Today we’d like to introduce you to Shawn Gurn.
Hi Shawn, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I spent the majority of my career in marketing and had the privilege of working on some of the premier brands in the U.S. When I decided to move on to entrepreneurship, I researched franchises and both my wife and I ended up owning franchise businesses. During my tenure as a restaurant owner, I found that the research on behalf of other potential owners was a very appealing direction and I became certified as a franchise consultant in 2019. Unfortunately, my restaurant business suffered exponentially due to COVID, so I became a full-time consultant and dedicated myself to helping others navigate business ownership as well as support them with funding support.
Now that I have helped dozens of people own businesses, I felt that my ability to support them beyond my initial involvement was limited. I embarked on another venture with my sister (a chiropractor) to provide funding support for business owners as The Lending Option (I still support entrepreneurs with my consulting business- HOF Franchise Consulting).
Our business is not a lender, we are a solution provider. We have the ability to piece together a funding strategy (partnering with mostly non-bank lenders) for all aspects of business needs: term loans, unsecured loans, lines of credit, equipment financing, commercial real estate funds, building business credit and especially unwinding predatory loans such as Merchant Cash Advance programs.
I have been supported businesses my entire career and feel like I have finally found my calling to help build businesses grow and to support those who dream of ownership.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
COVID pretty much destroyed my life savings as my restaurants had to be divested or closed after only a few years of ownership. Fortunately, that experience has made me dedicated to helping others avoid similar mistakes. It’s been a long road, but I look back on those years as foundational to who I am today.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about The Lending Option?
We are in the business of growing other businesses through creative funding solutions. We work with 40+ specialty lenders (mostly independent) and can support all credit types. Many times, we are an option for those whose own bank (due to strict criteria) could not help them.
Because we have so many options, we treat each business client uniquely and gather the story of their business: who they are, what they do, how the funds will help them get to the next level, etc. We then go to work to pre-qualify the business and limit the amount of information gathering and forms necessary to get the terms for their project.
As a business owner who has been up and down in my experience and as a consultant who helps guide others to take the next step, I feel that I treat each client as someone with a special need with urgency to find a solution. Speed, ability to be creative and to take the time to get the right answer separates our approach from lenders who are only worried about closing the deal.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I left marketing when I was getting too old to be relevant. I feel that the timing helps me with those who are feeling the same pain when they lose their job and can’t get a new opportunity to find meaning with business ownership.
While COVID killed my dream, it did force me to rethink what my purpose could be. Now I am fulfilled by helping business owners realize their dreams and build equity for their families.
Pricing:
- No cost to consult
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thelendingoption.com and www.hoffranchiseconsulting.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelendingoption and https://www.facebook.com/hoffranchiseconsulting
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-lending-option and https://www.linkedin.com/company/hof-franchise-consulting
