This Post Brought to You By Wells Fargo Bank

My company has just been screwed by Wells Fargo. It doesn't feel good.

Like all small businesses, we live on a line of credit that's about 50% of our monthly receivables. So, if we earned $200k/month, our line of credit would be $100k. (not real numbers)

That line keeps us going between payouts from clients. Particularly since the average client will do anything they can to delay paying you, and the bigger the client, the more they delay.

I got into the office this morning to find out that Wells Fargo set our line of credit and credit cards to 'unavailable' because a contractor's employee sold personal data to a direct marketing firm.

While I appreciate their vigilance, doing this without asking leaves me in sort of a bind. A cashless bind.

I'm writing this while I'm on endless hold with their fraud detection department, trying to negotiate the re-opening of my line of credit. If that doesn't work, I'll have to start calling everyone we've sent checks to and ask them to hold off on depositing them. Yeah. That'll work.

I've been in business for twelve profitable years. Twelve. I employ 30 people. I've only had to lay off staff once, in 2001, and even then it was only two out of eight people.

Now I'm scrambling like I've been open for 2 weeks.

Thanks guys. A lot.