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I'm Ken Pang with Elevate Funding.

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Elevate Funding's a direct MCA funder.

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Uh, we focus on merchants that have poor credit scores

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or maybe a history of financial hardship.

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We don't have a credit score minimum. We don't pull credit.

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When we do our, uh, underwriting,

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we're strictly looking at cash flow

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and we're looking at their background check.

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So we're really able to help out a lot of these merchants

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that don't exactly have, you know, the best history, uh,

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but you know, they, they deserve a second chance to, uh,

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you know, get some funding for

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their business and help them grow.

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Hence the word elevate.

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So elevate's really customer centric.

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We really try to educate both the ISOs as well

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as our merchants as well.

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We believe in playing that long game

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and building those relationships, uh,

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because ultimately what you wanna build towards is having a

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strong renewal book and having

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that income continually come in.

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So that's what we really try to focus on,

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is the relationships and education,

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and I think that's something that really sets us apart from

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other folks in our space.

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What brings you to an event like this?

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Um, broker Fair is one

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of our favorite things to do every single year.

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We look forward to it. It's a great way for us to connect

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with both the brokers

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and ISOs that we have relationships with already, uh,

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as well as to meet a lot of new folks.

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You know, there's tons of new people out here, um,

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and it's just a great, great way for us to network

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with everybody in one room.

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Going back to you talking about educating people,

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why do you believe it's important to educate your customers?

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So we definitely want our customers

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to make the best decisions for themselves

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and for their business long term.

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You know, a lot of folks are very unfamiliar

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with the NCA space still.

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Um, and so I think it's very important on us.

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It's a responsibility of ours to be able to educate them

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so they know everything that they need to know

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to make the best decision possible going

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Forward.

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Go. Going back to networking, being at an event like this,

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there's a lot of networking.

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Yeah. There's a lot of conversations.

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What, why is that important

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and how is it proved valuable to you?

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Well, going back to talking about relationships, right?

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It's, I think it's very important for us to have face

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to face interactions with our brokers and with our partners.

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Um, 'cause that's what really sets us apart, man.

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It's like, we're here to help you out

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and we want to build that long term relationship with you.

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And so part of that is to be able to see face to face

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and chat and just catch up, you know, not just for MCA

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or work based stuff,

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but just to see how they're doing in their lives as well.

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For those people who haven't been to an event like this

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that are interested, what would you say to them?

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Uh, don't hesitate. Definitely come out.

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It's money well spent. I know sometimes it's hard to,

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you know, step away from your screen.

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You know, you're, you're making money,

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especially in this industry.

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Uh, but it's, it's worth taking the time out at least

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for a couple hours to come see your, come, come get

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to know your funders that you're working with.

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Come see them face to face.

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You know, nowadays more than ever, it's more important

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to see the folks that you're working with in person

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and to understand who they are

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and the services that they're providing.

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I think it's very, very important to get out and meet them

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Right now with the current state of our, our economy

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as a whole, whether it be in the US or globally.

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Yeah. Where, what role does the MCA space,

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this space play in the whole role of where,

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where the economy is right now?

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Yeah. I think with the way that the economy is going,

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there's so much uncertainty.

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Banks are holding back, uh,

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banks are pulling back in general from lending.

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Um, and I think it's very important to have alternative, uh,

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financing available, not just mca, you know, the line

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of credits and whatnot as well.

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Um, and to have those options available to business owners.

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You know, we know right now everything's tough.

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You know, prices, price of doing business is going up.

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It's hard to hire. Um, it's very important now,

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more than ever for business owners to have access to capital

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and to have options available to them

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and to, to find something that really suits their needs.

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My last question for you is, when you, when,

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when you think about events like this,

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obviously you wanna do new business Yeah.

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You wanna showcase what you, what you have available

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to other, other folks that are here,

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but also you wanna have fun.

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Yeah. Tell us like what it comes

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to the event like Broker Fair.

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What's, what do you feel is the most fun aspect of it?

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Well, obviously I think seeing folks, uh, face to face

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and being able to catch up with them is really fun.

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And plus, it's an excuse to be in New York City,

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the greatest city in the world.

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And, uh, any excuse to come up here is,

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is is always gonna be a good time.