Lenders will usually look at your gross annual sales and revenues, credit score, checking account balances, profitability, and length of time you’ve been in business. For newbies in the business world, expect to be asked intensively about your business plans.

Your history with credit card services is a main factor for lenders. Credit information they usually look for are personal credit card debt, personal loans, liquid assets, real estate holdings, tax returns, and personal financial statements. Your personal spending habits will also be an issue, including how you use credit card services and instalment debt. If you have a good track record of all of these, then you won’t have any problems with getting you business loan approved. But what if you have bad credit history? What alternatives do you have?

The answer is getting a business cash advance in place of a small business loan.

A business cash advance is the alterative option for business owners who need emergency funding. It is ideal for business owners subscribed to credit card services and/or charge cards. Monthly payment this type of business loan is done through batched credit card sales.

Approval for this type of small business loan takes a shorter amount of time and bad credit scores won’t be too much of an issue. The processing time for cash advance application is from 24 tp72 hours only. Some cash advance lenders can lend as much as $2500 to $300,000, depending on their evaluation.

Cash advance as a small business loan is very likely to get approved as long as you pass the basic requirements for the advance. First, you’re business should have been operational for at least a year. Your company should also at least have profits of $4000 in credit card processes per month.

The difference between a business cash advance and the usual small business loan are:

(1) A business cash advance does not require a detailed financial statement. Conventional business loans require 2-3 years worth of financial statements.

(2) Audited tax returns are not required for cash advances. Business loans from banks do.

(3) You only need to provide a guarantee against fraud or intervention.

(4) Application fees are not always required for this alternative business loan.

(5)No need for high credit scores. You only need to be subscribed to credit card services.

(6) Your collateral does not have to be all of your business assets.

(7) You can opt for a flexible monthly payment.

Cash advance as a business loan allows you to do almost anything for your business. You can pay taxes or debts, buy supplies, pay your employees, make repairs or remodelling, inventory, make new marketing and promotion materials, and expand your business establishment.

The idea behind cash advance repayment is not like the payment process for a small business loan. Repayment is made by automatically debiting an agreed percentage of your credit card sales every time you batch. There are no fixed payment schedules. You will only be able to pay when you’re customers pay.

Cash advance as a small business loan is very ideal for restaurant owners, retailers, medical clinics, and other new industries. Staying afloat for small business is harder, especially with the recession, and a cash advance is a quick solution for those emergency financial situations. After all, maintaining continuous cash flow for young establishments is difficult. With cash advance as an alternative business loan, you can get cash sooner and pay your loan easier.

Every business loan is a risk for both the lender and the borrower. A promising business gives you the best chances of having your business loan request granted. Lenders will usually look at your gross annual sales and revenues, credit score, checking account balances, profitability, and length of time you’ve been in business. For newbies in the business world, expect to be asked intensively about your business plans. Your history with credit card services is a main factor for lenders. Credit information they usually look for are personal credit card debt, personal loans, liquid assets, real estate holdings, tax returns, and personal financial statements. Your personal spending habits will also be an issue, including how you use credit card services and instalment debt. If you have a good track record of all of these, then you won’t have any problems with getting you business loan approved. But what if you have bad credit history? What alternatives do you have? The answer is getting a business cash advance in place of a small business loan. A business cash advance is the alterative option for business owners who need emergency funding. It is ideal for business owners subscribed to credit card services and/or charge cards. Monthly payment this type of business loan is done through batched credit card sales. Approval for this type of small business loan takes a shorter amount of time and bad credit scores won’t be too much of an issue. The processing time for cash advance application is from 24 tp72 hours only. Some cash advance lenders can lend as much as $2500 to $300,000, depending on their evaluation. Cash advance as a small business loan is very likely to get approved as long as you pass the basic requirements for the advance. First, you’re business should have been operational for at least a year. Your company should also at least have profits of $4000 in credit card processes per month. The difference between a business cash advance and the usual small business loan are: (1) A business cash advance does not require a detailed financial statement. Conventional business loans require 2-3 years worth of financial statements. (2) Audited tax returns are not required for cash advances. Business loans from banks do. (3) You only need to provide a guarantee against fraud or intervention. (4) Application fees are not always required for this alternative business loan. (5)No need for high credit scores. You only need to be subscribed to credit card services. (6) Your collateral does not have to be all of your business assets. (7) You can opt for a flexible monthly payment. Cash advance as a business loan allows you to do almost anything for your business. You can pay taxes or debts, buy supplies, pay your employees, make repairs or remodelling, inventory, make new marketing and promotion materials, and expand your business establishment. The idea behind cash advance repayment is not like the payment process for a small business loan. Repayment is made by automatically debiting an agreed percentage of your credit card sales every time you batch. There are no fixed payment schedules. You will only be able to pay when you’re customers pay. Cash advance as a small business loan is very ideal for restaurant owners, retailers, medical clinics, and other new industries. Staying afloat for small business is harder, especially with the recession, and a cash advance is a quick solution for those emergency financial situations. After all, maintaining continuous cash flow for young establishments is difficult. With cash advance as an alternative business loan, you can get cash sooner and pay your loan easier.

You can generally categorize banks into: 1) 10% that are actually making small business loans now and are serious about doing so, 2) 70% who will talk to you directly and indicate they are not making small business loans at this time because of the economy, and 3) 20% that slap you on the back, invite you in, and readily take your application. It is the latter group that gives us the most heartburn. It is not unusual after the initial review of your application papers for a bank represented to signal you have a good chance. Overjoyed, you begin to make plans, including executing contracts and receiving quotes for inventory, raw materials, or merchandise. Two months later, after the fourth loan committee review, you get a call that they have decided not to make the loan. The reason has little if anything to do with credit. It is typically something that was never been mentioned before and after reflection, it seems like an excuse not to make the loan in the first place.

Loan brokers such as myself are victims of the same misleading behavior. I cannot tell you how many banks have looked me in the eye and said: “Sure, we are making lots of loans. For unsecured loans of $75,000 to $150,000, we just need a credit score above 680, in business for over a year and a half, and decent financials. Real estate security is not required. We would love to entertain your applications.” Right.

What they really do is pour over the applications and pick 1 out of 100 that has the following fantasy credentials: a platinum credit score that Bill Gates would be proud of and which could support a small country, gushing positive cash flow, little competition, executed contracts stacked high on your desk, then a booming market niche. In other words, someone who doesn’t need the loan in the first place. You know the old adage: banks only give money to people who don’t need it.

It is simply psychology 101. Banks are filled up with loan officers and they have to show they are busy. If their boss walks into their office and sees nothing on their desk, they might be laid off. They have to show they are busy earning their salaries, which means receiving applications and going through the review process. It’s gotten so bad that the other day we had a client whose grandfather helped found the bank, whose father was best friends with the president, and who had received two successful loans before. Even he was turned down. Nor do they tell you the large SBA commercial loan department job layoffs of employees throughout the nation.

To prevent being too caught in this trap, look your banker in the eye and ask these questions:

1) “Tell me honestly. I don’t want to waste your time or mine. I know the credit crunch is quite depressing and there is really no secondary market. Are you actually entertaining small business loans at this time or should I wait.”

2) “How many small business loans have you personally made in the last 30 days?”

3) “What are the loan terms of the last three loans you made, including interest rate and monthly payments, for the amount of loan I am seeking?”

4) “How long will it take before I get a definitive answer?”

5) “Can you briefly describe to me the process I have to go through to get the final approval? Will you be the one making the final decision? What other people superior to you or committees will make that decision?”

But do not despair. There actually are real live prime lenders out there making small business loans. They just need to know where to look. In the next article I will discuss if such loans are available to startups.

PLAN A

Know yourself. Before approaching a bank or any other lender, be sure you know your own history in terms of personal credit. Is your credit history good or bad? Due to the current recession, you can be sure to see that banks have become more strict in reviewing records before making any decision for business loans. You can obtain your credit history from companies like TransUnion, Experian, or Equifax via fax, mail or online.  Also, be sure to check if the records are right. Companies with credit card services sometimes make errors in logging cancellations or adjustments to your credit limit. These misreported transactions in the past  may appear as available credit to the bank.

Prepare a competitive business presentation. A good presentation should initially be able to make the bank understand what you plan to do with the money and not simply WHY you need the money. Remain objective in your explanations and try not to attach too much personal reasons in your answer. The bank’s concern is not with you, but with the money they will give you. A cash flow projection will be of good help during your presentation because the bank can quickly assess the benefits and risks for them. However, a cash flow projection is different with a cash flow statement. The projection is an expectation on how money will come in and out, while a statement shows how money arrives and leaves the business. You can make a projection on a monthly basis over one year for a better outlook of your expectations for the business.

Prepare other documents. You may need to present other documents like a credit rating report. Though this is not an actual requirement, it will still be useful for the bank to know your loan payment history and other dealings with other credit card services. After all, most banks only approve businesses that are able to accept credit cards.

Get to know the bank. It is also important to do a little research on your lender’s point of view. Again, the first question in the bank’s mind is, “what are you going to do with our money?” The second question would be, “Why should we risk our money for your business?” Providing the bank with the right answer boosts your chances of getting that business loan by more than 50% of the time.

Bear important facts. You need to be honest to the bank on certain areas like, how much money are you willing to put in to the business, the collateral you currently have, and how much do you really know about the industry you’re planning to venture in. Enduring the bank that you’re not completely in the dark on your planned business will somehow put their minds at ease with regards to the loan they will be giving you.

PLAN B

If all else fails with the bank, do not despair. There are other means of acquiring small business loans for yourself. Many business cash advance companies are now available to serve you. Borrowing money from these companies are relatively easier than getting one from a bank. They will review your credit record but they are less strict in terms of seeing a few bad records on your history. With a business cash advance, you will be able to start your own small business, expand, pay off debt or taxes, and get emergency funding. However, make sure that the company you will be applying to is legitimate with negotiable terms with payment.

Good luck!

To qualify, companies should be private enterprises that are for-profit. They should have up to five hundred employees only and should be at least two years old. Furthermore, they should be able to prove financial need with a twenty percent decrease in sales, revenue or working capital. On the other hand, they should be able to prove that one of their two years in business has been profitable, and that with the infusion of cash they will be able to meet their existing and future debt obligations. This means positive cash flow projections. The ARC small business loans are intended to be used to pay outstanding debt such as payables to vendors.

For this batch of small business loans, there are no fees or costs involved, except if the borrower defaults on the loan later. In that case the SBA-approved lender can charge costs for securing and liquidating collateral.

The ARC small business loans also do not charge interest. Actually, the SBA pays the interest for the borrowers. Disbursement of the loan can take as much as six months but payment of the principal is also deferred for the next 12 months. After that, the borrower has five years to repay the loan principal.

Each small business can only avail of one ARC loan. SBA-approved lenders will offer the loans until September 30, 2010 or until available funds run out, whichever comes first.

There are, however, an estimated 30 million small businesses in the United States and only 10,000 of them can avail of the government’s small business loans. What if you do not happen to be among the 10,000 lucky recipients? How will your small business survive?

There are even doubts being raised on whether as much as 10,000 businesses can indeed avail of the ARC loans. There are fears that there may not be enough lenders willing or able to participate in the program. Lenders will have to advance the full amount of the loan, will not receive payment on principal for a full year, and will not be able to charge any fees, thereby absorbing all administrative costs. This may be too steep for many lenders. They may not be able to afford to participate at all.

This is where you as a small business owner can and should maximize your credit card services. We are not talking about your personal credit card services here. Instead, we are referring to the merchant services that enable your small business to receive credit card  and debit card payments. Surely, any business these days avails of these types of credit card services. After all, more people pay by credit card or debit card rather than cash.

Most credit card services offer small business cash advances that can be as substantial as small business loans. These small business loans do not require any collateral because they are secured by your company’s future credit card receivables. This is even more convenient for your business because repayment is also built into those receivables. Credit card services automatically deduct a percentage from your income to go toward loan repayment. For as long as you have incoming sales, you can support your loan. Interest rates are often quite affordable considering how the loan can help your business.

Small businesses should therefore look into maximizing these credit card services for small business loans. The survival of your business could hinge on this.

Mandelbaum reports that the Small Business Administration’s program has $255 million to give away, enough to give small businesses 10,000 loans reaching as much as $35,000 each. However, two months after the program was launched, there have only been 1,127 small business loans released, with a total of $36.8 million.

Sources are saying that banks are not very keen on participating in the Small Business Administration’s program because giving the small business loans would not be very profitable for them. Paul Merski,.chief economist of the trade association Independent Community Bankers of America, said, “There’s not a lot of profit motive in a $35,000 loan stretched over six years.” Bob Seiwert from the Center for Commercial Lending and Business Banking at the American Bankers Association reveals that, because of strict underwriting standards, servicing the small business loans becomes even more expensive.

The banks have also found more ways to restrict the approval of small business loans with the Congressional restrictions on loan eligibility. According to Congress, in order to qualify for the Small Business Administration loans, small businesses need to be both struggling and viable. That means the business should have had an “immediate financial hardship” such as a 20 percent decrease in revenue. However, the business must also be at least two years old with proof of positive cash flow in one of the previous two years. It should also submit a two year cash-flow projection proving that it will be able to afford loan payments.

Because of the Congressional restrictions, banks are more likely to approve small business loans from their existing clients. Merski said, “From a financial perspective, it really is a loan that makes sense for an existing customer. You’re not going to have to put out a lot of resources to do a very costly underwriting. You know the business.”

Those who are working in support of small businesses are very much disillusioned. An example is Alex Cooper who is a counselor at the Pima Community College Small Business Development Center in Tucson. He said he had assisted almost 30 small business owners with their loan applications but none of them had been approved. “It’s a disappointment. I thought the banks would be more interested in the community and try to help small businesses,” he said.

When the applications for small business loans are disapproved by banks under the Small Business Administration’s program for America’s Recovery Capital, small business owners still have another option. They can get the equivalent of small business loans from their credit card services.

Credit card services provide their clients with the ability to accept payments through credit cards or debit cards in person, online or through the phone. Clients who have established a certain minimum in average monthly credit card sales are qualified to apply for cash advances that are like small business loans. Payments are automatically deducted from future credit card sales.

If you are a small business owner, you do not have to go through the hassles of applying for small business loans with banks who are reluctant to participate in the Small Business Administration program. Get your trouble free small business loans from your credit card services instead.

Even the financing for loans supported by the Small Business Administration (SBA) cannot meet the needs of the majority of small businesses. Although the amount of credit available for small businesses has reportedly been increased by 25% since March this year, it is not that easy to avail of the said small business loans.

Small businesses seeking small business loans should know how to prepare the right kind of business plans that banks are looking for. To justify the loan, they should be able to show the banks in detail how they intend to use the money in business and how viable their plan is. Experts say lenders have specific points which they scrutinize applications for and applicants should know these points and tailor their submitted business plans accordingly.

It is also said that loan applicants should first establish a strong relationship with the lending bank in order to increase the possibility of having a loan approved. Banks supposedly give more small business loans to businesses they have already known and trusted long term. Since small businesses are usually new businesses, this is quite difficult to do and it cannot be done in a hurry. How can a new small business with financial needs establish a good long term relationship with a bank in time to meet its current needs?

Another requirement of lending institutions from small businesses applying for small business loans is a good credit history score.  A small business should first be deemed credit worthy by the bank before it can even be considered for loan approval. Again, small businesses that are stll young are at an immediate disadvantage here. How can they establish credit worthiness in time?

The US Congress has also placed Congressional restrictions on eligibility for the Small Business Administration loans. Small businesses first have to prove that they are at least two years old and are both struggling and viable at the same time. They should present proof that they have had a positive cash flow in one of those previous two years in business. They should, however, be currently struggling with “immediate financial hardship” with a decrease in income that should not be less than 20 percent. At the same time, they should submit their projections for cash flow for the next two years, proving that they will be able to meet loan payments.

A faster way to get small business loans would be through credit card services.

Any small business should have credit card services. Credit card services enable a company to accept customer payments for goods and services via credit cards or debit cards, whether over the counter in brick and mortar settings, through the phone or online. Credit card services provide the hardware and software for this.

Being able to accept payments through credit cards or debit cards can greatly enhance a small business’ income earning potentials. In addition to that, credit card services can provide the equivalent of small business loans with no need for any collateral. The amount of the small business loans are computed based on the average monthly income of the small business from credit card payments. The small business loans are then amortized through automatic monthly deductions of a certain percentage from the small business’ future credit card revenue. This means small businesses can almost automatically qualify for small business loans through credit card services, and will surely be able to pay such small business loans. Is there a faster way than this?

Of crucial use to small businesses are credit card services and small business loans. The entrepreneur needs to know how to avail of these tools and how to effectively wield them for maximum business growth.

Credit Card Services

A small business would do well to get reputable credit card services in order to prosper in the current business climate. Availing of credit card services will enable it to accept both credit card and debit card payments. This is true either for brick-and-mortar businesses or internet based online businesses. After all, most consumers nowadays routinely use credit cards or debit cards for payment purposes. It only makes good business sense to be well-equipped for the needs of credit card users and debit card users as well as for the needs of customers who pay in cash.

Merchant services provide credit card services covering a wide range of solutions for the processing of credit cards and debit cards as payment options. These credit card services include traditional terminal equipment at point of sale, where credit cards or debit cards are swiped. It also includes software and high speed IP solutions for both traditional commerce and e-commerce. Credit card and debit card payments can, therefore, be accepted in person or through the internet, by phone or by fax.     

Small Business Loans

Any business – whether a small start-up business, a medium-scaled one or a big business company – will be needing an infusion of additional capital sooner or later. Additional capital is always needed for expansion, additional inventory, additional manpower, new systems, new equipment or a new physical layout.

Capital is not always easy to come by, though. The original investors’ personal coffers may have been emptied by the earlier outlays. Prospective investors may not be keen on shelling out funds in times of crisis. Businesses, therefore, have no choice but to seek business loans.

Getting business loans is a difficult process. Even small business loans are not readily approved. Be prepared to present a lot of documentation and paperwork. For small business loans, the proprietor’s personal credit history is taken into account and related references need to be submitted. Of course, the company’s financial statements are just as important in proving the feasibility of the business and its capacity to repay its business loans. Having a detailed business plan will show your business strategies and projections, demonstrating your business acumen.

Unfortunately, even with all the requirements completed, applications for business loans – including small business loans – are, more often than not, disapproved.

Solutions

Some merchant services provide a comprehensive solution for the needs of small businesses in relation to credit card services and small business loans. The set up is elegantly simple. A small business need only avail of the company’s credit card services to be eligible for merchant cash advances. These cash advances are actually small business loans, except that there is no need to go through the complicated application process for business loans. Repayment is made very easy and worry-free, too. A certain small percentage is built into the credit card processing rates to take care of the advances. This way, repayment is actually done automatically in a very affordable manner and according to income flow.

Small business owners would, indeed, be wise to look into these timely business solutions.

The Chartered Financial Officer handles all aspects of a business related to finance. He not only takes care of the current business but implements strategies and policies to tackle every conditionthe business would meet in the future. The CFO in other words is the brain of the business. Every decision taken, is taken by him after due consideration on the pro’s and con’s. CFO for hire would give you the services of a CFO on an hourly basis or a weekly basis depending on your requirements. This way you cannot only get the services of a CFO you don’t have to pay as much as you would have to for it.

The reasons why you would need a CFO are far too many to count but to name a few you would require a CFO to predict the cycle your business to running in, analyzing and projecting your business and cash flow needs, telling you how much cash you should keep in hand and how much to invest and where, work aggressively to reduce cost expense and sorting out for tax and other issue’s. They would review the financial statements and check what actions need to be taken, help in the process of hiring and firing employees. They would closely monitorthe business and make recommendations to improve it. The models used in financial planning are often so complex that no one except the experts understand them, CFO’s use them forthe business giving it the professional touch you business would lack.

The small and medium scale enterprises are normally working on very tight margins and to employ a CFO would ruin them. CFO for Hire would be an option where they can avail professional counseling and that too with very little expense.

Caution must be maintained however on whom you hire since you don’t want anyone but the best for your business. You should conduct rounds of interviews, get necessary reference checks, conduct pre employment checks and then hire the suitable candidate. The tests range from ability tests, behavior tests, character tests to productivity tests.

There are plenty of agencies that offer the services of CFO for hire and help you make the right decision for your business needs.

When arriving at the passporttowealth.com site I noticed several software titles that are included with this particular work at home business and they claim to have thousands more. The Passport to Wealth product line is full of software titles like Idea Bucket, Public Domain Mastermind, for more information visit to www.sales-letter-secret.com Bloogers Guide to Profits and so on. The Passport to Wealth opportunity consists of marketing these programs for the price tag of $997.

So far this looked to be lucrative opportunity so I continued on with my investigation. I noticed on the Passport to Wealth website that it mentions that all members will have complete Resale Rights to $75,000 worth of e-book products. A new member will have the full resales rights to these products and can sell them on the Internet for a nice profit. That’s sounds like a pretty sweet deal, for more information visit to www.sales-letters-creator.com and I think most people would think so as well!

Something that I found to be somewhat alarming was that on the Passport to Wealth site under the compensation plan it states, “In fact the compensation plan is preferred by home business leaders because it provides immediate cash flow “, however, during my research I found quite the contrary because a new member not only has to pay the $997 to get access to the product line, but they also have to pass up 2 sales before they can earn any return on their money. This didn’t sound like immediate cash flow to me, in fact, a new representative is actually giving up over $3000 before they can expect to see a profit.

Here’s something that you might want to watch out for while on your quest for a perfect wealth formula. Ask yourself, How long have these e-book products been around?” When comparing product lines are they cutting edge or just generic? “Are they products that resale well and are they in demand?” Some titles like AdsenseMoney Machine and Autoresponder Plus are examples of products that have been around on other sites for less than $10 per month. Be aware of products that have flooded the market and are widely distributed.

I will be very interested to find out how Passport to Wealth deals with the struggles that they seem to be having with some of the competing online businesses that carry cutting edge products like flash video and what if any adjustments they will make.

1. Little interest in improving the business. They often leave businesses unimproved, since they may intend to resell the company later. Also, they may not grant you access to their superior resources (such as better marketing and sales staff).
2. Financial pressure. The buyer will focus on increasing cash flow to pay off the debt they acquired to purchase your business.
3. Deal-making focus. They may sell your business again soon after buying, which means additional turmoil for your employees and clients.

On the other hand, strategic buyers do expect to complement your business with their sales, product and support staff. They may not pay a premium because they know the market better than a financial buyer. They often look for acquisitions that support their strategic plans. However, the seller may not have as great a role in decisions and operations – particularly if your goals are different from theirs.

Whichever type of buyer you attract, you can be sure that financial statements will be the most important part of their decision. Audited statements are preferred by buyers and their bankers. When the buyer examines your statements closely, you’ll find that audited statements help the buyer reduce his risk. This will attract more potential partners, thus strengthening your negotiating position.

Don’t try to sidestep audit costs by simply having an accountant review your financials. That’s better than no review at all, but it’s still not as good as an audited statement. If you have inventory, you may also need retroactive audited statements.

Aside from financials, demonstrate the depth of your management team. There is less risk (and thus more value) when there is a team of managers supporting the owner.

Also, concentrate on what you do best. Drop weak product lines and focus on your core competencies. If you are diversified, break down financials by product line or service provided to help them determine which lines are strongest. Similarly, drop assets (such as undeveloped land) that do not add to the bottom line earnings.
Consider whether to offer the buyer your business, or simply its assets and liabilities. The tax laws favor buyers when they only buy assets, but this usually means the seller will pay more taxes afterwards. Have your accountant document the differences.

If you use an intermediary such as a broker, they will prepare “books” (formally known as “selling memoranda”) which present data about your company and why it is a good acquisition. You will generally find it better to do a business plan of your own and present your own financial projections. Advantages include:
• Always a sound management technique, regardless of your possible intentions to sell.
• No indication to buyers how long you’ve been on the market.
• No tip-off to employees that the business is for sale.
• No urgency conveyed for a sale.
• No outside broker pressure to rush into a deal.

Buyers and brokers can become bothersome, constantly calling owners to convince them to “at least talk about” selling. Brokers may be “fishing” for leads without any real buyers on board. Or they may represent several buyers and work on a contingency. Also, a broker may claim to represent a high-profile buyer, then delivers only substandard speculators.

If a broker writes with specifics about a buyer’s interest, it may be worth following through to get details – but make it clear you’re not currently interested in selling. Make sure you’ve thought through all the consequences better you agree to work with a broker. Don’t get locked into one broker and one buyer’s schedule: having your choice of multiple opportunities gives you much more power.

Be sure you’ve anticipated the fallout in case a deal does fall through. Early in the process, the risk is low and confidentiality easy to maintain. Once there is a letter of intent, you’ll have to back away from other offers. And once the would-be buyer begins due diligence, your employees are bound to find out. Due diligence can cause disruptions for weeks, and even then, there’s no guarantee the letter of intent will lead to a sale. In fact, many deals stall or are overhauled at this point. A bad outcome at this point often reflects badly on your firm to clients, competitors, staff and other potential buyers.