American Prudential Capital, Inc.

Yesterday, we turned the soil and broke the ground on the new corporate headquarters for our firm.

We gathered staff and family on the site to memorialize the day the construction begins.

Ever wonder why we do that? Why do we think that something should mark the beginning of a new venture?

Well, the tradition goes back thousands of years to the time of Joshua and the people he lead across the river into the promised land.

“And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying: Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe and command them saying, Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight…And Joshua said to them…that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’…and these stones shall be for a memorial…forever.”

We mark the day of new beginnings so that neither we nor our children will forget where we came from, what we went through, and who we are.

It is appropriate that we had our ceremony during the Christmas season because this is a season of memorializing a new beginning not just for us but for the world.

The birth of Christ was announced in advance to Kings from the East. They thought so highly of this new beginning that, despite the fact that they were from a different race and culture, they traveled a great distance to the “ground breaking ceremony” to memorialize the event. They became a part of the memorial forever.

If we do not remember anything else this Christmas, let’s remember that the message of Christ is “you can have a new beginning.” You don’t have to keep doing things the old way. You can break new ground.

When you see the Nativity this year, remember, that small child represents a powerful new beginning that changed the world forever. And we all still remember.

Merry Christmas,
Brenda

I am grateful for my family, my daughter-in-law, my sons and my grandchildren. That’s easy. Truthfully, you would be grateful for them too. They are really nice people.

These people, who are graciously MINE, are kind. They are loyal, they are generous. They stand by their friends in good times and bad. They tell the truth. They help others.

The part that I am really getting excited about is that they are not alone! You know people like them. Perhaps you, yourself, are one of them. You give first; you step up to the plate when you see someone in need, a wounded soldier, a single mom, an orphan child.

You step up and do what your heart tells you is the right thing to do. No one has to push your buttons to stir your emotions to make you feel guilty. You just do what is right because that is who you are.

As I sit here today, the day before Thanksgiving, I am wiping tears from my eyes because I have come to realize that I am grateful for YOU. And it is an Easy Gratitude.

But, what I know about your generosity is that it has not come to you easily. The true opposite of poverty is not wealth but generosity. You kind people have had your share of suffering. It has shaped you and made you the generous citizens you are today.

As we give our collective Thanks to God tomorrow, let’s thank Him for the generous people around us everyday and let’s reach out to them with words of encouragement letting them know that we see their generosity and we are grateful.

It is an Easy Gratitude indeed.

Happy Thanks…Giving,
Brenda

Alright! You get it.

You are a business-to-business company and you understand you need a funding alternative to grow your company.

So what are the steps?
1. Complete a one page application.
2. Return it with five corporate docs.
3. Get terms back.
4. Review contract.
5. Sign.
6. Request funding.
7. First funding takes 5-7 business days.
8. GROW!!

Yes, but how long does it take from application to first funding?

About 7-8 business days.

How do you get started?

Ask your representative for your application.

Is there a fee to apply?

No!

Frequently when commentators talk about the powerful people in foreign countries they refer to them as “the Ruler of……….” as in the Ruler of Iran or the Ruler of Venezuela. In the United States of America we refer to these people as our Governor or our President, our Congressman or our Senator but never our Ruler.

That is because, as a constitutional republic, WE DO NOT HAVE RULERS. We have elected officials. It sort of takes the wind out of the positions, doesn’t it? And, it was designed that way for just that reason.

No, we don’t have Kings, Queens or Lords. What the people of the colonies said to the King of England in 1776 was that “We will not be ruled.”

What it means to be ruled is to have someone whom you cannot discharge make limiting decisions about you, your family, your possessions and your freedom. You are ruled when you cannot contribute to the decision making process. You are ruled when what you have is taken away from you against your will and given to one who has not worked for it.

We have never consented to being RULED. We have only consented to being GOVERNED. To be GOVERNED is to delegate limited powers to another for the sake of the common good. We consent to being GOVERNED so that we can organize and defend ourselves against foreign invaders, for example.

We also consent to being GOVERNED so that we can settle disputes among ourselves, establish laws for the peaceful transfer of property and the orderly flow of commerce. To be GOVERNED is to voluntarily and knowingly delegate certain personal rights to elected representatives for a fixed period of time, while retaining the ultimate right of rescission.

Often, as the GOVERNED, we have patiently suffered evils at the hands of our elected officials but because we are prudent and because we believe that government should not be changed for light or transient causes we have been slow to change those who govern us. The evil we knew was easier to tolerate than the evil we did not know.

But when a long list of abuses and power grabs by “the ruling classes” evidences a design to reduce us to absolute despotism we have the responsibility and right to hold our elected officials accountable and to defend our liberty, as well as our present and future security.

The history of our elected officials, no matter which party, is a history of repeated injuries against the GOVERNED moving the officials ever more closely to the class of Ruler and ever farther from their true position of elected representatives of the GOVERNED.

The right of the GOVERNED to representation in the decision making process, the right to be heard and to hold elected officials accountable is a right inestimable to the GOVERNED and a right which is formidable to the would-be “Ruling Classes.”

It is this right of the GOVERNED to elect and to “un-elect” those who govern that threatens tyrants in every generation. It is this God-given right that causes the GOVERNED to rise up ever so belatedly and cry out, “We will not be ruled…We consent only to be GOVERNED.”

Those who govern should take this seriously, especially in this election year. When those who govern in these United States of America cease to acknowledge that they derive their powers from the consent of the GOVERNED; when they create around themselves the mythology of a ruling class elite, they run head-on into the right of the GOVERNED to discharge them and to institute in their place representatives of the GOVERNED who will defend the Life, Liberty and Happiness of those who have consented to be GOVERNED.

The people of the United States of America are about to demonstrate again the difference between being RULED and being GOVERNED.

May God give us wisdom.

Brenda

I am enthusiastically in favor of entrepreneurship. And, now is a great time to buy into an existing business.

So, how do you take advantage of the buying opportunities and avoid the pitfalls? Well, the answer is document, document, document. Get the right documents, read the documents, and question the documents.

Here is the “short list” of documents that are essential in looking at a potential purchase:

1. Corporate/organizational papers. Get the charter, the organizational certificate, the membership agreements, the stock ledger book with all transfers noted and the minute book of board meetings and corporate decisions. Ask if there are any copyrights, patents, trademarks or other intellectual property documents. Get copies of those too.

2. Financial Statements. Do not buy a business based solely on a redacted version of the financial statements. Get the most current “Interim” statements as well as the year-end statements for the past 5 years, if available. Have the owner and or the CFO sign the statements as to their accuracy.

3. Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable lists. These should be system generated. If not, why not? If Payables are greater than Receivables, you need a good explanation. Check the credit of any account that represents 15% or more of the total Accounts Receivable. Check the aging of the accounts. If over 60 days old, find out why. Verify, verify, verify.

4. Check liens against the company. You can usually do this with the Secretary of State in the state in which the company is organized. You should also check liens in the state, in which they reside, are headquartered or do most of their business. Run a commercial credit report on the company for good measure.

5. Tax Returns and proof of payment of state and federal taxes for the past 5 years.

6. Licenses both state and federal along with any OSHA inspection requirements. If real estate is being sold along with the business, you have all the Phase One and soil contamination inspections to do. If you don’t know what is required, hire an advisor who will walk you through this part. You cannot afford to buy into a license or inspection problem.

7. Proof of insurance. Basic business liability insurance is essential but there is the matter of professional liability, health insurance, workers compensation, property, product liability, etc. Ask the seller for an organized spreadsheet of the carriers, contact numbers, agents, amount of coverage, and policy periods. Then get copies of the actual policies.

8. All contracts signed by a representative of the company. This will include leases both real estate and equipment, supplier agreements, sales contracts, employment agreements including union contracts, purchase orders, and purchase agreements.

9. Current organizational chart with names as well as positions. Along with this you will want to see a payroll. How often and how much are the employees paid? If a payroll service is used, these reports should be readily available.

10. Detailed Inventory list. If the company maintains inventory, there should be a readily available inventory list reflecting the age of the inventory as well as quantity and value.

But there is more to evaluating a possible purchase than these documents alone. There are policies, management strategies, markets, marketing strategies, locations, reputations, customer loyalty, pricing strategies, quality controls, business cycles, seasonal sales patterns, and possible product obsolescence. All these and more must be reviewed, analyzed, and evaluated.

Even so, do not be afraid to step out and consider the possible purchase of a going concern. Many seasoned entrepreneurs who want to retire will consider training the right buyer and even consider helping with the financing of the purchase.

We can help, too. Give us a call.

Brenda

Twice in my business career I have met someone who knew he was Number 2 and wanted to be the best Number 2 around. Today was the second time.

You see, I am an entrepreneur. By definition, I am number one. It just comes with the territory.

The problem is that so many times I have hired folks who really just want to have my position, they never seem to want my responsibilities, just my perceived power. But two times now I have met a person who knows he is Number 2 and he knows the importance of being Number 2.

Entrepreneurs are typically reactive and innovative action-oriented folks who carry a vision and a drive to “climb the highest mountain.” When you talk with them it is usually best to tell them what the “bottom line” is right away. They don’t do well with a long “lead-up” to the problem.

But the down side is that business is full of details. And details have to be handled. Processes and procedures, job descriptions, loan applications, human resource issues, manuals, insurance, work schedules, equipment, accounts payable, accounts receivable, financial statements and on and on. All are very detailed.

What the wise entrepreneur needs is a good Number 2. Sometimes these folks are called CFO and sometimes COO but I prefer the moniker Number 2. A discerning Number 2 knows that his or her job is to equip the entrepreneur with everything he or she needs to do their job.

If that equipping means that the Number 2 analyzes the processes and procedures and makes the changes necessary for efficiency and profitability, that is what gets done. If the equipping of the entrepreneur means that the Number 2 cleans up the financials and puts them in generally accepted accounting format, then it gets done.

You see, the one who is really a Number 2 not only takes care of the details but takes joy in seeing the entrepreneur shine as a result. This person has a Servant’s Heart.

Servant leadership is at the core of a professional Number 2. Any entrepreneur who wants to scale the highest peaks in his or her field needs to find the right Number 2. Since I have one extra, I will share with you this jewel.

His name is Steve A. Clayton (stevealanclayton@gmail.com). He knows and is known by trustworthy people who speak only great things about him. His references know his value and they are seasoned bankers and business owners. He has their confidence and I know them to be reputable citizens.

So, if you are ready to take your business to the next level or if you are ready to dress it for sale, Steve will get you there and you will wonder how you ever got along without him. Steve is the personification of the Servant Leader Number 2.

Blessings,
Brenda

Yesterday the folks at American Prudential raised over $1,000 in honor of my birthday and sent it to My House Ministries.

This $1,000 will build a whole house in Africa for a widow and her children.  If you go to www.myhouse ministries.com you will see the kinds of lean-to shelters the women are used to living in.

You will also see what My House Ministries can build for only $1,000.   It is the desire of my heart that we be instrumental in building 100 of these houses.  As you know from our website, this ministry is very dear to our hearts.

Sometimes the need seems overwhelming but My House Ministries has designed ways for us to meet the needs in “bite-sized” pieces.

In the book of James, the author says (in Brenda’s unauthorized translation!) “Don’t tell me how religious you are…show me”

I think at times I have not lived up to James’ challenge.  Perhaps you feel the same way.

I haven’t given as much as I could.  I have not taken care of any widows or orphans.  I have accepted one more unneeded birthday gift while my sister around the globe didn’t even have a house to live in.  I have done that.

But this was the greatest birthday of all…no unnecessary presents, just a very grateful heart…MINE.

Blessings,

Brenda

I heard a story about a business owner the other day and the story was too familiar.  It seems that the business owner needed working capital in his business, working capital that he could not get from his bank.

So, he sold a piece of property that he owned personally and put all the money into the business to meet his company’s short term capital needs.  Now, you may say, “What’s wrong with that?”

What is wrong with that is that he is wearing pants with only one pocket!  Anything he gets goes into that one pocket and out of it he pays both his personal and his business expenses.

“Well,” you might say, “what could he do?”

Glad you asked.  He could make his business pay its own way.  While it is fortunate he had the land to sell and could use the money to meet payroll in his business, he can only sell that land ONE TIME.  He will have to meet payroll again, soon.  Where is that money going to come from?

What he should have done is to take a look at his hidden assets, his accounts receivable.  Since he has good accounts receivable to credit worthy business clients, he could have sold those and created immediate cash flow to meet his short term needs.

Funny thing is, next month or next week in his case, he will have more receivables to sell again to meet the next payroll, and so on and so on.  Thereby, his company pays its own way in the world and he could have kept the land on his personal balance sheet.

Last week a new client came to us and he had discovered his “hidden assets” because a very alert banker pointed them out to him.  You see, he was also having cash flow issues.

Oh, he had the money  to make payroll it just wasn’t “there” in the bank.  Like the man with one pocket, he had good accounts receivable but they never quite collected on the same day his payroll checks hit his account.

His banker saw the consistent and expensive overdraft fees the client was paying and suggested that he call us.  We went to his business on Wednesday and by Friday we had moved money into his account to fund payroll…no more overdraft fees!

Does it cost money to sell us your accounts receivable?  Of course.  But it does not rob your personal balance sheet and it does not cost $35 for every check that clears.

When a business is growing by leaps and bounds or when a business is new or when it is coming out of the greatest recession since “The Big One”, you have to be creative.  Look to the assets you have and use them to make your business independent.  Make it stand on its own, pay its own way.

After all, that is what we make our kids do, right?

Give us a call.

Brenda

I just read an article by By Scott Anderson, Director and Senior Economist, Wells Fargo Securities.

Usually big time ECONOMISTS just don’t have much to say about small business that a small business owner would believe.  But this guy gets us.  Big Time.

Among the relevant things he said were the following comments:

“The Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business sentiment index hit a record low in the third quarter of 2010, as small businesses continued to struggle to grow revenues and manage their financial condition.

Their future expectations plunged in the third quarter and many reported scaling back on hiring and capital spending plans over the coming year. Anecdotally, many remain uncertain about the economy, bank credit, taxes, and healthcare expenses, and thus do not feel comfortable aggressively expanding their businesses.

Small businesses historically have created almost half of all net new jobs in the United States, so their lack of participation at this stage of recovery is a big deal.”

The condition of small businesses is a Very Big Deal and Mr. Anderson has plainly stated why:

1.   Small businesses create AT LEAST one half of all new jobs.

2.   Small businesses are scaling back because they are concerned about the coming tax increases to small businesses, the increase in the cost of health insurance, the lack of available financing, and the chance the economy will tank, again.

3.  Small businesses are struggling and as long as they do the economy will hang from a cliff.

If Small businesses are not hiring, and they are not, then who is?  According to Mr. Anderson,

“…this recovery is already the mother of all jobless recoveries, and many of the jobs created over the last year, being temporary in nature, could disappear as quickly as they were created.”

The jobs that have been created have been “temporary.”  Mr. Anderson went on to say, “employment declined by 8.4 million jobs and the U.S. unemployment rate peaked at 10.1%, and increase of 5.7 percentage points from May of 2007.”

If small business is responsible for one half of all new jobs created, historically, and small business is not creating new jobs, then it follows that any recovery is going to be jobless.

If you are unemployed, this is not good news.  It sounds so impersonal, unless you are unemployed.  Then it IS personal, very personal.

So….Stop Looking For A Job.

Let me say that another way.  Chances are the job you got layed off from still needs to be done, by someone.  Why not you?

You have skills and importantly you have insider knowledge about what could be improved in your former industry.  So why not take that knowledge and start your own business?

We are working with a new client who is doing just that.  Is she scared to death?  You bet.  But she is surrounding herself with advisers and helpers who will guide her along the way.

The personal solution to the jobless recovery is to recover from being an employee and get out there and build, buy or start your own business.  What have you got to lose?  Chances are you have already been looking for that invisible job long enough.

If your business is what they call B2B, (business to business), then we can even show you how to get your business to pay its own way.     We can show you how to buy competitors out of cash flows.

If you want to meet other like minded folks…well, you now who we are.

Brenda Standlee

Kevin McCarthy has been a friend of mine for many years.  He is the author of The On-Purpose Person and The On-Purpose Business.  In a recent email to his network Kevin dealt with the eternal question of FEAR.  You can hear what Kevin has to say at:

http://www.kevinwmccarthy.com/my_weblog/2010/07/is-fear-avoidable.html

Kevin lists the number two fear that entrepreneurs face as the Fear of Success. Now that may seem strange to those of you who have never owned a business.  After all, one would think that personal success is a prime motivator for entrepreneurs and that is true.  But….

What entrepreneurs have to face every day is the possibility of success.  Sure they face the possibility of failure.  But, success has a set of problems that can imobilize and entrepreneur.

What if you actually get that great big contract?  What if you have to suddenly hire a bunch of people you have never even met?  What if your client likes your proposal and wants to “roll it out” nationwide…this year?

Believe it or not, these are the very things that have caused many well intentioned entrepreneurs to fail.  Success can bring failure and failure hides within every success for the entrepreneur.

Then there is the real fear of being a fluke.  Truly, entrepreneurs frequently fear not being able to “keep up appearances.”  That is, they fear not being able to come up with the next success.  This is the fear of not being able to repeat a success.  This fear can keep the entrepreneur from reaching for the success in the first place.

I once knew a wonderful lady who had become a very successful business owner while still in her 20′s.  She came from a family of entrepreneurs so she knew the ropes.  Her business really exploded.  She was written-up in national magazines.  She was beautiful, brilliant and young.  But her business failed.

When I asked her what happened she replied, “It all just came too easily and too fast.”  She had not been taught how to handle success.  Unfortunately, she did not “get back in the saddle” because the fear of success was very real to her at that point.

My advice is to talk to your trusted advisors about how to handle the success before it hits.  Put in place the processes and procedures that will serve you well when that client finally says “yes”.  Do it now.

Get the financing in place to help you make payroll every week; meet the recruiters who will give you the kind of service you will need to hire and train the right people quickly; and talk about where you will give.

In our family, talking about where we want to give the next windfall is our favorite conversation.  You see, knowing that your success isn’t just for and about you…that it has a higher purpose, can take the wind right out of those fears.

And that brings us back to Kevin McCarthy.  If you want help sorting out the idea that your success has a higher purpose, Kevin is your man.

If you want help meeting that payroll…well, we have an application for that.

Brenda Standlee