Lending Library

As his family started to grow son after son, Art Hannemann knew he wanted to do one of two things: start a band or open a family business, specifically a restaurant. Despite all seven sons’ vocal abilities and guitar prowess, it was the family business that eventually came to fruition. In 2009, Art purchased a local grill behind a gas station in the beach town of Kahuku, Hawaii, and renamed it Seven Brothers. There, he and his family began grilling burgers, mixing shakes, and frying up uniquely shaped, but deliciously crisp fries.

Selling More Than a Burger

After purchasing the existing grill, the father and sons slowly began making changes to the menu and décor, infusing their own spirit with every burger they served. It wasn’t easy, though. In the beginning, they would see just 10 to 20 customers a day. But the brothers took turns manning the place and continued to learn the industry, making improvements as they went.

With time, their customer base grew. The next year, 50 to 100 people were coming in daily. Eventually, serving 200 customers a day became the new normal, and they opened a second location on the island. The growth is impressive, and a direct result of the care they take to deliver five-star customer service, provide the freshest food possible, and treat everyone as part of the family.

When Art Hannemann chose to start a restaurant over a family band, he did so with a mission to use food to spread the love of his family to everyone that comes through the door. That mission can be seen today in everything from the family photos on the wall, to the names of the burgers (each brother is represented), and even the table numbers they give out, which aren’t numbers at all, but validations like smile, happy, and be brave.

Growing the Family Business

As the restaurants continued to grow, the brothers expanded off the island, opening their first Utah location in 2017, with a second soon thereafter. With plans for growth ongoing, the brothers continue to maintain the mission their father began within every location.

Sterling Hannemann opened the first location in Utah with the help of a business partner. The unit has been successful, but he acknowledges that each new location has its unique challenges. While Sterling found it harder to market his restaurant in a more suburban locale, word of mouth and customer reviews have proven strong enough for Sterling to buy out his partner, returning full ownership to the family. In doing so, however, his on-hand cash reserves diminished. Sterling knew he might need some working capital to make it through a historically slow month, so he turned to Lendio for a line of credit. And despite not needing to use much of those funds, he says he’s glad he had a partner to turn to.

“The Lendio process was amazing,” says Hannemann. “They went at my pace; luckily I wasn’t desperate so I was able to take my time. But when the time came to accept a loan, it was a two-day process before funds were in my account.”

It’s no easy feat being a small business owner—a large majority don’t make it past year one. So, in 2019, when Kristen Hall Shirley celebrated the 10-year anniversary of her huge boarding facility and doggie daycare, Puptown Charlotte, she was ecstatic to hit a milestone rare for many entrepreneurs.

She celebrated by introducing a splash park and throwing a huge beach party, with a videographer, colorful leis, Jimmy Buffett music, delicious food, and of course, canine guests to enjoy the water fountain, waterfall, and play puddle.

It was an amazing feat for Kristen and things were looking sunny for Puptown Charlotte entering its 11th year.

But then COVID-19 hit this spring.

March would have been the beginning of Puptown Charlotte’s busy season, when clients travel for work, spring break, and Easter weekend. This year, things were different—much different.

“Puptown Charlotte experienced a landslide of boarding cancellations as news of COVID-19 began to spread,” says Kristen. “Then, as corporate employers started allowing employees to work from home, our daycare numbers started falling as well.”

By mid-March, business had dropped by more than 60% and suddenly there was only enough work to support three of Kristen’s 10 staff members. On March 26, Puptown Charlotte shut down for six weeks to comply with stay-at-home orders issued by the state of North Carolina. 

“Although I felt crushed telling my employees I could no longer support them, I knew this decision was necessary to keep them physically safe, and to relieve a significant source of financial stress on Puptown Charlotte,” says Kristen.

Getting Creative to Keep Puptown Afloat

“I approached this surreal situation with the same strategy I use in all emergencies: I acknowledged the reality, I used available information to make a realistic plan, and then I implemented the plan as quickly as possible,” she says.

Kristen got scrappy. She asked her clients for support, and many came through, helping her not only cover rent for April but also donating supplies and other goods. She printed Puptown Charlotte t-shirts to pay the utility bills and also launched a dog jewelry line.

But it wasn’t enough.

Turning to PPP in Hopes of Bringing Puptown Back to Life 

“Despite the incredible generosity of Puptown Charlotte’s clients, a sharp drop in sales followed by six weeks of zero revenue put us in a really difficult position,” says Kristen, who has large overhead expenses for the 10,000 square-foot facility. 

The first day the SBA began accepting applications, Kristen applied at her bank. 

“Despite my 19 years of loyalty, they said they were not ‘ready’ for me to submit a PPP application,” says Kristen, adding that other banks wouldn’t take her application either, as she didn’t have a relationship with them.

She pushed on, submitting her application multiple times, including the bank where she has a mortgage. She never received confirmation it was received.

“It was incredibly discouraging to be ignored and rejected while every day news headlines screamed that the $350 billion PPP funding was rapidly dwindling, says Kristen. “I jokingly say that stubbornness is my best quality, and in this situation it served me well because I was fighting for my business and my livelihood, and I simply refused to give up.”

Looking Elsewhere for Financial Assistance 

After hitting a dead end at eight different financial institutions, Kristen turned to Lendio.

“Lendio’s initial application took less than 10 minutes, the website worked without any glitches, and I received immediate confirmation that my application had been accepted,” she says, adding that Lendio matched her with a lender in four days. “After weeks of others ignoring me or telling me ‘no,’ it was a relief to find Lendio—a group of people that genuinely listened, understood, and actively helped with the challenges my business was facing.”

An Extra Boost from Lendio

In addition to receiving a PPP loan through the Lendio platform, Puptown also won a $10,000 Lendio Small Business Grant.

“Puptown Charlotte is just one of many small businesses fighting to survive the disruption and changes caused by COVID-19, and it was a tremendous honor to be recognized with one of Lendio’s $10,000 grants,” she says.

 The loan along with the grant has given Kristen and her team a bit of a financial cushion to weather the COVID-19 storm. And while people continue to work from home, with their dogs by their sides, they understand the importance of Puptown Charlotte for their four-legged friends.

“Clients have realized that our daycare and splash park offer a type of fun and enrichment that dogs can only get at Puptown Charlotte, and our numbers have risen steadily for the past month,” she says. “We love what we do and we are so glad that Puptown Charlotte is once again filled with smiling people and wagging tails.”

UPDATE: The PPP loan application period ended May 31, 2021. Learn about financing options available for small businesses today at Lendio.com

 
Working out at a gym for many is a way to relieve stress, but it is also a place where people can gain a sense of camaraderie over a shared passion.

So, when Five Points Fitness in Northern California had to shut its doors due to COVID-19, the community rallied behind it to help it get through the challenging times. Many chose to leave their membership active and buy gift certificates for future use, while the landlords of its two facilities cut the rent in half. 

“It felt really good to have the support,” says Bryan LeFebure, co-owner of Five Points Fitness.

Despite the outpouring from the community, Five Points Fitness needed to adapt to make it through the pandemic. It decided to go online, and members followed. 

Putting Muscle Behind a Business Pivot

Right away, the instructions learned about what it took to teach virtual fitness classes. While supportive, Bryan wasn’t sure it was going to work. Were people going to sign up for these classes with all the competition out there from fitness instructors on YouTube, exercise apps and streaming services, he wondered. But that is exactly what they did. “I was shocked that people really wanted to see their own instructor — that surprised me,” he says.

Once systems were in place, “We’d send out our weekly schedule on Sunday, providing a taste of everything we taught in the gym,” says Bryan.

By quickly pivoting to online classes, Five Point Fitness was able to keep people on its payroll but that wasn’t going to last forever.

Turning to PPP for Added Strength

When Bryan heard about the Payment Protection Plan, or PPP, it sounded like a great solution, as it not only helped his company get through this trying time, but it could also be forgiven. So, he turned to his bank for assistance.

“We are big Wells Fargo people. We have been with them for a lot of years, done a lot of loans with them and always paid them off early, so have really good credit ratings,” says Bryan. “We figured the PPP should be pretty easy to get.”

But it soon became apparent that Wells Fargo was bogged down with applicants and its funds dried up quickly.

After hearing about Lendio through the media, he decided to try and get his PPP through the small business loan marketplace.

“Lendio was a whole different experience; it was so quick and so smooth,” says Bryan. “It was very clear and easy for me to download the proper documents; I got good feedback and responses, and within 24 hours I got confirmation that they received my documents.”  

This helped Bryan and co-owner Tom MacDonald keep their team on payroll. “I felt good about it. We are doing what we can, and that is all we can do, Bryan says. “As long as we are not being lazy, we are not laying off people when we shouldn’t be, or doing things we wouldn’t feel good about, we are fine.” 

Looking Towards a Healthy Future

As some gyms across the country are beginning to open up, Bryan is learning best practices for when Five Points Fitness can once again open up its doors. 

“We are affiliated with different fitness associations, and there is a huge group of gym business owners who put on a webinar once a week, he says. “We are hearing from their experiences and getting guidance on what to do.”

Once opened, Bryan says Five Point Fitness will require people to wear masks inside its facilities (though on cardio machines, it can be pulled down), only allow people to be in one spot of the gym at a time, and will have UVC lights to clean large areas in under 30 minutes.

“We ultimately care about our members staying healthy and making it through this time,” he says.

Located in the golden metropolis of San Antonio, Texas, is a dining experience like no other. Described as a family-style restaurant that serves award-winning catfish and seafood with a Cajun flair, Acadiana Cafe is a must-eat destination. Unfortunately, like many restaurants in the current economic climate, Acadiana Cafe felt the sting of COVID-19 and its associated quarantines.

From Humble Beginnings to Troubled Waters

Acadiana Cafe has been part of the San Antonio scene for 34 years, but it started as a small chain restaurant from Louisiana and Mississippi. When Dave Saylor took a job as assistant manager, the course of the restaurant’s future changed forever.

Working his way up to the top, Dave eventually purchased Acadiana Cafe and made it his own. From there, the restaurant developed into a much-loved member of the community. With business booming and popularity rising, it appeared all would be blue skies and smooth sailing from then on—until COVID-19 struck. 

“We had less than a 24-hour notice that we would have to shut down our dining room,” Dave explained. “We dropped down to doing about 25% in sales due to the shutdown.” 

As the pandemic dragged on, Acadiana Cafe’s staff of nearly 70 employees dwindled to merely 13. Reflecting on the experience, Dave recounted, “We didn’t know if we could survive without an infusion of capital.” The restaurant was in peril.

But then, in the face of continued economic hardship, a glimmer of hope appeared.

How a PPP Loan and a Lendio Grant Kept Food on the Table

When the chance to apply for the Paycheck Protection Program arrived, Dave immediately turned to his bank. Yet, despite being a member of this nationwide bank for over 30 years, he quickly realized he wouldn’t find any help there.

“[The bank] had us on a waiting list just to turn in an application for the SBA loan,” Dave recalled. Once he reached this impasse with his bank and felt a growing need for capital, it was time to turn to Lendio and its partners.

As soon as Dave and Acadiana Cafe reached out to Lendio, it became apparent that the results would be very different. When speaking of his application and loan experience, Dave said, “[Lendio] not only accepted my application right away but processed it before [the bank] had even accepted my application.” 

After receiving funds from his PPP loan, Dave had the opportunity to acquire additional financial aid through one of Lendio’s small business grants.

“[The grant] came at a time whenever they’d issued some more alerts here, locally, in San Antonio, and our sales had dropped again. That grant money…gave us some hope that times would get better.” 

Since then, business at Acadiana Cafe continues to improve, and Dave looks toward PPP loan forgiveness with hope. 

A Recipe for Success

Through all of the struggles faced during the coronavirus pandemic, Dave and Acadiana Cafe remain key figures in the lives of their employees and local community members. 

Dave’s life of service extends beyond the restaurant world: he’s involved in organizations like the Kingdom Business Women’s Ministry and various church groups, in addition to holding positions in several restaurant associations. He also served as an honorary commander of the 433rd Airlift Wing in the United States Air Force.

His experiences during the pandemic and involvement in over 20 groups, associations, scholarships, and committees have taught Dave a great deal. He realized that the most important people are those close to home—like loyal employees, customers, and others in his community. Similarly, he’s learned a fundamental lesson since the beginning of the pandemic that he’ll follow in the future: be flexible and proactive.

“During all of this, every day, something would change,” Dave explained. With new regulations from authorities, customer demands, and certain limitations on food products, the ever-evolving circumstances required daily adaptation. 

Dave believes that business owners can achieve success and triumph during economic hardship by being flexible, planning ahead, valuing their relationships with other business partners, and being careful with their money. But his final words ring true for all people looking for light in troubled times.

“Just don’t give up hope, and keep plugging away.”

The desire to help others motivates thousands of people to enter the medical field every year, and Matt Jackson is no exception. But rather than build a career around medicine or writing out prescriptions, Matt found his passion in correcting biomechanical issues that affected people’s entire bodies. 

After toying with the ideas of physical therapy and podiatry (which, for all our non-medicine enthusiasts, is the study and treatment of disorders in the feet and lower extremities), Matt settled on chiropractic and earned his doctoral degree from Parker University in Dallas, Texas. Prior to his graduation, he was voted to serve as student body president. He was also selected to work in the Jackson, Mississippi VA hospital alongside their staff chiropractor treating veterans from all over the Gulf states. Then, in May 2018, Matt made the brave decision to open his own practice and signed the lease on Elevation Chiropractic Center in Millcreek, Utah.

“It’s been an extremely hard and scary experience to start my own business. My wife and I signed the lease 2 days after getting engaged, so while we’ve had a blast as newlyweds, it hasn’t been a walk in the park figuring out all the challenges that come with self-employment.” That’s how Matt describes running his practice, and it comes as no surprise to anyone who knows just how much time, money, and sweat he’s invested.

To finance Elevation Chiropractic Center, Matt used the interest he’d been collecting on a 12-year-old banknote to pay cash for the highest quality chiropractic equipment and software he could find. But not even staying out of debt and keeping a low overhead has guaranteed Matt’s success.

“Salt Lake City is a very educated, professionally saturated market. I don’t think people can go 3 blocks without passing a chiropractor’s office.” That’s the reality of Matt’s competitive landscape, and it’s one that forces him to continually try and convince clients to choose Elevation Chiropractic Center over the practically dozens of other practices they pass by every day. “It’s a revolving door of new patients,” as Matt puts it. Clients looking for chiropractic work want to come into the office, have their issues resolved, and get out of there quickly while spending as little money as possible. As a result, Matt finds himself spending most of his time “constantly restock[ing] the pond.”

To be successful in attracting new clients, Matt prioritizes being genuine and putting people first. “I have new patients coming in currently that have been keeping an eye on my social media accounts for years and finally are in a place to come in, and the reason they come in is that they see how I give back to the community and focus on service first, sales second.”

And Matt isn’t joking about giving back to the community. Not only is he a member of the Millcreek Business Executive Council and the Murray Chamber of Commerce, but he’s also a board member of the Utah Community Autism Network and a regular guest lecturer at Utah Valley University.

He also uses his office to give back to the community as often as he can. He used his office anniversary party as a chance to collect and assemble 173 packages for the Granite School district. These packages ranged from women’s hygiene to weekend meal kits and trauma snack packs. In June 2019, he set aside a portion of his patient fees so he could write a check for $500 to a local title 1 school educator to purchase supplies and resources.

“Be involved in the community that you want to take care of and let them get to know you as a person,” says Matt, “It’ll make the sales conversation so easy when it comes time for that.”

The results of Matt’s community-focused business mindset speak for themselves. Matt takes pride in the fact that his one-man shop has been in the black since day 1, even though he’s had to do literally everything from vacuuming the office to balancing accounts in QuickBooks. He credits much of his success to his supportive wife and her commitment to the business, despite having her own full-time job.

The growth of his business has been exactly what he wanted, and 2020 is looking to be one of his best years yet with plans to expand with the opening of a satellite office. At the end of the day, Dr. Matt’s business model is fairly straightforward. “Treat the patient like I would want my wife to be treated. Focus on the individual and their needs, really hear them as a person, not as a customer.” 

The 4th of July is a time to celebrate America’s independence and remember what our forefathers did for us so we could have the opportunity to pursue our dreams. Lendio is passionate about helping small business owners and entrepreneurs fuel their American Dream by finding them the capital they need for their business. We want to emphasize that anyone still has the ability to make their dream a reality by highlighting some success stories we have been fortunate enough to be a part of.

Cobb Dental Group