Small Business Loans in Colorado

At 18, Lyndsey moved away from home and spent the next 14 years working multiple jobs in various mental health organizations while putting herself through school and building relationships with community professionals. Oftentimes, as many business owners do, she sacrificed time, experiences, and even income to move her business forward. Building the company off her own hard work over the course of many years, Lyndsey spent the most recent years working 50–65 hours a week building the capital needed to expand beyond an hourly rented office to two 1500 square foot suites.

Finding Meaningful Work

Integrating Insights, based in Boulder, Colorado, is a mental health practice that helps people resolve issues related to trauma and high-stress events. Clientele and specialties include military members, veterans, and their families; couples; groups; and individuals. Armed with the lessons she learned dealing with her own health issues and the pain she witnessed growing up, Lyndsey has found a balance of meaningful work, rest, and play. Now she specializes in helping others do the same.

“My clients struggle with feeling broken, challenged in relationships, and have often turned to behaviors that seem to help momentarily, but ultimately keep them from healing,” she shares. “We all have an innate capacity towards health and wholeness, but sometimes things have occurred in our lives that stand in the way.”

Keeping a Comfortable Cash Flow

With the growth of her business came additional expenses. The expansion brought expenditures much closer to the business’s existing income levels. Lyndsey knew this would be temporary, but she needed a financial buffer while continuing to expand. Like many business owners, she used an ACH loan as a short-term way to keep a more comfortable cash flow while her practice continues to grow. With that safety net in place, she is now able to focus on her next biggest concern: the right marketing to reach clients who need her help and support.

Lyndsey and her staff at Integrating Insights have helped thousands of people. Despite the struggles, long hours, and financial sacrifices, they say the journey has been worth it.

“It has been most important for me to continue to focus on why I am running my business, and then come up with creative solutions to help it thrive,” continues Lyndsey. “Focusing on the greater good that the business provides has helped me be incredibly successful in work that I find deeply rewarding.”

A self-proclaimed beer nerd, Jose Quinones of Englewood, Colorado, isn’t just obsessed with finding rare beers and building his cellar collection. He brews his own almost every week. Inspired by the American craft beer movement and his love of homebrewing, Jose decided to turn is hobby into a business.

“After six years in retail and eleven years in the mortgage industry, I wanted to turn the skills I acquired and developed into a business that I owned. Apart from being motivated to work independently and free myself from the endless layers of bureaucracy involved in working for a multinational corporation, I wanted to pursue something I was passionate about,” says Jose.

When he heard the local homebrew supply store, where he picked up occasional shifts, was having financial difficulties and would be closing, he decided to seize the opportunity to take over the space. Jose would leverage the existing customer base, avoiding some of the worst growing pains of opening a new business.

Broadway Brew Supply not only sells equipment and supplies for customers to brew beer, wine, cider, and other fermented beverages at home, but it also offers monthly classes and even private lessons to help homebrewers make beverages at home following tried-and-true practices and techniques.

Jose applied for financing through Lendio where he qualified for business credit lines that allowed him to order merchandise and to be fully stocked ahead of opening.

“[Lendio] offered counseling to maximize my credit profile to ensure I can continue obtaining financing as my business grows. The confidence with which Lendio handled my application was a relief,” shares Jose.

Though he’s been able to lean on his experiences in the corporate world to create a successful business plan and execute it, Jose’s startup journey was not without its risks and challenges. “I am betting on myself,” he says. “The idea that I can help others discover this amazing hobby and make a living doing so is what keeps me going.”

Knowing what he knows now, Jose says his best advice to other entrepreneurs is to have a business plan that is a living document. Take the time to write a thorough, well-researched business plan, but be flexible about changing it as the need becomes apparent; this includes conducting regular reviews and updates. Don’t hesitate to ask for help along the way. Consider consulting resources such as a Small Business Development Center, the Chamber of Commerce, or friends and family who have run their own businesses. And don’t forget to pay yourself; do not hire anyone until you are collecting a paycheck, he says.

Colorado recently ranked No. 8 on Lendio’s 2018 Top 10 Best States for Small Business Lending. Read more about why the Centennial State is such a thriving hub for small business.

America is the land of opportunity and just about any business venture is possible because of the freedom we have here. Independence Day is a time to reflect on those who made endless opportunities possible so that we all have the chance to live our own American Dream. Small businesses are the backbone of America and we want to highlight some great success stories of real-life people out there currently living their dream.

Denver Washer Dryer

In May of 2011, Cody Hinsz had a horrible experience with an appliance company leaving him determined to do better. He wanted to make the customer experience far more pleasant than what had happened to him and decided the best way to do that would be to start his own company.

Soon after, Cody opened Denver Washer Dryer so he could offer high quality, expertly refurbished appliances to residential customers. As with many new business owners, he funded the operation entirely out of his own pocket and personal savings. This was enough capital to get him started, but not to keep him going long-term.

Knowing he wanted to create and maintain a 5-star reputation, he began to look into other financing options to increase inventory and keep his business running smoothly and came across Lendio. Soon after, he found the funding he needed to maintain that high-quality care and was able to take his business to the next level.

Let us know how you and your small business have found success and what advice you have for other small business owners in the comments below!