My banker won't back my building.

• Author: DeParle, Jim

Jim DeParle is a Jacksonville, Florida businessman.

"We. . .are pleased to welcome you as a PREMIER ACCOUNT customer. Through this relationship, we hope to provide you with financial services tailored to your needs."

A premier account. Financial service tailored to my needs. I felt I had arrived. And why not? After all, I had banked at one of Florida's largest banks for 15 years without so much as bouncing a check. Now the letter was promising me a $15,000 line of credit and a Gold Visa Card that would allow me to charge $5,000 more. I was even being assigned my own Relationship Banker. But our relationship was soon to sour.

When my panner and I asked for a mortgage on our proposed office building, we thought we would have no trouble. Our concept seemed hot. We would provide small business people with all the office services they needed at a price they could afford, starting at $199 a month. They'd get a receptionist up front to greet the clients, unlimited use of a conference room, and a mail clerk to prepare and receive packages from UPS and Federal Express. On a fee-for-service basis, they'd also get use of the office copying and Fax machines, and a secretary to type letters and answer phones. We'd throw in a microwave and a refrigerator-everything right down to and including the kitchen sink and an endless pot of coffee.

The idea wasn't ours alone. Entrepreneur magazine had touted such "business development centers" as the ideal home for a new enterprise-just the right place for an insurance agent or sales rep to park his filing cabinets. Business theorists at many universities have plugged the idea too. Meanwhile, nearby office buildings that offered similar services were full, while starting their rents at $320, much higher than ours. We knew we had the competition beat. My Relationship Banker referred us downtown to the commercial loan department.

Like most small businessmen asking a bank for a loan, we approached with some trepidation. We showed up 20 minutes early for the meeting; the banker kept us waiting for 20 minutes past our meeting time, which further unnerved us. The entire place was deathly still. I found myself whispering to my partner. When the receptionist finally ushered us into a spacious office, a thirtyish-looking man greeted us as if we were there to join the Jaycees. He sure seemed friendly

Having spent two days in a seminar on "how to properly package your loan request," we were ready. I explained the concept and...