One of the first CredibilityTV shows I hosted last year was called Access to Capital for Everyday Small Business brought to you by my friends at Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp.
On that panel discussing small business lending, I spoke with Jeff Stibel, Chairman/CEO of Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp, Professor John Paglia of Pepperdine’s Graziadio School of Business and Management, Jeff Moore, Vice President of First California Bank, and Bryan Moeller, Senior Vice President – Director of Small Business Banking, Wells Fargo & Company.
We all agreed that most entrepreneurs find it very difficult to get funding, and yet one of the biggest frustrations for lenders is the fact that business owners wait too long to get help.
I remember both Jeff and Bryan sharing the following comments:
“Hutch, there is nothing worse than if you are an investor or lender to meet a business owner who is not knowledgeable on the health of their business.
There is nothing more frustrating to hear: “I can’t make payroll, can you loan me some money!”
To which a banker would and should reply: “Well, Why the heck did you not come see me six to seven months ago?!”
If You Are a Farmer, You Have To Get Really Good At One of Two Things: Sowing in the Spring or Begging in the Fall.
Hearing these words from esteemed bankers reminded me of one of my favorite business philosophers: Jim Rohn. (Jim mentored my friend and mentor Tony Robbins).
Jim used to always say:
“You must think like an ant. An ant is always thinking winter. You must always be getting ready.”