UHV SBDC lunch and learn looks at credit from lender’s perspective
Small business owners and entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to learn about credit from a lender’s perspective during a lunch workshop at the University of Houston-Victoria.
The UHV Small Business Development Center will host All About Credit on July 22. Talitha Kloss, a personal banker and loan officer at Wells Fargo, will present the event starting at noon in UHV University North Room 110A, 3007 N. Ben Wilson St. The cost is $10 for advance registration or $20 at the door. Lunch will be provided.
“I’m privileged and honored to speak with local small business owners at this workshop,” Kloss said. “Maintaining a good credit report is a bit like a juggling act, and there’s a lot to learn when it comes to keeping business and personal finances, and credit separate and in order.”
In today’s economy, credit is tied into almost every aspect of life, from getting a house or car to making small, daily purchases, Kloss said. While many people are familiar with how credit impacts their personal lives, small business owners may not realize they also need to monitor their business’s credit.
During her presentation, Kloss will explain what lenders look for in a loan application and how to maintain, repair, rebuild or start credit from scratch, as well as how to fix errors in a credit report.
Businesses face the same problems individuals do when maintaining a good credit score and report, and a lot of the strategies are similar, Kloss said. For instance, if an entrepreneur is slow in repaying a loan or large order, it will have a negative impact on the business’s credit, just like if an individual misses payments on a credit card or home loan.
In addition, entrepreneurs have to be aware of scammers, who often target small businesses, Kloss said. Some scammers clone a business’s identity and use fake checks, which can wreak havoc on a credit report. They often target small businesses because larger businesses or corporations have more security measures.
“Navigating the credit and lending process can be a figurative minefield for small business owners,” UHV SBDC Director Joe Humphreys said. “It’s an important resource, and the UHV SBDC wants to make sure Crossroads entrepreneurs have the opportunity to equip themselves for success when making credit choices.”
The UHV SBDC offers assistance on starting, growing and financing a business; contracting opportunities; and recovering from disaster. Most of its services are free to area small business owners in Aransas, Bee, Calhoun, DeWitt, Gonzales, Goliad, Jackson, Karnes, Lavaca, Refugio and Victoria counties. It is part of a nationwide small business assistance program serving the small business community and federal, state and local governments.
To register for the workshop, call 361-485-4485 or email sbdc@uhv.edu. The registration deadline is July 21.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
