Most small businesses fail to develop their side of their relationship with commercial bankers, and this undermines both their ability to raise capital and the services they receive. In a just released paper, John I. Todor, Ph.D., managing partner of The Whetstone Edge, LLC, interviews R. Blake Hendrix about the proactive steps that the small business person should be taking to improve their lot.
Pleasant Hill, CA (PRWEB) October 2, 2007 — "More than 70% of small businesses fail to develop their side of their relationship with commercial bankers and this undermines both the funding and financial expertise they receive," says R. Blake Hendrix. In a just released paper, John I. Todor, Ph.D., managing partner of The Whetstone Edge, LLC, interviews Hendrix about this statement and probes to find out what proactive steps the small business person should be taking. This interview is available now at www.thewhetstoneedge.com/papers/clients.pdf.
"Relationships are critical to business" says Todor. He cites a recent study by the Economist Intelligence Unit where over 90% of business executives believed that customer relationships, not products or services, were the key to competitive differentiation in today's marketplace. "But relationships" he adds, "are about the interactions between two parties and both parties must be actively involved for it to product mutual benefits." However, "much of the advice and strategies are directed at only one side–what the business should do to cultivate better relationships with their customers."
In the interview, Todor questions Hendrix about the ideas in his new book "Accounting, Finance and Presentation for Small Business." In particular, he queries him on the client's role in building mutually productive and profitable relationships in a B-to-B environment.
Hendrix, a former commercial banker and now a consultant to small businesses, explains in down-to-earth terms how many clients take a self-defeating approach to working with vendors and service providers.
"Two clients with essentially the same profile on paper can end up with dramatically different financial packages as well as the guidance and expertise they get from a bank" Says Hendrix. He points out that the difference is in the relationship, and the client can do a lot to tilt the scale in his or her favor. "That's why I wrote this new book" adds Hendrix.
The complete interview is available for free at www.TheWhetstoneEdge.com/papers/clients.pdf.