CIC Launches STAC

Tucson Small Business to Have Access to $500,000 in Revenue-Based Financing Through Innovative Nonprofit Partnership

Community Investment Corporation partners with Startup Tucson, Common Future / Community Credit Lab to bring $250,000 in investments to STAC Initiative to support small businesses in Tucson.

 January 30, 2023 (Tucson, Arizona) – Local small businesses and business owners that are unable to access traditional commercial loans are getting some help from two local nonprofit organizations. Tucson-based Community Investment Corporation (CIC) and Startup Tucson, are partnering with a national leader in innovative community-based economic development work, Common Future, and their in-house investment entity, Community Credit Lab, to launch a new business financing initiative, Success Through Alternative Capital (STAC), which aims to help businesses without adequate collateral or assets to qualify from traditional loans.

Common Future is investing $250,000 in the pilot program which CIC is matching with $250,000 of its own funds. Startup Tucson, for its part of the partnership, is providing business and entrepreneurial education to support local business owners who access STAC funding. Eric Horvath, Director of Capital Strategies for Common Future explained his organization’s reason for investing in Tucson. “We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the trust and belief that we have in CIC and Startup Tucson,” he said. “What really stood out was the dogged determination to innovate and do something different from both organizations and to maximize how much community impact we can have.”

STAC is designed as revenue-based financing (RBF) allowing small businesses to pledge future revenues for an advance of financial capital. Payments can vary depending on how well a business does and its gross revenues after receiving funding. Businesses have higher payments when they are generating more revenues and lower payments when they are generating less revenues, an arrangement that can be especially useful for seasonal businesses.

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The revenue-based approach is being facilitated by CIC’s technology partner, Ned, which will help the lender build capacity and make loan decisions in days rather than weeks. Ned’s end-to-end revenue-based financing platform will enable CIC to streamline applications, qualification and disbursement activities, and then automate revenue-based repayments on the backend.

“Ned has been a fantastic partner for us,” said Danny Knee, Community Investment Corporation’s Executive Director. “Their platform provides efficiencies that allow us to spend our time helping businesses rather than evaluating them.”

STAC is expected to fund 25 local businesses over the next year that the program partners say will be used to purchase essential equipment, purchase inventory, and to meet the cash flow demands of running a business.

“Our economy works well for people with existing wealth,” said Knee, “But the over-reliance on asset-based lending without complementary alternatives makes it nearly impossible for many small businesses, and especially those run by entrepreneurs of color, to get the financial capital they need to grow and succeed.”

Asset-based underwriting is the practice of securing loans with the pledge of turning over a company or personal assets to a lender if a business owner is unable to repay a loan. Entrepreneurs of color have a harder time accessing traditional capital in the U.S. than their white counterparts due to persistent wealth gaps and owning fewer personal and business assets. “We are trying to find ways to make our economy more inclusive,” said Liz Pocock, CEO of Startup Tucson. “We believe revenue-based financing is a way to support emerging entrepreneurs, including entrepreneurs of color.”

Interested businesses should contact Community Investment Corporation through their website:
https://cictucson.org/stac/.

CIC Tucson Offers FREE Financial Literacy Classes

Community Investment Corporation believes in RADICAL access! That’s why we offer FREE financial literacy classes online!

Join us on January 18 and 25 from 6-8pm* as Executive Director Danny Knee and Business Manager Betty Vinall walk through what a Profit and Loss Statement and Balance Sheet are, and how they are crucial to your small business. Bring your questions!

Take advantage of this opportunity for FREE education and access to financial literacy! If you’re not available for these, have no fear. We post every info session and workshop on our YouTube channel so you can learn on-demand.

 

*AZ Mountain Standard Time

The Profit & Loss Statement

The Balance Sheet

Have you ever been asked “How profitable is your business?” and not known what to say? Have you ever tried seeking funding for your business and come to a dead-end when you were asked for your “P&L”? 

We will cover the basics of one of the most important financial documents in business, the Profit & Loss Statement (or “P&L”). 

You’ll learn: How to read a P&L from top to bottom, without getting your eyes crossed by all the numbers. What steps to take to organize your information so you can fill out your own P&L. 

We’ll cover how to do it the old-fashioned way (pen and paper) and using the latest technology (cloud-based software solutions). How to use the P&L to better run your business and seek financing (e.g. a loan, investor, etc.). 

The course is delivered in lecture style. Are you a small business owner, entrepreneur someone just setting up a business or non-profit? The course is designed for those wanting to keep better finances themselves, or those who already have a bookkeeper or accountant but don’t know how to interpret their finances. English literacy and familiarity with basic arithmetic (addition, subtraction) necessary.

Have you ever been asked “How much is your business worth?” and not known what to say? 

The course being offered will cover the basics of one of the most important financial documents in business, the Balance Sheet. 

You’ll learn: How to read a Balance Sheet, and its three primary components: Assets, Liabilities, and Equity. What steps to take to prepare a simple Balance Sheet, so you know what your business is worth. 

The course is delivered in lecture style. Are you a small business owner, entrepreneur someone just setting up a business or non-profit? The course is designed for those wanting to keep better finances themselves, or those who already have a bookkeeper or accountant but don’t know how to interpret their finances. English literacy and familiarity with basic arithmetic (addition, subtraction) necessary. 

Meet the Teachers

Danny Knee has two decades experience in the public and nonprofit sectors, including 14 years in executive management. He has experience as an entrepreneur and small business owner and was named one of Tucson’s “40-Under-40” in 2007 for contributions to his profession and the community. 

Betty Vinall has been with CIC since 2004, has 35+ years of experience in bookkeeping, and is owner of Balanced Books LLC, a bookkeeping business specializing in working with nonprofits and small businesses.