Make arrangements with your instructor to invite a commercial banker to speak to your class. Discuss what factors bankers find most important in making small business loans. Do they really want to see a business plan? What should be included in it? Which section do they look at first? Second? In what order of importance would they rank the five Cs of credit?

Does the visitor’s bank make SBA loans? What is different about them? What other alternatives to direct loans does the bank offer? Lines of credit? Access to factoring? Does the bank make recommendations

(and arrange meetings) to send a small business owner to meet with angel investors or venture capitalists?