Who Owns Your Loan?

If you have trouble reading this e-mail, go to http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/newsletter/index.html

SEARCH SITE Advanced Search

August 20, 2008
SmallBiz Insider Keep up-to-date with our latest offerings for entrepreneurs and small-business owners

NEWS  THIS WEEK'S TOP STORY Who Owns Your Loan? Entrepreneurs are negotiating with tough new creditors as banks look to ditch troubled loans

Inside: This Week in SmallBiz Banks wanting to sell off problem business loans are finding ready buyers in hedge funds, private equity firms, and finance companies. That means an increasing number of entrepreneurs are getting a nasty surprise: Their bank loan has been sold to a third party they've never heard of. We offer advice on what to do if it happens to you. Also on tap: Take a look at the dozen or so Web sites that review local businesses across the country. Meet business owners who are competing in the Beijing Olympics. Tune in to a podcast on selling a business in a down market. And check out our staff blog for the news, trends, and ideas that could impact your company. --Nick Leiber SEND FEEDBACK  |  E-MAIL A FRIEND  |  GET RSS  |  NEWSLETTERS

MORE SMALLBIZ NEWS FINANCE When You're in Bad with the Bank If you have missed payments on your bank loan or are in violation of covenants, your bank may want to sell off the loan. Here's what you can do to prepare yourself SALES & MARKETING Where Customers Go to Praise (or Bash) You There are a dozen or so Web sites that review local businesses across the country. Take a look, and read what people say behind your back SMALL BUSINESS FINANCING How to Negotiate a Term Sheet, Part I In this two-part series, columnist Tom Taulli defines key terms and sketches out common pitfalls for entrepreneurs negotiating a term sheet with venture capitalists SMART ANSWERS Landing a Business Loan After a Bankruptcy It's particularly tough in this economic climate, but there are options to securing the money you need GROWTH STRATEGIES Five Proven Internet Marketing Techniques Make sure your come-ons and your message are attractive, really communicate, and respond to customers' needs   SMALLBIZ SLIDE SHOWS Six Business Owners Who Are Olympic Athletes A look at six small-business owners who are competing in the Beijing Olympics SMALL BIZ Where Customers Review Businesses Online If you run a consumer business, chances are pretty good that a few of your customers are posting their opinions about it on customer review Web sites SMALL BIZ Slide Show: Fresh Entrepreneurs Welcome to our ongoing series profiling startups from across the country. We'll be asking for your suggestions and adding profiles on a regular basis   SMALLBIZ PODCASTS Selling a Business in a Down Market Small business owners who want to sell have an advantage. Even in a down market, there are always more buyers than sellers. But this year getting the best price will require creativity, says Peter Johnston, author of "Negotiating With Giants"   SMALLBIZ SPECIAL REPORTS Home- Based Business Branding Franchising Raising Capital The ABCs of Business Plans Best U.S. Entrepreneurs 25 and Under SMALLBIZ  BUSINESS DIRECTORY Need Help? Find experts in your area in: Accounting Advertising and Marketing E-Mail Marketing Legal Services Public Relations Search Engine Marketing Web Design Web Marketing Web Hosting  BW MALL   SPONSORED LINKS Courtyard by Marriott  Take a Tour of Courtyard Hotels. Designed for Business Travelers. No Hassle Small Business Loans  Instant Business Loan Quotes Up To $150K! Must Process $3K Per Month In Visa/MC. No Startups. Financial Management Strategies For Small Business  Sign Up For Your Free Paper. Embrace Business Technology & Transform Financial Management Strategy. Work doesn't have to suck...   Unleash your team's talent with web-hosted collaborative innovation software from OpenTeams. Attract Business Ezine Subscribers  The eZine Queen shows you secrets for online content success so you can make more money! Buy a link now! This newsletter is a FREE service provided by BusinessWeek.com. To sign up for other newsletters, cancel delivery, change delivery options or change your e-mail address, please go to our Newsletter Preferences page. If you need other assistance, please contact Customer Service or contact: Wanda Cooper BusinessWeek Customer Rights Communications Data Services 1995 G Avenue Red Oak, IA 51566 Phone: 1-800-635-1200 View our corporate privacy policy here. To learn more about how BusinessWeek.com applies this policy, you can contact our Marketing Department. Copyright 2008, by The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of Use | Privacy Notice

BLOG The New Entrepreneur >> For years now, the Amish have moved away from strictly farming and diversified into various other ventures. Could this be the start of a new trend in small business: the Amish workforce? In this time of rising costs due to fuel spikes and the loss of manufacturing jobs as a result of outsourcing, tapping into this hardworking domestic set of ready-made workers appears attractive to a degree. However, it also raises a troubling specter... -- Stacey Perman Visit Our Other Blogs Auto Beat Bangalore Tigers Blogspotting Brand New Day Byte of the Apple Economics Unbound European Insight Fine On Media Games, Inc. GreenBiz Hot Property Investing Insights Management IQ New Technology in Asia NEXT: Innovation Tools & Trends NussbaumOnDesign Tech Beat Working Parents POST YOUR OWN COMMENTS ADVERTISEMENT Get Options Trading Ideas for Major Currencies Get currency options trading ideas with Trading Central's free FX Options Trade Alert. See opportunities as they arise, based on technical analysis. SMART ANSWERS KAREN E. KLEIN >> How Much Time Should You Spend Networking? William Baker, marketing professor at San Diego State University, shares research findings on networking, particularly its relation to innovation SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO KAREN >   VIEWPOINT CARMINE GALLO >> Four Ways to Improve a Presentation Borrow rhetorical devices used by politicians and successful ad campaigns to make your presentations, pitches, and speeches more convincing MORE CARMINE GALLO COLUMNS >>   Advertisement   Reader Poll: Special Issue Trouble at the office? In surveys, blogs, polls, and social media, BusinessWeek collaborated with readers to identify problems at work. Together we found answers.   Today's Tip Leadership Each new day brings many chances to learn, and these opportunities are often hidden in plain sight. In this, children can be our teachers... --David Peck, President, Leadership Unleashed READ MORE >   IN YOUR FACE: CLOUD COMPUTING Reader MichaelC Writes: "I try to support indie coffee shops, much like Starbucks was back in the day, even if it means going out of my way." Tell Us: Are You Losing Your Local Starbucks? >   BusinessWeek has teamed with J.D. Power and Associates to let you compare customer satisfaction and product quality ratings. Automobiles Cable/Satellite Providers Consumer Electronics Copiers Digital Cameras TVs Insurance Auto Insurance Collision Repair (Auto Insurance) Home Insurance Financial Services Full-Service Investing Mortage Service Online Trading Telephone/Wireless All-Distance Phone Providers Wireless Service Internet Service Providers   Advertisement   VIDEO VIEWS >> Workplace Blahs Employees are dragging in the dog days of summer. How can companies maintain workforce moraleâ?"while boosting productivity and profits? It's a two-way street     SUBSCRIBE TO BUSINESSWEEK SmallBiz Print Table of Contents Get SmallBiz Free With Your Subscription To BusinessWeek Subscribe Now Customer Service SMALLBIZ FREE ONLINE COURSES Instructor-led classes on the latest topics for registered BusinessWeek users. Sign up now • The Wireless Mobile Office • Designing and Equipping Your Home Office • Setting Up a Wireless Home Network • Start-Up Basics for the First-Time Entrepreneur • Writing a High-Impact Business Plan • Raising Capital for Your Small Business