Click on the photos below to see the full-size image.

A big thank you to all who commented, shared, and retweeted my original blog post about this. We’re also currently working with the corporate team at the Ritz-Carlton to include a little blurb of my experience on their website. Stay tuned for more details on that.

Chris

P.S. Don’t forget about our complimentary iPhone app available here. If you download it and use it, let me know what you think. And for all the Android users, we’ll have an Android version in the coming months.

I was in Los Angeles about six weeks ago on one of these recent business trips, and it happened to coincide with my kids’ Spring Break. I wished I could have spent the time with them, but I suggested that my wife use some of my Marriott points I’ve been accumulating and take the kids to stay at the Ritz-Carlton on Amelia Island, which is about two hours or so from Orlando.

Well, they had a great time at the Ritz, but (as often happens on family vacations) they left something behind at the hotel. My son has had a special blanket since he was about two years old. It’s a teddy-bear-type-thing — a giraffe named Joshie. When my son realized Joshie was missing, he was inconsolable. As his father, I had to fix the situation and make it right. So what did I do? I lied, naturally. A “white” lie, but a tall-tale nonetheless.

To find out what I told him (and what the Ritz-Carlton staff did — Aaron, especially — to substantiate my fabricated truth), you’ll just have to watch the video below. I think you’ll be pretty impressed. A couple of my dear friends (Victor Cheng, Dave Dee, Dr. Charley Martin, Robert Skrob, and Rob Berkley) insisted I do this video and share it. Thanks for the push, guys!

In my opinion, this is a wonderful case study in customer service. Aaron and the staff at the Ritz-Carlton went out of their way to make sure my son got his Joshie back, but they’ve also now given me such a great story to tell, which I’m now telling you. See how that works?

But what do you think? Leave a comment below to tell me what you think about Joshie’s adventure, any lessons you see and could apply, and/or a special customer service experience you’ve had.

I hope you share this video with a few of your friends. I’d love to see more businesses adopt this kind of above-and-beyond customer service mentality. It makes a big difference when you’re fighting tooth-and-nail to get new customers, while keeping the ones you have.

Thanks for watching and reading!

Dedicated to Your Continued Success,

Chris

P.S. If you or someone you know is looking for the right commercial property financing, call me at 1-866-622-4504 or email me at ChrisHurn@MercantileCC.com. We work hard to provide the best customer experience anywhere in the small business commercial lending industry, and we look forward to proving it to you and anyone you refer to us.

In my very first Huffington Post blog late last week, I wrote about several “fixes” to SBA loan programs that will tremendously help out America’s small business owners. Specifically, there are two programs that are set to expire this coming September which, if extended another year (at a minimum) will provide capital to thousands of small business owners so they can grow, create jobs, and help our economy fully recover. You can read the full blog post/article on The Huffington Post here.

If you happened to read or watch my testimony before the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship back in March, there’s not much new in this Huffington Post blog. But if you agree with any of my ideas on how to help America’s small business owners, you ought to share this with someone (or a whole bunch of someones) to help spread the word about these things. I know more than a few people who are impressed and/or swayed more easily by reading something that’s published under the banner of a website such as The Huffington Post (me: I don’t really care . . . just trying to get this important message out there). Hopefully this blog will continue to make waves and instigate some change on behalf of our small business community.

Personally, I would really appreciate it if you’d share my blog post with some folks and leave a comment on the blog to let me know what you think. Thanks in advance!

Dedicated to Your Continued Success,

Chris

P.S. Don’t forget about our first (complimentary) iPhone App, available here. If you download it and use it, let me know how it works for you.

If you’re stuck on the unluckiness of today, I have something to change your mind — a surprise that’s been a long time coming.

Way back in November, I announced that we would be launching our very first iPhone app. Well, we’ve been a bit busier than anticipated (just had our best quarter ever, by the way) and that’s why you haven’t heard any more about our app. Well…today’s the day. You can now download our complimentary SmartChoice® Loan Calculator from the iTunes App Store!

Here’s a quick video that explains a little more about what this app does and why you should download and use it:

In return for this free app, I have a small favor to ask: once you download and use it, be sure to write a review and rate it. Of course, I’d really like to get positive reviews and five-star ratings, but that’s up to you. If you have any feedback for us, leave a comment below or email me at ChrisHurn@MercantileCC.com. Oh, and feel free to share this with anybody else you know who might find this calculator app useful. I have a feeling LOTS of business owners need this app right now!

Thanks!

Dedicated to Your Continued Success,

Chris

P.S. I really do hope our SmartChoice® Loan Calculator is a helpful tool for you. If you have any questions about it or how we can help you (or someone you know) purchase and/or construct commercial real estate the Smarter way, call me at 1-866-622-4504 or email me at ChrisHurn@MercantileCC.com.

As I mentioned in my last blog post, since I was given a very short window to deliver my testimony verbally, I submitted a written testimony that gives greater detail about the recommendations I made to the Senate Committee. If you have questions or concerns about anything I said in the video, or if you just like to have ALL the details (and then some), you can read my full written testimony here.

Also, if you’re a glutton for punishment and would like to watch the FULL Senate Hearing (it’s just under two hours), you can do that here.

So…now that you’ve heard my verbal testimony (for the second time, if you saw it live) and had the chance to read my full written testimony, what do you think about my recommendations for the Senate Committee and the 504 industry? Let me know by leaving a comment below or emailing me at ChrisHurn@MercantileCC.com. And thanks for hearing me out. As you can probably see (and read), I want nothing more than to strengthen and stabilize the SBA 504 loan program so we (and others) can continue using it to help America’s small businesses build wealth. I believe there hasn’t been a better tool to do this, and small businesses deserve this advocacy.

Chris

P.S. In case you haven’t heard, we’re having a record year so far. What does that mean for you and other small business owners? It IS POSSIBLE to get financing for owner-occupied commercial real estate projects! I know that lending hasn’t picked up drastically in all parts of the economy, but we’re helping more small business owners every day. If you or someone you know is interested in owning their commercial property, call me at 1-866-622-4504 or email me at ChrisHurn@MercantileCC.com TODAY!

As I began to prepare my testimony last Friday, I was advised that I could submit a lengthy written testimony and summarize the high points in my verbal testimony. If you happened to watch the hearing live, you saw that I stated the main points — Congress ought to extend the 504 Refi and FMLP programs by at least one year each, and CDCs ought to be given incentive to participate in recoveries — and referenced the supporting evidence in my full written testimony.

All told, I probably had the floor for a total of about 7 minutes, but my written testimony ran 12 pages. I thought you might like to see that full document, so you can view and download it (in PDF format) here .

We’re supposed to get a video of the hearing, but I can’t say for sure when that might be. As soon as it’s in our hands, you can bet we’ll get it posted here for you to see (hopefully no later than early next week).

In the meantime, let me know how I did (if you happened to catch the live video stream) and/or what you think about my full written testimony. Many thanks to the 100+ people who co-signed in support of my testimony and these changes to the SBA, and let’s all cross our fingers that this hearing and other things in motion will trigger some beneficial changes for small business owners.

Dedicated to Your Continued Success,

Chris

Late last week I got an invitation to speak before the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship this Thursday (tomorrow). They want me to discuss the FY 2013 SBA budget request, and I’m going to primarily talk about how to get the 504 program back to its historical zero-subsidy status.

On the heels of the recently-passed JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Startups) Act, we want them to extend the 504 Refi and FMLP programs by at least one year each (among other things). We hope to improve these programs and get zero-subsidy, SBA-supported capital flowing to America’s small business owners. (I say “we” because more than 100 small business lending professionals co-signed my testimony, agreeing with these points and urging the Senate Committee to take action.)

The Senate hearing will start at 10 a.m. tomorrow morning (Thursday) and run until I-don’t-know-when. Hopefully not too long — I have meetings scheduled with other political-types the rest of the afternoon. If you’d like to tune in to the live broadcast, you should be able to see it on the Senate Committee’s webpage here. We’re planning to also post the video of the hearing ourselves once we get it, but there’s no telling when that might be (we’ll let you know about it when it happens).

If you know someone who is (or ought to be) interested in the latest small business finance news, share this blog with them using the bar on the left side of this page. The more eyes we have here, the more support we’ll generate, and the more likely we’ll be to affect some real change on behalf of small businesses. Thanks in advance!

Dedicated to Your Continued Success,

Chris

P.S. Just because it’s Capitol Hill doesn’t mean we can have a little fun. Tell me a word or phrase you’d like me to squeeze in to my testimony, and I’ll see what I can do. No promises, but if someone suggests

Late yesterday, cloture (motion to limit debate) failed on the Reed-Landrieu-Levin Amendment, which included an extension for the SBA 504 Refi program. The cloture motion needed 60 votes and got only 55. This vote was expected due to other issues related to the underlying bill, and was not a reflection on the merits of the one-year refi extension.

What comes next is a motion to invoke cloture on the underlying bill (the IPO bill, or H.R. 3606). This vote was supposed to happen yesterday but was hastily postponed until sometime today at the earliest. If cloture is not invoked on this bill, then it’s likely that they’ll have to make room for a few more amendments. One of those amendments would likely address investor protections in the underlying bill, since that issue would probably be the cause of the failed cloture motion. But that also presents an opportunity to push for the 504 refi extension, as it is part of a separate amendment that Senators Landrieu and Snowe filed to the underlying bill. We also need to urge the Senators to do whatever they can to include an extension of FMLP.

If you’ve not already made the prescribed phone calls from yesterday’s blog post, I implore you to do so. The more the folks in Washington hear from us (their Constituents), the more likely they are to include the extensions that our small businesses very much need. If you HAVE made the phone calls, please SHARE this with as many people as possible. Again, the more calls that are made, the better.

And remember: these two provisions (the 504 refi and the FMLP program) are zero-subsidy programs, meaning that their slightly higher fees should cover future projected losses in these programs, YET they also help create and retain small business jobs (not to mention help small business balance sheets). Were it not for significant bureaucratic delays, these programs would have made a much greater impact by now. It’s the right and proper thing to do to extend these programs by one year so they can assist more small business owners…and in a subsidy-neutral and budget-neutral way. Who can honestly be against two temporary programs that will cost taxpayers nothing, but save and create jobs?!? Isn’t it time the folks in Washington do something for the little guys on Main Street, but in a responsible way?

Thanks again for your support and your efforts!

Dedicated to Your Continued Success,

Chris

You may already be following what’s going on in Washington today with the JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Startups) Act (H.R. 3606) and the Reed-Landrieu-Levin Amendment, but watch the video below for a summary of the issues at hand…and to find out who I’d like you to call and why.

I know you’re busy, but I (and small business owners everywhere) would really appreciate it if you’d take just 10 minutes (or less) to make the following four phone calls:

PHONE CALL #1: Senator Mary Landrieu, (202) 224-5824

Message: You support 504 Refi and FMLP one-year extensions, and you’d like to see her submit a small-business-only (or SBA-only) substitute amendment to the JOBS Act bill as soon as possible. Ask them to please pass this message along to her Small Business Staff.  

PHONE CALL #2: Choose one member (below) of the Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship (preferably one from your state, if possible…or near your state):

Kelly Ayotte (R) — New Hampshire — (202) 224-3324
Scott Brown (D) — Massachusetts — (202) 224-4543
Maria Cantwell (D) — Washington — (202) 224-3441
Ben Cardin (D) — Maryland — (202) 224-4524
Mike Enzi (R) — Wyoming — (202) 224-3424
Kay Hagan (D) — North Carolina — (202) 224-6342
Tom Harkin (D) — Iowa — (202) 224-3254
John Kerry (D) — Massachusetts — (202) 224-2742
Carl Levin (D) — Michigan — (202) 224-6621
Joseph Lieberman (I) — Connecticut — (202) 224-4041
Jerry Moran (R) — Kansas — (202) 224-6521
Rand Paul (R) — Kentucky — (202) 224-4343
Mark Pryor (D) — Arkansas — (202) 224-2353
James Risch (R) — Idaho — (202) 224-2752
Marco Rubio (R) — Florida — (202) 224-3041
Jeanne Shaheen (D) — New Hampshire — (202) 224-2841
Olympia Snowe (R, Ranking Member) — Maine — (202) 224-5344
David Vitter (R) — Louisiana — (202) 224-4623

Message: Please do NOT vote for cloture today, because I (you) think that Senators Landrieu and Snowe will propose an SBA-only amendment to the JOBS Act which will include one-year extensions for the 504 Refi and FMLP programs. These are important to me (you) as a small business advocate, and they are helpful because they’re zero-subsidy and they create and retain jobs. I (you) would like their support of this amendment should it be brought up.

PHONE CALLS #3 AND #4: Call your two U.S. Senators. Go to www.senate.gov and use the drop-down menu in the top right corner to find your two Senators and their phone numbers (the menu says “Find Your Senators”).

Message: Please do NOT vote for cloture today, because I (you) think that Senators Landrieu and Snowe will propose an SBA-only amendment to the JOBS Act which will include one-year extensions for the 504 Refi and FMLP programs. These are important to me (you) as a small business advocate, and they are helpful because they’re zero-subsidy and they create and retain jobs. I (you) would like their support of this amendment should it be brought up.

The sooner you can make these phone calls, the better. There’s a very small window of opportunity here, but I’m convinced we can make a difference if each of us takes a few minutes today to do our part. (And yes, I’ve already phone these folks — I’m becoming a bit of a pest to the folks inside the beltway, and proud of it!) Who, honestly, can be against two paid-for programs (through slightly increased fees) that help small business owners create and retain jobs?!? Not to mention that these two programs are zero-subsidy but, due to bureaucratic bungling (at least 13 months’ worth) will actually be helpful for less than one year (they both “sunset” in September).

I can’t thank you enough for your participation. Leave a comment below to let me know that you made these phone calls and what you think about these issues. Stay tuned for more details, and I’ll try to rest up so I don’t look so tired and scruffy next time.

Dedicated to Your Continued Success,

Chris

My primary reason for opposing the abolition of the SBA is that America’s small business owners need (and deserve) the support of a government agency like the SBA. Small businesses have been responsible for about 70% of all net new job creation in the past 15 years. This fact alone (though there are many others) should be enough to convince anyone with half a brain that downgrading this fragmented sector’s representation in Washington would be a mistake.

Now, the SBA is far from perfect — I know it and you know it. I can think of more than a few ways to improve it, but the SBA has done more with less than just about any other government agency. Take the 504 loan program, for instance. It’s considered “zero-subsidy,” meaning it doesn’t cost taxpayers a dime despite having provided over $30 billion in loans in the last fiscal year alone. On top of that, a study conducted in 2007-08 found that the 504 program returns about $94 for each $1 of program cost. Pretty decent ROI if you ask me.

I could go on arguing this for days (and I probably will, just not in this particular blog post), but I want you to vote for yourself. Consider the evidence and the arguments, and then go here to vote whether you think the SBA should be abolished. As I write this, more than 3,000 people have voted (you’ll have to go see for yourself which side is “winning”).

After you vote (or before, for that matter), leave me a comment below to let me know what you think. Whether you agree with my views or you want to tear my arguments to pieces, I want to hear your two cents. I enjoy all the input we get from folks like you, so share what’s on your mind…but keep it civil.

Thanks for reading and keep an eye peeled for more from me on all this soon.

Dedicated to Your Continued Success,

Chris

P.S. If you or someone you know is looking to purchase commercial property, we’re here and ready to help. January and February were two of our most productive months in company history, so we know more and more business owners are beginning to step out and act on their desire to own commercial property. Call me any time at 1-866-622-4504 or email me at ChrisHurn@MercantileCC.com if you have questions or want to introduce us to someone. We look forward to working with you and/or anyone you refer to us. Thanks in advance!