What If Perfect Came Along?

I have recently met with a number of bankers about refinancing one of my Clients. One of them said the deal was too big for them to finance alone, another one said the deal was too small for his bank, and a third one said the industry was too challenging for him today.

Wow! I felt like I was trapped in a Twilight Zone sequel to Goldilocks & the Three Bears! You know: the porridge was too hot, too cold; the bed was too hard, too soft… I understand that parts of our economy are quite messed up right now, and I hope we all remember that in November…

However, we need to balance the risk & return equation. As I have said previously, if the proposal is completely risk free, there is normally little or no return. Why would any bank want to finance a deal with no return? I’d suggest that we look at the potential risks and determine if we have enough mitigating factors to offset that same risk.

Otherwise, lenders, looking for the “perfect deal” could end up like the gentlemen who was looking for the “perfect wife.” He searched and searched for years, and at long last, he finally found her. There was just one problem. She wasn’t looking for him… The same could be true in lending relationships.

I believe it would be far better to complete the necessary analysis and due diligence to see if we can find those mitigating factors to offset the potential risks. Some examples include: a.) Hedging on the Client’s selling prices, such as DRP & DMC for dairies. b.) Contracted prices on many of their inputs, such as feed or fuel. c.) Fixed interest rates, when appropriate. d.) Does the borrower have a plan for success? e.) Do they have  a system in place to measure their monthly cash flow results? f.) Are they planning to grow their business in order to become more efficient?

Life goes on, and I will keep searching for the most optimal lender for this Client. Who knows? Maybe I’ll be like Goldilocks and find the one that is “just right.” By the way, if you run a dairy operation and want an easier way to track your cash flows, check out our Success Strategies Advantage™ software today at www.success-strategies.com.

Let’s take your business to the Next Level!