亚历克斯·理查森, commercial banker at American Bank, makes a point during the recent 利哈伊谷发射箱 Ladies virtual program, “Community Banks Small Business Funding Opportunity."
宾州中央谷. ——周三, 3月3日, 利哈伊谷发射箱 powered by Penn State’s LaunchBox女士 series hosted a forum on the critical role community banks play in the world of entrepreneurism.
虚拟程序, “Community Banks Small Business Funding Opportunity,” featured three local banking professionals discussing the many ways that small businesses and start-ups can take advantage of the funding opportunities provided by community banks.
Serving on the panel were Dinoli Rowlands, regional business banking relationship manager at PNC Bank; June Webre, regional banking initiatives officer at Essa Bank; and 亚历克斯·理查森, commercial banker at American Bank. They fielded questions from student moderator Viacmely Jimenez, senior psychology major and business minor at 十大网赌靠谱网址平台.
“Community banks provide about 60% of all small business loans, so we really can’t overstate the importance of community banks to entrepreneurs,PSU-LV校长Tina Q说. Richardson in her opening remarks.
One of the most important things an entrepreneur can do when seeking a loan from a community bank is to establish a good working relationship with their banker, 亚历克斯理查森强调.
“You should never feel like you’re too small to talk to a bank -- no one is too small to talk to a bank,他说. “现在大多数银行, 大或小, are going to have a dedicated team that will work with entrepreneurs and small business owners because that’s an important segment of the banking industry.”
Rowlands said entrepreneurs should already be in business for about two to three years before seeking a bank loan. 申请流程, they should be prepared to provide personal and business tax returns, as well as a detailed business plan. And they should be regularly checking their credit score, given its importance in securing low-interest loans.
根据韦伯, entrepreneurs should research the type of competition they’ll face in the local business community, and account for how their business would hold up to fluctuations in sales and expenses.
知识就是力量, 你应该为改变做好计划, because the best laid plans can always be derailed,韦伯说. “一切都始于一个想法, and entrepreneurs are really the heart of America, so community and all-sized banks really enjoy working with the small business community to listen to their ideas, 看着他们成长, 并一路帮助他们.”
“There are so many resources here in the 利哈伊谷,” Rowlands added. “We’re so lucky to be in a place with such a vibrant entrepreneurial spirit; a place that supports entrepreneurs so well.”
关于利哈伊谷发射箱
利哈伊谷发射箱 is a Penn State- and community-sponsored business accelerator program created as part of the Invent Penn State initiative. The 利哈伊谷发射箱 program awards micro grants to budding entrepreneurs. Partners of 利哈伊谷发射箱 link micro-grant recipients to alumni, 商业领袖, and academic partners to provide mentorship and to help launch ideas and turn them into useful products. All 利哈伊谷 community members and Penn State faculty, staff and students who have a scalable business idea are welcome to apply for affiliation with the 利哈伊谷发射箱.
