Today we tackle an issue that is causing headaches for companies when they go to get new financing. That is a UCC filing popping up that the business owner was not aware of. This turns out to be from secondary lenders, such as Merchant Cash Advances, or in some cases their vendors. I will walk through the UCC process. Discuss why these UCC's are being filed and give some advice on how to fix the problem. Please keep emailing us your questions.  If you have a question you’d like to...

Today we welcome Ross Mcclain of Rapid Business Systems to the podcast. Ross explains to us what a feasibility study is, and the importance of having a credentialed firm do the study so that the bank will accept it and what is involved in it. Ross gives us some highlights of feasibility studies. He gives us some examples of details they have discovered, that have been beneficial to the company being evaluated under the feasibility study. Things like pulling building permits that have shown a...

In this month’s Funding University Podcast, Seth sits down with Tom Zorich of Sawtooth Capital. Tom will tell us how he helped a company called Knowledge as a Service get started including setting up their financial systems that ultimately allowed them to raise several million dollars from Family members as well as other high net worth individuals.  Next Tom and I will discuss his time at Guardian Bikes. Starting with how the company was visualized and became a reality. Ultimately it...

In this month’s Funding University Podcast, Seth sits down with Gary Teramae of McCoy Federal Credit Union. We discuss the reasons why it matters that Credit Unions are not for profit entities.  Gary later explains the different types of loans that are available at credit unions including SBA programs.  Please keep emailing us your questions.  If you have a question you’d like to submit, you can send it to ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ and we’ll do our best to have it answered in a...

In this month’s Funding University Podcast, Seth gives two great examples of companies that were smart enough to analyze the cost of capital versus the rewards of an opportunity. In both instances, the correct decision was made. In doing so they did not leave money on the table. I hope these examples help you make the right decision the next time you come upon a great opportunity. Please keep emailing us your questions.  If you have a question you’d like to submit, you can send it to...

In this month’s Funding University Podcast, we’re focusing on non-bank SBA lenders and speaking with Amy Perrella of Harvest Small Business Finance.  As Amy and I discuss, there are advantages of working with a non-bank lender because their lending guidelines tend to differ from the traditional banking lender, even though both are regulated.  Non-bank lenders don’t deal with deposits and credit cards which helps them differ from the traditional bank model and as a result, they have different...

Have you noticed that we’re just now at the beginning of March and we are already seeing a flurry of mergers being announced across the country?  The pattern is evident on a national, regional, and local level.  The reason we’re seeing the increase in M&A activity is because in 2023 money stayed on the sidelines as financial executives waited to see how the Fed would act on interest rates. Most economists have been split between an impending recession or the US economy experiencing a...

In this month’s podcast, we’re going to focus on something different. I’d like to talk about Truth & Accountability with Lenders. It’s incredibly important you communicate with your lender about your finances not only in times when finances are tight but in times when things are going well. Your lender wants you to be successful because they have a vested interest in your repayment, but even beyond that, your lender may have the ability to help you get things back on track during a rough...

2024 stands to be unlike any year we’ve had in modern times and with interest rate volatility, uncertainty in the financial markets, and heading into an election year, business owners are overwhelmed. How can anyone make an informed decision for their business when everything is changing so much?   I am excited to let you know that the Funding University is sponsoring the Funding Strategies Conference, a webinar taking place on January 18th at 2 pm, and the subject is everything you need to...

Joining Seth in The Funding University Podcast this month is Suzanne Meehle from the Meehle Law firm. Suzanne focuses on the needs of business owners. Her services include business formation, contracts, trademarks, copyrights, trade secret protection, business litigation, and IP litigation. In the podcast, Suzanne and Seth discuss different types of business lending and what borrowers should be focused on from a legal perspective. The conversation drills down on the SBA process from...

In this month’s podcast, we’re going to look at two common situations with SBA loans, both of which can cause business owners some stress when it comes time to gain access to more working capital. We’ll explore what you need to know about the SBA 7A and EIDL programs, options to work within the system to help you get more capital, and what you need to know so you can avoid costly mistakes. The SBA programs have some quirks and if you’re not aware of all the issues, getting the money your...

In this month’s Funding University podcast, I opted to forgo having a guest because there’s an old economic term being discussed most people don’t know anything about: Stagflation.  There aren’t many experienced CFO or finance professionals still around who have tussled with stagflation.  The last time the US experienced stagflation was in 1973 and it puts the Fed in a tricky situation, especially with the possibility of a recession.  As a funding professional and a CPA, I wanted to share...

Joining me this month on the Funding University Podcast is nationally recognized speaker and author Mike Scott. Mike is an authority on accountability in the workplace and his new course on “Meeting Purpose” discusses the control of meetings. Mike makes the observation that when you’re in a meeting, not only should the meeting have a clearly defined purpose, but it should have an agenda, which in itself is a powerful tool. When it comes to funding, most people think the lender controls the...

 In this month’s Funding University Podcast, we decided to switch things up a bit and I’m on the other side of the microphone. Interviewing me is Brady Hicks, managing editor of Channel Vision Magazine.     Brady and I have a wide-ranging discussion about interest rates, managing debt, mergers & acquisitions, and changes to SBA lending programs. We touch on a variety of subjects, all revolving around what you need to know about changes in the financial landscape and how they can impact...

Joining Seth in The Funding University Podcast this month is Allan Gibbel of Utica Leaseco. Allan is an expert in equipment-based lending and is one of the most experienced collateral lenders in the U.S. In the podcast, Allan and Seth discuss equipment and collateral-based lending, including the kind of equipment preferred by lenders. In the conversation, they discuss the devaluation of used equipment as collateral, best practices, and how leveraging the value of equipment can help you...

Business owners aren’t always aware of the damage runaway accounts payable can create. If your business has vendor accounts that are aging out and affecting your credit rating or attracting delinquent fees, there are working capital funding solutions to help. Join Seth Block as he discusses strategies you can use to get your accounts payable under control, find additional capital, and protect your business credit rating.   Seth talks about his first CFO role where he helped with runaway...

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the US Government created EIDL loans through the SBA, which were designed for small businesses.  With low-interest rates and 30-year terms, these loans were created to help small businesses stay afloat during the pandemic’s economic slowdown.  The loans required the SBA to put a perfected security interest lien in place against a company’s assets, meaning no other lender could use your company’s assets as collateral.  This creates a problem when you need more...

Tune in as Seth discusses the history behind the current interest rate hikes and offers a few ways businesses can manage the impact to their bottom line. Oftentimes, borrowers aren’t aware that lending interest rates are a direct result of the current prime interest rate, which is based on the federal funds rate. If the prime rate climbs, your loan rate will go up as well. Seth takes a look at the history of the prime rate from the 1980s through 2022 and offers insight on how prime may...

This month’s Funding University podcast is special because it features Seth Block, our founder sharing his own personal insights about acquisitions. As the founder of the Funding University and the Executive Vice President of ThermoCredit, Seth recently shared his experience as a CPA and business leader by discussing the financing behind acquisitions he has been involved with as a featured speaker at the Compliance Solutions Conference this past February 2023 in Orlando, FL. Seth reviews how...

In this month’s Funding University podcast, Seth Block welcomes Brett Akins, Vice President, SBA Lender/Relationship Manager at HomeTrust Bank. With more than 18 years of background in both business and consumer banking, Brett is an expert in all SBA lending. During his tenure, HomeTrust Bank has become one of the top 75 SBA lenders in the country. Get ready to dive into a thorough, but not boring, discussion about SBA lending, where we highlight the different types of lending platforms...

Joining me this month is Ben Rutkevitz of Alleon Capital, a niche lender within the medical space.  Ben is an expert in medical factoring, providing working capital to medical practices and groups while they await payment from insurance companies, Medicare, and Medicaid. In the podcast, Ben touches on best practices, due diligence, the impact of fraud in the medical industry, and much more.  His experience in the world of lending is a refreshing eye-opener, providing insight into how not...

Lee Haskin joins us in this month’s Funding University podcast and shares a fascinating historical perspective and real world case study about using an inventory loan with a factoring facility. His experience in inventory and revolving lines of credit that works with a factor or receivable lenders is amazing. Lee is the founder of Crossroads Financial, established in 2007, which satisfied a real need in the inventory lending space. The company provides funding against inventory, which helps...

This month we feature Bob Hunter, the founder of Oxford Pierpont. Bob is an expert at building more productive business systems, financing, compliance, tax issues, and growth. His company, Oxford Pierpont, offers business development services for both SMB and larger corporate clients who are in a growth stage. On the podcast, Bob talks about his corporate career as an Operations Development Manager and why he left seven years ago to set up his own consulting firm. He explains how he...

This month we have Spencer Sheinen, of Shift Financial Insights. Spencer is also the author of the # 1 Amazon best-selling book “ Entreprenumbers” Spencer Sheinin, CPA, CA, has a unique background with over 15 years as an entrepreneur combined with extensive financial experience as a CPA, CA and investment banker. He is the Founder and CEO of Shift Financial Insights, providing ridiculously simple accounting and financial insights for business on the rise. On the podcast Spencer talks about...