Small Business Lender to Testify on Capitol Hill

I’m on my way to Washington to fight for Small Businesses!

Late last week I got an invitation to speak before the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship this Thursday (tomorrow). They want me to discuss the FY 2013 SBA budget request, and I’m going to primarily talk about how to get the 504 program back to its historical zero-subsidy status.

Update on small business jobs legislation…

Time to Make Some Noise in Washington…

Here's an UPDATE on what transpired yesterday regarding the JOBS Act (H.R. 3606) and the Reed-Landrieu-Levin Amendment.

Late yesterday, cloture (motion to limit debate) failed on the Reed-Landrieu-Levin Amendment, which included an extension for the SBA 504 Refi program. The cloture motion needed 60 votes and got only 55. This vote was expected due to other issues related to the underlying bill, and was not a reflection on the merits of the one-year refi extension.

An Urgent Request on Behalf of Small Businesses…

I really don’t feel very well today. I’ve been fighting some sort of virus since late last week, but I came to the office today solely to film a short video for you and compose an urgent blog post. The reason I willed myself to get off the couch, drive to the office, and put my employees’ health at risk is that America’s small businesses need your help (today). In short, I’m asking you to make four (just four) phone calls (again, today).

Should the SBA be abolished?

What do you think about abolishing the SBA?

The Wall Street Journal announced last week that an upcoming special report will explore the pros and cons of abolishing the U.S. Small Business Administration. This comes in response to President Obama wanting to consolidate a handful of government agencies, and while I’m generally all for streamlining and simplifying government, I’m against what’s being proposed in this case.

Special Leap Day Video…

Leap Day Edition of “Inside the Lenders Studio”

As I promised last week, I’ve uploaded my first edition of “Inside the Lenders Studio” — inspired by James Lipton’s Inside the Actors Studio. I’ve been watching that show a lot lately, and I’ve realized that I’m not as introspective as I think I am. Actors, because it’s their job to interpret different characters and personalities, seem to be fairly introspective when asked about where they came from, why they do what they do, what they aspire to be, and so on.

NBA, NASCAR, Oscars, and more?

The weekend ahead…and what can entrepreneurs learn from actors?

We’re on the verge of a BIG weekend. Sunday’s the day for TV-watching: the NASCAR Daytona 500 will be run in the afternoon, the NBA All-Star Game will be played right here in Orlando (within walking distance of MCC Headquarters), and the Academy Awards (better known as the Oscars) will happen in Prime Time.

No love for small businesses

No Love this Valentine’s Day for America’s Small Businesses…

I was a bit fired up yesterday. Not because it was Valentine’s Day, but because America’s small businesses still aren’t getting the attention and assistance they deserve. Though it took me a while to properly frame my thoughts, I finally have a video for you that expresses how I feel about President Obama’s treatment of small businesses, the recent SBA changeups, and a lot more.

BONUS Friday Video: A Busy Week in Small Business Lending…

There’s a whole lot going on here at Mercantile and in the world of small business lending. There’s so much going on, in fact, that I decided to do another video blog — the second one this week. This is unprecedented for us, but I want to keep you in the loop on our latest SBA lending webinar, our upcoming Open House, President Obama’s Disney visit yesterday, and the SBA Administrator becoming a member of the President’s Cabinet. Oh, and there’s Rick Perry’s little comment about abolishing the SBA (a pretty terrible idea in our humble opinion). Little wonder he’s just withdrawn from the presidential race.

Well…without any further ado, go to www.504blog.com to view our second video blog this week.

Thanks for watching and sharing with others. If you ever have any questions about commercial property financing or the small business community in general, don’t hesitate to call us at 1-866-622-4504, email info@mercantilecc.com or leave a comment at www.504blog.com. As we get closer to the presidential election over the next several months, you can count on us to keep you in the know about what matters to small business owners and their advisors.

Dedicated to Your Continued Success,

Chris

P.S. Enjoy your weekend!

Happy New Year and Thank You…

Yesterday was my last day in the office for this year. I decided to spend some extra time with my family, so we’re spending the weekend on the Florida Gulf Coast for a little rest and relaxation to celebrate the New Year. We’re headed to the Ringling Circus Museum later today, so I wanted to type this quick message to you before the day gets away from me (I’m sure to get sidetracked by clown and trapeze artist history).

I simply want to sincerely wish you a Happy New Year and a relaxing holiday weekend. You deserve it.

Go to www.504blog.com to read the rest of my New Year’s message (which I hope is some encouragement to you), and to read about our no-corporate-holiday-card tradition.

Here’s to a wonderfully Happy New Year. See you in 2012!

Dedicated to Your Continued Success,

Chris

P.S. I truly appreciate the opportunity to interact with you and hopefully provide some valuable help when it comes to smarter commercial real estate financing. Please share this with someone you know who’s interested in owning their commercial property, or someone who could use a bit of encouragement heading into the New Year.

Santa Claus and Coca-Cola…

True or False: Santa’s red-and-white garb was invented by Coca-Cola for their advertising in the 1930s.

I was reading an article about the recent white Coke cans — the ones with polar bears on them. Coke abruptly discontinued them after lots of people mistook them for Diet Coke and complained (they were all surprised by how good the Diet Coke tasted!).

Anyway, this article stated that it was silly for Coke to abandon their traditional red-and-white can colors because, after all, their advertising was responsible for establishing Santa’s red-and-white getup. This is something I wasn’t aware of, so I did a little research.

Go to www.504blog.com to find out the truth, and to read a special holiday message from yours truly.

Dedicated to Your Continued Success and a Wonderful Holiday Season,

Chris

P.S. If you happen to know a business owner looking to purchase or refinance commercial property…well, you know who would really appreciate an introduction!