Entrepreneurs, on the other hand, are risk-takers and thrive on uncertainty. If you look at the problem as a communication gap, not a personality clash, you'll be on your way to building a tremendous relationship with your banker. Determine exactly what services you need a bank to provide. Your needs will depend on where you are in the business life cycle. In the first year or two, you'll probably need a business checking account, a savings account and, if you process credit card orders, you'll need merchant card services.
Many entrepreneurs prefer to open their business account at a small community lender.
The advantage to being at a small bank is that you will probably get to know the people better. And, if you are lucky, you'll receive better day to day service. The downside to dealing with a smaller bank is that it may be limited when it comes to the amount of money the bank can lend. A smaller bank may not be as financially sophisticated as you would like it to be if you are dealing globally. Unfortunately, most banks, big and small, are moving toward centralized processing for just about everything.