Why wait to compete in the annual pitchfest when you can stand out from the crowd TODAY!

WiFi is everywhere. Even relaxing down at the local coffee store or at the most upmarket restaurants - people are browsing the web with their Blackberry's, laptops and now - cell phones. So what does this mean to you and your screenplay? It means you now have the opportunity to pitch your scripts ANYWHERE, ANYTIME!

Producers, Directors and Agents can now receive and view YOUR pitch - exactly the way you want it. There is no risk of blowing it on a one-time pitch. Get it right the first time - and get it made.

When you're running your own business, there are so many things that you have to think about. There is payroll, employee issues, sales, marketing, and taking care of your existing customers. Sometimes it can be hard for a business owner to pay much attention to their financing needs. Small business finance is one of the most overlooked areas of a small business. Most of the time, business owners are concerned with just taking care of existing customers and employees that they don't take the time to learn about all the options that are available to make their business run smoother. They don't educate themselves and instead let their banker tell them what's right for their business. This will give you a quick rundown of the main financing options that are available, think of it like a cheatsheet for meeting with your banker.

A small business line of credit is something that you use for short-term funding needs. So, for example, let's say your biggest customer hasn't paid you yet and you don't want to put too much pressure on them, but you really need to pay your employees this week. You would simply borrow on your line of credit to pay payroll. This keeps both your customer happy because you are not hounding them for payment and your employees happy. After you've collected the funds from the customer, then you use the funds to repay the LOC. The great thing about RLOC's is that they are really a savior for any small business owner. They are meant to ease the crunch of cash flow needs that typically result from waiting on receivables. Another typical use for the RLOC is when a certain supplier gives big breaks on purchasing inventory in bulk. Or if you can purchase offseason for big discounts and then store the inventory for yourself. This is the perfect situation where you would draw off the line of credit and take advantage of the steep discounts. When the time comes when you sell off the inventory than you pay back the line. Its a great way for business owners to be able to quickly act on great deals. A lot of small business owners misuse lines of credit by using them to purchase equipment. But really they should be used only to finance short-term needs. By using a small business line of credit, You can greatly improve the cash flow situation in your business.

As your company grows one thing most small business owners want to invest in is their own building. Purchasing your own building is a great way to invest in a long-term asset that will continue to pay dividends long after you've sold your business. When you're talking about the cost of the building, typicaly just getting a little better deal can make a huge difference. Banks will try to offer you the standard terms of 5 year fixed rates and 20 year amortization on your commercial mortgage, but with some negotiation you should be able to do better than that. As bank competition has increased and banks are buying market share, you should be able to get more aggressive terms than you were able to even 5 years ago. Most banks in competitive environments are willing to extend the amortization up to twenty-five years and give you a fixed rate term of possible up to 15 years. There are even some government options where you can put less down than a bank will typically require. This is a great option if this is going hold onto the building for more than 10 years, because there are significant prepayment penalties. Generally, banks will priced these loans at a spread above the corresponding treasury. For example, a five-year loan at somewhere between 200 basis points in 275 basis points above the five year treasury. Banks or lending institutions will always try to make their money somewhere and its typically in points and fees. It's not uncommon for them to propose for these things, but you can usually get out of paying them if you are a good enough customer and plan to bring enough business to the bank.

Small business startup loans are something that most business owners need at some point and also something that banks generally aren't too excited about. That's why typically, the easiest thing to do is to either borrow funds from a trusted family member or to finance your start up with the use of something like a home-equity line of credit. The reason I say this is that banks have the process for HELOC loans down pat and it's generally pretty easy to get approved as long as you have equity. For startup loans, if you can show the bank some kind of track record or collateral then they will ask for your home as collateral anyways so you might as well go with the HELOC. You'll save yourself a lot of trouble and time going this route than trying to get the bank to buy into your business. It's quicker to get approved, there are less questions, and you can generally get a much lower rate than you would if you went the commercial route. The one objection that most business owners have to doing a HELOC is that they want to build up business credit. Unlike the personal side, there is no such thing as building business credit. Banks look at companies financial statements when making loans and that's it. If you can repay the loan based off your companies history than that's all they want to see. So, a HELOC is a great option to get you off the ground right away and ready to go. It should be noted that this doesn't mean that you still don't do the necessary business projections and businesss plan. Those are important things that every business should use when planning their business.

Do yourself a favor and just learn the basics. They'll take you a long way in your business and it's worth it to learn a little bit in order to put you and your company in a better position to take advantage of loan products that will help take your business to the next level. In addition to bank loans are also SBA loans that can be used if your business doesn't quite fit the qualifications that the bank is looking for. While many people are fearful of borrowing money from the bank, it is smart borrowing that allows companies to grow to their full potential.