
volunteering in “labor type” jobs such as highway crews
o For the working poor, life insurance should not be included as income
o Business need to create more permanent jobs over 30 hours per week with some
benefits
o Federal government should intervene in the price of rent and food so that they are
more affordable
o More opportunities for networking should be made available
Best always,
Peter J. Burns, III
Founder
1. From what you have seen, or seen reported about the President’s Jobs Forum on December 3,
what seems most relevant to your community?
Because of the timing of our forum and the President’s speech on Tuesday, the attendees responded
more to the three key areas of focus that the President outlined yesterday rather than what was
reported from the December 3 forum.
• Access to capital for small businesses is a barrier to small business creation and
expansion. Existing programs (i.e. Community Express and Patriot Express) have been
instrumental in helping new businesses but need to be expanded and publicized.
• It appears that the three key focus areas are probably relevant to the community/state as
a whole; however, the group in attendance did not feel that the tax incentives for small
business are relevant because small business startups are not making enough profit to be
taxed and see benefits from those incentives.
• Focus on and incentives to micro-businesses and those small businesses with profits less
than a $1 million; creating access to capital is essential
• Fund staff at state and local level to conduct outreach and education for small business
(i.e. encourage formation of entrepreneurs clubs, organize business clusters, assistance
with business plans, accessing capital, networking events, mentorship programs)
• A local banker, unable to attend the Forum provided the following comment:
o National banks are unwilling to disburse funds they received. The national banks
control 95% of Arizona’s deposits and they ARE NOT lending here.
• Business start up groups to help them get started (education, guidance, resources).
Entrepreneurs helping entrepreneurs.
• Investment in energy efficient jobs is essential
• Federal government should give more strategic leadership that provides a coherent
energy policy which would engender public confidence in investments in green jobs and
green technology.
• Increase in funding for housing rehabilitation/weatherization/emergency repair because
those jobs most correlate with those lost in our community and funds can be spent
quickly.
• Energy Efficiency Block grant program is a good model for future funding distribution
because it gets money quicker by distributing directly to cities and it also allows for
administrative costs (staff to get the work done).
• Federal government should pressure the states but also provide incentives to implement
long term energy strategies.
• Federal government should pressure the states but also provide incentives to ensure that
educational systems are addressing the training needs for tomorrow’s industries and jobs.
Workers today need to be trained right now for the energy efficient jobs we are seeking.
• Support programs/projects/incentives that promote bio-energy. The technology is there,
there just needs to be support for and then a mechanism to get it off the ground.
• Infrastructure funds in AZ should focus on public transportation as cities in the Phoenix
metro area are not easily accessible nor linked by a regional transit system
• Additional infrastructure funds should not be distributed in the same manner as they were
with ARRA funds. Only small projects were accomplished. These projects did not expand
capacity or create a large number of jobs.
• ARRA timeframes prohibited major projects that would have created more jobs. As an
example many communities were only able to accomplish small street maintenance-type
projects which did not create a large number of jobs.
• There needs to be recognition at the federal level when establishing funding guidelines
that the infrastructure needs of communities in the western United States are different
from the older, more established communities in the East.
• Encourage leasing of residential and commercial solar and other energy efficient
equipment to keep up with new technology
• Tax cuts are great, but business stimulation has to come first
• Tax breaks to large businesses to help establish and grow small businesses
• Federal government should ensure and relay to the public that there is a strategic
interrelation of programs that are funded which address the three key areas
• A paradigm shift in banking regulations must occur
2. What parts of your local economy are working or thriving? What businesses and sectors are
expanding and hiring?
• Locally, some health related businesses are doing well
• Alternative energy
• Aerospace is doing well in Arizona
• Retail sector has not been impacted as hard locally as other areas
• Very few are expanding or hiring right now
3. What parts of your local economy are not working or thriving? What businesses and sectors
have been hit the hardest? What are people struggling with the most?
• Local government is still losing jobs due to reduction in sales tax revenue while other
sectors may be stabilizing
• Construction industry is still suffering
• Auto dealers
• Real estate
• Hospitality
• Long-term unemployed are unwilling/afraid to learn new skills or make the transition to a
new field where jobs are available
• Home value deterioration is still devastating for Arizona families
• Lack of local capital to business start-up or expansion
4. What are the opportunities for growth in your community? What businesses and sectors seem
poised to rebound? What do you see as the “jobs of the future”?
• Energy-related jobs
5. What are the obstacles to job creation in your community? What could make local businesses
more likely to start hiring?
• Access to capital is lacking for start up and stable existing businesses. It is common for a
business’ line of credit to be cut off irrationally due to “new” arbitrary bank underwriting
requirements. As an example, a local landscaping company does work locally for a
nationally recognized membership retailer that has decided to start paying its bills net-60
rather than net-30 as in the past which has created a hardship for the landscape company
because they could not get a line of credit to address cash flow issues.
o These lines of credit help to even out cash flow issues. Revenues might be
coming in, but it is a timing issue for many small businesses that need to make a
weekly payroll. The clients will pay at the end of the month or every other month,
but the payroll and inventory are due weekly.
o The initial cost of doing tenant improvements, furniture and office equipment
purchases are costs that a small business often needs to borrow funds to provide.
o Others firms need construction financing to expand or open new facilities
These are examples of the capital needs small businesses have and that have dried up.
Firms with good credit and steady business income cannot get these types of funds from the
banks today. No one knows exactly why these normal business transactions with the bank
have been stopped. These needs are of much greater importance than tax credits, because
without this support from the banks the business will fail and the tax credits are meaningless.
• Opportunities for affordable training and education is critical
• Partnerships to make skill retraining more accessible. Local colleges and universities are
a possible resource for this.
• Psychologically, businesses are being more positive although cash flow is not catching up
yet.
• Bartering programs between businesses are growing and should be embraced.
• Tax credits for small businesses.
• Health care reform that does not hurt medical providers,
• Increased funds and expedited funding for SBA lenders.
• Perception that there is a high demand for renewable energy, but only a few renewable
energy sources have been created.
• Federal government should send message to the utility companies to accept alternative
energy on the electric grid system either through mandates or incentivizing the production
of renewable energy to make it more affordable
• Cities need to update codes to accommodate renewable energy
• Federal government should consider adding housing rehabilitation/weatherization to the
infrastructure list for funding. The need for affordable housing is staggering.
6. What other issues and ideas should the President consider?
• Increase WIA funding available as there is a there is a huge demand for training funds –
Local ARRA WIA funds are nearly exhausted ahead of schedule
• Programs to help people who have been out of work get back to work.
• Send more federal money through process such as CDBG
• Establish Small Business Czar who is small business owner to advise the government
• Expedite the approval of foreign trade zone applications
• A resident, unable to attend the Forum, provided the following thoughts:
o Recipients of unemployment benefits should take jobs available and/or offered to
them rather than wait for something that paid what they used to make
o Those who are unemployed should be required to spend one day a week
volunteering in “labor type” jobs such as highway crews
o For the working poor, life insurance should not be included as income
o Business need to create more permanent jobs over 30 hours per week with some
benefits
o Federal government should intervene in the price of rent and food so that they are
more affordable
o More opportunities for networking should be made available
Best always,
Peter J. Burns, III
Founder
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Grand Opening Week of CEO
What a week it's been...
Club Entrepreneur, (affectionately known as Club E to its many members)had their fourth monthly event since it's "rebirth" on Wednesday, December 2nd. Featuring my friend and colleague, Steve Bonenberger, of Angels in Action (www.angelsup.com), Steve's passionate sharing of his mission in creating this country's first microlender was very well received by the audience of around 75 members.
The night before (Tuesday) our monthly meeting, Sonia and Jim Graham, our Club E Office managers, hosted the "Shotgun Speakers" series with 20 would-be future Club E presenters sharing a glimpse of their content and oratory skills in 5 minute increments to our group. We liked the format so well and there are so many excellent speakers and subject matter experts within our community, that Club E will be hosting the "Shotgun Speakers" event every quarter. We estimated a crowd of around 40 members in the audience.
On Thursday, a recent convert to Club E, Chris Lange, gave a very interesting overview of the newly launched "Google Wave." This state-of-the-art technology offers so many benefits to the consumer and business owner that it promises to revolutionize the way we all distribute information. There were around 30 very interested participants in this session and we'll gladly invite Chris back to present again-he's a welcome addition to our band of fearless entrepreneurs.
Last evening (Friday) CEO hosted a ribbon cutting of our new facility by the Executive Director of one of the local Chambers of Commerce and a relaxed happy hour and social interaction with around 25 members of Club E followed. I had met with the Executive Director and staff member of the N. Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce that same morning and believe that I've created a workable model for incorporating Club E benefits into Chambers of Commerce. Based on the reception I received in N. Scottsdale and then again last evening, (when I presented the same concept to the head of the N. Phoenix Chamber)...I believe this innovation can be a powerful tool for Club E and Chambers alike.
En route to our Wednesday monthly event, I took a call from dear friend and supporter, Sue Malone. Sue's the leading SBA lender in the U.S., specializing in the Community Express and Patriot Express loans. She is responsible for funding 240 Club E member requests, representing over $3MM ...even in this counter-productive lending economy. To say that she is a miracle worker for small business interests is a gross understatement.
The reason for Sue's call was nothing less than one of those miracles. About a year ago, Sue had taken Club E's collection of benefits: Start Up Now workshops (www.startupnowworkshops.com) -pioneered by Sonia and Jim Graham, the Club E collaborative community and it's incubator concept of Club Office (www.clubeoffice.com)to a Detroit automaker.
Working with our comprehensive program of putting people back to work in their own businesses, Sue was trying to counter the terrible reversal of fortune of American auto workers. Eventually getting approval to the top decision maker (CEO) of the America's largest auto manufacturer, our plan was derailed when President Obama fired him. Refusing to quit, Sue tenaciously brought our program to other Detroit manufacturers and had just received approval from one of their CEOs who offered to establish Club E chapters in 800 of their top dealerships across the country. "An American manufacturer supporting American entrepreneurs," is a powerful message in our troubling economic times. What a wonderful boost to our already optimistic rally at Club E's meeting that night!
Our weekly video newsletters of updates continues to receive great response and you can see the last few of these 5 minute clips on the link below: http://www.clubeoffice.com/_blog/Club_E_Video
What a week it's been...and a great one at that!
Best regards,
Peter J. Burns, III
Founder
Club Entrepreneur, (affectionately known as Club E to its many members)had their fourth monthly event since it's "rebirth" on Wednesday, December 2nd. Featuring my friend and colleague, Steve Bonenberger, of Angels in Action (www.angelsup.com), Steve's passionate sharing of his mission in creating this country's first microlender was very well received by the audience of around 75 members.
The night before (Tuesday) our monthly meeting, Sonia and Jim Graham, our Club E Office managers, hosted the "Shotgun Speakers" series with 20 would-be future Club E presenters sharing a glimpse of their content and oratory skills in 5 minute increments to our group. We liked the format so well and there are so many excellent speakers and subject matter experts within our community, that Club E will be hosting the "Shotgun Speakers" event every quarter. We estimated a crowd of around 40 members in the audience.
On Thursday, a recent convert to Club E, Chris Lange, gave a very interesting overview of the newly launched "Google Wave." This state-of-the-art technology offers so many benefits to the consumer and business owner that it promises to revolutionize the way we all distribute information. There were around 30 very interested participants in this session and we'll gladly invite Chris back to present again-he's a welcome addition to our band of fearless entrepreneurs.
Last evening (Friday) CEO hosted a ribbon cutting of our new facility by the Executive Director of one of the local Chambers of Commerce and a relaxed happy hour and social interaction with around 25 members of Club E followed. I had met with the Executive Director and staff member of the N. Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce that same morning and believe that I've created a workable model for incorporating Club E benefits into Chambers of Commerce. Based on the reception I received in N. Scottsdale and then again last evening, (when I presented the same concept to the head of the N. Phoenix Chamber)...I believe this innovation can be a powerful tool for Club E and Chambers alike.
En route to our Wednesday monthly event, I took a call from dear friend and supporter, Sue Malone. Sue's the leading SBA lender in the U.S., specializing in the Community Express and Patriot Express loans. She is responsible for funding 240 Club E member requests, representing over $3MM ...even in this counter-productive lending economy. To say that she is a miracle worker for small business interests is a gross understatement.
The reason for Sue's call was nothing less than one of those miracles. About a year ago, Sue had taken Club E's collection of benefits: Start Up Now workshops (www.startupnowworkshops.com) -pioneered by Sonia and Jim Graham, the Club E collaborative community and it's incubator concept of Club Office (www.clubeoffice.com)to a Detroit automaker.
Working with our comprehensive program of putting people back to work in their own businesses, Sue was trying to counter the terrible reversal of fortune of American auto workers. Eventually getting approval to the top decision maker (CEO) of the America's largest auto manufacturer, our plan was derailed when President Obama fired him. Refusing to quit, Sue tenaciously brought our program to other Detroit manufacturers and had just received approval from one of their CEOs who offered to establish Club E chapters in 800 of their top dealerships across the country. "An American manufacturer supporting American entrepreneurs," is a powerful message in our troubling economic times. What a wonderful boost to our already optimistic rally at Club E's meeting that night!
Our weekly video newsletters of updates continues to receive great response and you can see the last few of these 5 minute clips on the link below: http://www.clubeoffice.com/_blog/Club_E_Video
What a week it's been...and a great one at that!
Best regards,
Peter J. Burns, III
Founder
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