And Then There Were Six

As I stated in my last blog post, we were told to make a list of our top seven banks we would like to get a business loan through and to approach the least preferred bank first.  We knew going in to this meeting that we were going to, more than likely, get turned down by this bank.  This was our first time applying for a business loan, and it was not anything like we had expected.  We were fully prepared to be bombarded with eight million thirty six thousand five hundred twenty two questions about the business plan and why we should be approved for the loan.  This was not the case.  The banker we met with did not even read through the loan.  He was faxing it off to some unknown person at some huge office in some unknown location.  Sign here and here, here and here.  Ok!  You will know by Tuesday or Wednesday.  We left feeling a little disheartened.  We don't even get to plead our case?  We found out Thursday that we were not approved.  We found out why we were denied after several phone calls to try to get in touch with the banker who helped us.

I was not terribly upset when I found out we were denied.  As I said before, I was expecting it.  Everyone had told us that it would happen.  I am one of those people (perhaps labeled a pessimist?) that doesn't believe anything good will happen until it actually happens.  When I approach things that way, I am not terribly disappointed when it goes awry because I was EXPECTING it to happen, and if it DOES go the way I was hoping, I am happily surprised.  Some may argue that this isn't the best way to approach life, and that what you put out into the universe is what comes back to you, but it helps me make it through this crazy life without going into a tailspin.  We all have our coping mechanisms, right?

Thomas, on the other hand, seemed to be affected pretty heavily.  He mourned for an evening, and then pulled himself up and decided to figure out a different way to approach the situation.  He took the information we were given from the banker, changed the course of action, and tried again.  We were once again denied by the same bank, and they were very dismal in their assessment of us ever qualifying for a loan.  Once again, he took this pretty hard, but bounced back and approached bank number six on our list.

This bank has actually taken the time to READ the business plan.  Right there in the office.  They asked questions.  They seemed interested.  They spoke positively.  This is a huge difference from bank number seven.  The difference may be that bank number seven is a national bank and therefore much more corporate.  The bankers there have no real power to approve or deny a loan, so we aren't meeting with anyone face to face that can actually help us.  Bank number six is a local bank and so we have access to the people that are the decision makers.  It is more personal.

We are once again playing the waiting game currently.  There seems to be a lot of hurry up and wait in this stage of the process.  I am so incredibly proud of Thomas for how he has handled all of this, and am thankful to be by his side in this venture.  He shows me more every day what an amazing man he is, and I am so blessed to share this life and this dream with him.