Not only have we been witness to a large number of global bank failures in the last two years, but there have also been a number of high profile lenders that have downsized their operations in certain areas and completely pulled out of some jurisdictions all together.
The resulting shifts in the business financing sands have created both holes in the market and opportunities. The business lenders that remain now are presented with additional opportunities to expand their portfolios, provided they can adapt their services and risk management towards a new opportunity.
For the business owner or business manager, this has created new commercial financing options in the market to replace what has recently disappeared. Although the level of overall financing competition in all slices of the market is still down overall, the expansion by existing players is a welcome improvement.
At the same time, don’t expect these new programs to hit the market with any great force. While the lenders involved are going to be serious about exploring the identified opportunities, they are most likely to start by wading into the shallow end of the pool as they take their time getting used to water of a new market or niche.
So while it may be very much worth your while to explore these new options that could now be available in your back yard, you’re going to have to have some patience as market expansion in the world of business financing is more of turtle versus hare approach.
But as time goes by, positive experience will also lead to program expansion and more aggressive lending practices. And as the economy continues to turn around, more changes can be expected in terms of the lender mix and offerings in any market.
This will also have a dramatic impact on supply, rates and terms in certain locales where the dominant lender in a category has completely disappeared and competitors decide on their interest in filling the void that remains.
In a time when lending markets continue to trend through uncertainty its good to see some of the participants prepared to venture out into new areas where opportunity has become available.
Hopefully this will soon become more of the norm versus the exception.
Click Here To Speak To Business Financing Specialist Brent Finlay