Potential clients generally discover MCC through online research, he explains. "Business owners are typically very entrepreneurial," he explains. "Most of them are hungry for information, but they're so busy seeing patients, making widgets or putting out fires they may not know where to look. There's a lot of information on the Internet, but information for small business owners tends to be very fragmented."

By providing regular and useful content, Hurn says, he gives small business owners a reliable source of information. "They go online, see our client list, review our references and read our blog or other content," he explains. "It provides a level of comfort and boosts our credibility. My objective is to be timely and topical, and to establish a dialogue with readers who comment back to me on our blog."

Hurn may not consider himself a technology expert, but he has surrounded himself with people who know how to use technology to the company's advantage. Within days of President Obama's signing of the $787-billion federal stimulus package, MCC issued a social media release announcing the formation of its Stimulus Response Team. The team was formed to analyze and respond to possible opportunities from the $730 million the stimulus will provide to the SBA.

"There are a lot of nuances and grey areas," Hurn says. According to MCC's initial analysis:

• The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's reduction of loan fees for the flagship SBA loan-guarantee programs represents substantial opportunities for small businesses. Many companies will be able to save tens of thousands of dollars in upfront costs, fees while securing lower rates, and terms that are only available through the SBA.
• The refinancing option for the SBA 504 loan program for commercial real estate could offer significant opportunities for small and mid-size businesses to expand. By enabling businesses to take advantage of the reduced fees as well as the favorable rates and terms of this loan program, they will be able to secure the capital that they need to grow.
• Small and mid-size businesses have new opportunities to expand because there are lower fees for equipment loans obtained through the 504 loan program and higher Section 179 deductions this year. Section 179 allows businesses to deduct the full cost of machinery and equipment in the year of purchase, up to certain limits.

MCC's Stimulus Response Team added information to its Web site and blog on the specific measures and changes for the SBA and also initiated various outreach efforts to inform its borrowers, prospects and business partners about the new measures and their potential impact.