A key ingredient in the CEDF loan program is that any small business owner who receives a loan also receives free business counseling. This assistance is part of CEDF’s mission of not just growing businesses but also developing the management skill and expertise of the business owner. We support the owner in sales, marketing, financial reporting, and cash management. This support is provided on a regular basis by a team of professionals who make sure all borrowers gets the assistance they need. Our counselors also provide suggestions and referrals to accountants, attorneys and other professionals when more in-depth assistance is needed.

Pre Loan Assistance

Before any loan is made, a perspective borrower is visited and his or her business plan is reviewed. This pre-loan assessment is done in cooperation with the loan officer as part of CEDF's due diligence. This assures that the business is managed according to the goals established in the business plan. Advice provided to the borrower before the loan is made is designed to strengthen the business and the loan. This contact initiates the cooperative relationship between the borrower and the CEDF staff, which is continued once the loan is made.

Download a business plan outline.

Post Loan Assistance

Once a loan is made, each borrower is contacted and offered post loan assistance.  The business is visited on a schedule established by the owner and the CEDF team.  Careful attention is paid to evaluating the performance of the business against the projections outlined in the business plan. CEDF staff makes recommendations about how to manage the business to achieve the objectives laid out in the plan.

Coordination of Services within CEDF

The loan officer and the technical assistance staff always work closely together to provide services to borrowers. As each comes from a distinctive background and perspective, this strengthens the advice given to the borrower and the potential for long-term success. By working simultaneously on a loan application, there is no delay in assessment of the borrower and the decisions about loans can be made promptly. Both the technical assistance department and the loan officer must sign off on the loan in order for a loan to be approved. This maximizes the expertise offered the borrower from two distinctive perspectives.