How to Prepare for a Lender Meeting & Meet Lenders ‘Speed Dating’ Style!

Join us in Wasilla at the Mat-Su Small Business Development Center (SBDC) on Tuesday, January 23rd, 2024 for a FREE two-part series event focused on How to Prepare for a Lender Meeting followed by an opportunity to practice your skills during the Meet Lenders ‘Speed Dating’ Style!

Part 1 will be from 9:00 am to 9:45 am where you will learn How to Prepare for a Lender Meeting from co-presenters:  Misty O’Connor, Center Director, Mat-Su SBDC; and Theo Ransum, Business Lending Officer, Business Impact Northwest (BINW).

Part 2 will be from 10 am to 11:30 am where you will have an opportunity to practice the skills you learned at the Meet Lenders ‘Speed Dating’ Style!

PART 1:

Whether you are a start-up business, a new business owner, or a seasoned business owner in Alaska, knowing how to prepare for a lender meeting will help improve the likelihood of a successful meeting.  During How to Prepare for a Lender Meeting, Misty and Theo will educate participants about:

• What to know before meeting with a lender;
• What documents to take to a lender meeting;
• The different types of lenders and lending institutions;
• The different types of loans;
• The qualifying requirements for an SBA loan;
• The different types of SBA loans; and
• How the SBDC can help prepare you for successfully securing business funding.

PART 2:

You will then have the opportunity to practice the skills you just learned by meeting with lenders right there at the Mat-Su SBDC! Starting at 10 am, participants will have the opportunity to meet with multiple lenders during the Meet Lenders ‘Speed Dating’ Style! from 10 am to 11:30 am at the Mat-Su SBDC. Each participant will be allowed several 15-minute meetings at the Mat-Su SBDC with the participating lenders. After each 15-minute lender meeting, a buzzer will sound, and the participants will move to their next 15-minute lender meeting. This will be a great opportunity to practice, practice, practice how to meet with lenders.

NETWORKING:

Finally, from 11:30 am to 12 pm, participants can also stay for a Networking opportunity to speak with the other small business owners, lenders, and our new Mat-Su Center Director, Misty O’Connor.

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS:

Misty O’Connor, Center Director, Mat-Su SBDC – Misty has over 20 years of entrepreneurial experience as the founder of two successful businesses. Misty has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from the University of Evansville, and a Master’s of Arts degree in English from the University of Central Florida. Throughout her career and partnership with the SBDC at Gannon University in Pennsylvania, Misty used her knowledge and experience to assist other small business owners start their own businesses. Misty’s passion is helping people to see their entrepreneurial dreams become a reality. She’s excited to assist in building and strengthening Alaska’s small businesses.

Theo Ransum, Business Lending Officer, Business Impact Northwest (BINW) – Theo Ransum is honored to serve the under-served and under-banked entrepreneurs of Alaska.  Business Impact Northwest (BINW) is a non-profit, non-bank Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that provides free one-on-one business coaching through the Alaska Women’s Business Center and the Veterans Business Outreach Center.  BINW also helps business entrepreneurs access capital to start and grow a business; funding working capital, equipment, and inventory; and commercial real estate needs.

Instructions: Space is limited; pre-registration is strongly recommended.  There is a space limit of 16 people for this event.  Once the maximum number of people register, we will place you on a waitlist in case someone cancel’s their registration.  There will also be a sign-in sheet at the event if you don’t register, but want to see if there is space available on the day of the event.