Archive for 2023
TikTok for Lead Generation? It’s Different
September 28, 2023
Today, TikTok is no longer just a platform for dance challenges, but a marketing tool rivaling social media giants like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. But does it hold the same weight for this industry looking to attract clients?
“You have to have fun with it and tell [your target customer] the truth about how we work and what we can do for them, no exceptions, and they will understand and trust you,” said Sonia Alvelo, CEO at Latin Financial. “Get creative and have fun with it at the same time. This is a different beast.”
Alvelo signed her company up on TikTok this past year and said, “It’s attracting good business.” Managing the account herself, their content is educational while also highlighting the environment and work ethic of the company. Their TikToks feature playful moments like office lunch breaks turned into music videos, fun clips showcasing employee food preferences, and footage from panels Alvelo has participated in. And she makes sure to have some content available in both English and her native Spanish.
“It is more educational content, that way it will attract new clients and give us the advantage of teaching them about the industry,” said Alvelo. “We also highlight our work ethic, how we treat our employees and the environment in which we work at Latin Financial.”
Initially skeptical, Alvelo learned that many small businesses on TikTok are seeking funding but hesitate to approach traditional banks. She’s studied where those businesses are online and the potential opportunity to connect with them where they are, including LinkedIn, which she actually found less conducive to this type of dealmaking despite its business atmosphere. She gives a thumbs-up to Facebook, explaining that its personalized environment allows those potential customers to really see you and feel like they know you.
“…You can make a lot of money advertising your company and what you do,” she said of Facebook.
“Instagram is good but it’s a networking platform and if you invest the right way you get a lot of leads and turn that into funded deals,” said Alvelo. “TikTok is the new approach to get all the new businesses less than two years old. And why not? Maybe to others it’s not the way to go, but for me and Latin Financial we are here to educate and for businesses to have all the knowledge to continue to be in business for a long time.”
Meanwhile, Alex Cespedes, Business Development Specialist at Financial Lynx, mentioned that their active engagement on TikTok only started in March despite being on the app for a year. They showcase a range of content, from funding successes, to visiting offices, to their sponsorships of different events. Still trying to figure out how to maximize the effectiveness of it all, Cespedes stated that LinkedIn and Instagram have been their bread and butter so far. The content they create on Instagram later gets reposted on TikTok and he’s found that it’s been hit-or-miss.
“…TikTok has been a little lesson but I think it’s because no one’s kind of figured it out yet,” said Cespedes. “Even on Instagram I see other brokers and other financing companies that do well and their stuff gets views and you see engagement on their posts, but then even when you go over to their TikTok, if they have one at all, it’s much less.”
The reigning demographic for users on TikTok is ages 18-24, whereas their business owner clientele is predominantly in their 40s-50s. Cespedes explained that Instagram resonates more with their target demographic for now.
“…I think that’s what it is now, it’s just a little bit of a lack of alignment, the TikTok age range is still a little too young for our industry, at least not right in the center of it.”
Are You an Underwriter Thinking About Going into Sales?
September 26, 2023
My days of working on deals are long gone but once upon a time I was the head of one of the most well-known MCA underwriting departments (Merchant Cash and Capital). The problem was that I was a restless 24 year-old with a front row seat to watching ISOs my age and younger make up to 4x as much as my salary all while spending their days giving me a hard time. I don’t have to recall what it was like because I wrote it down when it was happening.
“ISOs debate constantly about declines and make excuses for required paperwork that merchants can’t produce,” I wrote.
I had little appreciation for how hard sales was and I relished being a hardliner on guidelines. While this approach ultimately paid off majorly for the company (it was in the run-up to 2008!), it did not prepare me for what I did next. I quit my position and became a sales rep for an affiliated ISO, you know because I thought I would automatically become rich off commissions.
After learning that sales meant I would get only 3 leads per day, it dawned on me that 95% of my time would be spent cold calling UCCs. And so that’s what I did, blasting away UCCs on a manual hand dial basis because there was no auto-dialer. Getting any app in at all was a huge achievement and I begged and pleaded with underwriters to pre-approve incomplete files that in a former life I would have enjoyed striking down.
It was a very humbling experience, which was made all the more humble when about a month later almost every MCA company in the industry stopped funding as credit lines got pulled and the financial system came to a standstill to kick off the Great Recession. I really could not believe my luck. My position had no base pay in those days so I had really shot myself in the foot. Just as before, I documented my experience.
“My streak was extended to 25 declined deals and a merchant I had been pitching for literally 4 months was finally giving me a shot. The sweat, the stress, and the dwindling commission paychecks led to the addition of a 2% closing cost on the deal. The merchant ok’d it and signed my form.”
I wasn’t the closing fee type but after the terrible streak and virtually no pay for a whole month, it happened. Unfortunately, the funder I did it with was not happy about it at all.
“The funder got wind of the closing cost and called our office,” I wrote. “Something was said about greed and overburdening their merchant. A warning was issued and they were going to watch my submissions more closely. 25 straight submissions with auto-decline notices, 4 months of sweat in closing a deal, and only a quarter of that 2% closing cost actually going into my pocket. That’s pre-tax by the way. Now I’m on their watch list.”
Somehow, somewhere at a funding company there was an underwriter out there talking about me being an annoying ISO. Fortunately, I appreciated the irony at the time and it was no hard feelings. I felt thankful for having had the experience on the other side of the table.
If you’re wondering if I went back to underwriting or gave up sales, I didn’t. I continued on as a sales rep and manually dialed hundreds of people a day for another three years. I really enjoyed the challenge and the motivation it sparked inside me. I ended up getting a lot of deals funded, though probably not enough to say that I was ever great at it. I launched deBanked while doing this believe it or not. Smile and dial during the day, type on the site at night. Oh those were the days.
The moral of my experience is that the grass is always greener on the other side and sometimes it takes walking a mile in another person’s shoes to really appreciate what they do. If you’re ever annoyed by someone you have to deal with or envious of whatever they’re getting, just know there’s probably more to the story. I hope this helps.
deBanked CONNECT San Diego Reviewed
September 26, 2023
deBanked CONNECT marked its return to San Diego at the Wyndham Bayside Hotel directly across from the waterfront on N Harbor Drive, a prime location accompanied by many museums, restaurants, and a calming view of North San Diego Bay. The timing of the event paired perfectly with the Miramar Air Show, Hispanic Heritage Weekend, Adams Avenue Street Fair and other festivities taking place that weekend.
deBanked’s Chief Editor, Sean Murray opened the event by noting that California’s Commercial Financing Disclosure Bill thankfully didn’t cause the world to end. He also highlighted that California is the industry’s third-largest market, following Miami and New York. To his surprise, many attendees were experiencing a deBanked event for the first time.
Justin Thompson, CRO at National Funding, said that prior to deBanked’s expansion to the locale in 2018/2019 that most of the events there had to do with merchant processing, SBA loans, or equipment financing and that the 2019 show set the tone for more events to be brought out to the Southern California.
“It was great, I think it was appropriate to have something out here on the West Coast – probably in terms of the count of brokers is more on the East Coast –there’s also some pretty large brokers on the West Coast and I think it was real good opportunity to have everybody here on the West Coast that maybe couldn’t have gone to the East Coast to do stuff,” said Thompson. “There’s some new faces and some new opportunities to meet the people and build new relationships.”
deBanked CONNECT San Diego showcased tech demos from Ocrolus, Onxy IQ, and Dragin. Guest speaker Tye Hanna, CEO of Titan Asset Management, touched on what MCA portfolios are worth and how to value them. And Brock Blake, CEO of Lendio, drew in a large crowd discussing tech platforms that have entered the lending space and the necessity of innovation.
The panels began with the ‘Legal and Regulatory Developments’ with David Austin, Marshall Goldberg, and Scott Pearson and concluded with ‘Navigating the New Normal’ featuring Patrick Manning, Benjamin Flowers, Josh Jones, and Shelley Shivers.
At the end, attendees gathered on the outdoor terrace to unwind and continue the networking. The sunset met guests exactly as it began, a beautiful way to conclude the day. deBanked CONNECT Miami was also announced and set to be for January 11, 2024.
California Eliminates The Disclosure Law’s Sunset Date
September 25, 2023When California passed its landmark commercial financing disclosure law in 2018, some theorized that it was all just a five-year experiment. That’s because legislators wrote into the statute that the APR component of disclosures would only be required until January 1, 2024 and would then automatically be repealed. Then something unexpected happened, it took four years just to put the law into effect. And so with the clock ticking down toward repeal, California’s legislature passed a law last week that removes that line from the statute entirely. Now there is no sunset date. It’s permanent.
Although deBanked has learned that many providers are complying with the disclosure law, not everyone believes that doing so helps business owners or that its requirements are constitutional.
Meanwhile, California also passed ANOTHER commercial financing bill last week, Senate Bill 666, which you can read about here.
BOO! The deBanked Spooktacular is Coming in October (For Real)
September 25, 2023 Oh there’s a Broker event in New York alright, and it’s by deBanked on October 26. Join the industry for a deBanked Spooktacular at Bourbon & Branch in Midtown Manhattan.
Get right to the networking and fun in the hub of the industry and enjoy bundles of swag, an open bar, treats, and more. Costumes are welcome but not required. The tickets cost a fraction of other events. If you’re a broker, meet the funders and leave with a goodie bag you’ll never forget! deBanked and DailyFunder website advertisers get a special privilege. To find out what that is, email: larissa@debanked.com deBanked CONNECT MIAMI will follow on Jan 11, 2024 in Miami Beach.
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deBanked CONNECT San Diego 2023 Photos
September 24, 2023We’ve got the deBanked CONNECT San Diego photos HERE!!!
And while you’re at it, now’s your chance to take advantage of early bird pricing to deBanked CONNECT MIAMI 2024 as it returns to Miami Beach this January! It’s baccckkkkk.
deBanked CONNECT San Diego is Today
September 21, 2023
deBanked CONNECT is today on September 21, 2023.
If you are attending today, check-in starts at 1 pm.
The agenda can be viewed here.
The speaking sessions begin at 2:30pm. The event goes until 8pm.
Actum Processing brings Instant Credits, Powered by Real-Time Payments to Funders in the Cash Advance Industry
September 20, 2023Austin, Texas, September 20, 2023 – Actum Processing, a leading ACH payment provider in the lending space, is proud to introduce Instant Credits, a groundbreaking solution that is poised to transform the way Funders in the Cash Advance industry send money. With Instant Credits, clients can enjoy the convenience of depositing funds instantly, 24/7, 365 days a year.
Vinny Lipari, President and Co-Founder of Actum, emphasizes the paramount importance of speed in delivering working capital to merchants. Real-Time Payments, the backbone of Instant Credits, will provide Actum’s clients with a significant edge in the evolving industry landscape. Actum has forged a strategic partnership with one of the largest Financial Institutions in the country to bring this exclusive offering to the lending space. This collaboration ensures that Actum’s clients will have access to a secure and reliable platform for their processing needs.
Whether you are seeking to fund a deal, pay commissions, or deliver cash to your investors and syndicates, Real-Time Payments empowers you to do it instantly. Actum’s clients can leverage this service through various channels, including direct API integration, integrated SaaS platforms or Actum’s user-friendly Virtual Terminal.
“We are thrilled to introduce Real-Time Payments and Instant Credits to our valued clients,” says Vinny Lipari. “This innovative solution is a testament to our commitment to providing cutting-edge services that meet the evolving demands of the market.”
To learn more about Real-Time Payments and the full range of valuable services Actum brings to the market, contact Actum today.
Contact Information:
Email: sales@actumprocessing.com
Phone: (800) 975-5640
