Podcasts
Deep Dive — How & Why Successful Nonprofits Borrow Money
Find out why nonprofits with $500K+ recurring revenue can and should use debt capital from CDFIs (like CEDF) to bridge funding gaps and manage...
Deep Dive — Starting Your New Business Right
Making a successful start of a new business requires not only creativity and hustle but a certain discipline to do things the right way....
Deep Dive –Ten Principles for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Thanks to our free enterprise system, it’s still relatively easy to accumulate at least a small amount of capital to launch a venture. And...
Deep Dive — Entrepreneurs Checklist for Raising Capital
Learn how small businesses typically get funded, and the seven most important concepts to have locked down to know you are prepared to take...
Deep Dive — Can I Get that Business Loan
This podcast episode is based on CEDF’s Ready for Business Success course and applies to borrowing from a bank or a community lender. Enrolling...
Deep Dive — Understanding How Lenders Evaluate Loans
Get a checklist for your understanding of what a community lender or even a bank is looking for as it evaluates applications. Preparation of...
Deep Dive — Prudent Advice for Small Business Borrowers
There are many different sources for borrowed small business capital. But the terms can be very different and the net costs to the borrower...
Deep Dive –Top Ten Reasons Loan Applications Fail
Nonprofit community lender organizations, just like banks and credit unions, provide responsible, affordable small business lending. Learn the reasons why some applicants stumble and...
Deep Dive –12 Tips for Securing a Small Business Loan
Nonprofit community lender organizations, just like banks and credit unions, provide responsible, affordable small business lending. Learn the important factors to consider when you...
Deep Dive — Financial competence
Learn about CEDF's approach to financial competence to help small business owners. Google's Notebook LM is the tool we used to voice the podcast....
Small Business As Usual 21-3 — fiscal fitness
Everyone knows how important it is to have enough financial information to make wise decisions. It would be a lot easier if you had...
Small Business As Usual 21-2 — unintentional entrepreneur
Some people appear to be born entrepreneurs. Others seem to end up owning businesses having never contemplated that career. But is that the same...
Small Business As Usual 21-1 — fortitude
What do you do when you lose 85% of your business? Stephen Richmond of Painting with a Twist in Hartford describes his approach.
Small Business As Usual 20-6 — diversity, inclusion & equity
Karen Hinds of Workplace Success Group explains why small business owners need to be engaged with diversity, inclusion and equity and how it can...
Small Business As Usual 20-5 — facing uncertainty
What makes some entrepreneurs better suited for the most emotionally challenging part of business ownership -- uncertainty? Dr. Len Wysocki has insights into the...
Small Business As Usual 20-4 — building community
Michael Cervellino of Belle Academy had figured out how to deal with COVID-19 long before the pandemic hit through charity events and old fashioned...
Small Business As Usual 20-3 — preparation for change
As a small business owner, it’s likely you’ll have to deal with change on a daily basis. Ralph Mesite shares how he prepared for...
Small Business As Usual 20-2 — employee personal problems
Organizational development consultant and author Bruce Tulgan explains you can be be humane, thoughtful and take the right approach to dealing with employees who...
Small Business As Usual 20-1 — should you go into business?
Lots of people are attracted to owning their own businesses. But not everyone stops to make a truly informed assessment of whether it’s right...
Small Business As Usual 19-9 — bread saved my life
We've all heard stories about how the challenges of small business ownership cause personal crises. In contrast, Jennifer Acuna, owner of Loafing Around, LLC...
Small Business As Usual 19-8 — improving cash flow
Cash flow problems have to be the number one problem small business owners face. Michael Mongillo of Eleven Arrows Consulting points out the solutions...
Small Business As Usual 19-7, why borrowing got hard
Small business owners might wonder what happened to the world where they could dial their banker on the phone and arrange for a loan...
Small Business As Usual 19-6, emotions behind money
Problems in business with money? Maybe it's all in your head. Corrin Gibbs Burke CFP®, CMC®, explains the emotional side of what none of...
Small Business As Usual 19-5, what customers want
Imagine racking up big debt and betting all on opening a small store only to find out the next day a big box competitor...
Small Business As Usual 19-4, right place, right time, right customer
Richard Portelance, CEO of CareerPath Mobile, developed a great solution that users loved, but the paying customers weren't ready to adopt it. What he...
Small Business As Usual 19-3, the right questions
Are you asking the right questions about your business? Do you have the right business model? Are you solving problems for customers? Are you...
Small Business As Usual 19-2, innovation
Innovation doesn't come from brainstorming. It sneaks up on you like a cat at the intersection of experience and observation. Chris Raimo, owner of...
Small Business As Usual 18-12, building community
In an era emphasizing referrals, social media and testimonials, growing a consumer-facing business is not just a matter of advertising but about building a...
Small Business As Usual 18-11, making work fun
Turning work into play is easy for Laura Beckham of New London's Berry's Ice Cream and Candy Bar. Laura explains how she adds fun...
Small Business As Usual episode 18-10, organization
As a business owner, do you have the personalities of the entrepreneur, technician and manager in balance inside your head? Do you have your...
Small Business As Usual episode 18-9, innovation thru customer engagement
Innovation doesn’t require high investment and complicated research and development. Dave Sagers explains how you can engage with your customers to accomplish true innovation.
Small Business As Usual episode 18-8, business networking
What’s the most effective way to make use of business networking opportunities? Sean Moore, president, Midstate Chamber of Commerce, explains the secrets of the...
Small Business As Usual episode 18-7, perseverance
How many years would you be willing to strive to see your concept brought to fruition? Evan Dobos of Bantam, CT, explains the role...
Small Business As Usual episode 18-6, flexibility
What would you do if you had an idea for a business in an industry you knew well, then you meticulously planned, cautiously financed...
Small Business As Usual episode 18-5, customer-centered business
What happens when you fail to go "above and beyond" for your customers? Tony Scacca, owner of First & Last Tavern of Middletown, CT,...
Small Business As Usual episode 18-4, processes and systems
How do you use processes and systems to guide a business that depends on people and relationships? Caleb Roseme of Assured Quality Homecare in...
Small Business As Usual episode 18-3, social responsibility
It's not easy being green, especially in the food service business. Katie Hughes Nelson, owner of Perk cafes and the Perk on Wheels food...
Small Business As Usual episode 18-2, ethical sourcing
If business owners stand by their principles, will their customers come? Will they stay? Or will the owners roll over?
Paul Gallant and Lynn Felici-Gallant...
Small Business As Usual episode 19-1, how you make your customers feel
Devon Scanlon, owner/operator of Chick-Fil-A in Brookfield, CT, shares her methods for maintaining fidelity to the simplest of ideas -- how you make your...
Small Business As Usual episode 18-1, work-life balance
How does a business owner find work-life balance?
Dr. Len Wysocki is a licensed psychologist and consultant in executive coaching, management training and organizational development....
Small Business As Usual episode 17-4, mental discipline
How important is mental discipline to business success?
Ray Boyd, owner of The Training Floor, Stamford, CT, explains how he applies mental discipline to serving...
Small Business As Usual episode 17-3, teamwork
Learn how to make teamwork happen in your organization.
CEDF client alumnae Dawn Reshen-Doty of Benay Enterprises in Danbury, CT, explains how she learned to...
Small Business As Usual episode 17-2, shared values
Learn the advantages of implementing a shared values program in your company culture.
CEDF client Jamie D'Agostino of Netology in Stamford, CT, explains the...
Small Business As Usual episode 17-1, time management
Are you trying to get out of production and into management?
Interview with CEDF client Aubrey Schmalle of Sensational Achievements, Stamford, CT.
