Successful business people know how to surround themselves with the right team.  In order to grow and prosper, good businesses need people with the right vision, management expertise, sales and marketing skills, accounting and financial know-how, and perhaps most important of all—a strong desire to succeed.

There is a very important person you should consider a key member of your management team.  Your local banker offers your organization a unique set of skills and perspective that will be of benefit in a wide variety of situations from startup to managing growth and troubleshooting difficulties.

The banker with whom you choose to have a relationship should be viewed as more than someone you turn to when it’s time to borrow money; more importantly, the banker is a trusted adviser you can turn to for help as you strategize a profitable future for your business.

Access to capital – Obtaining financing can be one of the most difficult challenges confronting any business person.  Capital is the lifeblood of a business, and will be needed for a variety of short-term and long-term needs.  There are a multitude of loan products and services available for working capital needs, financing new facilities, purchasing or refinancing an existing building, financing to purchase vehicles or equipment, facilitating expansion and consolidating debt.  Your banker will know the financing option that is the best fit for your business.

Cash flow management – Financial controls are critical to business success. Businesses today need fast, flexible ways to manage cash, with 24-hour, seven-day-a-week access.  Your banker will help you implement and maintain a cash management program that will give you control, balance reporting, multiple disbursement and payment options and a host of other options that will save you time and money, all done in a secure environment.

Investment strategies – Accumulating, protecting and growing assets are priorities for all business owners and their employees.  Your banker should be able to set up programs aimed at protecting pre retirement and retirement assets, as well as trust services, 401(k) and qualified rollover plans.

Technological advances – Recent innovations on the deposit and transaction side of the banking business have been remarkable in the past few years.  Internet banking, check imaging, remote deposit, origination from your office, lockbox services and positive pay are all services that can save you and your business money.

Management expertise – An experienced banker possesses a wealth of business and management savvy that can benefit your business.  You can benefit from a banker’s years of experience in working with businesses of all shapes and sizes when it comes to navigating difficult periods in the business cycle and making expansion plans.

It is also important to note that a bank is more than the one person with whom you have built a relationship, but is a team of specialists with expertise that can help you with just about any business issue you will face.  Your banker is also a member of this community and understands that successful businesses and job growth are the drivers that create an environment and the quality of life that we all desire.

Choosing a banker is an important investment for your business.  You are investing in a long-term relationship that, if leveraged properly, will pay dividends to you and your business for many years to come.

		Ronda Thompson Vice President Development and Retail Banking Capitol National Bank