BY DAN TAYLOR, ENERGIZING ENTREPRENEURIAL COMMUNITIES PROGRAM COORDINATOR, THE HUB
If an aspiring entrepreneur in your community went to the local bank looking for a small business loan, but for a variety of reasons this local bank was unable make the loan – would the bank know where to send this entrepreneur next, or would the person be left thinking that their dreams are now unattainable?
In many communities, potential entrepreneurs have been left without answers or next steps in these situations. These people have the potential to offer new and exciting things to their community, improving quality of life for area residents and increasing the probability of a more positive economic outlook. This is a challenge that The Hub’s Energizing Entrepreneurial Communities program has been deeply looking at in our communities.
The Hub partnered with BB&T Bank this past spring on a project to create a resource for community banks, economic development offices, local officials, community leaders and others to point entrepreneurs struggling to find capital through traditional sources – or for whom a traditional small business loan isn’t the best option – toward services in the state that can potentially help them get off the ground and, as result, help their communities thrive.
The Alternative Business Lenders Guide is a short list of alternative business lenders and financiers in West Virginia. We want our resource to be a conversation starter for communities and financial institutions so that we can be doing all that we can to encourage and support our aspiring entrepreneurs.
Download a copy of the Alternative Business Lenders Guide »
If you would like to discuss distribution in your community, please contact me – Dan Taylor, Program Coordinator for The Hub’s Energizing Entrepreneurial Communities program. My email address is d.taylor@wvhub.org.
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