Sam's Club will offer small business loans ($5,000 to $25,000)

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i_GvPWwVD-TOqjxLQUPf6weXI6FQD9GPHSE01

by tamarindo • 16 years ago

22 15 16 years ago

google.com

ryansloan• 16 years ago

But will you have to buy a full pallet of them from the aisle next to the socks?

singer• 16 years ago

Why focus on only minority, women and veterans? Is that supposed to turn Sam's Club into some type of saint?

j_baker• 16 years ago

No, but it does show that Walmart is at least trying to not be an evil megacorporation.

eru3• 16 years ago

Selling me cheap stuff of reasonable quality is all I ask my retailers to do. (Or alternatively, higher quality at higher prices. Depends on what I am looking for at the moment.)

No other moral requirements needed.

hugh3• 16 years ago

Really? Racist discrimination in lending policies is non-evil nowadays?

jtbigwoo• 16 years ago

It's about finding under-valued opportunities, I'd imagine.

I assume that minority-, woman-, or veteran-owned businesses are similarly risky compared to businesses owned by white males. (Perhaps they're even less risky in some industries due to quotas, etc.) If these disadvantaged businesses are getting fewer loans because the bank managers are discriminating, it could be an opportunity for Wal Mart to make some money where big banks aren't.

Anechoic• 16 years ago

Perhaps they're even less risky in some industries due to quotas, etc.

Quotas are illegal. Some public projects have goals but those aren't firm (and are regularly waived).

Full disclosure: my sole proprietorship is a certified MBE/DBE in a number of states.

stcredzero• 16 years ago

So, this is like "micro-finance" but with larger granularity suited to the North American environment.

Sam's Club will offer small business loans ($5,000 to $25,000)

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