DavidKamatoy.Guru

I was just on Sign on San Diego trying to log on to make a comment via disqus.com and the only thing I could do is link back to http://disqus.com/comments/ landing page telling why I should be using there system.

Did I mention I could not make a comment when I logged on through disquz. Help!

What a difference a week makes...just writing is not enough, promote!

Caught a cold last week...

The week slowed me down a bit and yet we are finishing quite a few tasks. The cold was a mild one in comparison to that HORRIBLE cold at the end of the year and even the incredible allergy attack I had while to and from Sacramento,CA and yet it still slowed me down.

What I gained was the completion of several tasks. What I lost were a lot of little ones. Like Blogging and Twitter for a few days. As the world of social media advances along, there are more sites vying for search engine status and I just looked at the stats and Wow! Not writing and promoting made a difference...

I must post some new material.

The other thing I did with my usual blogging time was write 3 large "Integrated" marketing proposals. And in doing several questions came up more specifically about BOOKMARKING.

WRITING IS NOT ENOUGH.

As millions migrate to twitter, as the number of blogs grow, as the number of videos on youtube expand. It's clear that you have to take a smarter stance on promotion

Back in the day you could easily post a video on youtube and watch it get 1,000+ views. Now! its acceptable to get 100+ in a week or so. 

The reality is that there are smarter ways of doing this but ultimately someone has to do it. Someone has to create the content and then someone has to promote it.

As boring as bookmarking, promotion I would say that creating a 1 solid piece of content a week that you can support with other posts is probably a good place to start. Then instead of writing more CONTENT go out and get some traffic or pay or hire someone to do so.

The Social media PR Internet form is fast becoming a smaller version of a traditional campaign.

The thing I'm trying to bring to light are these points.

1. Creation of CONTENT is the first step.

2. Promotion of the CONTENT is vital. (Consistent content ideally creates multiple impressions and an increase of database.)

3. Start asking the question how much time, money, resources do I need to allocate to promotion of my content.

Write and then promote, bookmark, twitter, press release, promote, blog, comment, twitter, etc.

New! Google Docs is ROCKIN! Great for collaborative efforts.

Google Docs takes a huge leap forward with the edition of the collaborative drawing editor along with an improved document editor and spreadsheet editor. 

A New Google Docs...

The KMG team were early adapters of Google docs, wave, voice with the exclusion of buzz (lol.) We found that team meetings and using a WAVE as a moving AGENDA was a great way to keep the team accountable and track actual tasks. 

More importantly the use of Google Docs to collaborate in reference to creating final copy for press releases and email blasts on jugglemail was ideal. I could effectively write several first drafts sending those docs to other team members on Google docs who would then edit. 

When I got it back, I could make final revisions, export as a text file and copy them into the HTML or WYSWIG editor for other online applications like typepad, jugglemail, etc.

Check out Google Docs and see what you can do with it. Weve found it to be an invaluable tool for these collaborative efforts.

It takes longer and it takes longer...Audition in LA

Just drove to LA for a quick meeting with a casting director on an unnamed project that shall remained unnamed. The drive took longer than anticipated. It was smooth driving for half the trip and then it got UGLY. 

Regardless casting people were extremely understanding and I didn't have to pull the standard "I was at another audition" variation...

"I was at another audition... Jungle Book 3: The Madness of Mowgli Starring Ben Kingsley and hopefully me. There looking at the elder Ghandi meets Mowgli moment with animals."

Interviews are strange especially on an unnamed project. What was funny however was walking into the office building where there were a few actors hanging out front for another audition in various states of odd dress. That's how you know when your back in the entertainment industry. 

People obviously bonding together in various mismatched uniforms. The Hip-Hopper, next to the Goth Girl, Geek Guy and Motorcycle, like a new Village People Project. 

Anyway. Heading back shortly. Taking a walk, stretch and then back in the car. Traffic and response are looking good on DavidKamatoy.com, CraigGFrancis.com. Next up SBA Loans and the Green CA summit for the Web Show. 

ON THE ROAD AGAIN...

SBA Scams hit small-business loan program - Jan Norman on Small Business : The Orange County Register

The warning comes at a time that the SBA lending program is picking up. October through February, the program in the Santa Ana district (includes Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties) has made 613 loans, a 65.2% increase from the same period a year earlier for a total of $295.3 million, up 99.7%. Fifteen more lenders are participating this year.

via jan.freedomblogging.com

The Scam artists are circling and it's important that you read this article from Jan Norman and please inform your fellow business owners of these specific Scams.

I just read another article about how some people are getting letters in the mail with SBA letterhead requesting BANK INFORMATION! Never a good idea. A sure sign of a scam.

This article talks about..
1. High Fees paid to a company that guarantees a LOAN. (Not possible.)

2. Firms that again ask for routing or Bank accounts.

3. This is the most creative... Firms that tell business owners that they will be issued a "Forfeiture Letter" making their business ineligible for any SBA funding for THREE YEARS.

(Oddly the same tactic was used on me when I was looking at joining a health club.)

Please let us know if you've encountered any of these and of course report to the proper authorities.

Blog This with David Kamatoy: Episode 2

Peeps, iPad, Blogs.com, Ricky Martin, Internet Marketing, Home Business Success Kit with Mick Moore

San Diego, CA - Episode 2 of "Blog This with David Kamatoy" is now available on Viddler, YouTube, and DavidKamatoy.com. Emarketing is the focus for this episode covering blogs.com, twitter tips, and Mick Moore's "Home Business Success Kit," a home education kit for starting an online business. The show also briefly touches on the iPad launch and the not so surprising Ricky Martin entertainment news.

The show starts off with a notably bright change in its virtual set, "The tone of the show is rather tongue-in-cheek anyway, so going with the bold strokes crayon-type news set is kinda fun." says host David Kamatoy.

 

On the first part of the show David features Blogs.com, a top ten blog site run by Six Apart, "A great resource for successful blogs." WrongButFunny.com is highlighted as blogger Brad French's Peep Photography was chosen for the Top Ten in the Chicago Tribune's annual "Peeps Diorama Contest." Twitter sites to explore include splitweet.com, tweetdeck, and mashable. David also talks about comically being denied access to a twitter group promoting blogs and a somewhat annoying example of email marketing. Ricky Martin's unsurprising revelation of his personal preferences also pops up in this section of the show.

The second part of the show is a promotional interview between TV Personality Terry Burhans and Mick Moore, The Internet Entrepreneur. 

The second part of the show is a promotional interview between TV Personality Terry Burhans and Mick Moore, The Internet Entrepreneur. The two discuss Moore's an educational program that serves as an overview and Do-It-Yourself guide to starting an online business. 

Click here to view more details about the Home Business Success Kit.

The show can be seen on DavidKamatoy.com as well as on popular social video sites including Viddler and YouTube. "Blog This With David Kamatoy" serves as an extension of the blogging efforts from the Kamatoy Media Group, covering trends, sites, and opportunities for the small business owner and entrepreneur. The show is sponsored in part by NoMoreGeysers.com, AirGorilla.com, SBALoanStore.com & jugglemail.com.

For more information, inquiries and submissions, please contact Kamatoy Media Group at 619-573-9456 or [email protected].

Twitter Update: Twitter Quietly Rolls Out ‘Most Popular Tweets’

Twitter’s search results have changed thanks to the addition of a feature that wasn’t much of a secret in recent weeks. When using search.twitter.com, or the search box on Twitter.com, the results now show up to three “most popular tweets” at the top, above the most recent results. For example, a search tonight for ipad looks like this:

via searchengineland.com

 
 This new edition to twitter should be a good. Most usable filtering has been done by third-party applications like tweetdeck,graders, etc. The largest challenge is to the newbie twitterers and this feature will help make quicker sense of twitter.

Small Banks Are Sometimes the Stars of SBA Loans

Craig G. Francis SBA Loan Broker talks about Smaller Banks Funding Loans...

When most people consider an SBA Loan they generally think of going to their existing bank, especially if that bank has an advertising budget to promote its loans. The reality is that some of the most creative SBA Loans are given by smaller boutique banks. I recently email interviewed Craig G. Francis, an SBA Loan Broker, in order to clarify the reasons to go to a small bank versus a large bank.
 
David Kamatoy: Craig, why do most business owners assume that it will be better to  approach a big bank for an SBA Loan rather than a small bank?
 
Craig G. Francis: Most business owners go to the 'large banks,' B of A, Wells Fargo, Union Bank, Citibank, and the other trillion-dollar banks, because their accounts are there.  Most small businesses have their accounts with the large banks.  So it is natural for a borrower to go to the bank that holds their accounts.
 
It almost goes without saying that these large banks are a preferred source of lending – if you are in very good financial condition with an excellent credit score.  Going to the big banks is the line of least resistance.  When business owners are pressed to find a spare minute in their busy day they rely on their friendly 'big' bank.  Besides which, who advertises that they have the best terms, friendliest loan officers, and most service-oriented account representatives?

David Kamatoy: When they get the official "No" from a bank, does the search need to stop there?
 
Craig G. Francis: When a business owner goes to their friendly large bank and gets the bad news that their loan was turned down, they usually stop there.  Their loan officer may actually tell the client why they are being turned down and volunteer it as the reason that the client will not get financing elsewhere.  The loan officer knows that if the client goes to another bank and receives the loan, that borrower will change their accounts to the more cooperative lender.

Of course, if a borrower gets a loan from their large bank account then they are in good shape. Large banks usually have slightly lower lending rates.  But if they get turned down, there are two choices: 1, stop looking, or 2, look elsewhere.
 
If the answer is 2, then the client must start the process of searching for an alternate bank. Since there are no sign posts or firm guidelines as to which bank will make the loan vitally needed by the business, the search must be done in a piecemeal basis.  It usually consists of a borrower submitting loan applications in a shotgun fashion.  But there are resources to help narrow the selection of lenders involved in this search.  The SBA is an excellent resource, with names of every lender in the community that is still involved in lending. The Small Business Development Centers can provide guidelines to assist in the search.  Local accountants know of user-friendly banks and other financial providers.  Brokers and other businesses in similar lines also may know of lenders still willing to make loans.
 
David Kamatoy: It seems that SBA loan programs often get strange reputations because the wrong people apply for an SBA Loan. Clarify for our readers who should really consider an SBA Loan?
 
Craig G. Francis:  Well, those out there with an existing business or who want to buy an existing business should consider an SBA loan.  These loans are also appropriate for business owners who want to buy property associated with their business.  Of course, having good credit, or partners with good credit, and some form of equity are very important, particularly right now.
 
David Kamatoy: What do you do as an SBA Loan Broker to facilitate the process?
 
Craig G. Francis: As a loan broker I wear two hats.  I process an application and put it in a format that appeals to banks. I also tailor the package to the client's needs and then target the best lenders for the type of loan required by the clients, whether it be SBA guaranteed loans, conventional loans, or other lending suitable for the borrower.
 
David Kamatoy: Who ultimately makes a decision in funding an SBA Loan at a small or big bank? [How do you ultimately make a decision between applying for a loan from a small or big bank?]
 
Craig G. Francis: Deciding which bank to use, small or large, depends almost entirely on which bank makes the loan.  Rates, terms and conditions do not vary significantly from bank to bank, so the best litmus test of what type of bank to use is the one who offers you the loan you need for your business; particularly in this economic and financing environment

A smaller bank may be able to make quicker niched decisions versus the larger banks that have a tendency to make decisions based on formulas.

 
David Kamatoy: How does the current 2010 economic climate affect applications?
 
Craig G. Francis: The financing environment has worsened steadily for the last 3 years.  I think we are still in for a rough patch within bank lending for the next two years, particularly as it regards the commercial real estate lending community, which has suffered from capital losses due to failed real estate projects and continued business weakness.

The banking and business community will start to recover when the unemployment rate comes down.  Notwithstanding federal interference, everything relies on the consumer health and unemployment rates today and into the foreseeable future.

Consumer spending is going to dictate lending, real estate values, and economic growth.  Banking is reflective of these factors since the banks are still being intensely scrutinized by the FDIC and Fed as to their past and present loan portfolios, possibly even more tightly than the past 3 years.  This scrutiny is causing the banks to evaluate every loan application with an eye to whether the deal makes sense today and far into the future. Underwriting continues to tighten, and banks make each loan with an eye to whether their decision will be criticized by the FDIC. 

Several new lenders have reentered the lending arena with good capital bases...

My present pipeline of loans is very solid with many new applications, considerably more than 2009.  This is due to the fact that several new lenders have reentered the lending arena with good capital bases, an eye to seeing how the deal can be done, and a certain knowledge that we will grow out of this economic rough patch. With so many banks now effectively out of business due to outright failure or credit constrictions, clients seek me out to help them with their loan applications.  I know that if a business has survived until now, it is quite likely that they will be able to stay the course once the economy starts back upwards.  Many lenders think this way as well.
 
David Kamatoy: How do you facilitate the loan and the relationship with Smaller Banks?

Craig G. Francis: When I broker a loan, I look more often to the smaller banks, knowing that they need loans to survive and new account relationships to fill their war chests, and thus are more likely to agree to the loan than a large lender.  I have nothing against a large lender except to say that unless the client is in first rate financial condition with excellent cash flow, there is little chance that the mega bank will do the deal.
 
David Kamatoy: Are there any other suggestions you have for business owners looking for a loan?
 
Craig G. Francis: I think it’s very important that anyone thinking about applying for a loan get the best advice possible before they plop down $500 or more just to have some service fill out the paperwork.  In some cases all they are going to get for that money is the rejection that would have happened even with a true expert, except that now they are out the up-front fee that they really didn’t need to pay.  If someone comes to me and they aren’t going to qualify, I’m going to tell them that right up front without charging them for useless paperwork.  In some situations I may even be able to give them suggestions as to other ways they can fund their project.  It’s all about listening to the client, asking the right questions, and helping them find the right path.

David Kamatoy: Craig, thank you for your time.
 
Craig G. Francis: You’re welcome, David.  And thank you.

Craig G. Francis is the owner of Francis Financial MySbaLoan.com and SBA Loan Store. He has been a top producer of SBA Loans since 1981, and has worked with Dun & Bradstreet and Bank of Commerce. Craig Francis has the expertise to steer clients through the often confusing rules and regulations associated with SBA Loans, having helped over 2,000 businesses acquire over a billion dollars in loans. He can be contacted through CraigGFrancis.com, SBALoanStore.com or at 888-666-9722.

Craig G. Francis is our associate, client and sponsor. David Kamatoy has the experience of working with start-up and emerging companies for over 10 years. As a former Investor Relations Director he has the unique understanding of funding projects and communicating with investors and entrepreneurs.