Be Lender Ready: What a Lender is Looking For to Approve Your Loan

Event description

Are you an aspiring entrepreneur looking to secure funding for your business idea? Do you want to understand how to craft a compelling business plan that stands out to lenders? Join us for an exclusive workshop designed to guide you through the key components that make a business plan and financial projections irresistible to lenders! Bonus: This workshop will end with a short segment presented by a Business Librarian who will cover powerful resources available in libraries that aid in market research.

What You Will Learn:

• Understanding Lender Expectations: Discover what lenders are specifically looking for when reviewing a business plan and why certain elements matter more than others.
• Crafting a Winning Business Plan: Learn how to articulate your business idea, mission, and goals effectively. We'll cover essential sections such as the executive summary, market analysis, company structure, product offerings, and marketing strategies.
• Get familiar with a typical lender application so you know what to expect and prepare for.
• Developing Accurate Financial Projections: Get hands-on guidance on creating realistic financial forecasts that demonstrate your business's potential profitability. We’ll cover cash flow statements, profit and loss projections, debt schedule, and what a personal financial statement entails.
• Common Mistakes to Avoid: Learn about common pitfalls in business plans and financial projections that can be red flags for lenders—and how to avoid them.

Who Should Attend?

• New and aspiring entrepreneurs seeking funding.
• Small business owners looking to expand and need a loan.
• Anyone interested in understanding the financial aspects of a successful business plan.
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Gregg Swanson:

Gregg Swanson has built his impressive career around assisting small businesses gain access to capital, with nearly 30 years of experience in the field. Throughout his career with banks and other lending institutions, he forged an expertise in SBA lending as the manager of US Bank's SBAExpress Department, and he now serves as the Chief Credit Administrator of Evergreen Business Capital, an organization he joined in 2006. Gregg has also left his impact on various training sessions, sharing his deep understanding of SBA’s Loan programs.

A native Oregonian, Gregg attended Texas A&M University as an undergrad, and San Diego State University for his graduate studies. He currently resides in Bend, Oregon with his wife Kim and beloved dog, where he can often be found on the high alpine trails, or at the local watering-hole playing in one of his bands.

Mark Pond:

Since 2006, Mark Pond has been the Business Research Librarian with the Spokane Public Library. From 1998 – 2006, Mark worked in a similar capacity for the Seattle Public Library as well as the University of Washington Libraries.

In the course of his work at the Spokane Public Library, Mark has built a world-class collection of freely available business research tools. Ranging from competitive analysis to sales lead development to retail site selection to demographics research to on-demand workforce education, the Spokane Public Library has amassed a set of business research resources that is unmatched in the public library world. In recognition of this work, Mark was the 2021 recipient of the American Library Association’s BRASS Excellence in Business Librarianship award.

A lot of people are saying that public libraries are destined to save the world. Mark agrees with them.