BoeFly connects Lyndon, Kansas husband-and-wife with local bank for a start-up loan to finance their first Ice House America location in Emporia Steven and Shelley Zerr, a husband-and-wife owners of an Ice House America “Ice House” in Emporia, Kansas, secured a start-up loan through a connection made by BoeFly.  The Zerrs, who live in Lyndon and have 36 years of management experience combined, currently own and operate three businesses:  Rockin Z Enterprises LLC, a land purchase and residential and commercial development company; Rockin Z Enterprises, farm and ranch operators; and A to Z Handyman Service, a residential renovation and repair company. With the start-up loan they secured through BoeFly, the Zerrs are now operating Rockin Z Ice, LLC and preparing to open their first … [Read more...]

Franchise lending is on the increase again. After a one-month hiatus, loans to franchise businesses increased 2.92 percent in March from February, according to the monthly Franchise Lending Index from the International Franchise Association and the online lending site BoeFly. The lending index also found that loans to franchises grew 1.28 percent in March from March 2012. Read more on franchisetimes.com … [Read more...]

Earlier this week, Karen Mills stepped down as the head of the Small Business Association.  A former banking and private equity leader, Karen stepped into the role during a period of high increased exposure for small businesses.  She led a team of 3,000 employees and supervised a portfolio of over $90 billion in loan guarantees. The President has not yet named her successor. The new SBA Administrator will be responsible for implementing the President’s second term agenda for job creation and innovation.  If there was a take away in last night’s State of the Union Address, it’s that the time for bold action and less rhetoric is now.  The president laid the foundation of what he envisions to come in the next term, and outlined many reforms that can help to improve the capacity … [Read more...]

BoeFly connects former teacher and her husband with a lender for a Small Business Administration (SBA) start-up loan to open an education-based childcare franchise Michelle and Steve Glacken, husband-and-wife franchisees of Kiddie Academy in Lacey, Wash., secured a Small Business Administration start-up loan through a connection made by BoeFly to open their education-based childcare center. Owning a Kiddie Academy center seemed to be a natural fit for the Glackens’ backgrounds: Michelle taught first and second grade for 11 years, and Steve owns and operates Glacken Fabrication LLC, a sheet metal company in Lynnwood. “I have devoted the past decade of my life to childhood education as an elementary school teacher, and it is extremely rewarding to now be able to own and operate … [Read more...]

  The Fiscal Cliff deal was messy.   In a statement on New Year's Day, President Barack Obama admitted that the new deal was not reached without heavy compromise. However, while Washington works to balance the budget and reduce the national deficit, we asked the question - what does the new deal mean for Small Businesses in the upcoming year? The big news is that the vast majority (97%) of businesses will not see their income taxes go up in the coming year.   In addition, several tax incentives have been extended that are specifically designed to increase capital investment, innovation, and the hiring of new workers.   Here's a list of some incentives that are being extended into the New Year:   R&D Tax Credit This credit, which originally … [Read more...]

A sample of Pizza Fundings on BoeFly.com   It’s only fitting that Pizza, certainly the nation’s most popular dining option, is celebrated with its own week on the calendar.  That’s right…it’s National Pizza Week and the BoeFly team joins in the excitement by sharing tales from just a few of the fantastic pizza restaurants we supported in their successful search for financing.  We recommend that you don’t start reading until you grab yourself a big slice of your favorite pizza.     “When we decided to expand and open a second store, Sharon and I wanted the process of seeking an expansion loan to be as efficient as possible, and Papa Murphy’s was very helpful in positioning BoeFly as a resource that helped us connect with a bank and secure … [Read more...]

By Michael Rozman, Chief of Strategy, BoeFly LLC Last night we watched as Nick Saban led the Alabama Crimson Tide to yet another National Championship, in convincing fashion, nonetheless.  He is now the only active coach to have one four BCS Championships, three of which have been with his current team. There is no doubt that Nick Saban has been a successful coach, but why would he owe his success, at least in part, to franchising? The answer lies in both his proven strategy for success and his father. Let's start with Saban's strategy for success: The Process.  The first thing you pick up on if you pay attention to Saban is that he is committed to keeping his coaches and players focused not on the scoreboard or the standings but instead what it takes to succeed.  “It’s … [Read more...]

The past several months have been characterized by dramatically varied reports regarding small business health, especially when it comes to employment and lending. However, as 2012 comes to a close, more studies indicate that the slower cycle of lending and borrowing experienced at the tail end of the summer and early fall will lead to better conditions in the coming months. Small businesses will likely be driven to expand operations following what initial estimates have shown to be a very successful Thanksgiving weekend. Largely fueled by Small Business Saturday, local merchants got a much needed shot of life, which many economists hope will lead to more investments in employees and commercial real estate. Fed's borrowing concerns The Federal Reserve recently released the results of … [Read more...]

As 2012 comes to a close and the busy holiday shopping season gets going, small businesses have an opportunity to maximize this year's revenues in the coming weeks. While small business lending has experienced ups and downs over the past several quarters, consumer confidence and spending have been on a gradual, but consistent upward path. After August and September logged back-to-back increases in consumer spending, bringing some figures to the highest levels since the recession, October did drop back a bit. However, many analysts believe this was largely caused by the devastation following Hurricane Sandy, and that November's revenues will bounce back. Two reports illustrate consumer confidence, comfort Businessweek recently reported that the latest Bloomberg Consumer Comfort … [Read more...]

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Please join Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and State of New Jersey senior officials for a conference call on the federal government’s efforts to help small businesses and homeowners recover from Hurricane Sandy. Officials will provide updates and answer questions about assistance and support to states affected by the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, ensuring the federal family and its public and private partners continue to provide all available resources to support state, local, territorial and tribal communities in affected areas.   WHEN:              Thursday, November 8 at 2 p.m. ET DIAL IN:             Dial-in: 1-888-621-9649 Event ID:           411483 … [Read more...]