The first thing: find one bank that pays attention to you. Big banks have a bad habit of transferring the good account execs to bigger branches. The only permanent bankers will be at headquarters and only accessible to large accounts.

My business is moving to a smaller business oriented bank. As soon as I know they are good I will mention them by name, but let's let them prove themselves to me.

As an established business we know how much we spend on bank services. Our biggest bank expense is processing credit cards. By transferring our merchant accounts to the new bank we bring income to them. To us it's overhead; to the bank it's income. They even were able to lower our clearing costs and even pointed out where the saving will occur. Their ability to understand the charges is definitely a plus. Showing them an established bank service means established charges transferring to their bank.

What are you spending on loans, payroll services, insurance, e-payments, credit lines, etc.? Make sure you have the list of the bank's services and be prepared to talk about each one. Talk about the bad experiences that drove you crazy with payroll services. Translation to the bankers? You have been around for a decent period of time and are ready to use their payroll services.

Can you write with good grammar? Can  you write a description of the history and the future of your business in a couple of pages? Can you describe why you can invest the bank's money coherently? Why are you ready for a cash influx? Are you developing an existing product line or creating new ones? Can you explain everything both verbally and written? You will need both with good grammar.

(We try not to deal with companies that do not use good grammar. We feel it shows a ravine between success and failure. If you cannot write - or have no idea what I am talking about - try reading a short paperback: "The Lively Art of Writing" by Lucille Vaughn Payne. I cannot stress how important coherent communications are to my company and my belief it affects my relationship with my bank.)

Make sure your banker will take the time to review your business plans. Don't leave this in an undefined state. By reviewing your business plans on a quarterly basis you provide the bank with advance notice of any cash flow issues. Then your problem becomes how to present the business plans in short, readable, understandable, visually attractive formats.

Make business plans in both strategic and specific. Although the bank appreciates people with vision, nevertheless, specific activities mean budgets and projections in dollar terms leading to a profitable result. Are you prepared with project breakouts of investment, production, sales, and profit on a timeline?

When your accountant prepares your taxes, make sure the profitability of your business is not hidden by tax accounting. For instance, spending to establish a new product line is just a deduction to the tax people, yet to you it's reinvestment of profit. Establish new general account journals to track and audit real profit areas.

Here's things to emphasize: your bookkeeping is in order and up to date, you are controlling debt (if any), the business credit is excellent as is the owner's, your employees are not only good, but many are long-term employees who work in a pleasant environment with perqs such as health insurance and 401 retirement benefits, your operations are efficient and carefully watched, your business is computerized properly, inventory is up to date and at the lowest levels possible for your gross sales, and more stuff to prove you know what you are doing. The little things add up or destroy you. That's why you want your bank account exec, and others, to visit your physical facility.

Why is this a different look at you business?  Your accountant may be impressed with your facility, but as long as they get paid, they don't care very much. They may never even visit. If you are lucky you can get the insurance company come and inspect for meeting requirements, yet basically it's only the banker you want to come out and visit.

When you project your cube to banks, always be honest. They should be your friends. If you find an antagonistic relations happening, make it unhappen.

Bankers probably understand time-lines better than other service providers. Make one showing cash in, cash out, product line by product line. New products are best understood when expressed in start date, development, machinery and equipment needs, when will income start and when will the loan be maintained and repaid.

You should know when and why a credit line is used, when a straight loan is better, or equipment leasing is the best way.

Banks make money by nickels and dimes. Make a bit on a loan, CD's, insurance, credit card processing, and so on. Make sure you tell your bank you want them to make money by using their services.

It takes many business schmoozes to run across the good bank.

A good bank will have their own schmoozes where you can meet their chosen lawyers, accountants, venture capitalists, insurance agents, PR people, and much more.

Your word of mouth advertising is important marketing to them so tell them you hope their services are so good you will want to praise them to your friends. But promise them you will try and be a good customer.

Good luck, and remember these are your business friends so treat them with the respect a professional deserves.