IFA:
Lisa Whiting, owner of a graphic arts business, had a hard time finding a bank loan to expand her business after her credit score dropped when her credit limits were reduced. She eventually found help from a local bank. Situations such as Whiting’s are produced by a financial system that relies on formulas and computers to assess risk, so business owners may have to look for institutions that “are going to be looking at the individual,” said Marilyn Landis of Basic Business Concepts.