Video – Intro To Business Budgeting

lift_fundHere’s an introductory video we did for LiftFund, a not-for-profit business microlender, based in San Antonio, TX. 1 LiftFund targets lending to small business owners who have otherwise not been able to get capital – or have already been turned down – from traditional banks. They offer not just loans but business training, financial education, and coaching. It’s a very cool mission that I feel good about being part of.

We did these videos for a site to be rolled out soon, called “LiftFund.” Everything’s free and meant to just get you as a first-time small business owner started with the basics of tracking your financials.

This video (and related ones to follow) walk you through the initial process of starting a small business budget.

I’ve occasionally posted other videos I’ve done for LiftFund, many of which walk you (as a small business owner) through the basics of building business financials on a spreadsheet. If you’re interested in sample spreadsheets, lots of these videos, and sample spreadsheets, are here.

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  1. Clarification – LiftFund is a not-for-profit organization, the businesses they lend to are for-profit

Video – Instructions on Bank Reconciliation

Sometimes I help produce educational materials for LiftFund, a large business micro-lender based in my hometown.

This video is for small business owners who want to know what ‘Bank Reconciliation’ involves, and why and how you probably need to do it yourself as the business owner. Hint: Bank Reconciliation has nothing to do with confessing your sins to a Catholic priest through the sacrament of reconciliation.

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Election Night Talk on TX Comptroller Race

I joined my colleague at the San Antonio Express News to discuss the incoming Comptroller, as well as the fate of the controversial Texas Enterprise Fund.

Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

 

The TL;DR Summary –

1. Susan Combs deserves credit for shedding light on state finances, such as county debt and school district debt.

2. Glenn Hegar ran as a politician, not a technocrat, to replace Susan Combs as Comptroller. That’s not my preferred style.

3. Conservatives and Liberals in Texas should find common ground to critique “Economic Development” programs like the Texas Enterprise Fund.

4. But because the TEF offers power to the Gov, Govt Lite, and House Speaker, it will probably continue.

 

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Video for Entrepreneurs – Personal Financial Statement

A regional microlender named Accion Texas helps entrepreneurs get started on the process of builing small businesses.

In this video I walk you through the process of collecting your personal financial data all in one place, using an Accion template available on their website.

The personal financial statement would be used to talk to any bank or lender about getting a loan. Even prior to that, it could be used by you to determine whether your startup idea makes financial sense at this time.

See related post Accion Texas video on using a startup capital template

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Video: Russian TV on Bankers’ Stressful Lives

I did an interview recently for RT London, which I gather is sort of Putin’s version of a Russian CNN or Qatar’s Al Jazeera. Just more sensational.

They wanted to cover what they call a recent string of high-profile banker suicides.  I have zero reason to think bankers commit suicide in higher numbers than any other profession, and if I had to guess, the rate of depression or suicide probably reflects prevailing rates in other high stress areas.

But of course, stressful jobs have different effects on different people.  Below is my 15-seconds of skype video fame on RT London TV.

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Video: The Time Value of Money

Why is money today more valuable than money in the future? In this lecture to students at Trinity University (in San Antonio, TX) I review four reasons why in any real-world scenarios I can think of, a reasonable person would give me less than $100 today in order to receive $100 from me one year from now.

To dig into the math of compound interest, discounted cash flows, and interest rates (or yield) its useful to review the practical fact – employed in all banking, insurance, borrowing/lending, and investing activities – that money today is worth more than money tomorrow.

In order to not play hide-the-ball with this video, here are my four reasons for why money today is not equal, and is more valuable, than money in the future:
1. Expected inflation (aka expected loss of purchasing power in the future)
2. Expected return (holders of capital demand a positive return on capital)
3. Risk of future payment (aka credit risk or counterparty risk)
4. Liquidity of capital provider (relative scarcity today raises value of money today for capital provider)

For all four of these reasons (and possibly more) holders of capital can demand a positive return, or interest rate, for the use of their capital.  This justification for charging interest, or demanding a positive return on capital, or yield, is the foundation of every financial transaction.

 

Please see related posts:

Video: Compound Interest Formula – The Rainbow Bridge

Why doesn’t Compound Interest Math Get Taught?

Compound Interest and Wealth

Compound Interest and Debt

Discounted Cash Flows

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A Time Value of Money example

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