Mail

Business by the Bay
I was fascinated by Leigh Buchanan's piece on Tranquilo Bay ["Paradise the Hard Way," May]. As a University of Texas alum, I was even more fascinated by the fact that one Aggie could work and coexist with three Longhorns. My sister and brother-in-law purchased some waterfront property in Panama a few years ago with the intention of building a retirement home. Your story gives me hope that they, too, will someday actually build a place in Panama. After reading six pages in Inc. about Tranquilo Bay, I'm ready for the book.
Tom Bielefeldt
Owner
Rialto Media Group
Highlands Ranch, Colorado

I just finished reading the article about the founders of Tranquilo Bay, and I'm ready to hop on a plane and go down there. What a great story. Since visiting a lodge in Puerto Jiminez, Costa Rica, earlier this year, I've had a hankering to move somewhere down there and start something of my own. I'm young, and building enough capital will likely take years, but it's still a goal of mine. Congratulations to the founders of Tranquilo Bay for taking the leap.
Joe Hughes
Long Branch, New Jersey

Much Ado About MCAs
As a small-business owner who has benefited from MCAs on multiple occasions (from both AdvanceMe and Rewards Network, the providers your article mentioned), I thought that your headline was a bit of a cheap shot ["Thanks, but No Thanks," April]. When banks wouldn't lend to me, an MCA was a lifesaver, and it saved me from going out of business.

Today I run multiple successful restaurants, and merchant cash advances are one of the most important financial tools I have. If your message was "be careful and choose a credible, trustworthy provider," then I wholeheartedly agree. But bashing the entire MCA industry will only cause business owners who are in need of capital to dismiss an option that can help them.
Dave Ulmer
Atlanta

Thanks for the excellent story on merchant cash advances. At one time I thought of taking one of these but hesitated, as it sounded a little fishy. Your story only confirmed my suspicions. Thanks for looking out for us.
Ron Cole Jr.
Owner
House of Specialty Gifts
Anderson, California

Thanks for a long overdue and truly insightful article on MCAs. My firm, Outside Ventures, owns and operates three market-leading companies in the merchant services and cash advance space. One of the most frustrating things our salespeople routinely encounter is small-business owners and merchants who say they do not really know much or care much about truly learning about and understanding the product. In any field, an uninformed customer is bound to make a poor decision and is most vulnerable to being scammed. Merchant cash advances are not for everyone. Whether their names are Ponzi, Milken, or Skilling, the worst people in any industry should not serve as an indictment of an entire sector. On behalf of companies built to serve and help the market for the long term, your article was music to our ears.
Michael A. Berman
COO
Outside Ventures
New York City

A History of Service
I recently opened my copy of Inc. and was confronted by a store I hadn't thought of in many years, the Iwan Reis Tobacco Shop ["The Success Gene," April].

In 1956, we stopped at Iwan Reis to ask directions to a nearby lamp shop. Mr. Reis came out and said that he hadn't heard of such a store in the area. When we told him we'd driven a hundred miles to purchase a particular lamp, Mr. Reis asked us to wait while he looked into it. Forty-five minutes later, he came back with the shop's address (it turned out to be two blocks up the street). He also introduced me to several blends of tobacco, gave me samples of each, and invited me and my wife to spend an afternoon at his beach house on Lake Michigan. Until I stopped smoking, I was a walk-in customer on my twice-a-year visits to Chicago. I think your article captured the true aspects of how the Reises run their business. These types of companies make America a great place to do business.
Robert W. Sorenson
Poland, Ohio

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