Things have been going well with all of my new jobs and I am still on the hunt for some more.   If anyone out there wants to see a particular marketing/advertising/pr topic covered here on the blog please let me know.

Have a nice holiday weekend.

Manny & Killeen

I am successfully balancing all of my jobs and am actually looking to take on a few more gigs.   So……if you are in need of my help please feel free to email me and I’ll see what Manny and I can do to help.   

I am also still waiting on a few editor responses related to some previous submissions.   I should know something more about those by the end of the month.

The new government related job is going well.    I am still doing OJT with them.   There is a lot of paperwork to learn, but I am managing just fine.

Hope everyone has a great week!

As this week draws to a close I find myself exhausted, but overall satisfied and happy with the progress of my work.

I am working with the editors at both Cookie magazine and Girl’s Life Magazine on getting one of my client’s some high quality exposure.    The same client followed up on a lead I gave them and it looks like Maire Claire Magazine is also going to mention them.   I am keeping my fingers crossed for them on the Maire Claire thing as it is out of my hands at the moment.

I will (as always) keep you posted.   Have a great holiday weekend!

This week I heard from the Editor at Daily Venus Diva.   She is going to publish an article for one of my fashion industry related clients.   I am working with her and my client on getting that done.   She also wants them to participate in a promotional giveaway with her magazine so that is part of the negotiations at this time.

I heard from the Editor at the Washington Herald Telegraph.  He gave me another assignment.   As usual it is an investigative piece on Washington, DC.   I started the research and sent a few email requests for interviews out to the appropriate people.

The Editor at Extreme Woman magazine asked me to join her staff group.   They meet regularly and discuss article ideas etc.   She is publishing two articles of mine –one in September and another one in October.

I got tentatively accepted to write book covers and book related press releases.   The job hasn’t officially started yet, that is why I said “tentatively”.  They told me that they would contact me in the coming weeks with assignments.

I accepted a government related job.   I’ll start working with them in September.   It will take me out of the home office for up to several hours each week.   My husband Manny will be holding down the proverbial “fort” during my absences.    So don’t be surprised if you get an email or telephone response from him instead of me.

A few publishers/Editors contacted me about articles I sent out a few weeks back.   It looks like some of them may accept the pieces in their upcoming issues.  I will know more about all of that later.

I also heard from two family members who want me to create a website for their fireworks business so I have started looking into that.

And last but certainly not least, Roots and Wings added my bio to their website.   You can check it out by the following link http://www.rootsandwingsintl.org/whoweare/ourteam-tc.htm.

Have a good week!

In this small Rhode Island town secrets run dark and deep.   But there is more than the normal small town secrets that lay hidden here.   Just under the surface there is an evil so ancient and pervasive that it threatens to disrupt the very fabric of a young girl’s life.

Shortly after a new girl arrives at their high school 17 year old Arianna Springs and her reticent, long-time friend Melissa Sorrent become unwitting players in the reoccurring battle between good and evil.    What started in the Russian Bar Crimson, centuries ago must be finished here in modern day New England and everyone, including Arianna’s new friend Issac Douglas and the brooding, aloof Aaron will play a role.    In order to survive the present Arianna must quickly uncover the past.   A past steeped in vampire blood, love and betrayal.   Will she uncover the truth in time?   Or will she and her friends succumb to the ancient evil that desperately wants to destroy the half-blood?

Author Chrystal Nelson lives in Rapid City, South Dakota and is currently working on “The Darkness Within” and “The Moon’s Mourning Cry”, sequels to “Shadows around the Corner”.   She enjoys writing fictional stories for teenage audiences.

Roots and Wings International gives much needed lift to those in need

By Mrs. Killeen Gonzalez

Before being able to study social services at the University Galileo, 22 year old Diego Guachaj Chox literally climbed mountains to get his education.   Diego lived in one of the poorest villages in Guatemala’s Boca Costa region and was one of the lucky few to attend school past elementary grade level.   He spent two and a half hours walking down the mountain from his home in Chuinimajuyup to the school and another three and a half hours walking back up the mountain to go home.

And though Diego is now enrolled in the University he is still climbing mountains for a cause as told by Roots and Wings founder, Erik Swanson.  

Roots & Wings International is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to provide scholarships and promote community development as defined by locals themselves.   They have offices in both Washington, DC and Southwest Guatemala in the mountains of Boca Costa.   Though an independent organization they also engage in activities in tandem with a Guatemalan founded, sister non-profit called Raices y Alas Guatemala.

Erik’s story begins with Diego inviting him and another RWI staff member, Cristobal to his house for lunch at 1 PM.   The three and a half hour mountain hike to Diego’s home was more arduous than they had expected.   As they continued hiking to Diego’s home, nearly an hour late for their appointed lunch meeting, they spied 12 young men trekking up the mountain carrying a full size electric pole on their heads.   One of the men was Diego.

After a quick explanation, Erik and Cristobal learned that Chuinimajuyup, Diego’s community, did not have electricity and these driven young men were attempting to change that.   Each pole required 12 men to carry it for 3.5 hours up the mountain side.  They would need many poles before the project was complete.   As Erik and Cristobal continued towards the appointed lunch spot, Diego and his comrades continued with their labors.  Diego promised to catch up with the two men later in the day.

When Erik, Cristobal and Diego were finally able to sit down for some much deserved repast Diego though obviously exhausted from his day long labors was literally beaming with pride at what he had to tell his table mates.   “Because of his (Roots and Wings sponsored) education, the community had asked Diego to prepare the solicitation to the government which secured the funding for the electrification project” recalled Erik.

In a country that has never fully recovered from a prolonged civil war in the 1960’s, and has an illiteracy rate of up to 70% in many areas such as Chuinimajuyup, Diego’s story is inspiring and unfortunately rare.   It is the rarity of Diego’s story that Roots and Wings International hopes to change over time.   As it stands now only three out of every ten Guatemalan students (60 percent) graduate from the sixth grade.   Coupled with those staggering figures is the fact that the country has only a few public schools in existence that serve a very small segment of the indigenous population.  

In addition, the Guatemalan government does not provide junior or senior high schools.   As a result private schools that cost more than an average Guatemalan family’s income fill in the educational gaps.    RWI founder Erik Swanson knows these facts all too well.   For it was his foray into the Guatemalan school system that in part prompted him to start the organization.   In 2004, Erik, then an industrious Washington, DC law student, took some time off from his studies to serve as an administrator at El Instituto La Asuncion, a combination junior and senior high school located in the village of Xejuyup.   “He got involved in the community right away and made a big effort to involve himself with people” said Rachel Cope, former catholic school teacher who worked with Erik at that time.   And it was from those humble beginnings that Roots and Wings International was formed, with the organizations first two scholarships coming directly from Erik’s pocket.

Diego is not the only one this non-profit has helped.   At Galileo University Diego is joined by 24 year old Pascual Esteban Rajpop Sac who is studying to be a high school teacher.   The oldest of seven siblings, Pascual was no stranger to the difficulties of obtaining an education in his family’s small village of Pasac, Sololá.  Pascual’s mother never received a formal education and his father was only able to complete the 6^th grade.  Although his parents, who made their living through farming, barely earned enough to survive, they insisted that their children go to school.  Accordingly, Pascual alternated his time between working in the family’s fields and his studying.   Thanks to a Roots and Wings scholarship, Pascual is now able to study at the University as well as work as an elementary school teacher.   His teaching job allows him to help pay for his younger siblings´ junior high and high school education.

With extreme poverty come other stories of hardship and perseverance, such as that of 28 year old Pascual Can Chox and 25 year old Cruz Tzep Can.   Abandoned at age 12 by an alcoholic father Pascual was left to fend for himself.   His mother had died previous to his abandonment.  Without parental support this strong spirited young man managed to put himself through high school.   After graduation he was bestowed a Roots and Wings scholarship that enabled him to begin attending the University Mariano Galvez where he is studying school administration.

In a similar situation to Pascual, Cruz death claimed both of his parents when he was but a young lad.   With no family for support and a meager monthly salary of $12.00, all of Cruz’s money went towards living expenses at the boarding house in Xejuyup, Sololá where he resides.    Determined to overcome his bleak situation, Cruz, thanks to help from Roots and Wings, is now in his first year of high school at El Instituto La Asuncion, the very same institution where Roots and Wings Founder Erik Swanson was introduced first hand to the dire situation of Guatemala’s indigenous people.

Scholarships are not all that Roots and Wings provides.   They assist with giving Guatemala’s indigenous people a “hand up” instead of merely a “hand out”.    Erik explains “The region in Guatemala where we work is made up of dozens of coffee-producing communities.  Although there is high international demand for the shade-grown organic coffee produced there, the average coffee farmer earns less than $2 per day.  Because we believe that it is important for communities to have ownership over their own development, we believe it is appropriate to reinvest coffee proceeds back into the communities that grow it.  By using coffee proceeds the communities are truly investing in their own future”.

In addition to the coffee program, scholarship winners are asked to create at least one traditional Mayan weaving that is then sold with the profits going back to the student’s community through other programs like after-school tutoring and computer labs.

Staffed almost entirely of volunteers, RWI puts 90% of what it raises back into the communities it serves.   As a result they attract a wide range of volunteers who all agree on the importance of education in relation to breaking the cycle of poverty.

One such volunteer is Anna Heatherly who of other RWI volunteers remarked “I’ve never worked with volunteers who were more passionate or dedicated to a cause”.

If you would like to be like Anna and volunteer with Roots and Wings International or donate towards their cause you can log onto their website www.rootsandwingsIntl.org for more details.   The site also features additional heart-warming stories of the countless Guatemalans’ that they are helping to lift out of poverty one step at a time.

An interview with Shabby Apple Dress Company’s Owners

By Mrs. Killeen Gonzalez

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down and interviewing two successful female entrepreneurs; Athelia Woolley and Emily McCormick, who are co-owners of Shabby Apple (www.shabbyapple.com), a Salt Lake City, Utah online Dress Company who partners with Unitus, a non-profit that provides micro-credit loans for impoverished women.

Introduce yourself a little bit and describe how your brand was started?   

Emily: After years of not being able to find stylish dresses that covered enough skin to make us feel comfortable (without wearing a tank top or cardigan) we, Emily McCormick and Athelia Woolley, decided to do something about it. The Shabby Apple Company launched in December of 2006 and its product lines are distributed online and to clothing boutiques around the country.

How did you come up with the name “shabby apple”, what does the name mean to you both?

Athelia: It started with a love of apples…hilariously. We were trying to think of something that we both loved…and we landed on apples. We added the Shabby because together, Shabby Apple, reminded us of mixing the old with the new…like Audrey Hepburn with something fresh and stylish…

You stated earlier that you started Shabby Apple because you didn’t like the revealing or masculine nature of women’s clothing at that time.  How did those types of clothes (revealing, masculine) make you feel and why?

Athelia: Most clothing today is designed for women who are six feet tall and have no curves.  Yet real women don’t look like this.  And they shouldn’t.  I love being a woman.  I love being feminine.  I love being curvy.  I want my clothing to celebrate this.  Since I couldn’t find clothing that did, I decided to create my own.  Shabby Apple clothing consists primarily of dresses, the ultimate feminine outfit.  These dresses are made with ‘girly’ detailing such as bows, flowers and ruffles.  In addition, we pay special attention to make each design flattering on women with ‘real’ bodies. 

Those feelings had to have caused a pretty strong reaction for you to start your own company.   Explain those feeling more in depth and why it so motivated you to change the world.  (Interviewer’s Note: Shabby Apple’s sales materials state that of the 550 million working poor, an estimated 330 million are women and 70% of the people suffering from hunger in the world are women and children)

Athelia: This is not right.  As a former human rights activist and domestic violence counselor, I am saddened by the way women are still treated and viewed throughout the world.  Even domestically, women still earn 80 cents for every dollar that men earn (for the same position).  I believe part of the problem stems from how women are portrayed by the media and how we sometimes portray ourselves.  It is difficult for a woman to be respected or get a well-deserved promotion in a professional environment if she wears halter tops to work.  Yet, the fashion industry doesn’t give her many alternatives. Thus we decided to create clothes that are feminine and flattering, but yet can still allow women to be taken seriously.

Finally, in my international human rights work, I learned how many women worldwide struggled to feed themselves and their families.  After familiarizing ourselves with the Grameen Bank and microcredit, we decided that the best way to help women around the world would be to help them start their own businesses.  Both my partner and I feel grateful and empowered by starting a business and we wanted to give other women the same opportunity.

What advice would you give to young women who feel pressure to wear more revealing styles?

Athelia: You can be beautiful and respect yourself at the same time.  Those around you will respect you to the degree you respect yourself.

What was the hardest part about starting your own business?   What was the easiest?

Athelia: The most difficult part was (and still is) knowing when to rest.  Its wonderful being my own boss, but the problem is, I don’t have anyone to tell me to stop.  I never quite know when enough is enough.

Athelia: The easiest is thinking of new ideas and being able to implement them without having to go through anyone else.

Emily: I agree whole-heartedly with Athelia…there’s always more to be done, so knowing when to stop is a killer.

Emily: The easiest thing is that we control our future and the direction our company is going. No one else is telling us what to do…

Do you have a background in clothing design, or was this just something you decided you wanted to do and learned how?

Athelia: I studied art and design in college and learned about clothing through some costume-making endeavors I had while dancing in college.

Did you always know that you wanted to be in the fashion business?

Athelia: No. I but I kept going back to it.  From the 8^th grade on, I kept thinking that if I could do anything, it would be this.

Emily: Yes, but I didn’t think it would pay the bills.

Tell us a little bit more about your educational backgrounds.

Athelia:   I have a B.A. from Stanford University in Art History and Dance, and a M.S. from Columbia University in Social Work. I danced professionally in London and at the Amnesty International Film Festival in San Francisco.   I provided therapy to the homeless, rape victims and victims of domestic violence in Harlem and Brooklyn. I was also a lab assistant at neuroscience lab in Stanford, California.

Emily:   I have a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism from Brigham Young University and a M.A. in Communication. I have worked in marketing and public relations for several advertising and design agencies.

What made you want to get multiple college degrees?   Would you recommend this path to others?

Emily: I believe in education. I wanted to have as many options available to me as possible, and I felt that furthering my education was the best way to go about doing that. I would always recommend more education.

Athelia: I love to learn!

Are you married? If so how long and what role if any do your husband(s) have in the business?

Emily: Yes…for eight years. My husband, Adam, is always a support and a great sounding board for new ideas.

Athelia: No.   I am not married and do not have any children.

Are your families involved in the business and if so what are the blessings and curses in having family involved?

Emily: They’re not overly involved…sisters always love having some input on which dresses they like.

How many children do you have?  Are they Boys or girls?   What are their ages and names?

Emily: Two children and one on the way.    My son Tucker is 4 years old.    My daughter, Berkeley is 20 months old.   And I have a baby boy due September!

How do you balance work and family?   Do you find it challenging?   Do you think that women can balance these things successfully?

Emily: It is extremely difficult. I have three children and have to make sure to discipline myself to not let family time become work time and vice versa. You can do it, you just need to make a plan of how much you’re willing to give, and then make yourself stop.

Hilary Clinton almost made it to President.   How did it feel to see a woman get so far and how much farther do you think women can go in business and society in general?

Athelia: I think we are just at the beginning.  Carley Fiorina spoke at my graduation.  She showed me that women can do anything.

When you were growing up who was your hero and why?

Athelia: I’ve always looked up to Eleanor Roosevelt.  She made a decision in her life to get outside of herself and help others.

Emily: Joan of Arc. I remember my mom reading me her story as a child and me thinking how amazing she was to be young, a female and a peasant, yet willing to stand up for what she believed.

Do you consider yourself a hero?

Athelia: No. 

Emily: No.

How did you two (Emily & Athelia) meet?   How long have you been friends?   Does it make it easier being friends who work together or does it make it harder?

Athelia: Emily and I met in elementary school and became close friends later in High School.  We initially became friends because of our mutual love of fashion!  Being friends makes it infinitely easier to have her as a partner.  I would say the number one most important thing in a partnership is trust.  This is something that I’ve never had to worry about with Emily.

What strengths and weaknesses does each of you bring to the table?

Athelia: Emily is a gifted writing and very good with words.  She’s creative and ‘gets’ branding.  She also is very personable.  The best thing, about her, however, is how hard-working and efficient she is.  At the end of a day’s work, I sometimes can barely catch my breath!

Emily: Athelia is amazing at thinking of the big picture and looking for new ways for us to move forward. She’s constantly bringing up an idea that we should pursue or a new market to look into or a great partnership idea. She is fabulous at “thinking outside the box.”

What part of owning your own business is the most personally satisfying to you?

Athelia: Having the ability to determine its outcome.

Emily: Ditto

What do you wish you knew BEFORE going into business?

Athelia: How hard it would be!

What is the most important thing you learned about going into business?

Athelia: Plan. Plan. Plan.  And, nothing will ever go as planned. 

How do your management styles differ or how are they similar to a man’s?

Athelia: I think men often tell people what to do whereas we discuss what the best options are and then try and find a solution.

Do you look for diversity in your work force?   How many men work for you vs. women?

Athelia: Yes we do look for diversity, as different backgrounds bring different ideas. The majority of our workforce is women, partially due to the fact that we really try to cater to women’s lifestyles with flexible work hours, part-time opportunities, work-from-home, etc.

How does your corporate culture differ from male drive ones?   How is it similar?

Emily: We make decisions together…it’s not command and control. We ask for input and we value and consider everyone’s opinion.

What advice would you give to young women who aspire to start their own business?

Emily: Make a business plan!

Now that you have achieved business success is there anything that you wish that you had done differently?

Emily: Many things!  We’ve learned that that’s just the nature of business.  

Tell us a little bit of what goes into designing one of your four yearly lines.   How long does the process take from start to finish?

Athelia: Usually at least six months.  First we have to conceptualize what we want.  From there, a drawing has to be made, then an actual sample.  Once we have a sample made, we make changes to it and have another sample made.  Often we have 5-8 samples of the same dress made to make sure that it is perfect. Next we have a pattern made and purchase fabric.  Finally, the pattern must be graded, meaning changed for each size.  This is all for one dress.  When conceptualizing a line, we try to think what dresses go well together and what the line actually needs to make it versatile.

Describe this season and next season’s looks and tell us what inspired you to create them.

Athelia:  This season is our “Manhattan” line and was inspired by the sophistication and sassiness of the big city. The line focuses on a tailored, work wear line that’s dressiness is the equivalent of the man’s suit, but so much better for a woman because it’s designed for women (http://www.shabbyapple.com/c-37-manhattan.aspx). Our fall line has a softer look, with more feminine lines and details. The colors define fall, with olives, violets, teals.

What inspired you to create your maternity line and you your baby line?

Emily: We wanted to be the catch all for women’s dresses; including all phases of life. We wanted to offer women feminine options that they couldn’t find anywhere else…plus it didn’t hurt that I needed a few maternity and baby dresses for me.

Looking ahead over the next year or two, what themes/looks/styles do you see your brand gravitating to? 

Athelia: We’re finding inspiration in the fun of Coney Island, the classics of Old Hollywood and 1970s bohemia.

What has been a surprise fashion hit over the last year?  

Athelia: People LOVE our tiered dresses. It’s a great look on so many bodies!

What inspires you to come up with your accessories line?

Emily: We focus on pieces that are feminine and make a statement.

What dress or accessory design are you most proud of and why?

Emily: Cleopatra. This is my favorite dress. It’s elegant. You can wear it to a wedding, yet you can wad it up and throw it in a suitcase and it still looks great. My kind of dress!

What is your personal favorite article of clothing? What is your favorite accessory? What is your favorite pair of shoes? Explain why.

Athelia: I love the 16 candles dress.  I feel pretty every time I wear it.  I love it with the Dire Red sandals for summer. 

Emily: Hilarious I own a dress company because I ADORE jeans and a white t-shirt with a fun pair of shoes.

What steps did you take to get your clothing into stores?   Was it hard to do?

Athelia: This really wasn’t our focus.   We always wanted to be the online dress boutique.

What was the first Shabby Apple item that you ever got placed into a retail store?   What did the realization of this dream mean to you?  

Athelia: It was the Tuxedo dress and it went into a swank little boutique. It was so fun! But, as the years have passed, we’ve realized we’re much more an online retailer than a brick and mortar. We love the accessibility of the online environment.

What is the fashion industry really like?   Is it as the Hollywood movies like “The Devil wears Prada” portrays?

Athelia: I wish it were as glamorous as “The Devil Wears Prada.” Sometimes you go to work in sweats, just because there’s so much to be done.

Where do you get your models from?   What kinds of messages do you think the modeling agencies are sending to young women and why?

Athelia: We don’t typically get them from modeling agencies.  Instead, we use women we know or who we work with.  We don’t think modeling agencies send the right messages to women.

What else do you think that the fashion industry can do as a whole to empower women?

Athelia: They can design clothing that accentuates curves instead of hide them.  They can use models that are beautiful but that eat.

How many fashion shows has the company been featured in?    What is it like being in a fashion show?

Emily: At least 40…it’s fabulous seeing our designs on a runway. Definitely a dream comes true.

What magazines have you been in and why? (i.e. feature, product mention etc.)

Emily: Redbook, product mention; Woman’s World, product mention; Wondertime, featured product; All You, lead fashion story; lots of little local magazines…

Where would you like to be in 5 years?  10 years?

Athelia: I would eventually like to expand into a whole line of clothing-tops, suite etc.

Emily: Ditto.

Do you have any product line expansion plans? 

Emily: We have a baby line, a preteen line, a maternity line and plus size dresses. We’ll be adding a sportswear line…kind of the “anti-Nike”. It’s feminine and sweet…again, it appeals directly to women. We’ll also be adding a bridesmaid line early 2010.

What celeb or well-known figure(s) exemplifies your brand? 

Athelia: I’d say Gwyneth Paltrow becase she is simple, sophisticated, and feminine.

Has any celebrity worn one of your designs? If so, who?

Emily: Yes, Broadway star Natalie Hill

For women who do not have internet access, where can they buy your clothes?   What stores are they in and where are those stores?

Emily: The best way would be to call the Shabby Apple warehouse at 801-277-3255.

Here are the sites:

Morgue File

www.sxc.hu (Stock.Xchnge)

Flickr

search.creativecommons.org

buzznet.com

freestockphotos.com

freerangestock.com

commons.wikimedia.org

freedigitalphotos.net

Enjoy!

I hope that everyone had a productive week.    Here is an update on where we are with publications.

Extreme Woman Magazine (www.extremewomanmagazine.com) has accepted one of my articles about a certain client.   There is a second article pending approval for another one of my client’s.   The first article is scheduled for their fall issue.   I also have a conference call scheduled with the magazine’s editor ( her request ) to pitch other story ideas early next week.

Non-Profit Awareness Magazine (www.nonprofitawareness.com) has accepted one of my articles about a certain client and I have a second article pending.   The first article is to be published on August 23rd so next week be sure to head on over to their site and check it out.

Late this week I picked up a new client from Suffern, NY so once all the contract details are hammered out I will need to start crafting a few new articles for them next week.

I picked up another client who wants me to write book covers and book press releases.   I sent out my first assignment to them this past week.

I sent out a bunch of new queries to assorted magazines for several clients.

I bid on and applied for a few more freelance jobs.

I was accepted by Demand Studios.  I signed up with them for filler work ( in-between clients ).

I wrote 3 new articles for two existing, long-time clients this past week.   Two of which were already accepted by magazines for publishing.   The third article is pending acceptance.

A few more article database/aggregate sites moved me to “expert author” status and I uploaded a few more pieces on their sites.

I wrote some fund-raising letters for another non-profit — a community center in Texas.

That’s about it for now.  I am still working on writing a few more marketing related articles to post to this site.   They are on hold while I complete the “paid” gigs.

Here is hoping that everyone has a great weekend and prosperous week ahead!

Documents Needed For a Small Business Loan

By Mrs. Killeen M. Gonzalez

Applying for a small business loan can be a lengthy and complicated process that requires the loan applicant to produce a multitude of documents.   Fortunately, there are organizations that can provide the loan applicant with assistance in preparing the loan application.  

These organizations can range from independent, unbiased web sites such as Loan.com and Finweb.com to government entities such as; the Small Business Association (1-800-U-ASK-SBA), SCORE (1-800-634-0245) and the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency (1-888-324-1551).  

Regardless of whether you are applying for a loan through the government or a private lender, there are some standard documents that you can prepare in advance of the loan application.   These include; personal background documents, business documents, and financial documents.

First, in regards to personal background documents you will want to assemble a list of your previous addresses, previous names used, criminal history if any, personal credit history, educational background, business experience and personal financial information

(1 year of bank statements).

Second, when it comes to business documents you will want to have available your business plan, marketing plan, business license and registration, business tax identification number, articles of incorporation, franchise agreements, commercial leases, copies of all 3^rd party contracts, list of business creditors, list of business debt, list of suppliers, list of assets you have as well as assets you may still need to purchase, profiles on all members of the management team, details on why you need the loan as well as details on how you intend to apply the loan if approved.

Third, and perhaps the most important, are the financial documents.   You will want to obtain one year’s worth of bank statements, three years worth of income tax returns, signed business balance sheet, detailed one year projection of income and finances, Profit and loss statements current within ninety days of loan application, business income statement, business cash flow sheet, business credit report, itemized list of accounts payable, itemized list of accounts receivable, list of aging, and an itemized list of business accounts in collections.   If you intend to use the loan monies to purchase a pre-existing business, there will be additional documents needed such as the proposed bill of sale inclusive of all terms as well as an itemized list containing the current value of all furniture, fixtures, inventory, machinery and accounts to be conveyed with the sale.  

In summary, applying for a small business loan can be a daunting task made easier with both professional assistance and advance preparation of some standard documents.

Though this article attempted to discuss some of the documents needed, it should in no way be considered an exhaustive list of what loan seekers will need during the application process.   Unbiased and independent organizations such as Loan.com, Finweb.com or others can provide loan seekers with invaluable information including document checklists.   If you need additional information on applying for a small business loan contact one of the organizations mentioned above.