Author: John Lawson

Industrial Real Estate Investment Strategies: Do-it-yourself Market Research Pays

Industrial Real Estate Investment Strategies: Do-it-yourself Market Research Pays

Among the approaches business investor like to utilize is working with experts or marketing research firms to evaluate a details market a business investor intends to go after.

To a starting financier, the general approach appears well-intended as well as sensible. That far better to recognize a market than the experts that invest there evenings and also days gathering, reporting as well as examining on such information?

I’ll inform you: YOU– the business investor.

There is no replacement for doing your very own research study. There is no alternative to maintaining your very own guidance. There is no alternative to doing your very own research.

Why?

Due to the fact that it’s YOUR MONEY that will eventually be invested. It’s YOUR checking account that will inevitably mirror the success or failing of a business realty undertaking.

Way too many well indicating starting investor assume they do not have what it requires to do the research called for on a market. A lot of well indicating financiers produce their evaluation individuals that allegedly recognize a lot more regarding the subject than they do.

This is a pricey calculated blunder.

I have absolutely nothing versus marketing research individuals or professionals. I have no axe to grind with them. They are exceptionally qualified, detailed individuals that offer an useful solution.

My problem is with HOW they are made use of by the business investor.

When a financier trust funds their judgment– even more than his or her very own, the obstacle is. Lot of times a capitalist will certainly fear of their command of the info, particularly stats.

Since I have actually seen several an actual estate capitalist unknowingly drop sufferer to this procedure, the factor I claim this is. It’s extremely simple to discover on your own accepting a “specialist’s” point of view based upon study which you have actually paid handsomely for.

Do not. It is a blunder that will certainly cost you in the future.

Consider it in this manner: Let’s claim you wish to buy the stock exchange and also you utilize the solutions of a supply broker to suggest a buy.

Do you actually think that the supply broker’s objective is for you to make a smart and also meticulously considered acquisition? Do you actually think their referral has been completely looked into and also evaluated? Failing to remember the egocentric elements of the compensation he makes offering you a supply, would certainly you truly wish to trust him with your financial investment profile?

My hunch is possibly not.

What the appropriate method to utilize these market research study expert? There 3 typical means which these experts are important to the business investor:

1. One is as a means to eliminate originalities as well as do research as well as research study “hefty training” which require done that the financier does not have time to achieve on his/her very own. The financier understand precisely the info he seeks.

2. The 2nd method is as a means to validate the searchings for which the capitalist currently thinks are exact. Simply put, the financier is trying to find a consultation prior to he dedicates a lot more sources to the job.

The 3rd method is extremely fascinating: Some financier will certainly utilize specialist sources to jab openings in their method. The financier will certainly never ever confess this to the specialists, yet he desires to understand all the factors the offer will not function.

You’ll see one point alike with these 3 approaches: The financier will certainly constantly do his very own research study. It’s an important facet of success– one that must never ever be handed over.

One is as a method to purge out brand-new concepts and also do research as well as research study “hefty training” which require done that the financier does not have time to complete on his or her very own. The financier recognize precisely the info he is after.

The 2nd method is as a means to validate the searchings for which the financier currently thinks are exact. The 3rd method is really intriguing: Some financier will certainly make use of expert sources to jab openings in their method. The capitalist will certainly never ever confess this to the experts, yet he desires to understand all the factors the bargain will not function.

The post Industrial Real Estate Investment Strategies: Do-it-yourself Market Research Pays appeared first on ROI Credit Builders.

How Do Lenders Measure Business Fundability?

Have you ever wondered what exactly it is that lenders are looking for when it comes to approving a loan? Is it just your credit score, or is there more that comes into play? Why do you keep getting denied despite a strong, successful business with plenty of profit? How do they measure business fundability?

The answers to these questions can vary from lender to lender. 

What are Lenders Looking at to Determine Business Fundability? 

Honestly there is really no way to know for sure what exact information a lender is going to choose to use in their decision making.  What you can do, however, is learn everything you can about business fundability and what affects it. By doing that, you can begin to make changes where possible in an effort to ensure anything a lender sees is as positive as possible. 

Check out our best webinar with its trustworthy list of seven vendors to help you build business credit. 

What is Business Fundability?

To do this, you first have to know exactly what business fundability is.  The easiest way to explain it is to say it is how worthy of credit your business is.  If a lender considers your business to be fundable, it means they see your business as a low credit risk. However, everything that goes into being fundable is much more complicated.  

It is easiest to start at the beginning. Believe it or not, business fundability actually starts with how your business is set up. 

Business Fundability: The Set Up

These are the things that lenders consider, either directly or indirectly, in relation to how your business is set up.  They all work together to build the credibility and legitimacy of your business. 

Contact Information

The first step in setting up a foundation on which to build business fundability is to get your business its own phone number, fax number, and address.   What is surprising to some, is that this doesn’t mean you have to get a separate phone line, or even a separate location. You can run your business from your home or on your computer, and you do not even have to have a fax machine.  Find out more about how this here and here. 

EIN

Your business needs and EIN.  This is an identifying number for your business that works the same way your SSN works for you personally.  It looks more credible to use this number rather than your SSN for business loan applications. Having an EIN is also important for building business credit, as it separates your business accounts from your personal accounts. You can get one for free from the IRS.

Incorporate

This is the most important step in fundability thus far.  Incorporating your business as an LLC, S-corp, or corporation is necessary to fundability.  It lends credence to your business as one that is legitimate. In addition, it also offers some protection from liability. 

Which option you choose has more to do with your budget and how much liability protection you need than it does for fundability.  The best thing to do is discuss the issue with your attorney or a tax professional.  

Incorporation has to happen as soon as possible.  Time in business counts toward fundability and for business credit.  This starts over at incorporation, regardless of how long your business has been in operation before incorporation.  Not only that, but any positive business credit history you have up until the point of incorporation will be lost as well.

Business Bank Account

You have to open a separate, dedicated business bank account.  There are a few reasons for this. First, it will help you keep track of business finances.  It will also help you keep them separate from personal finances for tax purposes. 

In addition, there are several types of funding you cannot get without a business bank account.  Some lenders and credit cards want to see one. Also, you cannot get a merchant account without a business account at a bank. That means, you cannot take credit cards payments.  Consumers tend to spend more when they can pay by credit card.

Check out our best webinar with its trustworthy list of seven vendors to help you build business credit. 

Licenses

For a business to be legitimate it has to have all of the necessary licenses it needs to run legally.  If it doesn’t, red flags are going to fly up all over the place. Do the research you need to do to ensure you have all of the licenses necessary to legitimately run your business at the federal, state, and local levels. 

Website

How does a business website affect fundability?  Here’s how. In today’s world, we all run to the internet first for virtually everything.  For most businesses, the website is the first impression you make on anyone, including lenders.  If it appears to be unprofessional, it will cause problems.

Spend the time and money necessary to ensure your website is professionally designed and works well.  Pay for hosting too. Don’t use a free hosting service. Also, your business needs a dedicated business email address.  Make sure it has the same URL as your Website. Don’t use a free service such as Yahoo or Gmail.

Business Fundability: Business Credit Reports

This is what most business owners think about when it comes to business fundability. That is the credit report, much like your consumer credit report, that details the credit history of your business.  It is a tool to help lenders determine how credit worthy your business is.  

Where do business credit reports come from?  There are a lot of different places, but the main ones are Dun & Bradstreet, Experian, Equifax, and FICO SBSS.  Since you have no way of knowing which one your lender will choose, you need to make sure all of these reports are up to date and accurate. 

Not only that, but you need to be sure you actually have business credit. It does not build passively as a result of credit transactions in the same way consumer credit does.  That set-up for fundability? It is necessary to begin building business credit as well. After you have that, you have to get accounts reporting, which is a whole other process.  Find out more about that here. 

Other Business Data Agencies 

In addition to the business credit reporting agencies that directly calculate and issue your credit reports, there are other business data agencies that affect those reports indirectly.  Two examples of this are LexisNexus and The Small Business Finance Exchange. These two agencies gather data from a variety of sources, including public records.  This means they could have access to information relating to automobile accidents, liens, and more. While you may not be able to access or change the data the agencies have, you can ensure that any new information they receive is positive.  Enough positive information can help counteract any negative information from the past. 

Identification Numbers 

In addition to the EIN, there are other identifying numbers related to business credit reports.  You need to be aware that these numbers exist. Some of them are simply assigned by the agency. One, however, you have to apply for.  It is pertinent that you do this. 

That number is a D-U-N-S number from Dun & Bradstreet.  D&B is the largest and most commonly used business credit reporting agency.  Every credit file in their database has a D-U-N-S number. To get a D-U-N-S number, you have to apply for one through the D&B website. 

Business Credit History

Your credit history has everything to do with everything related to your credit score, which is a huge factor in the fundability of your business.  

Your credit history consists of a number of things including: 

  • How many accounts are reporting payments?
  • How long have you had each account? 
  • What type of accounts are they?
  • How much credit are you using on each account versus how much is available?
  • Are you making your payments on these accounts consistently on-time?

The more accounts you have reporting on-time payments, the stronger your credit score will be. 

Business Information

On the surface, it seems obvious that all of your business information should be the same across the board everywhere you use it.  However, when you start changing things up like adding a business phone number and address and incorporating, you may find that some things slip through the cracks. 

This is a problem because a ton of loan applications are turned down each year due to fraud concerns simply because things do not match up.  Maybe your business licenses have your personal address but now you have a business address. Fix it. Do some of your credit accounts have a slightly different name or a different phone number listed than what is on your loan application? Make sure your insurances all have the correct information, too.  

The key to this piece of the business fundability is to monitor your reports frequently.   When it comes to business credit reports, you can monitor through the reporting agencies directly, or save money by going here. 

Financial Statements

This covers a broad spectrum.  First, there is the obvious. Both your personal and business tax returns need to be in order.  Not only that, but you need to be paying your taxes, both business and personal. But wait, there’s more.  

Business Financials

It is best to have an accounting professional prepare regular financial statements. Having an accountant’s name on financial statements lends to the legitimacy of your business. If you cannot afford them monthly or quarterly, at least have professional statements prepared annually. This way, they will be ready whenever you need them. 

Personal Financials

Often this is simply tax returns for the previous three years.  That is the bare minimum you will need. Other information lenders may ask for include check stubs and bank statements. 

Bureaus

There are several other agencies that hold information related to your personal finances that you need to know about as well.  One example is ChexSystems. It keeps up with bad check activity and makes a difference when it comes to your bank score. If you have too many bad checks, you will not be able to open a bank account.  That will cause serious fundability issues. 

For this point, everything comes into play.  Have you ever been convicted of a crime? Do you have a bankruptcy or short sell on your record?  How about liens or UCC filings? All of this can and will play into business fundability. 

Personal Credit History

Your personal credit score from Experian, Equifax, and Transunion all matter.  You have to have your personal credit in order because it will definitely affect business fundability.  If it isn’t the best, get to work on it now. The number one way to get a strong personal credit score or improve a weak one is to make payments regularly on-time.

Also, make sure you monitor your personal credit regularly to ensure mistakes are corrected and that there are no fraudulent accounts being reported. You can get one free copy of your personal credit report annually.

Business Fundability: Application Process

So much plays into this that you may not even think about. First, consider the timing of the application.  Is your business currently fundable? If not, do some work to change that. Next, make sure that your business name, business address, and ownership status are all verifiable.  Lastly, make sure you choose the right lending product for your business and your needs. Do you need a traditional loan or a line of credit? Would a working capital loan or expansion loan work best for your needs?  Choosing the right product to apply for can make all the difference. 

Check out our best webinar with its trustworthy list of seven vendors to help you build business credit. 

Do Lenders Really Look at All of These Things for Business Fundability? biz funding Credit Suite2

Maybe not directly.  For traditional lenders, your personal credit and finances are going to directly affect your ability to get a business loan for sure.  Your business credit may be able to help you get a better rate, or push you over the approval line if personal credit isn’t as great as it needs to be.  Private lenders may lean more toward business credit.  

Neither is likely to pull, or to even be able to pull, a report directly from another agency however.  Furthermore, most will not seek out public records. However, those things can show up on and affect your credit reports.  Not only that, but if in the process a lender sees a discrepancy in name or address, it will throw up red flags.  

Even something minor like a poorly put together website, when coupled with a few other seemingly minor issues, can be enough to put you out of the running for a business loan all together.  It’s best to have a thorough understanding of what business fundability is and what affects it, so you can keep any issues, either minor or major, from causing problems. 

Business Fundability: How it All Ties Together

Truly, few business owners understand how important business fundability really is.  Even if they do, they are not sure what to do about it. However, if you set up things right, pay attention to what’s out there, and ensure all the information is as correct as possible, you have a good start.  The only way to do this is to consistently monitor credit reports. If your business credit isn’t the best, or if you do not yet have business credit, find out how to start and build strong business credit here.   

The post How Do Lenders Measure Business Fundability? appeared first on Credit Suite.

Is Your Business Fundable: An Analysis of Fundability

Many of us analyze ourselves mercilessly in the mirror.  We pick apart every flaw and consider how we might change or improve each one. While that may or may not be a positive activity, in the same way, you can improve the success of your business by reflecting on what is working and what is not. An analysis of fundability is one way to do this.

How to Analyze the Fundability of Your Business and Make Positive Changes

Take a step back and look at your business in terms of fundability.  Does your business appear fundable to lenders? What does that even mean?  It means your business appears to lenders to be one that they can lend to with little risk.  Risk of what? The risk of you not paying back your debt. They don’t make money if you don’t pay, and they are definitely in it for the money.

How do you make sure that’s the case for you?  You need to analyze the fundability of your business.  There are hundreds of factors that can affect fundability.  The fact that they all interconnect and affect each other further complicates things.  As with all things, the best place to start is at the beginning, the foundation, if you will. 

Check out our best webinar with its trustworthy list of seven vendors to help you build business credit. 

The Foundation of Fundability

The first thing you need to look at during this analysis is how your business is set up.  It makes a difference. In fact, it makes a big difference. 

Dedicated Contact Information 

For example, you cannot share a phone number and address with your business.  A business has to have a dedicated business phone number and address. 

This can happen in a couple of ways. First, you can get a separate phone line and have a separate business location.  This is pretty standard. However, it can cause issues if you run your business online out of your home. 

In this case, you can get a virtual office address and a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) business phone number.  Basically, it allows you to speak on the phone via the internet instead of phone lines. A virtual address service will often offer other services as well, such as live receptionists.  VoIP phone numbers can typically be forwarded to any number you want, meaning you do not have to get a dedicated line to have a dedicated number. 

Why does your business contact information need to be separate from your own?  There are a number of reasons, but for fundability there are two. First, it makes your business seem more professional.  In a lender’s eyes, this lends itself to appearing more fundable.  

Next, it creates the separation needed between business and owner to ensure the business can build credit separate from the owner’s personal credit. While this isn’t the only step necessary for separation, it is a necessary step. 

EIN

Another thing to look at in your analysis of fundability is whether your business has an EIN.  A lot of business owners, especially those running their business as a sole proprietorship, tend to use their social security number on business documents.  However, an EIN is a much better option. 

This not only further separates the business from the owner, but appears more professional, and therefore fundable, to lenders as well.  In addition, it helps ensure that business credit accounts stay off your personal credit report.  

You can get an EIN for free from the IRS.  The process is fast and easy. 

Incorporation

As mentioned before, many small businesses run as a sole proprietorship because it is easiest and cheapest.  However, when this comes up in your fundability analysis, you are going to need to change it. Incorporation is a vital part of fundability.  

There are several reasons for this.  Again, incorporating creates the separation from owner necessary for building business credit and appearing fundable to lenders.  However, it also helps protect your personal assets should the business struggle. 

What does not matter, is which option for incorporation you choose.  Whether you incorporate as an LLC, an S-corp, or a corporation does not make a difference when it comes to creating separation and fundability.  

Each option comes at a different cost and with varying levels of liability protection.  Choose which one is best for you based on your budget and the level of liability protection you need.  Usually, it is best to talk to an attorney or tax professional, when making this determination. 

Note that it is abundantly better to incorporate from the first day of operations.  This is because, whenever you do incorporate, you lose time in business and payment history from when you were in operation as a sole proprietorship or a partnership.  This means the longer you wait, the more backtracking you will have to do. Not incorporated yet? Now is definitely the time. 

Separate Business Bank Account 

The next step in your analysis of fundability is to take stock of your business bank account.  Is it the same as your personal account? That won’t work. You need a separate, dedicated business bank account.  

For one thing, this again creates the separation necessary to build business credit, which is a huge piece of being fundable.  However, there are also a few different types of financing that are only available if you have a business bank account. 

For example, you cannot get a merchant cash advance without a business bank account, and you cannot get a merchant account to accept credit card payments.  Studies show that customers spend more when they can pay with a credit card. Also, several business credit cards want to see a business bank account. These are both in addition to lenders that may want to see a business bank account with a minimum average balance before approving a loan.

Check out our best webinar with its trustworthy list of seven vendors to help you build business credit. 

Analysis of Fundability: Consistent and Professional Public Presence

This part of fundability can get pretty complicated because it has so many interconnecting pieces.  The consistency part can be especially daunting because it goes all the way back to the start of your business.  If it has been in operation for a while, you can see how that could be an issue.

The thing is, most business financing applications are denied due to fraud concerns.  This can be an issue for you if you have different information across various records.  All names, contact information, etc. needs to be consistent when it comes to public records, accounts, websites, social media, licenses, and anything else you can think of. 

In addition, you need to pay careful attention to your online reputation.  If you have poor reviews or a ton of complaints, you could run into fundability problems.  This includes both online review sites and the Better Business Bureau. 

Another important piece here is your company website.  First, you have to have one. However, it can’t just be something you throw together.  It needs to be professionally designed, and you need to pay for hosting. Your business email address needs to have the same URL as your website also.  You shouldn’t use a free email service such as Yahoo or Gmail. 

Analysis of Fundability: Business Credit

The next thing you have to consider when you do an analysis of fundability for your business is your business credit score.  First, do you even have one? If your business isn’t set up to be fundable as discussed above, probably not. That’s your first step. Once that is done, you have to get accounts reporting to the business credit reporting agencies to start building your credit score.  

Get a D-U-N-S Number

Dun & Bradstreet is the largest and most commonly used business credit reporting agency.  Each business in their database has a D-U-N-S number. If you do not have one, they will not recognize you and any accounts reporting will be discarded.  You must have this number. You can get one for free on their website here. 

Experian has a similar number known as the BIN.  Find out more about that here. 

Other Agencies

Other agencies can affect your fundability as well.  For example, there are two other main business credit reporting agencies.  They are Experian and Equifax. Your record with these and other agencies can affect your ability to get funding.  

Other credit agencies do exist and some lenders do use them.  CreditSafe and FICO SBSS are just a couple of examples. In addition, your file with LexisNexis and The Small Business Finance Exchange can  affect your business credit score, and thus your fundability. 

Work with Starter Vendors in the Vendor Credit Tier

The vendor credit tier is the best place to get started when it comes to building business credit.  Many of the vendors in this tier will extend net terms and report payments, without doing a credit check.  Instead, they will rely on length of time in business and income to determine eligibility. 

Monitor Your Business Credit

The last step in building business credit for fundability is to monitor your business credit.  This should be an ongoing step in your analysis of fundability as well. You need to stay on top of which accounts are being reported for one thing.  This is how you will know you can move on to the next tier. Even after this though, you need to know where things stand.  

If you find mistakes, you can contact the reporting agency in writing and have them corrected.  Be sure to send copies of backup documentation, not originals.  

We can help you monitor your business credit for a fraction of what it will cost with the CRAs. 

Analysis of Fundability: Your Financials Matter, Both Business and Personal

If you are a very small business, you may not give much thought to your financial statements.  When you are doing an analysis of fundability, you have to however. You need to know how to read them, and how to understand what they are telling you.  

Details such as whether you are turning a profit and what assets you have available for collateral will make a difference to lenders when they are making fundability decisions. They will need to see that your business is able to pay back the funds they lend.  

In truth, any reports on your personal finances can make a difference as well.  For example, if you are flagged in the ChexSystems system for bad checks, that could come back to haunt you.

Pay Your Bills, Both Business and Personal 

This is the single most important thing when it comes to an analysis of fundability.  Are you paying your bills consistently and on-time? If so, can you continue to do so into the future?  If not, what’s the problem? What changes can you make to ensure that you get back on track with making payments? 

It all boils down to making good decisions.  This is especially true when building business credit by working through the credit tiers.  During that process, you are adding a lot of new accounts in an effort to move on to the next tier.  Be sure to keep tabs on what you can pay, and do not over do it. Also, only buy thing you can actually use for your business.  There is no need to buy things you do not need to build credit.  

Analysis of Fundability: The Application Process

This is where all the pieces come together.  The lender will look at your foundation closely.  Your business name, address, and ownership information has to be verifiable.  You also have to make sure the timing is right for borrowing, and that you have selected a lending product that is a good fit for your business. 

This is where issues with consistency will come to light.  Any red flags due to identity can cause problems. This is also where any liens or judgements can begin to hinder your chances. 

If you make sure your have a foundation for fundability, work on making sure you have strong business credit, and keep your finances in order, the application process should be pretty smooth.

analysis of fundability Credit Suite

Mirror Mirror On the Wall, How To Become the Most Fundable Business of All

You need to know if your business is fundable.  If it isn’t, you need to fix it. The only way to find out is to do an analysis of fundability.  Take stock. What do your foundation, business credit, and financial situation look like? Figure out what you are doing well and what you need to work on to ensure your business can get the funding it needs to grow and thrive long into the future. 

 

The post Is Your Business Fundable: An Analysis of Fundability appeared first on Credit Suite.

BillionToOne (YC S17) is hiring engineers to transform DNA testing

Do you want to develop prenatal diagnostics that can affect the lives of millions of expecting parents? BillionToOne (Y Combinator S17) is looking for a Senior Software Engineer. We apply bioengineering and machine learning principles to diagnostics in order to build truly quantitative molecular tests. Our QCT platform improves the resolution of cell-free DNA testing by >1000x fold and enables novel tests for both prenatal and oncology care. As engineer #1, you will work closely with the CTO to build backend infrastructure, bioinformatics data processing pipelines, laboratory automation tools, and web-based tools to communicate genetic results to patients. This is a highly impactful position with the opportunity to own engineering end-to-end from internal prototypes to widely deployed products directly affecting patients.

If you have experience in full stack development, love seeing your work positively affect your colleagues, and thrive in a fast-paced entrepreneurial and collaborative environment, this could be a great opportunity for you.

Apply here: https://apply.workable.com/billiontoone/j/14D61DA914/ or email me at david@billiontoone.com

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21423483

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Just Funded… $19,000 in Cash Flow Financing

One of our retail store clients just got $19,000 in funding to use for working capital and to increase inventory.

Congratulations to Cory and his team, we’re excited to be part of your expansion!

Click Here to see how much funding you can get for your business.

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Ambition (YC W14) Hiring Engineers in Tennessee

Article URL: https://ambition.com/career/opportunity/full-stack-engineer/

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21097131

Points: 1

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Chelsea fight back thanks to Abraham, Barkley

Borussia Monchengladbach

Chelsea

2

2

FT

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Ross Barkley scored from the spot in the dying moments of the game to help a lacklustre Chelsea rescue a 2-2 draw against Borussia Monchengladbach. Chelsea fought back from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw against Borussia Monchengladbach thanks to goals from Tammy Abraham and Ross Barkley.
Gladbach stormed into a two-goal lead through goals from Alassane Plea on 13 minutes and Jonas Hofmann on 39 minutes.
But Abraham gave Frank Lampard's side hope just before the hour mark from the penalty spot.
And Barkley ensured that Chelsea avoided defeat in their final preseason game when he scored another spot-kick with only four minutes remaining after…

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