Arkansas Capital Corporation Is Pleased to Showcase the Work of Diane Harper, Dominique Simmons and Barbara Satterfield

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The Arkansas Capital Corporation Group (ACCG) is dedicated to helping small businesses and entrepreneurs throughout Arkansas succeed. Arkansas artists are certainly entrepreneurs. In 2013, ACCG began showcasing the work of Arkansas artists in our offices and began hosting open houses open to the public to help support the artists, as well as provide our community of staff, clients and visitors with a chance to be inspired by the art and be able to network at our offices as part of downtown Little Rock’s 2nd Friday Art Night. We are continuing that successful public-artist venture with the May 8th Friday Art Night with works by Diane Harper, Dominique Simmons and Barbara Satterfield in a show titled “Southern Curiosities”. Robert Bean is the show curator. Whether you are interested in learning more about the many lending products or just need a little visual inspiration, please stop by our offices Friday, May 8 from 5-8 p.m. Light hors d’oeuvres and drinks will be served. The artists will all be at the event to discuss their work, and all work is for sale with proceeds directly benefiting the artist. Our offices are located at 200 River Market, Avenue, Suite 400, Little Rock, AR 72201. Two nearby parking decks, as well as street parking are available. We are at Trolley Stop 10. Additional details about the trolley are available here. [Read more…]

4 Mistakes to Avoid When Applying for a Loan

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BusinessLoanApplicationEveryone knows how uncertain economic times can make it difficult to obtain a loan from a bank. Uncertainty causes banks to be very selective when deciding which applicants to loan money to. There is plenty of information out there that can help inform loan applicants on how to make themselves and their businesses look appealing to banks, but one way to increase the chances of getting that loan is to know what not to do. In an article for Entrepreneur.com, Catherine Clifford discusses 4 mistakes to avoid when applying for a bank loan.

Mistake #1: Underestimating the value of personal credit

Banks want to lend money to applicants who have been responsible managing their own personal finances. If an applicant can’t manage the money that directly affects themselves and their families, then what makes a bank think they will do any better with its money?

Mistake #2: Applying for the wrong type of loan

[Read more…]

Historic Rehabilitation Project Set for Downtown Little Rock’s Main Street

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Raimondo Family WineryMore positive news on the redevelopment of downtown Little Rock. Moses Tucker announces today the purchase and plans to rehabilitate the former Fulk-Arkansas Democrat Building, located at 615 Main Street in downtown Little Rock. The project will consist of eight (8) loft-style unit apartments with a retail component on the ground floor that will be anchored by Raimondo Winery. The project is anticipated to start in mid May and will cost approximately $2 million. The Fulk-Arkansas Democrat Building is not currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but is one of the more architecturally significant buildings on Main Street. The 2-story, 13,146 square foot building was constructed in 1916 and was designed by well-known architect, Charles Louis Thompson. Charles L. Thompson was one of the more prolific architects in Arkansas, having been involved in designing more than two thousand buildings throughout his career. Some of his best known works in the state of Arkansas include the Washington County courthouse in Fayetteville, Little Rock City Hall, the El Dorado High School, and the Peter Hotze house in Little Rock among others. The Fulk-Arkansas Democrat Building originally housed The Arkansas Democrat newspaper, known today as the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, between 1917 and 1930. This approximately 14,000 SF mixed-use project is situated on the east side of Main Street between 6th & 7th and is expected to be completed by mid 2016 to allow for tenants to open simultaneously. Raimondo Winery will be situated on the ground floor level of the development and will be open 7-days a week, serving only lunch. The winery will feature a wine tasting room and will offer select culinary events . Customers will also have the ability to purchase other products such as her homemade extra olive virgin oils and premium balsamic vinegars. [Read more…]

The Six Biggest Hits to Your Credit Score

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CreditScoreWith the focus on credit quality these days, the credit scores of principals/guarantors in the application process of securing a loan has become a greater focal point among lenders. Even Commercial Real Estate lenders (like life insurance companies) have paid more attention to credit scores over the last 2 years since the economic recession has taken hold. In fact, there are few things in your financial life that affect your ability to secure credit more profoundly than your credit score. However, it still remains a relative mystery to as to what financial ‘episodes’ really affect your score dramatically and which don’t. Some activities can just ‘scratch’ your credit score, while others can ‘dent-in the whole fender’. [Read more…]

What Is Your Business Really Worth?

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BusinessWorthAt some point, the answer to this question will be critical to all business owners. You may want to sell your company, bring in new investors or partners, or consider an Initial Public Offering (IPO). You may need to determine value for purposes of estate planning. Or, you may simply want to do some competitive analysis and evaluate your company from a market perspective. Because some of these questions can arise suddenly, performing a complete valuation and periodic updates is a healthy practice for growing small businesses. [Read more…]

Is Your Small Business Export Ready?

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This month is all about business exporting. Each week we have talked about exporting and how it can benefit your small business. The first article introduced you to exporting and provided you with a guide to small business exporting. Last week’s article gave you 8 reasons why you should export. This week we want to determine if your business is ready for exporting. To find out if you and your business is ready for exporting, ask yourself these six questions: [Read more…]

Why Export?

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import-exportLast week we provided a small business guide to exporting and tips on how you can get started with exporting. If you missed the article, click here to read: Small Business Guide to Exporting. Continuing this week on exporting, you might be asking why it is important to export or where you can find out more about exporting. Below, the U.S. Small Business Administration offers these eight reasons to export:  

  1. Decline in the exchange rate of the dollar is resulting in increased purchasing power in many export markets
  2. The U.S. has manufacturing capacity and lots of workers available
  3. Costs for transportation and communication have dropped
  4. Trade barriers have been reduced
  5. Exporting can increase sales and profit
  6. Increase market and reduce dependence on domestic markets
  7. Extend the sales potential and product life of existing product
  8. Stabilize seasonal market/sales fluctuations.

[Read more…]

Small Business Guide to Exporting

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import-exportWith the emergence of e-commerce, businesses can now sell and ship their products around the world much easier than in the past. Many small businesses don’t think they have the ability to export their products. Just figuring out where to get started often seems like a monumental task. There are quite a few resources out there that can help jump start exporting for your business.   The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers lots of great resources for helping get started. One is the Export Business Planner. http://youtu.be/n9hz1g65N_s This downloadable tool allows you to save and customize your work as you progress through the tool. The tool includes:

  • How to determine your export readiness
  • Training and counseling information
  • Worksheets for global market research
  • Financing information and options
  • Customizable export business plan and marketing plan templates

[Read more…]

Arkansas Capital Corporation Is Pleased to Showcase the Work of Neal Harrington, Tammy Harrington, and David Mudrinich

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2nd Friday Art NightThe Arkansas Capital Corporation Group (ACCG) is dedicated to helping small businesses and entrepreneurs throughout Arkansas succeed. Arkansas artists are certainly entrepreneurs. In 2013, ACCG began showcasing the work of Arkansas artists in our offices and began hosting open houses open to the public to help support the artists, as well as provide our community of staff, clients and visitors with a chance to be inspired by the art and be able to network at our offices as part of downtown Little Rock’s 2nd Friday Art Night. We are continuing that successful public-artist venture with the March 13th Friday Art Night with works by Neal Harrington, Tammy Harrington, and David Mudrinich in a show titled “Inside the Valley”. Robert Bean is the show curator. Whether you are interested in learning more about the many lending products or just need a little visual inspiration, please stop by our offices Friday, March 13 from 5-8 p.m. Light hors d’oeuvres and drinks will be served. The artists will all be at the event to discuss their work, and all work is for sale with proceeds directly benefiting the artist. Our offices are located at 200 River Market, Avenue, Suite 400, Little Rock, AR 72201. Two nearby parking decks, as well as street parking are available. We are at Trolley Stop 10. Additional details about the trolley are available here. [Read more…]

SBA Tool Helps with Market Research

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If you are a small business owner, you need to know how your business stacks up with the competition in order to succeed. A free tool released by the Small Business Administration, SizeUp, will help you manage and grow your business by benchmarking it against competitors, mapping your customers, competitors and suppliers, and locating the best places to advertise. [Read more…]

IRS Offers Arkansas Businesses Resources to Avoid Common Mistakes

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TaxesThe Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has provided Arkansas Capital Corporation with some educational material based around two topics that, according to their research and experience, commonly trip up new business owners. Those topics are recordkeeping and understanding gross business receipts. Understanding these topics and others presented in the material will help the small business owner be more successful. The IRS deals mostly with taxing businesses, but they also provide materials related to other topics that may be helpful. The goal of these educational materials is to give the user a starting place when trying to troubleshoot problems that may arise when starting their own small business. [Read more…]