Tip of the Week 

10 Principles for the SBA Lending Professional “Live Well and Prosper”

Every week, we hear from many of you that you really enjoy this little newsletter. We're glad. Usually we offer technical tips that you can use on specific deals or in your day to day work flow. Occasionally we "wax philosophically", taking little tidbits of wisdom or common sense and adapting it for our business. One of our mentors sent this list out this week and we like it and think it has merit in our fast paced, ever changing and often confusing world of SBA/Government Guaranteed Lending. Enjoy.

Principle 1: Inspire others and be inspired. Be open to fresh ideas, new ways of thinking, new approaches. If we lock into something, we lock out something possibly better. When we balance humility with confidence and competence, we inspire others to "up their game" too.

Principle 2: Make a difference. The SBA business is a small world, and our common denominator is we understand and care about the vitality and well being of the small business sector. You can make a difference for your family, in your company, with your customers, in your community and ultimately in our world. SBA is meaningful and it's up to all of us to make sure everyone gets that, especially our political leaders.

Principle 3: Live healthy, exercise regularly, eat well. Our business is not easy, especially right now. Are we doing everything possible to take care of ourselves so that we can be the best we can be, every day?

Principle 4: Be an involved life learner. Truly interesting, successful people are committed to lifelong learning. Evolve. Remember, if you keep doing what you've been doing, you'll keep getting what you've been getting. Are you happy with what you've been getting lately?

Principle 5: Find a coach. Do you have someone you admire and trust who'll really tell it to you straight, without beating you up in the process? We all need perspective and a great coach can help us stretch in ways we didn't think possible.

Principle 6: Be a coach. Pay it forward. Be open to helping someone else. As you well know, we don't learn the "SBA Way" over night; it takes years of focus and practical execution. We have new folks joining us all the time and they need us to show them the ropes. Are you prepared to give a little?

Principle 7: Surround yourself with positive, supportive people. If you find that someone or something is bringing you down (including television news), make a choice to remove yourself from those situations. Life is too short to spend it with negative influences. We need support along the way, don't be bashful to ask for it when you need it.

Principle 8: Make your miles quality miles. Remember the old adage: life is a journey not a destination? It's true. Also, our SBA business is a journey, a marathon not a sprint (except at quarter end!). Pace yourself, try to enjoy the scenery while you're adding on miles. And if you travel for work a lot like some of us, make the most of that too, it's not easy but it can be very enriching to travel across this great country.

Principle 9: Maintain your integrity and character in these tough times. Having character is doing the right thing even when no one is looking. It takes a long time to build trust and a positive reputation and just a short time to tear it down. Be consistently honorable, you'll never regret it.

Principle 10: Mentally place yourself at the finish line. If life is a race, what do we want it to look like when we cross the line? If we chunk it down into bite size pieces (days, weeks, quarters), can we vision what success looks like for us, in our business?

We at sbaAccess would like to thank and acknowledge those mentors who have shared these kinds of "pearls of wisdom" with us so that we can customize them to fit our industry. That is what we do, we help our clients make sense out of confusing rules and regulations; we provide perspective about profitability, efficiency metrics and other key indicators of success. We can help you get into the SBA business, do more of it better, or get out if that is best for you. Give us a call or visit us at http://www.sbaAccess.com

Take the right approach.
Brian Burke and Karen McHugh