New York State Loan Initiative Takes on Fintech Type Pitch
If a business owner told you they had been approved for a 3-6 year loan up to $150,000 with no origination fees, no prepayment penalties, and interest rates ranging from 9.25 – 12.25%, would you believe it was a real offer?
The criteria, after all, is just a matter of:
– having been in business at least 1 year
– having strong previous cash flow and projected cash flow
Not only is this real but it’s being rolled out by New York’s “Forward Loan Fund 2” as a working capital loan that can be used for equipment, payroll, utilities, rent, supplies, marketing and advertising, building renovations, and other expenses. The state stops short of calling itself a fintech platform or online lending platform, instead referring to itself as a “virtual platorm” that is “accessible anywhere in the state.”
This is the second run of this program. The first distributed loans to 1,700 small businesses.
“It was a godsend,” one testimonial posted on the NY loan fund site says. “NDC made it so easy. It took two weeks and the money was in our account. Can you feel my joy?”
The program offers more than just capital, promising that there is a “network of Entrepreneurship Assistance Centers (EAC) available to provide free support before, during, and after the loan application process.”
The program is backed by participating lenders that include Accion Opportunity Fund, Ascendus, NDC, Pursuit, and TruFund Financial Services. There is about $150M available to be loaned out “with plans to recycle and lend additional funds over the life of the program.”
“Due to a limited amount of funding availability and the high volume of applications expected, it is anticipated that not all applicants will be able to receive a loan,” a disclaimer says.
At a minimum, the documents required to be considered are:
1. Most recently filed tax returns OR internal financial statements.
2. Schedule of ownership
3. Personal guarantee from each individual owner greater than 19%
4. Articles of organization
5. Credit report
Last modified: July 24, 2023
Sean Murray is the President and Chief Editor of deBanked and the founder of the Broker Fair Conference. Connect with me on LinkedIn or follow me on twitter. You can view all future deBanked events here.
