Articles
Viability-based lending: How to qualify for SME finance
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- Category: SME toolkit
- Written by Bridget Olotu
- Hits: 1118
With the entrance of the global economic crunch and financial crises, bank lending through collateral-based financing has become increasingly difficult for SMEs, whether as existing businesses, in their expansion state or as startups. In fact, startups are a no-go area for bank lending because banks would always argue that they would not risk depositors’ funds on some business yet to be tested. This argument is plausible though. However, existing SMEs have also found it difficult to access bank lending for principally not having the required collateral to support such financing. With the popularisation of viability lending being carried out by some business finance companies and venture capitalists, SMEs stand a chance to access the required finance for their business. In this case, the lending institutions focus on the viability of the business and the health of the cash flow. Sometimes too, some viability-based lenders ask for lien on certain assets of the business in case the borrower defaults with regard to the loan repayment.
Read more: Viability-based lending: How to qualify for SME finance
Category: SME toolkit Written by Bridget Olotu
With the entrance of the global economic crunch and financial crises, bank lending through collateral-based financing has become increasingly difficult for SMEs, whether as existing businesses, in their expansion state or as startups. In fact, startups are a no-go area for bank lending because banks would always argue that they would not risk depositors’ funds on some business yet to be tested. This argument is plausible though. However, existing SMEs have also found it difficult to access bank lending for principally not having the required collateral to support such financing. With the popularisation of viability lending being carried out by some business finance companies and venture capitalists, SMEs stand a chance to access the required finance for their business. In this case, the lending institutions focus on the viability of the business and the health of the cash flow. Sometimes too, some viability-based lenders ask for lien on certain assets of the business in case the borrower defaults with regard to the loan repayment.
Securing altitude in biz through attitude of gratitude
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- Category: SME toolkit
- Written by Bridget Olotu
- Hits: 845
While this article may be late for some companies that have already closed for 2010, it will be useful to those who are yet to close and to SME owners and operators generally. I strongly believe that as a business in 2010, we encountered diverse favours and assistance from many individuals and corporate establishments. These favours came in the form of new businesses, new opportunities, new relationships, new ideas, new platforms given to us and many more. Besides, in business, there are important stakeholders whose contributions to our business success and attainment of goals cannot be easily ignored. These include for me God, your family, your customers, employees, and others. This list is deliberately written up in that order.
Read more: Securing altitude in biz through attitude of gratitude
Category: SME toolkit Written by Bridget Olotu
While this article may be late for some companies that have already closed for 2010, it will be useful to those who are yet to close and to SME owners and operators generally. I strongly believe that as a business in 2010, we encountered diverse favours and assistance from many individuals and corporate establishments. These favours came in the form of new businesses, new opportunities, new relationships, new ideas, new platforms given to us and many more. Besides, in business, there are important stakeholders whose contributions to our business success and attainment of goals cannot be easily ignored. These include for me God, your family, your customers, employees, and others. This list is deliberately written up in that order.
Why your staff need training on biz development
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- Category: SME toolkit
- Written by with Bridget Olotu
- Hits: 623
Category: SME toolkit Written by with Bridget Olotu
Why your front office needs customer service training
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- Category: SME toolkit
- Written by Bridget Olotu
- Hits: 1071
Most businesses today do not understand why their market share is shrinking, customers are moving their businesses elsewhere and sales are dropping drastically. They therefore increase the budget for advert and marketing, evolve well thought-out, well-designed and well-packaged products and services, employ smart and good looking front office personnel, locate their business in good and attractive workplace environments, and yet are not able to figure out reasons for their consistent poor sales records and shrinking customer base.
Read more: Why your front office needs customer service training
Category: SME toolkit Written by Bridget Olotu
Most businesses today do not understand why their market share is shrinking, customers are moving their businesses elsewhere and sales are dropping drastically. They therefore increase the budget for advert and marketing, evolve well thought-out, well-designed and well-packaged products and services, employ smart and good looking front office personnel, locate their business in good and attractive workplace environments, and yet are not able to figure out reasons for their consistent poor sales records and shrinking customer base.
Business information encompasses a broad spectrum of sources (internal and external; traditional and contemporary; formal and informal) that SMEs can turn to for data on the discussion of business-related subjects. These sources can be invaluable in helping small and medium business owners tackle various aspects of operations, such as marketing, product forecasting, and competitive analysis. Business Information is of tremendous value in two fundamental aspects of operations: problem solving and strategic planning.
Category: SME toolkit Written by Bridget Olotu
Business information encompasses a broad spectrum of sources (internal and external; traditional and contemporary; formal and informal) that SMEs can turn to for data on the discussion of business-related subjects. These sources can be invaluable in helping small and medium business owners tackle various aspects of operations, such as marketing, product forecasting, and competitive analysis. Business Information is of tremendous value in two fundamental aspects of operations: problem solving and strategic planning.
Hits: 1079