Your Banker is your best friend - Part I

Frederick J. Sitzberger

We help many small businesses in our firm from start up to mature businesses-fifteen to twenty years from inception. With all new businesses, I try to always say "Your Banker is your best friend," as this can provide your company with bridge financing to help during the negative cashflow period. We can help the bankers make the correct decision by following a few choice actions:

Send timely quarterly financial statements for their review. Statements are timely if within 45 days after quarter end and ninety days after year end.
Call your banker and keep him or her alert for any problems as they arise. This involvement allows them to become part of the solution.
Always have a year end profit in your company. Do this even if it means you taking less or no salary. This means so much during the loan review. You never have to explain a profit but you always have to explain a loss.
Balance between tax planning and money taken out of your company. A good net worth in your company insures your banker's continued support.
Keep your loans current. This should be considered a top priority. Pay your loans before your accounts payable. The banker is happy to advance more funds only if your present loans are current.

Your banker truly is your best friend and if treated properly will provide financing for future equipment purchases, cash flow shortages, mergers, and if you are lucky, a free game of golf at the next Brookfield Chamber Golf outing.

The next several articles will discuss lines of credit, intermediate loans and long term financing.

Provided by: Fred Sitzberger, CPA, CVA

Sitzberger Widmann & Company, SC

14640 W. Greenfield Rd.

Brookfield, WI 53045

Phone: (262) 860-1724

Fax: (262) 860-1726