As business people we all produce a product or offer a service which we sell for a price and realize a profit. Our intention should be to gain a fair return based on how much time, expertise, energy and materials we have to invest in making our products. In the world of project and equipment financing, our goal is to serve the client; to help the business owner get the equipment they need or capital they require to continue to grow. We profit from those efforts just like any other business owner would expect and the more successfully we can support a growing company the better off we all are. The key is in the quality of the service; we have to be able to get clients approved so that we all benefit.
During the finance effort, we sometimes have to redirect the plans a client has which can be selecting a less expensive piece of equipment or getting used equipment that can do the job just as well or getting credit repaired or liens settled before attempting to finance a new machine; these options may be the best direction for business owner to go. Sometimes if there are too many issues then it can simply be a time to wait and put things on hold because forcing a high risk acquisition can be certain doom for a small business. If we want to be successful we have to offer our products so that they provide a real value to our customers; if they don’t then your client becomes a one transaction affair and the chances of repeat and loyal business is unlikely; without customer loyalty I think we all agree that our efforts will feel like we are endlessly paddling upstream.
Let us all be the light that makes a transaction memorable; the solution to someone’s wants and goals. Once you create a positive experience with a client they will return again and again because they know what to expect from your service. All of us patronize businesses which we feel will give us effort and have the best intention of supporting us. We all have gone to that small restaurant which is out of the way because they make our favorite dish or use that auto mechanic because he is thorough when fixing your car and seems to get it right or that equipment vendor that has great after-sales support and always takes your calls. Sometimes these businesses may be out of the way, higher in price or have smaller selections yet we still choose to use them because there is value in what they offer. In the end it is the effort and service that matters and paves the way to success.