Shout out to...
..the rockin' Plan Fund crew: new-ish Exec Director Jeremy Gregg, Neil Small, Senior Loan Manager, Marisol Montoya, Office Manager, and the rest of the gang. Plan Fund is a jaw-droppingly amazing MFI (a nonprofit micro-funding institute) built loosely around the Grameen model. Their motto, "Capitalizing on Character" sums up their ambitions and accomplishments well.
Unlike the venerable and stodgy fleet at the Small Business Administration, with its Small Business Development Centers (SBA spin-offs) and SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives), Plan Fund works with a special breed of entrepreneurs some sources refer to as Accidental Entrepreneurs, others call them "under-served."
The Feds are like a fleet of ancient battleships creaking along with the best of intentions, not very fast and they don't easily navigate a sudden change in market direction or technology: they aren't built to meet the intense, multidimensional needs of any entrepreneurs but those whose future success is fairly obvious, easily attainable, headed for mega-growth, and can be more-or-less traditionally financed.
Plan Fund, however, is a speedy and nimble PT boat, armed with micro-loans based on
character and commitment, not the traditional "5 C's of Lending" used by most lenders which includes the onus of collateral and credit score. Better still, Plan Fund also arms its Client-Members with ongoing mutual support groups, training at the neighbourhood level, personalised one-on-one guidance, and it acts as a sounding board and faithful ally, skillfully and compassionately guiding Accidental Entrepreneurs toward becoming Intentional Entrepreneurs.Depending on a Plan Fund client-member's progress and business plan, loans are funded from $500 to $4000 (last time I checked), the loan to be used for specific stages or projects of a small business venture's development.
411 them at Planfund.org, at http://www.facebook.com/theplanfund, and at http://twitter.com/planfund. Plan Fund is based in Dallas, Texas.
Lately I'm thinking...
...As in Life and Love, so with Biz, you gotta endure a little heat now or you'll catch a lotta heat later. Which have you chosen thus far? Which will you choose today?
Currently watching...
...my personal buzz levels. When I consider what I've accomplished for clients over the years, the results and benefits they've enjoyed, and the untapped wonderfulness I still have on tap, it's almost an ache. I have so much more to bring to the table, so much more I want to use, do, learn! Then I wonder -- this next phone call, this next conversation, this next encounter -- will this be the portal to The Client Who Will Be Ready To Soar With Me?
Current Status...
...is one of reflection, on this:
Anyone with Vision can count the seeds in a melon.
A Visionary can count the melons in a seed.
My Soapbox...
...Burn this quote into your front door! It comes from the business blog of Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishing, and a self-professed, once-upon-a-time failure,
"Failure is natural if you are striving to deliver big results. The problem comes when you fail and then refuse to acknowledge it [and learn from it]....Once you acknowledge [your] failure, you take away its power [over you]. You can then begin to turn it into something positive."
_from Michael Hyatt's post "Turning Failure to Your Advantage"
See you on the patio!
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