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ELEVATE FUNDING
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Email: support@elevatefunding.com
11/21/2018 Elevate Funding strengthens compliance
11/20/2018 Elevate Funding announces new partnership
08/01/2018 Elevate Funding Supports HeroBox.org
Elevate Funding Strengthens Compliance and Monitor Abilities
Article by: Todd Stone
Yesterday, Elevate Funding announced that it would be using the PerformLine Platform to enhance its compliance and email monitoring abilities.
"Terminology is very important in this industry," said Elevate Funding CEO Heather Francis.
Francis said that much of Elevate's decision to use PerformLine is to make sure that the correct terms are being used so that the company is consistent in how it presents its MCA product, both to merchants and to referral partners.
"We've always been very in tuned to our image, both with our referral partners and with our merchants, and we like to make sure it's a consistent image," Francis said.
Together with PerformLine, Elevate Funding created a list of 500 problematic words or phrases. If these terms are used in an email – written by an Elevate Funding employee, a merchant or a referral partner – the email will get flagged and brought to the attention of Francis. Some red flag key terms include "loan," "term," "payback" and "free." Regardless of who wrote the word, the Elevate Funding employee will be asked to send a clarifying follow-up email.
For example, Francis said that if a merchant sends an email that reads "What is my loan balance?" this email would be flagged and the company employee would respond, clarifying that the MCA deal is not a loan. In addition to being clear with customers and referral partners, the PerformLine service is beneficial for compliance reasons.
"In today's regulatory environment, Elevate must stay on top of its compliance procedures not only to satisfy industry requirements but to ensure the security of sensitive data," Francis said. "This includes all levels of interactions with our referral partners and the small business owners we service. PerformLine has provided the opportunity to review this information with speed and accuracy, so our compliance team can address any issues as they occur."
Other funders, like GreenBox Capital, have employed monitoring capabilities not just to protect themselves from legal liability, but to protect merchant data.
Based in Gainesville, FL, Elevate Funding employs about 20 people.
Elevate's Net Income Soared in Q1 Year-Over-Year
Elevate's net income increased 459 percent from $1.7 million in Q1 2017 to $9.5 million in Q1 2018, according to the company's Q1 financial statement released on April 30th.
"What you are now seeing is a business beginning to leverage its scale in a market that is almost boundless," said Elevate CEO Ken Rees. "We are gratified by our strong start to 2018 and by the fact that we've done it offering what we believe are the most responsible credit products available to non-prime borrowers today."
Elevate (NYSE: ELVT) provides funding solutions to non-prime consumer customers. They offer three products: RISE, a state-licensed online lender that offers up to $5,000 in unsecured installment loans and lines of credit, Elastic, a bank-issued line of credit, and Sunny, a short-term loan product for customers in the UK. RISE and Elastic serve the US market.
The RISE product has performed well, likely buoyed by the hiring of Tony Leopold a year ago to build on the product. Elevate is still new as a public company. It recently celebrated its one year anniversary on the New York Stock Exchange in April.
According to the Q1 earnings report, the total number of new customer loans for the first quarter of 2018 was approximately 70,000, an increase of 32.1 percent compared to approximately 53,000 new customer loans in the first quarter of 2017.
Founded in 2014, the Fort Worth, TX-based company has originated $5.5 billion to 1.9 million customers. The company also has offices in Dallas, TX, San Diego, CA, and in the UK, in London and Bury St. Edmunds.
View From The C-Suite: Alternative Funding Execs Talk Shop, The Landscape, And The Future
Article by: Gerelyn Terzo
Alternative funders have had a roller coaster 2017 with highs and lows that will likely be remembered as a high-stakes time for the industry, one in which the rubber met the road for many and the market landscape shifted for everyone from funders, to merchants to brokers.
Three C-Suite executives in the alternative funding space — Christine Chang, CEO of 6th Avenue Capital, Heather Francis, CEO of Elevate Funding and Torrie Inouye, National Funding president — spoke with deBanked, offering their take on some of the industry shakeups, direction of the alt lending space and upcoming developments at their respective companies.
All three execs are embracing what appears to be shaping up as a bigger and better 2018 with plans on the horizon for new products, relationships and deals but also where there could be further shakeout as the shift in the industry landscape takes hold.
Industry Landscape
6th Avenue Capital, provides short-term funding to merchants that Chang describes as "high touch, high tech and fast." The company is building an SEC RIA compliant infrastructure as Chang believes that MCA regulation will take place over the next several years. Chang said she is sympathetic to the banks and the onerous rules that they must follow, and whatever form the industry regulation eventually takes on, the company will be ready for.
Christine Chang, CEO, 6th Avenue Capital
A recent story in The Wall Street Journal points to community banks comprised of those with less than $10 billion in assets historically funding local merchants in what's dubbed character-based lending. As the name suggests, the underwriting standard for the loans was tied to the character of the business owner, which the lender knew based on personal relationships in their own communities.
The financial crisis gave rise to greater regulation, driving a spike in that model and the rest is history. Small banks were forced to direct their resources toward risk management and compliance instead of adding more personnel to service loans. The WSJ quotes a small business lender that bears repeating: "When they created too big to fail, they also created too small to succeed."
When that door closed, however, another one opened, creating the opportunity for alt lenders to service a niche that was getting left out in the cold.
"The alternative funding industry is here to stay. That's good news for MCA and fintech in general. There's a need for fast funding and there will continue to be a trend toward that," said Chang.
"THE ALTERNATIVE FUNDING INDUSTRY IS HERE TO STAY"
Banks, meanwhile, have started coming to the fintech table to compete for deals. "We're in the process of speaking to a number of banks, some quite large and some regional, that have expressed an interest. We think this is a great opportunity for them. The idea is that we'd help them to serve a population of clients that they would not otherwise be able to serve," said Chang.
6th Avenue has had discussions about white labeling and customizing the platform for institutions. "We would run everything for them," said Chang.
In addition to possible new banking relationships, 6th Avenue Capital, backed by a private family and institutional investors, will expand the business model to include more investors on its platform. "We are in discussions with a number of significant international investors. It's in the works. We're building an institutional infrastructure, so it was always contemplated," she said.
Elevate Funding, whose is 100% referral-based and whose product suite is comprised of a trio of MCA solutions, is coming up on its three-year anniversary in December.
"When I created Elevate, I did it with the purpose of providing a product to high-risk merchants. That's who we deal with. We're not dealing with credit scores. There is a level of risk to who we work with. Elevate was created to provide a product that is going to fit their needs and also provide a product that doesn't treat them like they're high risk. That's who we are," said Francis.
Heather Francis, CEO, Elevate Funding
Gainesville, FL-based Elevate recently hired Michael Gaura to spearhead a new MCA product that the company is rolling out in 2018. Francis held the details of the new funding product close to the vest, but she did offer her views on the direction of the MCA and alternative lending space.
"I see difficulty in the coming years, especially in 2018, for qualified lead flow. You have a lot of big banks that are getting into this industry. And that's a lot of marketing dollars that you're competing against."
She points to JPMorgan Chase, American Express, Square and PayPal, saying they are "huge marketing dollar companies" with tremendous access to customers on their respective platforms.
"There's going to be a shakeout of what can you reach, who can you reach, can you get them the first time? How do you engage them to where they only want to work with you and they're not submitting 20 applications for every website they come across?", Francis said.
San Diego, Calif.-based National Funding is a balance sheet lender whose primary product is loans, not MCAs. The broker factor has changed significantly for the lender in a very positive way this year. "We're really seeing sizeable growth in our broker channel in 2017 and have designed a strong and consistent process for our broker clients" Inouye said. The leads have been driven by a variety of factors, not the least of which comes down to CAN Capital and Bizfi's loss being National Funding's gain.
"WE DEFINITELY SAW AN UPTICK IN BUSINESS WHEN THEY LEFT THE SPACE"
Torrie Inouye, President, National Funding
"That's a factor we can't ignore. The broker community has rewarded us for being consistent and building those relationships and being a partner to them," Inouye said. "We definitely saw an uptick in business when they left the space. I can say we've continually experienced sizeable growth in our broker channel year over year but 2017 was beyond what we had expected. It surpassed other years."
Incidentally, National Funding was one of the earliest alt funders on the scene along with CAN Capital in the 1990s. CAN's fate started unraveling about this time a year ago.
"It's not positive when you see that happen in the industry. However, we are really focused on what we're doing and the decisions we're making internally. I think that's why we've consistently had profitable growth over the years. We've stayed true to our underwriting principles and the market seems to have rewarded us. We were consistent and not erratic. Brokers know they can rely on us and feel confident that we would quickly fund their deal once we issued an approval," said Inouye.
The Broker Effect
Elevate, a balance sheet funder, relies on outside brokers and referrals for deals. "I don't find it a disadvantage for us not having an internal sales team. A lot of companies in this space have the ability for a chief marketing officer who focuses entirely on leads. Elevate isn't there yet. Will we be there in five years? Maybe. Marketing can change by that time," Francis said.
6th Avenue Capital welcomes relationships with brokers as well. "We have an in-house business development team that works with brokers. 6th Avenue Capital is also considering direct sales in niche strategies in its future," said Chang.
6th Avenue Capital has a starter program in which there are no guarantees but considers businesses that have been in existence for less than a year and businesses with credit scores of 500 or more. Plus, they're willing to do consolidations up to two advances.
In addition, 6th Avenue Capital is open to offering financing to brokers. "It's really good in that there is an alignment of interests and allows brokers to participate in the deals they put forth. If they think the merchant is credit worthy and a terrific opportunity, they participate. Everyone has skin in the game and interests are aligned," Chang said.
While technology is at the core of fintech, all three of the companies take a hybrid approach when it comes to credit underwriting comprised of a tech platform and the human touch, which perhaps keeps character-based lending alive in some form.
With respect to fintech, "6th Avenue Capital's philosophy is that technology is a tool to supplement human underwriting. We use technology to detect fraud, manage workload processes and manage risk. We do not use technology to make our final decisions," said Chang.
Specifically, 6th Avenue Capital benefits from research, artificial intelligence and predictive technology of its sister company Nexlend Capital. 6th Avenue Capital has customized Nexlend's consumer lending algorithmic intellectual property, which uses machine learning and credit analysis with high speed execution to make better and faster decisions.
Elevate also takes a dual-approach to its underwriting process. "I believe in a hybrid method. You have to have someone looking at it, to have eyes on the paper at some point in the process. This doesn't mean a computer system can't help to weed out what might not meet the criteria, but I do believe there needs to be a person reviewing the files," Francis said.
National Funding was started as an equipment leasing company. "We apply some principles we learned as a leasing company and take into account all of the attributes that go into that business in addition to FICO and cash flow," Inouye said.
Automation is an area of technology that they continue to look to for innovation and process efficiencies. "We do serve our customers online, but we also provide a human contact as well. We deliver a loan experience that builds trust and confidence with customers. We try to deliver on what our customers want in the most efficient way," said National Funding's Inouye.
National Funding continues to look at construction deals and accepts them as a niche in their portfolio, which Inouye said differentiates the company. "It allows us to be more flexible and comfortable with certain industries that other lenders might stay away from."
2017 has been a roller coaster year for fintech including alt funders. While there have been plenty of bright spots, there was also some fallout that left veteran players scrambling to salvage either their reputation, status as a funder or both.
SoFi has been at the center of controversies that resulted in the Mike Cagney leaving his chairman post with plans to step down as CEO. Most recently, the lender has removed its application for a bank charter, according to reports.
We asked Elevate's Francis about it. "SoFi is a very big company. They're to the level where the CEO has people to answer to. They have a checks and balances system they need to go through," said Francis. "It worked, and they removed him."
"MY DOOR IS ALWAYS OPEN. THAT'S OUR OFFICE POLICY"
Francis maintains an open-door policy with her employees, and she says all you can do is focus on your house and keep your house in order. "My door is always open. That's our office policy. They use that quite frequently; it's a catch 22," she said with a laugh.
Fintech and Diversity
Something else that all three executives have in common is that they are all women in top roles in fintech, an industry that isn't known for its diversity.
6th Avenue's Chang's career includes working at a large institutional bank for six years. Out of 200 professionals, only four of them in her group were women. "At the end of the day, performance is the best differentiator. If you perform well, it presents unique opportunities. At 6th Avenue Capital, diversity is embraced. Our underlying merchants aren't just one gender or color. Diversity helps us understand the needs of small businesses better, so we can provide fast and customized funding quickly," she said.
Sunshine and Deal Flow: Who's Funding in Puerto Rico?
Article by: Ed McKinley
This story appeared in deBanked's Sept/Oct 2016 magazine issue. To receive copies in print, SUBSCRIBE FREE
Lots of small businesses need capital in Puerto Rico and not many companies are trying to provide it. Combine that with the island's tax incentives, tourist attractions and gaggle of ambitious entrepreneurs, and America's largest unincorporated territory can seem like an archipelago of opportunity for the alternative small-business finance community – a virtual paradise.
But for alt funders, the sunshine, sandy beaches, swaying palms, picturesque rocky outcroppings, rich history and renowned cuisine can't change two nagging facts about this tropical commonwealth that 3.4 million people call home. Alternative finance remains largely unknown on the island, and it's difficult if not impossible to split credit card receipts there.
Let's start with the good part. "If you call a restaurant in Los Angeles at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, you're the 15th person to call them that day, but if you're calling a business in Puerto Rico, you might be the only one," says Andrew Roberts, director of partnership development for Merchant Cash Group, which funds some deals on the island. "So it's not the same cutthroat competitiveness that we have here."
But consumers in Puerto Rico's tourist areas rely on PIN debit cards, which don't qualify for split funding between merchants and finance providers because the cards don't have Visa or MasterCard logos and thus merchants can't run them as credit transactions, Roberts says. Besides, processors on the island don't want to split the revenue from credit card transactions between funders and merchants, either, Roberts notes. "If there's a processor in Puerto Rico that will split fund, I haven't been unable to find them," he says. "Believe me, I have looked."
The two main processing platforms on the island, Global and First Data, require ISOs to carry 100 percent of the risk on a split, according to Elevate Funding CEO Heather Francis, who was involved in the island market at another company before taking her current job. That's why split remittance "remains almost nil" in Puerto Rico, she says.
Splitting funds by using a "lockbox" – which works like an escrow account and distributes a certain percentage of receipts to the merchant and the rest to the funder – doesn't provide a solution because banks in Puerto Rico decline to use the option, Roberts maintains. That's why he advises that it's easier to offer ACH-based products on the island.
Merchants on the island have to meet the same requirements for ACH that apply on the mainland, Roberts notes. That includes a reasonable number of checks returned for non-sufficient funds and a reasonable number of negative days. "The underwriting procedure on the island is pretty much the same as it is here," he says.
"IT'S THE SAME STORY IN A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE"
Perhaps the difficulties of setting up the split in Puerto Rico shouldn't cause any uneasiness about entering the market because the bulk of alternative funding on the island relies on daily debits—just as it does on the mainland, Roberts says. Still, he notes that some merchants in both places may qualify for split funding but fail to measure up for daily debit.
Though merchants and funders have those commonalities, the banking systems differ on the mainland and on the island. Banco Popular, which has held sway in Puerto Rico for nearly 120 years, controls much of the island's banking and inhibits the growth of alternative funding for small businesses there, Francis says. Still, Puerto Rican merchants should have some familiarity with alternative finance or high-fee products because of the island's high concentration of title loan companies, she notes.
Similarities and and differences aside, the Puerto Rican market provides a little business to some mainland alternative finance companies. United Capital Source LLC, for example, has completed five deals for small businesses on the island, says CEO Jared Weitz. Companies can provide accounts receivable factoring there, he says.
Alternative funding has yet to post runaway growth in Puerto Rico, Weitz says, because it's not marketed strongly there, only a few mainland funders are willing to do business in Puerto Rico, the range of products offered there is limited, and small business remains less prevalent there than on the mainland.
But a handful of mainland-based companies have been willing to take on the uncertainties of the Puerto Rican market, and Connecticut-based Latin Financial LLC serves as an example of an ISO that has enthusiastically embraced the challenge. The company got its start in 2013 by offering funding to Hispanic business people on the mainland and began concentrating on Puerto Rico early in 2015, says Sonia Alvelo, company president.
Alvelo built a strong enough portfolio of business on the mainland that funders were willing to take a chance on her and her customers in Puerto Rico. Latin Financial now maintains a satellite office on the island, and the company generates 90 percent of its business there and 10 percent on the mainland.
Latin Financial has a sister company called Sharpe Capital LLC that operates on the mainland, says Brendan P. Lynch, Sharpe's president. Alvelo describes Lynch as her business partner, and he says he's started several successful ISOs. He credits her with helping Puerto Rican customers learn to qualify for credit by keeping daily balances high and avoiding negative days.
"It's a small company with a big heart," Alvelo says of Latin Financial. She was born in Puerto Rico and came to Connecticut at the age of 17. "For me it's home," she says of the island. She's realizing a dream of bringing financial opportunity to business owners there.
To accomplish that goal, Alvelo spends much of her time teaching the details of alternative finance to Puerto Rico's small-business owners, their families, their accountants and their attorneys. "You want to make sure they understand," she says, adding that the hard work pays off. "My clientele is fantastic," she says. "I get a lot of referrals."
"THE ISLAND IS FULL OF ENTREPRENEURS"
Latin Financial started small in Puerto Rico when a pharmacy there contacted them to seek financing, Alvelo says. It wasn't easy to get underway, she recalls, noting that it required a lot of phone calls to find funding. Soon, however, one pharmacy became three pharmacies and the business kept growing, branching out to restaurants and gas stations. Already, some merchants there are renewing their deals.
Growth is occurring because of the need for funding there. Puerto Rican merchants have had the same difficulties obtaining credit from banks as their peers on the mainland since the beginning of the Great Recession, Alvelo says. "It's the same story in a different language," she notes.
Speaking of language, Alvelo considers her fluency in Spanish essential to her company's success in Puerto Rico. "You have to speak the language," she insists. "They have to feel secure and know that you will be there for them," she says of her clients. Roberts agrees that it's sound business practice to conduct discussions in the language the customer prefers, and his company uses applications and contracts printed in Spanish. At the same time, he maintains that it's perfectly acceptable to conduct business in English on the island because both languages are officially recognized.
People in Puerto Rico have been speaking Spanish since colonists arrived in the 15th Century, and English has had a place there since the American occupation that resulted from the Spanish-American War in 1898. Still, more than 70 percent of the residents of Puerto Rico speak English "less than well," according to the 2000 Census, but that's changing, Alvelo says.
Whatever the linguistic restraints, the products Latin Financial offers in Puerto Rico have been short-term, most with a minimum of six-month payback and a maximum of 12 months, but Alvelo hopes to begin offering longer duration funding. She also believes that split funding will come to Puerto Rico. "It's in the works," she asserts, noting that she is campaigning for it with the banks and processors.
At the same time, mainland alternative finance companies are learning that the threat of Puerto Rican government default does not mean merchants there don't deserve credit, notes Lynch. "Just because the government is having trouble paying its bills," he says, "doesn't mean these merchants aren't successful. The island is full of entrepreneurs." In fact, many of Puerto Rico's merchants use accountants and keep their business affairs in better order than their mainland counterparts do with their homemade bookkeeping.
Alvelo also knows many merchants there are worthy of time and investment. She strives to listen to her customers when they express their needs and then help them fill those needs. "I'm very, very proud to be doing this in Puerto Rico now," she says.
Heather Francis Launching New Funding Company
Article by: Sean Murray
One of the Six Women of Alternative Finance is leaving their current position to launch their own funding company. Heather Francis, EVP of Merchant Cash Group appeared in the September/October issue of DailyFunder. A regular at the industry's conferences and who was in many ways the face of Merchant Cash Group, Francis is moving on to start Elevate Funding.
When the news broke, deBanked asked Francis about the change. This was her response:
"So the start of the new year begins with something exciting for me as I will be leaving Merchant Cash Group to pursue heading up my own funding company. Elevate funding is still in the set up stages and will not be operational and funding until Mid February but I can assure you that with each unveiling of what we will be funding and what we will offer to the Alternative Industry as well as the business owners will help shape a new future. I enjoyed my time at Merchant Cash Group and I wish them all the best but I am excited for this new adventure and to take a lot of the ideas that have been kicking in my head for a while and see them come to fruition. I know it will be difficult and I am greatly looking forward to the challenge. In the words of a Fort Minor song : This is 10% luck, 20% skill, 15% concentrated power of will, 5% pleasure , 50% pain, and a 100% reason to remember the name… Best of luck to all in 2015!"
Elevate will be based in Gainesville, FL.
In Loving Memory of Elliot J Dabah
Article by: deBanked Staff
Elliot Dabah & Elliot Ashkenazie
Elliot J Dabah, CEO of NYC-based Merchants Cash Partners, LLC, recently passed away. Known throughout the merchant financing industry, friends and colleagues began collecting kind words to reflect on his life to be able to share them here.
Elliot Ashkenazie, his business partner and best friend, said "Elliot Dabah would step up and help anyone in need whether that be his own employee, another ISO, or a complete stranger on the street. He didn't keep any secrets so he would have an advantage over others, he simply paid it forward and helped the community as a whole benefit from it. Merchants Cash Partners will work tirelessly to carry on his legacy and his values."
"Elliot Dabah was the heartbeat of the Financial District and he was an integrated part of my life, both professional and personal," said Gigi Russo. "Not only did Elliot and I live three blocks from each other, but I first had the privilege and pleasure of meeting him while I was working for deBanked, at CONNECT San Diego. We quickly became close friends. He truly never took advantage of our tight knit friendship. His professional support was a reflection of his character— a respectable person that respected his family, friends and business associates. Elliot wanted everyone to succeed. He believed that friends and business colleagues should support one another to build a viable network."
Elliot Dabah and his Father Jack
Tom Dool of Power Funding, said "Of all of the offices I've ever visited, I can honestly say that no other partner of mine compares to Merchants Cash Partners. From the moment I met both Elliots, they were inviting. I could tell right away that they had a special bond of shared enthusiasm, honesty, generosity, thoughtful, caring people." He adds, "Elliot [Dabah] lived life with such a genuine love for people and getting to know people, discussing higher level ideas, sharing feelings. He was one of the best and I'll never forget him."
"Elliot was one of the most welcoming people I had the pleasure of knowing," says Colt Kucker of Libertas Funding, "and always tried helping out whether it be a customer, myself, or anybody in need. He was a hard worker and will truly be missed by all he came across."
Justin Friedman of Enova SMB, described Dabah, "Smart, strategic, urgent, generous and wise are a few words to describe Elliot. He was universally popular and a known professional in our industry, which isn't common to come by. He cared about his customers and business relationships. Elliot's presence in alternative lending was a positive one and he will be remembered for exactly that."
Ben Lugassy of SOS Capital states that he was "Always smiling and enthusiastic, Elliot was the embodiment of joyful. A friend with tremendous respect and gratitude, he will always be remembered and in our prayers."
Paul Boxer of Velocity Capital Group added, "Every-time I met Elliot he had the largest smile, always happy to talk shop and discuss the industry. He was very knowledgeable and had a wealth of information, he will surely be missed."
Ken Peng of Elevate Funding recounts that Elliot, "was always great to work with. He was always very friendly and understanding when we did review any of his files. He will be missed."
Gigi Russo, who was instrumental in putting this tribute together, further added that Elliot "treated everyone he came into contact with as a friend." He has "a sincere, dignified, and affable reputation that will follow him after his passing. He will surely be remembered for supporting his colleagues, clients, business acquaintances, and network. The legacy Elliot has left behind is simple: Respect one another. Support one another. Honesty and hard work are necessities of success."
Elliot Dabah and Gigi Russo
Part of Elliot's legacy is the company he built. Merchants Cash Partners, despite the pandemic, was so successful this year that it outgrew its office space.
"Elliot had a revolutionary style of making this industry a community," says his partner Ashkenazie. "He referred clients and prospects alike to small firms and national firms, expecting nothing in return."
Coincidence would have it that a photo of Elliot at a deBanked event was often used in event marketing promotions. As to how that picture came to be used so prominently, deBanked President Sean Murray said that "Elliot embodied the community we were trying to portray. A nice young business professional who radiated positive energy. Who is part of this industry? It's guys like Elliot. That's what we wanted everyone to know.
"Elliot totally noticed how often we were sharing his photo," Murray said. "He told me that he thought that was pretty cool."
MCA in Conversation: Where do we go from here?
Article by: Heather Francis
Heather Francis is the CEO of Elevate Funding. To learn more visit: https://www.elevatefunding.com
DeBanked Magazine recently posted the "Underwriter's Song" to highlight an entire industry's yearning for simpler times, claiming it was the MCA soundtrack for 2020. But I disagree and nominate a different song. You see, growing up in the south with a close-knit family gave way to a childhood filled with generations worth of entertainment. Many of my summers and holiday vacations were spent with the Turner Classic Movie channel playing in the background, and songs from the Oldies Country station on the radio. I tell you this to explain how I am reminded of a song I've heard countless times before, and is more applicable today than ever before. That song is "If We Make It Through to December" by the venerable Merle Haggard, a tune whose message resonates with not only the merchant cash advance industry, but our entire country.
The Expectations and Reality
Way back in March and April, the consensus appeared to be an expected return to "normal" by June, while areas hit hardest by COVID-19 would return by July. Yet here we are, teeter-tottering on the fence of moving forward. Now, our country is faced with the possibility of a second wave of shutdowns, rising crime, riots, a fourth stimulus, and funders whose workforce remains remote or have yet to resume funding. The proverbial "goal post" has moved yet again, and with it the expectations of many of us in the industry. Over the past few weeks, I had the opportunity to speak with a number of our referral partners to gauge their thoughts on the current state of our industry. A common theme in our discussions was the desire for validation. Not just as a business owner, but as an employer. They wanted to be reassured that they were taking the best steps forward and not alone in their decision making. To help those seeking the same validation, here is what the majority had to say:
Yes, all had to terminate or furlough staff on various levels.
Yes, all adjusted marketing budgets.
Yes, all are struggling with managing remote employees.
Yes, all are finding it harder to place files.
Yes, all are seeing interruptions in relationships with funders and merchants alike.
Yes, all are competing against the Government's low-cost products.
Yes, all are having files killed in late stages of funding or having offers adjusted.
Yes, all are struggling to predict what comes next.
Yes, all are managing unrealistic expectations from clients.
Yes, all are having merchants walk away from fair and just offers.
Yes, all are struggling to remain motivated.
And yes, all of you are doing the best you can!
The Word Cloud below describes the state of the MCA industry using our partners' own words. I find that the overall thoughts are best visualized by taking a step back to see which stand out the most. Our conversation was focused on the industry as a whole, then a discussion specific to Elevate Funding and how we've pivoted during these unprecedented times. As you can see, some of the keywords that stand out the most are; merchants, PPP, offers, funders, and marketing.
Much of the conversations focused around merchants and their new funding expectations. Each partner I spoke with agreed the demand for money is there, but the willingness to move forward on offers was very low. This reluctance is driven in part by low cost expectations based on PPP and SBA product rates, as well as uncertainty over increased debt in an unstable market. We're also seeing a change in merchant demographics, where the mid-sized small businesses who previously did not qualify for SBA loans, now have access to these products. As a result, the remaining merchants whose best option is an MCA are now located on the opposite extreme ends of the spectrum; either those who did not qualify for PPP or SBA EIDL, and the large-scale businesses whose lines were revoked by their bank. Our response as a company has been to adjust our offers to better suit merchant's expectations, and to shift from underwriting a business owner's activity to underwriting the consumers' activity. Monitoring government restrictions down to a county level countrywide and understanding consumer trends has enabled us to further mitigate risk during a time of uncertainty, and not only fund deals, but fund deals that will perform.
Meanwhile, our industry is seeing credit profiles and business profiles that have never applied in our space before, as a decreasing number of providers are available to service current merchants. During our conversations, some expressed a concern over lack of A-paper funders. Many of whom have either paused funding or entirely moved over to servicing PPP products. Another concern was the mental toll of having deals fall apart at the eleventh hour due to fast changing qualifications, variations in merchant revenue, or funders deciding to pause funding at inopportune times. These factors combined with the increasingly common "bait-and-switch" technique of funders providing a large offer, only to change to a much lower offer in the final stages of funding, has left many broker shops and ISOs feeling very discouraged.
The Path Upward and Onward
The conversations were not entirely negative, as new marketing opportunities have opened up with the goliaths of the industry such as Kabbage, OnDeck, Lendio, and Square shifting their marketing dollars towards PPP and SBA products. Many folks are finding their advertising dollars across marketing platforms are stretching further, particularly with search engine optimization. While this opens up an increased likelihood of fraud and in applicants who fall below qualifications, it has enabled many shops to operate on an even playing field with inbound marketing. Many small funders, including Elevate Funding, have already created new products to cater to lower revenue merchants and those directly affected by COVID-19. We've already received tremendous response on this change from partners and merchants alike. As merchants slowly shift back towards alternative financing solutions once the government runs out of money for its loan products, we remain optimistic there will be increased opportunities in terms of both volume and quality.
While the Word Cloud highlighted a number of topics, it also highlighted important topics that were not discussed; Expectations, Renewals, Commission, Aggression, and Repositioning.
Expectations in particular, is of note as it is different from opinions. Everyone has an opinion, but there is a tremendous sense of uncertainty going forward and it's very difficult to create expectations or goals when forecasting is not possible. Many companies are doing away with forecasting models altogether, and switching to a dashboard for production goals and expectations based on real time data.
The drastic change we're seeing now should demonstrate the importance of renewals and customer retention. Neither of which were brought up during all of my partner discussions. Over time, the industry has moved away from a "residual mindset" to seeking instant gratification of new fundings in the quest for market share supremacy. As funders, we have to ask ourselves; Are we inadvertently throwing out the baby with the bathwater with new deal bonus structures and monthly promotional campaigns to drive new deal growth? Or perhaps, renewals were scarce in discussions because when funders said when funding stopped, they meant all funding? While I can't speak to each funder's operations, Elevate has continued to fund throughout the pandemic with established merchants and renewals being a saving grace to drive our momentum forward. In my opinion, client retention has never been more important during an ever-changing landscape.
I was shocked to see commission taking a backseat to approvals and banks during our discussion. But the focus has seemingly move towards approvals and conversions, which will in turn lead to commissions returning. Which brings me to Aggression and Repositioning. The state of our industry is a timid one, and it's neither the fault of the funders or the merchants. Many experts will tell you that our space was overdue for a market correction of sorts, because many were far too aggressive for far too long. This aggression gave way to bad habits such as lowered underwriting standards and lack of consideration for merchant ability to repay. More and more funders are shifting back to "normal" guidelines, providing fair and just offers. This is an encouraging sign that we are finding our way back to sustainable positive growth. But it will take time for the industry to fully reposition itself. Something that is being delayed by products from the PPP, SBA, and the hope for a third round of stimulus.
But hope is on the horizon. While the pessimists will look at that word as a form of denial, I challenge all of you to take a glass half-full approach. Hope is the confident expectation of good. The change and adjustments we're experiencing now are what life is all about, and will ultimately lend way to better things. If you're in need of a little dose of hope, or want a sounding board to know you're not alone through this, feel free to drop me a line at heather@elevatefunding.com.
Stay safe, be well, and do not lose hope.
The Aftermath: What Industry Experts Had to Say About The Future Alignment of People and Data
Article by: Brendan Garrett
This story appeared in deBanked's May/June 2020 magazine issue. To receive copies in print, SUBSCRIBE FREE
Like never before, the ways in which people and data are employed are overlapping more in a post-covid economy. Nearly three months of slow-down and, in some cases, complete economic shutdown have forced brokers and funders alike to view businesses differently than before. New documents, metrics, and terms are being incorporated into underwriting with the belief that it will provide a much more comprehensive picture of each business applying for funding.
Broker Fair Virtual took the chance to explore these new perspectives in The Aftermath, a panel featuring Moshe Kazimirsky, VP of Strategic Partnerships and Business Development at Become; Heather Francis, CEO of Elevate Funding; and David Snitkof, Head of Analytics at Ocrolus. Here, the industry experts discussed what the future of data and people may look like, what the new things that funders are looking out for are, and how the coronavirus has changed consumer and merchant behavior.
First up was Heather Francis, who gave a run down of how Elevate has adapted to the constantly shifting environment created by covid-19. "There were slim pickings on what we could fund," Francis noted of the early lockdown period. Explaining that many businesses didn't fit their criteria in the early days of lockdown, Elevate began the process of including new metrics and lenses through which to ascertain if businesses were financially viable.
National, state, and local restrictions became a daily check-in, rather than monthly; with one person being assigned to cover changes in local and even county regulations. As well as this, Francis explained that the company shifted its focus from underwriting the business owner's activity to underwriting the consumers' activity. This meant that foot traffic was constantly reviewed via FourSquare, trends that showed which industries were seeing upticks and downturns were monitored, and what customers in varying geographies were comfortable with was gauged.
"There are some areas in our country that were not heavily impacted," Francis explained, commenting on the discrepancies between locations, particularly for bars and restaurants. "I know some of us have our optics on what's going on in our daily lives, and a lot of people in our space are located in New York or California, and these were the very heavily regulated areas where everything was shut down and there was not much to do. Here in Florida, it was easier, with open-seating dining."
David Snitkof echoed Francis's points, saying that "the old way of businesses underwriting credit is no longer sufficient … If you were to only look at people's repayment histories, their credit profiles, and things like that, you wouldn't get all the data you need to make the right decision. Generally there's this idea that the past is prologue and the greatest predictor of future results is past behavior, and this type of pandemic makes that no longer the case … we need to think beyond the traditional data sets that people have used to underwrite credit."
According to Snitkof, the old models for underwriting and funding have been overturned, with funders adhering to three principals going forward as they chart new methods: more data, more time, more detail. This means incorporating more data and analytics than before, pushing for more data-driven strategies; requesting information and data from merchants that cover longer periods of time, with the hope of gaining further insight into the pattern of the business; and upping the thoroughness with which each merchant is scrutinized, recording more information that is unique to their industry, location, and business management.
"Lenders will realize that in order to make a credit decision, we need to have access to very deep, detailed, and wide time-framed data of our customers; and we need to be able to process it in an automated and efficient way," Snitkof asserted.
Still, while it looks like data is due to play a larger role in the future, Heather Francis took care to mention that important data is currently missing from their metrics. Credit and delinquency reporting are on hold, just as rent is paused for many tenants; meaning that in two or three months, many funders could be in for a surprise when they realize their merchant is having trouble.
Speaking on the Paycheck Protection Program as well as the Economic Injury Disaster Loan, both Snitkof and Francis expressed that while it is good to see deposits for the government programs, questions must be asked regarding them. They can't be viewed as revenue, since they do not reflect a business's ability to generate revenue, said Snitkof, but rather they offer a chance to view how a company manages its cash-flow, with how they spread out PPP and EIDL funds being a key insight.
Looking forward, the panelists noted that the experiences of economic shutdown; PPP; EIDL; and how many business owners' banks supported, or did not support, them could lead to a shift in how non-banks are viewed.
"It's definitely a time and place for us to really highlight how our industry is placed to assist small businesses," Francis stated. "We should really take this opportunity to expand on what we can do and how we can help. I think it's our moment to shine because a lot of banks have pulled back on what they're able to do in this time."
This pulling back by banks became clear during the peak of the PPP application period, when many business owners complained of a lack of or poor communication between themselves and the bank they applied to. Highlighting the importance of the customer experience, Snitkof pointed out that this aspect of alternative finance may only become more important as time goes on.
"We have this golden age of customer service. Customers are going to demand good funding, on the right terms, with full transparency, with good speed of decisioning, with a good relationship, and if they can get that from someone who is not a bank, but is an alternative finance provider, then that's a great funding scenario for them."
More generally though, the panel ended on a note of ambiguity over the future, with the speakers agreeing that what comes next will be uncertain and challenging, as Francis reminded the audience of what 2020 has in store: a presidential election and a possible second wave of the novel coronavirus.
But there may also be opportunity for those who are there to take it, according to Snitkof, who finished off by saying that "the silver lining of what we've just been through as a country, as a world, as an industry, is that all those things that were good enough, they were on pause. So it's given people the time and space to reimagine what they could do and actually look at the capabilities that we've available to us and say 'maybe we can provide a great personalized customer experience to every small business and customer out there. Maybe we can be more automated and data-driven in our decisions. Maybe we can actually extend better terms on financing to people because we're able to determine risk better, and optimize our market spend and cost of capital better.' One of the good things about a disruption is it takes away a lot of the stuff that was good enough; a lot of those sacred cows are now ready to be disrupted and maybe in a few years we'll see rapid innovation along those lines."
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Mickey Loomis: Playing in a COVID outbreak wasn't fair, but NFL told Saints we had to deal with it
Mickey Loomis
Michael David Smith
December 30, 2021, 4:54 AM ·2 min read
American sports executive
The Saints, playing with a roster that was severely depleted by a COVID-19 outbreak, were not even competitive in Monday night's 20-3 loss to the Dolphins. But Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis said the NFL never considered delaying the game, as it has for other teams experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks.
Loomis said on WWL Radio that he hasn't seen a team have to scramble to put a roster together like the Saints did since NFL teams used replacement players during the 1987 NFL players' strike, and he considered it unfair.
"If we had seven or eight or 10 COVID positives, we can handle that," Loomis said. "When you have 18 active players and four of your practice squad players test positive for COVID, it's just too much to overcome, frankly. It wasn't fair to the players. It wasn't fair to our coaching staff, and certainly not the fans."
Loomis said the NFL made it clear to the Saints that they were playing on Monday night no matter how many players tested positive for COVID-19, and that the league office wouldn't even consider the same kind of postponement that was granted a week earlier to the Browns, Rams and Washington Football Team.
"I don't know what the reasoning is in New York. Those decisions aet made at the league level. But we were told pretty early on that the game wasn't going to be postponed and just had to deal with it. That was their solution: Play the game no matter what," Loomis said. "We don't have to like it, but we have to live with it."
Mickey Loomis: Playing in a COVID outbreak wasn't fair, but NFL told Saints we had to deal with it originally appeared on Pro Football Talk
49ers report card: Grades for offense, defense in playoff win over Cowboys
The 49ers survived and advanced and will face the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Divisional Playoff.
Seahawks Wire
Seahawks: 6 teams that could offer best returns in a Russell Wilson trade
Here are six NFL teams that could probably offer the best return in any potential deal for Wilson.
NFL releases playoff schedule for divisional weekend
The divisional round of the playoffs is set.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This Sunday, we celebrate World Communion Sunday, and again this week, we will collect our Reconciliation Offering. We are preparing for a lovely and lavish World Communion Sunday. Several people will share what communion means to them—why it is important, why we do it, how it is spiritually significant. This will be the centerpiece of our service. We will have 3 communion stations for this Sunday with a variety of breads, fruits, and flowers, as well as our beautiful pumpkins! During our Communion time in the service, we will also have a table for writing prayers and giving offerings, and a table for lighting candles.
This Sunday we are celebrating Peace Sunday outside in our Peace Garden. It promises to be poignant and powerful service!
We believe in the possibilities of peace!
Save us, O God, from the toxic belief that might is right—that power lies in coercion and the force of arms.
Remind us of the great strength that rises in human connection, human community, human rights, and the common good.
Show us ways to live in solidarity with all of our neighbors.
And ways to source our openness, empathy, and compassion from the power of your fierce and abiding love.
For your love is the root of peace.
And this peace holds the greatest power.


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What is Libel per se?
Attorney Steve® - Defamation Essentials - [Liber Per Se] and online civil harassment.
Defamation can be libel (written) or slander (oral). The elements of a defamation claim are:
(1) a publication that is
(2) false,
(3) defamatory,
(4) unprivileged,
(5) has a natural tendency to injure or causes special damage. (Taus v. Loftus (2007) 40 Cal.4th 683, 720 [54 Cal. Rptr. 3d 775, 151 P.3d 1185].) Civil Code section 45 provides;
"Libel is a false and unprivileged publication by writing, printing, picture, effigy, or other fixed representation to the eye, which exposes any person to hatred, contempt, ridicule, or obloquy, or which causes him to be shunned or avoided, or which has a tendency to injure him in his occupation."
There are 4 categories of defamation which are considered LIBEL PER SE (meaning, that damages are presumed).
Libel Per Se
"Statements that contain such a charge directly, and without the need for explanatory matter, are libelous per se. A statement can also be libelous per se if it contains a charge by implication from the language employed by the speaker and a listener could understand the defamatory meaning without the necessity of knowing extrinsic explanatory matter." (McGarry v. University of San Diego (2007) 154 Cal.App.4th 97, 112 [64 Cal. Rptr. 3d 467], italics added (McGarry); see Civ. Code, § 45a.)
Under California law, libel is a false and unprivileged publication by writing which exposes any person to hatred, contempt, ridicule, or obloquy, or which causes him to be shunned or avoided, or which has a tendency to injure him in his occupation." (Civ. Code, sec. 45.). See Washer v. Bank of Am. Nat'l Tr. & Sav. Asso., 21 Cal. 2d 822, 827, 136 P.2d 297, 300 (1943). Damages may be recovered for harm to reputation, emotional damages and even punitive damages where the pursuit against him is ongoing, repeated, oppressive and malicious in your attempts to personally humiliate him.
'The sine qua non of recovery for defamation… is the existence of falsehood. Because the statement must contain a provable falsehood, courts distinguish between statements of fact and statements of opinion for purposes of defamation liability. Although statements of fact may be actionable as libel, statements of opinion are constitutionally protected. (McGarry, supra, 154 Cal.App.4th at p. 112.)
That does not mean that statements of opinion enjoy blanket protection. On the contrary, where an expression of opinion implies a false assertion of fact, the opinion can constitute actionable defamation. (Milkovich v. Lorain Journal Co. (1990) 497 U.S. 1, 18–19 [111 L. Ed. 2d 1, 110 S. Ct. 2695].) The critical question is not whether a statement is fact or opinion, but " 'whether a reasonable fact finder could conclude the published statement declares or implies a provably false assertion of fact.' " McGarry, supra, 154 Cal.App.4th at p. 113.)
To determine whether a statement is actionable fact or non-actionable opinion, courts use a totality of the circumstances test of whether the statement in question communicates or implies a provably false statement of fact. Under the totality of the circumstances test, '[f]irst, the language of the statement is examined. For words to be defamatory, they must be understood in a defamatory sense. Next, the context in which the statement was made must be considered.' (McGarry, supra, 154 Cal.App.4th at p. 113.)
Wong v. Jing, 189 Cal. App. 4th 1354, 1369-70, 117 Cal. Rptr. 3d 747, 761-62 (2010)
California Civil Code section §45a. Libel on its face defined; Action for defamation not libelous on its face
LIBEL: A libel which is defamatory of the plaintiff without the necessity of explanatory matter, such as an inducement, innuendo or other extrinsic fact, is said to be a libel on its face. Defamatory language not libelous on its face is not actionable unless the plaintiff alleges and proves that he has suffered special damage as a proximate result thereof. Special damage is defined in Section 48a of this code.
CA Civ Code §45
CA Civ Code §45a
A libel which is defamatory of the plaintiff without the necessity of explanatory matter, such as an inducement, innuendo or other extrinsic fact, is said to be a libel on its face. Defamatory language not libelous on its face is not actionable unless the plaintiff alleges and proves that he has suffered special damage as a proximate result thereof. Special damage is defined in Section 48a of this code (see below)
Four classes of Defamation per se
California Civil Code Section 46 (slander)
Slander is a false and unprivileged publication, orally uttered, and also communications by radio or any mechanical or other means which:
1. Charges any person with crime, or with having been indicted, convicted, or punished for crime;
2. Imputes in him the present existence of an infectious, contagious, or loathsome disease;
3. Tends directly to injure him in respect to his office, profession, trade or business, either by imputing to him general disqualification in those respects which the office or other occupation peculiarly requires, or by imputing something with reference to his office, profession, trade, or business that has a natural tendency to lessen its profits;
4. Imputes to him impotence or a want of chastity; or
5. Which, by natural consequence, causes actual damage.
Section 48(a)
(1) "General damages" means damages for loss of reputation, shame, mortification, and hurt feelings.
(2) "Special damages" means all damages that plaintiff alleges and proves that he or she has suffered in respect to his or her property, business, trade, profession, or occupation, including the amounts of money the plaintiff alleges and proves he or she has expended as a result of the alleged libel, and no other.
(3) "Exemplary damages" means damages that may in the discretion of the court or jury be recovered in addition to general and special damages for the sake of example and by way of punishing a defendant who has made the publication or broadcast with actual malice.
(4) "Actual malice" means that state of mind arising from hatred or ill will toward the plaintiff; provided, however, that a state of mind occasioned by a good faith belief on the part of the defendant in the truth of the libelous publication or broadcast at the time it is published or broadcast shall not constitute actual malice.
(5) "Daily or weekly news publication" means a publication, either in print or electronic form, that contains news on matters of public concern and that publishes at least once a week.
Public Figure Plaintiff (actual malice)
Public figure plaintiff must prove actual malice with "convincing clarity" (clear and convincing evidence). New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1964) 376 U.S. 254, 285–286, 84 S. Ct. 710, 11 L. Ed. 2d 686; McCoy v. Hearst Corp. (1986) 42 Cal. 3d 835, 860, 231 Cal. Rptr. 518, 727 P.2d 711; Gomes v. Fried (1982) 136 Cal. App. 3d 924, 934, 186 Cal. Rptr. 605; see also Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc. (1986) 477 U.S. 242, 244, 254, 106 S. Ct. 2505, 91 L. Ed. 2d 202 (clear and convincing standard must be considered by federal court when ruling on motion for summary judgment under Fed. R. Civ. P., Rule 56)
California Harassment Laws
Some states, like California, prohibit online harassment, for example, someone who repeatedly tries to defame and harass a YouTube star (for example), a person who makes their living by cultivating their wholesome online persona, and wrongdoers who like to post false and malicious things on their YouTube channels, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts, often on a continuous and repeated basis may be subject to an injunction to prevent civil harassment.
California has enacted civil laws that prohibit harassment of another. You would be wise to educate yourself on these laws. For example, see California Civil Code section 527.6 which prohibits harassment.
"Harassment" is unlawful violence, a credible threat of violence, or a knowing and willful course of conduct directed at a specific person that seriously alarms, annoys, or harasses the person, and that serves no legitimate purpose. Clearly, your intentional and ongoing acts are designed to embarrass and annoy my client and cause him to loose fans and followers.
Under the statute, (which allows for injunctions to prevent ongoing injurious acts,
"course of conduct" is defined as a pattern of conduct composed of a series of acts over a period of time, however short, evidencing a continuity of purpose, including following or stalking an individual, making harassing telephone calls to an individual, or sending harassing correspondence to an individual by any means, including, but not limited to, the use of public or private mails, interoffice mail, facsimile, or email. Cal Code Civ Proc § 527.6.
Proving defamation can be a very tricky issue. People have a right to speak their minds and express their opinions. However, the first amendment is NOT ABSOLUTE and false and defamatory language against a person or individual can land a Defendant in Court. Plaintiff's, however, need to be aware of any Anti-SLAPP laws that apply because if you file a lawsuit that unduly impinges the free speech rights of another, a overly aggressive Plaintiff could wind up paying the other's legal fees if the Defendant prevails on their anti-SLAPP motion. Online harassment laws (ex. cyberstalking) can also come into effect and can show "actual malice" in a case (which a public figure needs to show to prevail). Having the ability to prove a statement false, and to show damages can often be a hurdle to recovering which many times Defamation is known as "the tort of the rich and famous."
If you believe you have a case, contact us to discuss at (877) 276-5084 or email us through our contact form.


The First Half Freedom Division Champion Sugar Land Skeeters announced today that Skeeters outfielder Ryan Langerhans has signed with the Toronto Blue Jays organization and will report to its Triple A Buffalo club. The announcement was made by Skeeters Manager Gary Gaetti and Director of Operations Michael Kirk.
Langerhans is now the ninth member of Sugar Land's 2013 club and 19th overall to be signed by a Major League organization since Opening Day 2012. Despite the roster changes this season, Sugar Land maintains the best winning percentage in baseball, posting a 78-38 record (.672) entering tonight's game against the Camden Riversharks.
Langerhans, 33, joined Sugar Land in early July and played 36 games for the Skeeters, hitting .283 (32×113) with 10 doubles, four home runs and 25 RBI. He spent the first half of the season with Toronto's Triple A Buffalo and hit at a .220 (37×168) with nine homers and 25 RBI over 51 games. In 14 career minor league seasons, the Texas native owns a .269 (1137×4950) average with 122 home runs and 576 RBI.
Originally selected by the Atlanta Braves in the third round of the June 1998 Draft out of Round Rock (TX) High School, Langerhans spent 10 seasons in the Major Leagues with Atlanta (2002-03, 2005-07), Oakland (2007), Washington (2007-08), Seattle (2009-11) and Los Angeles-Anaheim (2012). As a member of the Braves in 2005, the lefty played in four games of the National League Division Series against the Houston Astros, hitting .333 (4×12) during postseason play. Over 593 career Major League games, Langerhans owns a .226 (280×1239) average with 33 home runs and 125 RBI.
Tickets are available now for the 2013 Atlantic League Playoffs, beginning Tuesday, September 17 at Constellation Field. Fans are encouraged to secure their seats early and become a part of Operation Blue Swarm during the Skeeters' 2013 playoff run. For more information about the Atlantic League, the Sugar Land Skeeters or how to be a part of Operation Blue Swarm, visit www.sugarlandskeeters.com or call the Skeeters box office at 281.240.HITS.


We recently looked at Quantum Computing value proposition. We then looked at scenarios where Quantum Computing would have a big impact.
The key reason for this computation power is Quantum Superposition. In this article we'll look at how this quantitatively impacts computing. How does Quantum Computing perform compared to Classical Computing at different scale.
A classical bit can be either 0 or 1. A quantum bit, or qubit, is a superposition of 0 and 1.
A single qubit therefore takes 2 classical values at once. Every operation on the qubit is done on both values at once.
This is why we often hear that a qubit packs more information than a classical bit.
Two qubits take all those values at once.
We can see the pattern. One qubit can take the value of two bits. Two qubits can take the values of four bits. In general, n qubits can take the values of 2n.
There are two ways of looking at this capacity scaling. Let's frame it in the simulation of Quantum Computing on a Classical Computer.
We could carry all possible classical state on operations. This would increase the memory needed.
We could alternatively use one classical state at the time. This would increase the number of iterations hence the compute time.
We are going to use those two angles to look at at the scaling of qubits.
Here is a table giving us a comparison between classical and quantum bits at different scale.
We can see the explosive nature of the beast. It takes only 13 qubits to store a kilobyte. 13 bits is just a byte and a half in comparison!
Let's look at larger scale with both memory (as we did) and time.
For time, let's assume we have a Classical Computer with a clock speed of 3 GHz. Let's also assume one operation on a classical state can be done in one clock cycle. The computer could therefore perform 3 billion operations per second.
This estimate is a little optimistic but it gives an order of magnitude.
Those numbers drive the point home.
63 qubits contain as much classical bits as an Exabyte of data.
By comparison 63 bits is just under 8 bytes. Just enough to store 8 characters!
If we look at it from an execution time perspective, it would take a century to simulate an operation on 63 qubits.
We added the thousand qubits row to show where this trend is going.
10301 classical bits is a staggering number of bits. For reference, it is believed the universe contains 1080 hydrogen atoms. So we would need more than three universes worth of hydrogen atoms to store those bits!
Operations on a thousand qubits would take 10284 years to simulate. The age of the universe is estimated at 13 billion (1.3×1010) years. Hence we would need to wait 28 times the current age of the universe to achieve that!
Clearly, this isn't just a convenient speedup.
Quantum Computing opens up a different space of problems.
1000 qubits isn't where the train stops. It keeps going after that, with that the ability to solve problems we do not have vocabulary to express today!


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VIDEO: New Year 2014 is brought in with a bang in New Zealand, Australia and Hong Kong
AS 2013 finally draws to an end and the world beckons in 2014, people across the globe have already welcomed the New Year.
By Emily Fox Emily Fox
PUBLISHED: 00:00, Wed, Jan 1, 2014
Fireworks explode over Sydney Harbour at midnight [REUTERS]
New Zealand, Australia, Seoul and Hong Kong were the first to see in 2014 as fireworks exploded and lit up the sky in both Auckland and Sydney.
New Zealand's fireworks were a lower key affair than that of Australia as rockets exploded out of Auckland's Sky Tower.
The multi-coloured fireworks however still brought in the New Year with a bang and it didn't stop thousands of cheering revellers as they danced in the streets.
FOR ALL THE PICTURES OF THE NEW YEAR 2014 CELEBRATIONS CLICK HERE
Two hours later at 1pm GMT, Australia welcomed in 2014 as Sydney harbour was brought to life with a huge display.
The phenomenal light show was seen by over 1.5million people packed into the harbour.
People had been waiting hours for the opportunity to watch the staggering show, which is always a spectacular every year.
The demonstration saw multicoloured fireworks explode behind the harbour and a waterfall of sparkle cascade from the bridge.
During the display, watchers were played an audio clip of The Queen opening the Sydney Opera House 40 years ago as the famous monument celebrates its anniversary.
Japan also celebrated New Year with a dazzling display at 3pm UK time as fireworks went off in Tokyo.
East Asian countries China, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand were next to ring in the New Year.
China planned light shows at part of the Great Wall near Beijing and at the Bund waterfront in Shanghai while thousands lined the street in Jakarta to welcome in 2014 in Indonesia.
Fireworks explode as thousands of people line the streets of downtown Jakarta [AP]
The first-ever Bangkok Ball Drop - the world's highest New Year's Eve ball Drop [AP]
Fireworks by the Kandawgyee lake as people in Myanmar celebrate the New Year [EPA]
New Year's revellers in Dubai were treated to what organisers hoped would be the world's largest fireworks show ever.
The city's coastline was lit up in a six minute stunning display by around 500,000 fireworks launched from 400 locations.
Guinness World Record officials were at the display to measure the scale of the event.
Fireworks explode near Malaysia's landmark Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur [EPA]
Fireworks go off over the Marina Bay area in Singapore [EPA]
Fireworks explode from Taiwan's tallest skyscraper, the Taipei 101 [REUTERS]
Crowds gathered to watch fireworks exploding over Copacabana beach on New Year's Eve in B [REUTERS]
Russia held their New Year's celebrations with a fireworks display in Moscow's iconic Red Square.
Large crowds of people gathering at the skating rinks in Red Square and Gorky Park to watch the fireworks display.
While one of the world's biggest open air parties was held in Berlin at Brandenburg Gate where around one million people were estimated to be celebrating the start of 2014.
The fireworks display was held in Berlin at 11pm GMT, where live music and other events were held to mark New Year's Eve.
Confetti flies over Times Square two hours before midnight, during New Year's Eve in New York [AP]
Fireworks explode in the sky during New Year celebrations in Moscow's Red Square [REUTERS]
Fireworks explode in the sky over Dubai during a world record-breaking attempt [REUTERS]
Around 500,000 fireworks were set off during Dubai's New Year's celebrations [REUTERS]
Fireworks illuminate the night sky over the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin [EPA]
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Blanche et Marie est un film français de Jacques Renard (1984)
 Blanche et Marie est le titre français d'un roman de l'écrivain suédois Per Olov Enquist paru en 2004 sous le titre original Boken om Blanche och Marie.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


'The Meg' actress Ruby Rose is all set to essay a role of ex-marine in upcoming Hollywood flick 'Doorman'. The actress has bagged the role alongside 'Batwoman' in CW. 'Doorman' is being directed by award winning Japanese director Ryuhei Kitamura. Rose will play as the central character in the movie. The movie portrays character of Ruby Rose as ex-marine coming back to home after facing traumatic encounters during her service.


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By Tamika R. Gies Last updated Nov 12, 2022
11/11/2022 6:00 p.m
Horses will lead the team on the Eagle Walk and will be available for photos
Football season 2022 presented by Morris Bank
CITIZEN – The world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales, a symbol of Anheuser-Busch quality and tradition since 1933, are produced in the
area on November 19, including one at Paulson Stadium in conjunction with Saturday's Eagle Walk.
On November 19, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., the team of eight will be hitched up and attached to the famous red beer wagon in the university bookstore. The "gentle giants," as they're often called, will take part in Georgia's southern football Eagle Walk ahead of their home game against Marshall. The Clydesdales' route begins at the Bookstore, continues through the tailgates at the PAC and RAC, and ends by taking the Georgia Southern football team onto the Eagle Walk outside of Paulson Stadium. The Eagle Walk begins at 3:45 p.m
The hitchhiker's ceremony is open to the public and fans are encouraged to attend.
The Clydesdales' appearance in Statesboro is one of hundreds made annually by the traveling supporters. Canadians of Scottish descent brought the first Clydesdales to America in the mid-19th century. Today, the huge draft horses are mainly used for breeding and show.
Horses selected for the Budweiser Clydesdale hitch must be at least three years old, stand approximately 18 hands – or six feet – at the shoulder, weigh an average of 2,000 pounds, be brown in color, have four white legs and have a blaze of White in the face and black mane and tail. A gentle temperament is very important as draft horses encounter millions of people every year. A single Clydesdale hitch horse uses up to 20-25 liters of feed, 40-50 pounds of hay and 30 gallons of water per day.
Every hitchhiker travels with a Dalmatian. In the early days of brewing, Dalmatians were bred and trained to guard the horses and guard the wagon when the driver went in to make deliveries.
Budweiser Clydesdales can be viewed at Anheuser-Busch Breweries in St. Louis, Mo.; Merrimack, New Hampshire; and ft. Collins, Colo. They can also be viewed at Grant's Farm in St. Louis and at Warm Springs Ranch, the 300-acre Clydesdale breeding farm near Boonville, Mo.
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School news 3rd June 2011
S1 Nethybridge – On 16th May S1 left for Nethy Bridge on two minibuses with staff in assorted other vehicles! When we arrived in Aviemore we went on an RSPB trail with RSPB Officers, Paul and Kat. After the RSPB walk we went back to the house for dinner. The food at Nethy was great and there was lots of it. Thanks to Susan and Mrs Fraser for all their hard work and smiles! Later on Monday night we went to the local park and played football and rounders, followed by pool, cards and table football.
On Tuesday morning we had our fire drill and orienteering. In the afternoon we went to our chosen activities of climbing, biking and walking. Lots of sore bottoms that night for the cyclists! Tuesday night we played games out on the field with Susan and the teachers. It was awesome!
Wednesday was another day of chosen activities before room inspections, more games on the field and a quiz. Thursday was spent at Landmark.
Lots of rides on the rollercoaster, water slides and the sky dive. We spent Thursday evening at Loch Morlich doing kayaking and canoeing. This was the best day of the week! On Friday we cleaned up and headed home. A great trip!
S3 Activity Week – While S1 were at Nethy, all of S3 were working in their House Groups on a movie project based on supernatural myths of Wester Ross. Hayley Savage, visiting drama worker from Eden Court introduced the concept to the pupils on Monday morning before they went 'on location' at a rather damp and misty Slattadale, by Loch Maree. During the course of the day pupils found locations to film their short movie and then in the afternoon got into costumes to do it for real. The pupils then spent the next two and a half days editing their movies in computing. Those pupils who had expressed an interest in graphic design spent Friday working in the art department with Ms. Gulliver.
Excitement and enjoyment reached a peak on Friday afternoon when the all the pupils were able to preview their movies on the 'big screen' in computing. Please visit the school website to see the movies. During the Activity Week the pupils also took part in iDiscover and received Emergency First Aid training.
iDiscover Day 11 – With S1 away at Nethybridge, S3 pupils joined S2 for what was the last day of this series of experiences. Some pupils were outside taking part in canoeing and climbing while others were at Flowerdale surveying the woodland there. Two groups remained in the school. One participated in a dance experience during which they created group dance routines. The other group used industry-standard equipment to record and edit a news bulletin. This day brings the year's events to a close. The funding body, NESTA, will now analyse the whole project and determine how successful it has been in raising pupils' awareness of innovation and how their skills have developed over the year. For more information on NESTA, go to www.nesta.org.uk or on idiscover, www.idiscover.org.uk. Click here to see photos of this day and others that have taken place. The school is grateful to have the opportunity to be involved in this pilot and thank NESTA and the providers for their contributions.
Icebreaker Day – On Wednesday 25th May, all P7 pupils were in the High School for the first time as a future S1 class. Although they have all been together for many events already in P7, this was an opportunity for Mr Milner to put them out of their 'comfort zone' and make them work with fellow pupils from different schools. By interviewing each other and reporting back to the class their findings, they eventually began to feel more comfortable working as a whole.
In the afternoon, the Science Department was the focus for all sorts of fun activities.
McRobert Cup – Congratulations to the 18 S1/2 basketball and football players who travelled through to Dingwall to represent the school in the Ross-shire round of the McRobert Cup, accompanied by Dr Shearer and Mr. Johnston.
The boys' football team won against Fortrose, drew against Alness and a strong Invergordon side but lost to Dingwall. They played well but won't go on to the Highland final in June. Thanks to David Gorman for organising the team and coaching during the games.
The girls' basketball team lost both their matches against Fortrose and Dingwall but made a fight of it in their second game, scoring more baskets and being much more aggressive.
The boys' basketball team put on a really strong showing, convincingly defeating Fortrose, Dingwall, and Alness. We go through to the Highland final on Friday 24th June and, on current form, who knows what might happen?
Malawi – Link Members of the community and older pupils of the school may remember that in the latter part of 2008 and during 2009, we raised almost £2000 for repairs at our partner school in Malawi. This has been a great success and you can see photos and read more by clicking here…
Culture Club – Another smaller-than-usual group went to Inverness to see the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra perform at Eden Court. The programme included symphonies by Prokofiev and Beethoven and some arias by Handel, Mozart, Britten and Rossini. The music was wonderful and was enhanced by a pre-performance talk which took the form of an informal chat between the conductor, Henk Neven, and one of the principal cello players. The next trip is on 10th June to see Scottish Opera perform Verdi's 'Rigoletto'.
Important Dates… click here
Parent Council Ceilidh – This fund raising Ceilidh will take place in the Community Centre on June 11th between 7pm and 10.30pm. Details here.
School news 20th May 2011
School news 17th June 2011


Welcome to the Thorntree Internal Drainage Board website. We are a public sector organisation responsible for flood protection and land drainage to the south of the River Don between Rawcliffe Bridge and Moorends. For general enquiries please contact our office on 01405 762557. Alternatively our email and postal address can be found in the contacts section of this website.
The Thorntree Internal Drainage Board is responsible to the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
We work in partnership with the East Riding of Yorkshire Council, the Environment Agency and other local partners to reduce the risk of flooding to agricultural, residential and industrial land within the Boards area. We carry out an annual program of maintenance work to ensure water levels are kept at an appropriate and safe level.
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*Please note, these contact details are for use in emergencies only.


This is the ultimate training programme for people who are really serious about becoming great practitioners and leaders in this field.
Building on the NLP Practitioner and Life Coach course it trains you in all the skills you will need to begin effectively working with clients, and so provides a clinical component where you work with real clients whilst being closely supervised in our College clinic.
This is the ultimate training programme for people who are really serious about becoming great practitioners and leaders in this field. Building on the Certified NLP Practitioner and Life Coach course it train you in all the skills you will need to begin effectively working with clients, and so provides a clinical component where you work with real clients whilst being closely supervised in our College clinic. Accreditated by the British Institute of Hypnotherapy and NLP (BIH).
Taught by NLP Practitioner and personal development expert Phil Parker, you will have a unique opportunity to learn about these skills with one of the most respected therapists of today.
The fees for this intensive and clinical 19 day course are only £3207.50 +VAT (£3849).
The study at the Phil Parker Trainer Institute has been like a journey in a treasurebox. Each module has been really interesting and valuable. I think the combination of the NLP, Life-coaching and Hypnotherapi makes this work strong and flexible. The Lightning Process study on top of this, makes it even more important and life-enhancing. The way Phil has been a teacher makes everything easy and funny, but at the same time serious. This has been really good to me and I am looking forward to work in this field and have got a lot of new friends and colleagues.
When I decided I wanted to be an NLP practitioner, I spent a lot of time looking for the right training course for me. I didn't really want to do a 7-day intensive course as I didn't see how that could possibly make me a competent clinical therapist. Then somebody recommended Phil Parker. I went on his website and liked what I saw, especially that I would also be training as a Clinical Hypnotherapist and Life Coach. So I phoned the office. It was the best phone call I could have made!
If you're looking for a quick and easy route to becoming a Practitioner, then this is not the course for you. If on the other hand, you have integrity and a strong desire to be an excellent practitioner who has undergone rigorous training with extensive clinical experience, then it is an excellent course.
Phil is a brilliant, inspiring, hilariously entertaining trainer who makes learning fun whilst pushing you to your very limits and challenging you to achieve your full potential. I grew so much as a person during my Diploma training, and subsequently my Lightning Process Practitioner training. As a result, I feel confident that I am an exceptional practitioner.
The Phil Parker Training Institute is a highly professional company that still manages to maintain a sense of friendliness and familiarity. The staff are so warm and helpful and the PPTI Yahoo Group further enhances the feeling that there is always somebody there to support and help you along your journey- from fellow students to advanced practitioners with many years' experience and expertise.
It really is the best decision I ever made!
I had a fantastic year's training at the Phil Parker Training Institute. I learned loads about NLP and Hypnotherapy, and felt that Phil had thought hard about how to present things in a way we could easily grasp, and when we didn't he tried again! I felt completely engaged the whole time, and although there was plenty of work to do, and it all felt very new at first, I never regretted my decision to do the course.
approach life, and particularly my business, with a greater sense of clarity.
Thanks to Phil and everyone else who made it such an enjoyable year.
The training I received at the Phil Parker Training Institute was very thorough, the opportunity to practise with real clients with close supervision, was excellent. The 10 month time frame was ideal, allowing plenty of time to practise and develop skills. The tutors were very skilled and Phil Parker keeps the training fun. I gained a really good grounding in the skills I needed to work in the field, I can totally recommend the training courses at the PPTI.
We have studied for many years and have University degrees, but we have never experienced any personal growth similar to the first year with Phil Parker in London. We strongly recommend this for everyone looking for changes in any ways!
only are you trained in a professional and friendly manner but also in a way that enables students to transform as they progress through the course .
As well as changework I have learned a lot about cocktails , alien technology and the 2 nd law of thermodynamics .
In my experience this is without doubt the most amazing course I have ever trained on.
The Diploma really helped me deepen my understanding of NLP and just how powerful some of the tools can be for achieving positive change – not only for my future clients but for myself!
It was a real pleasure to be taught by Phil, who is not only a master of the techniques he teaches, but always makes learning challenging as well as fun.
I loved Phil's presentation style – balancing the challenge of learning the material with humour and fun.
The Diploma taught me so much more than I'd realised possible. It was a great introduction to the material and really well-taught.
The format of teaching over ten months really was an advantage, since it allowed us to go away and practice with other students as well as to deepen our understanding by reading in between the teaching weekends.
I really enjoyed the fact that students from previous years as well as senior level tutors were on hand to offer help and advice through the Diploma.
Thanks Phil for an amazing introduction to NLP, Hypnotherapy and Coaching. Even if I never practice as a Therapist (which I probably will), I know I will always use the tools – especially in Coaching myself – for the rest of my life.
This Course has been perfect so far. The lectures and the clinics help us to do the best we can.
If you spoke to me in person about this course you would see my eyes light up and hear the excitement in my voice – it is that good.
Phil delivers it in such an entertaining and interesting way which keeps you focused and makes it easy to learn.
The course is very practical based which is great. Before the course, being from a non clinical background I wasn't sure about how I would be with clients. However by lunch time day one of the course, I knew I would be fine, as everything we learn we get to practice on each other, and the sessions seeing real clients with a tutor give us another great opportunity to learn in a really supportive environment.
I am now regularly seeing practice clients outside of the course and I am amazed at how much I have helped them already. Another really good aspect of the course is that you get plenty of opportunities to sort out your own issues so it is great for self development too.
I would certainly recommend it!
Very well run and high professional standards. The theory is delivered with panache and each module builds on the last with well though through progression. Modules are tested in small groups with real clients under expert tutorage. Demanding and rewarding.
The diploma course was everything I hoped it would be and more. The course was well thought out, brilliantly taught and aimed at producing practitioners of a high standard. Since qualifying I have had some fantastic results with clients and I get tremendous joy from helping others to change their lives.
The journey I have been on for the last 2 years (since doing the LP in April 2009) has been phenomenal and now I live the life I love every day !
Incidentally, when I rang the British Institute of Hypnotherapy and NLP to enquire about membership, the lady at the other end of the phone got very excited when I said I had been trained by Phil Parker and exclaimed "Oh fantastic, we LOVE having practitioners who have been trained by Phil Parker. How lucky you are!".
– I attended the PPTI Diploma Course 2009/10. I really liked the course structure, with a good mixture of classroom lectures, practicing in smaller groups, and the work between the Modules. Phil's way of teaching is intelligent, light and with lot of humor. He is skilful and a talented communicator. The whole package gave me a lot of useful learning both personal and professional, and a set of effective and lovely tools which really add lots of value to my work as a Professional Coach. I also got a lot of new good friends and colleges.
I began the course for personal development, after using the LP to recover from ME. The course has far exceeded my expectations, both personally and professionally, and I have made changes I never thought possible. As a result of the high standard of teaching and the focus on clinical practice, I now plan to carry on working with clients and have a multitude of skills to apply in all areas of my life. The course has been completely transformational for me and I would recommend it to anyone interested in changing any aspect of their life.
I really enjoyed the Diploma course, not only did I learn a new approach to language and a whole new set of skills,It proved to be a voyage of discovery for myself as well. I just wish I'd had these skills when I worked as a nurse in rehabilitation.
After doing this course I got the bug completely and went on to do the Masters and Advanced elements and I'm in the throws of training to be a Lightning Process practitioner now! I can honestly say that I have enjoyed every single minute of the courses, Phil has an excellent way of teaching and made it both fun and captivating but importantly the content is very comprehensive. The course is all recorded on DVD which means you can watch the whole course as many times as you wish.
Excellent! Just being on the course was a great, life changing experience in itself!
Phil delivers excellent training – really well explained, brilliantly demonstrated and then loads of practice time for the students. And what a great bunch of students! It was a pleasure being with them.
As part of the Master's qualification I am attending the course again to help with the tutoring – can't wait to be there!
I am delighted I chose this course; the rigour of the assessment has been and is exemplary. As an external marker for Winchester University it's heart-warming to see the standard of assessment is up there with many of the universities.
Fantastic ! I thought I knew a bit about NLP until I did this wonderful indepth course. Simply an amazing journey of learning and self discovery.I can't emphasise enough how easy Phil makes it and how well the group gained so much rapport together. I thoughly reccommend doing the Clinical Trials as well they really help you sharpen the fantastic skills you have already learned to make you a true professional in your field.
I joined the Diploma course in 2016 after 'thinking about it' for three years…and I'm so glad I did it! This course has challenged me, nurtured me, inspired me, shifted the way I think and feel about myself (for the better!) and given me the tools, skills and knowledge I was seeking to start my own practice helping people to see their world differently and move forward with confidence.
It's an absolute pleasure to study with Phil; the quality of the content, training and supervision is truly world-class. I would highly recommend the Diploma journey to anyone who is thinking about a powerfully transformative experience.
Phil's training is of impeccably high standards and quality, I am so glad that I trained with Phil.
You will learn so many vital and transformational skillsets in this diploma course that you will be able to help as many people as you wish to, having the fortunate position to have an array of NLP tools you can use to help them create positive lasting change in their lives. The clinical assessment as part of this training means the standard of training you receive as a practitioner is very high and to be commended, well done to Phil and all of the team for delivering this training and spreading NLP & Hypnotherapy to as many as possible.
On this journey you will grow personally and collectively as a group, with Phil's expertise guiding you all the way to qualifying, wonderful! 10/10.
I had always had the goal of becoming a practitioner after attending the Lightning Process® to recover from Fibromyalgia and ME back in 2009. I researched options to take the training and always came back to the course run by Phil, it's content was far more comprehensive than that of others. I'm so glad I did! Now as a practitioner, I often meet other 'Master' NLP Practitioners and am astounded by how much more I know – even having only just qualified. If you are considering taking the Diploma/Advanced/Masters then I would highly recommend these courses. It has provided me with a solid knowledge base to run my own successful business. Phil's ability to connect with a wide range of people allows this to be an all-inclusive course – he has a way of explaining content to ensure full understanding. The course is designed to ensure that all participants pass with a high standard, clinical assessment is included for those who want to take their knowledge further.I learnt so much more than I could ever have imagined.


Today we skipped school and sports and drove 6 hours to be with family, so that we could be together and be ready for tomorrow morning.
We have felt lots of stress and anxiety and fear this week, as well as love and uncertainty. We've laughed and cried, sat silently and yelled, missed assignments and appointments and forgot the ice cream in the car. We are a mess.
Losing Chase has affected so many, from friends to loved ones, and to those who didn't even know him. We are filled with sorrow. With his passing, we are keenly aware that life is uncertain, unpredictable, and unfair, even when you do what's right. This is not comforting and yet it's raw and real and we are vulnerable. There are no guarantees, which is why we try to live life to the fullest with love and laughter every day.
Tomorrow we will celebrate Chase and hold on to each other for comfort, as we navigate the next steps that are to come.
Godspeed, Chase. We love and miss you so much and we wish your family the strength to carry on.
Dear Adriana, I'm so sorry to read of your loss. Prayers for peace and healing.