LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp., the leading provider of credit building and credibility solutions for businesses, today announced its last stop of the 2013 Access to Capital: Money to Mainstreet tour to be held in Seattle at the Westin on Tuesday, November 12th from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The company’s Access to Capital: Money to Mainstreet events were created to foster lending and educate small business owners about the many types of financing that may be available to them. The one day event provides expert panels and speakers, as well as on-site, one-on-one meetings with a wide spectrum of business lenders. The Access to Capital: Money to Mainstreet tour kicked off in Los Angeles in October 2012, followed by stops in Chicago (May 2013) and Atlanta (August 2013) – collectively drawing over 1,500 business owners and financial lenders, together resulting in tens of millions in loan originations.
According to Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management and Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp.’s Capital Index Survey (PCA), 59 percent of small and medium sized- businesses are reporting the current business environment as difficult to raise new business financing in the third quarter.
“Our goal in creating our Access to Capital events was to bridge the disconnect between businesses across the country and the lenders who are providing capital,” Jeff Stibel, Chairman and CEO of Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp. explained. “We’ve been thrilled that our events have been the source of many success stories, like Kris Schoenberger of Chicago who leveraged the resources available at our event to expand his growing barbecue business.”
Kris Schoenberger, owner of BBQ’d Productions, who attended the Access to Capital event in Chicago will be sharing his success story with Seattle attendees at the upcoming event. “I attended Access to Capital Chicago with an open mind, not sure what to expect, and was introduced to Accion where I learned of their partnership with Sam Adams’ Brewing the American Dream program,” Schoenberger shared. “I began working on my application for the program on site with Accion and ultimately was accepted, providing me with the ability to grow my business from one trailer truck to four – not to mention the opportunity to be mentored by Jim Koch and Sam Adams. Not only did I gain invaluable information and access to help me grow my business at this event, but I met many contacts and resources who have continued to give me the extra moral support in knowing I’m on the right track to achieving my goals as an entrepreneur.”
The event is comprised of two main areas – the “town hall” for speakers, spotlight series, and panels - and the “financial district” where small business owners can meet with numerous lenders, legal experts, business resources, and advisors. Key sponsors include Bank of America, Microsoft, AEO, and LegalZoom.
Panels and presentations will include entrepreneur and lending experts on both a local and national level including:
- Brock Blake (Lendio)
- Jill Blankenship (Frontline Call Center)
- Connie Bourassa-Shaw (Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship)
- Joan Broughton (Craft3)
- Roland Chaiton (Community Capital Development)
- Tom Cock (Vestory)
- Roger Forman (Bank of America)
- Ruth Ann Halford (Fortune Bank)
- Mary Juetten (Traklight)
- Linda Laws (SBA)
- Beth Lipson (Opportunity Finance Network)
- Rebecca Lovell (Northwest Entrepreneur Network)
- Michael “Luni” Libes (Fledge)
- Mick Matsuzaway (Washington State Office of Minority & Women’s Business Enterprises)
- Walter McLaughlin (Banner Bank)
- David Nilssen (Guidant Financial)
- Ditto Nowakowski (CanCan)
- Dan Shapiro (Robot Turtles)
- Andy Shawber (Summit Law)
- Larry Spelhaug (SCORE Seattle)
- Steve Strauss (USA Today)
Lending appointments for Seattle’s event will include representatives from banks such as Bank of America and Well Fargo, along with regional-based financial institutions such as Homestreet Bank, EastWest Bank, Export-Import Bank of the United States, Banner Bank, Fortune Bank, Craft3, Guidant Financial, MercyCorps Northwest, One Pacific Coast Bank, Grow America Fund, Lendio, Regal Financial Bank and more.
Registration for the event includes a free copy of your business credit report—a requirement for many lenders—as well as the opportunity to consult with a Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp. certified Credit Advisor to prepare for the lending appointments.
To register for the event and learn more, visit http://accesstocapital.com/seattle.
About Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp.
Dun &
Bradstreet Credibility Corp. is the leading provider of credit building
and credibility solutions for businesses. The company helps businesses
establish their credit with a D&BD-U-N-S ® Number and provides the only
business credit solution available to companies looking to build,
monitor, and impact their business credit and credibility. The company’s
headquarters are in Los Angeles, CA with offices throughout the United
States. For more information on the company, please visit www.DandB.com
or follow the company on Twitter via @DandB.
