As written for Fargo, INC
If you have had the opportunity to read the first three articles in this series, they have all lead to the wrap up of this theme.
The first message asked “What is your dream?” The second article asked “Who is critical to your success?” The last article asked “How does the magic happen?” For us, the answer to these questions is the foundation for what we do and what we believe.
When you have a clear understanding of what you believe and can articulate the message, that is what will create the intrigue for people to be interested in what you do. To paraphrase Simon Sinek, people don’t really care about what you do, but they do care about why you do it. If you really want to do a deep dive into this concept, check out his book and TED Talk “Start With Why.”
The power of what we do is undeniable. Every day, we see businesses open their doors for the first time, or perhaps open the doors for the first time in a new building, maybe they are hiring additional staff, or offering a new product or service. The commonality of all of them is they are making their dream come true and often times it wouldn’t have been possible without the financing programs we offer.
For us to do this, we need to know who is important to keep in the loop on what we do. We spend countless hours and days talking to our lending partners as well as other partners, such as accountants, real estate agents, economic development professionals, etc; who are part of the circle of influence for business owners – letting them know about what we do and how we can be a part of making financing packages happen.
Sometimes projects get super complicated and require not only a lending partner and Dakota Business Lending, but also other financing components.
- Maybe there are complex agreements involved or multiple companies and owners.
- Maybe the accountant sees things differently than the bank or the attorney.
- Maybe there are things in a person or company’s history that make getting financing a challenge.
Regardless of issue, when you pull the right people together in an effort to figure out how TO get it done, you usually do.
Now that being said, there are times where projects don’t work for a variety of reasons. Our “why” drives us to provide a path for future opportunity to the small business. We don’t just say “no” and walk away, rather we say “not now, but after you figure out this, solve this or get this done, give us a call and we’ll take another look.”
We are fortunate to live in our country where the “American Dream” is alive and well. There is always hope and never a shortage of dreams. And we also live in a state that supports entrepreneurs – being recognized by Forbes as the #8 best state for business in 2016 and by US News as the #7 best state in terms of opportunity. Every day, residents of our state take the first step in their journey to their dream and we are proud to be a key resource in helping them down the path.
Our circle of partners and friends are a dynamic group all focused on helping others achieve. They come from all walks of life and a varied level of experience and skills sets. Each contributor is a catalyst for thought and resources toward achieving the end goal. We wake up each morning with a fresh outlook on what can we do next, who can we help next, and how do we make sure they know about us.
While we have been around for 35 years now and counting, it’s not really our story that matters. Our story is really THEIR stories…the stories of all the businesses that have started, grown and succeeded. All the dreams that have been achieved. The power of the stories and those that have achieved them is a magnificent tribute to the core of our values.
At Dakota Business Lending, we believe:
- In helping small business owners make their dreams come true with creative financing packages.
- In creating long-lasting and meaningful relationships with all our partners.
- In the power of collaboration to create new opportunities.
My final question to you is “What do you believe?”
If you can answer that question in a compelling way, your story will be told in your actions and your success.
I guess you might just need another dream!