Future-Focused SMB Owners Value the Speed and Flexibility of a Private Lender to Optimize Cash Flow

In a Nutshell: Every business journey comes with growing pains. The only question is how you deal with the inevitable challenges to keep operations running smoothly on your path to growth and lasting success. In all 50 states, Sunwise Capital provides fast and flexible private lending services to lessen the impact of the unexpected and make the future happen sooner. Since 2010, more than 86,000 SMB owners in sectors including construction, manufacturing, medical, and retail have trusted Mark and Vivian Kane, the straight shooters at Sunwise, to provide funding and support to get things done.

Every small business starts with inspiration, but not every idea becomes a business. Turning inspiration into earnings, profit, and lasting success is about learning what you need to know to make the right moves at the right time for the right reasons.

Part of that is realizing you can’t do it alone and choosing partners who can help you reach your goals without impeding you or costing you an arm and a leg.

Only a handful of entrepreneurs can authentically claim they’ve gotten everything right the first time. For the rest of us, the need for productive partnerships extends to finance. Companies stagnate and wither without liquidity to meet unexpected financial obligations and invest in the future.

We bet most small businesses past the startup stage face challenges like that.

The only question is who to turn to. Banks of all sizes tend to shy away from the fast-paced, short-term business lending environment we’re discussing, where a few extra days can mean not making payroll or falling short on supplies.

That’s the domain of private lenders like Mark and Vivian Kane of Sunwise Capital. Since 2010, more than 86,000 small businesses nationwide have turned to Sunwise for its small-business expertise, advanced underwriting, fast loan processing, and same-day funding.

It’s a far cry from what Mark and Vivian experienced as previous business owners. They say it’s rare that a loan applicant comes to them with a challenge they haven’t experienced, with banks seemingly primed to say no rather than yes.

On the flip side, many business owners don’t necessarily understand the full scope of the lending options available to them. Mark and Vivian’s job is to provide those options. They work creatively and transparently with each applicant to craft a lending solution to meet their needs.

“We both know what it’s like to wake up and have to make payroll,” Mark said. “As lenders, we pride ourselves on knowing everything we can about the business we’re supporting while ensuring our customers know everything they need to know about their loan.”

Ultimately, the root of every request for business credit is a desire to improve or grow the business. Mark and Vivian draw on their previous experience to treat every customer respectfully and outline every facet of their loan.

“We take a deliberate approach and explain every phase in detail,” Mark said. “We want to be our customers’ long-term lender of choice as they learn through experience to believe in us.”

That has worked well. In 14 years of operation, Sunwise has had some customers return for repeat loans more than 20 times.

Mark and Vivian said that’s because Sunwise can look beyond credit score when necessary, based on the team’s careful assessment of the firm’s prior earning record and growth capacity.

“We’ve worked with companies with bad credit, but when the business is strong, it mitigates the negative,” Mark said.

However, Mark and Vivian said it’s wrong to pigeonhole businesses that turn to private lenders like Sunwise as credit-challenged. Many — perhaps a majority in some situations — are bankable and may have existing credit with a traditional bank.

“We have a lot of clients that are totally bankable — they just don’t want to deal with a bank,” Vivian said.

An example is Sunwise’s best customer, which started as a $17 million tech company taking out a $1.2 million loan. Since then, they’ve returned again and again to upgrade and expand.

While the banks need to dissect every aspect of the business and understand in excruciating detail how the owner plans to use every penny of the loan, Sunwise concentrates on the essentials to put a bow on things as soon as possible, sometimes on the same day.

It’s all about whether the performance data and the relationship mesh to produce the synergy that makes such good-faith financial dealings possible. The best way to achieve that as an entrepreneur is to get to know your lender — and vice versa.

“Why we’re different is because we listen to them,” Vivian said. “We’re not going to push them into something that doesn’t make sense.”

It’s not entirely accurate to view a private lender like Sunwise as solely filling a niche banks aren’t willing to occupy. Banks are in the business of long-term lending, while direct lending through Sunwise happens on a much shorter time scale.

It’s likely that the company already has a purpose in mind for the loan. They know if they get x amount of money over a relatively short period, they can complete a predetermined project, reap the rewards, and return for another round.

Mark and Vivian are there with the flexibility to treat every relationship as unique and every project as special.

“We pride ourselves on our excellent TrustPilot rating and consider ourselves a little more boutique than big box lenders,” Mark said.

However, companies also come to Sunwise in dire straits, needing quick cash to prevent a disaster. After all, mistakes happen, and nothing is more unpredictable than the economy — except perhaps the weather.

Many things can go wrong. For example, a Home Depot or Walmart may not rush to pay the businesses that provide them with products and services. They’ll stretch payment out 90 days or 120 if they can.

What’s more, those bottlenecks, entirely outside their control, are only a few of the challenges facing small businesses.

Inflation, political change, evolving consumer sentiment, and other variables combine to pressure small businesses of many kinds. Those who partner with Mark and Vivian almost have an insurance policy against the unpredictable.

All that’s necessary at the application stage is three month’s worth of bank statements and some contact info. Advanced algorithms at Sunwise take care of the rest.

A potentially lucrative long-term relationship begins when there’s a fit, and even when there isn’t. Sunwise understands pain points and shares in the excitement of achieving business milestones.

“We really talk to them, and they appreciate that,” Vivian said. “Because it’s not about a one-time deal — we truly are looking for that long-term relationship.”

Common sense tells you that if a company doesn’t benefit from taking out a loan, it’s unlikely to repeat the process. Vivian said Sunwise’s bread and butter is repeat business, attesting to the ongoing success of its many lending partnerships.

“They know the cost of the funds, they know the ease, and they just keep coming back because they make money off of it,” she said. “It makes total sense.”

So-called bankable customers prize the speed and efficiency of Sunwise transactions. Mark said Sunwise’s processes and technology enable it to turn around most applications within minutes.

However, not all applicants are created equal. When Mark and Vivian turn down an applicant, a new round of conversation and education often begins. Meanwhile, higher loan amounts require more due diligence.

But ultimately, it’s the human element, not technology, that determines how and when Sunwise deals come to fruition. Dollars, terms, and rates combine uniquely to solve a one-of-a-kind problem.

That puts unsecured loans on the table at times. Sunwise likes to offer monthly payment programs and the flexibility of a line of credit, where appropriate. Some customers get in on the ground floor with weekly payment arrangements.

“We’ll work on helping them progress into a better loan the next time,” Vivian said.

Mark and Vivian said they receive the most gratification from repeat business because customers pit Sunwise against the competition and find no reason to switch.

“We want to be a player in the space where we don’t have to be the biggest, but we have the respect of every business owner we work with,” Mark said.

Vivian concurred. Among the many private lending firms competing for up-and-coming small-business loan dollars, 86,000 and counting have turned to Sunwise. And many keep coming back for more.

“They get a million phone calls, but they keep our number and email,” Vivian said. “They remember how well we treated them and how we weren’t looking for a quick buck.”