The Advantage of Optionality: Why We Built a Multi-Vertical Lending Platform
By Tammy Kemp, President, Chief Credit Officer
If you missed last week’s post, you can catch it here. Today, we’re pulling back the curtain on one of the core principles behind how we lend: choice.
As an alternative lender, we’re often asked what makes our approach different. The truth is, there’s no magic trick, just a philosophy rooted in flexibility, discipline, and the ability to listen to the market.
Over the years, we’ve built a lending platform that operates across five distinct verticals. We didn’t do this to be everything to everyone. We did it because clients, your clients, don’t come with identical needs. And in today’s environment, having options matters more than ever.
Why a Multi-Vertical Strategy Matters
- We Let the Market Lead the Way
Lending should be responsive, not rigid. Markets shift. Borrower needs evolve. Certain structures become more or less attractive over time. We’ve seen that first-hand.
Because we lend across asset-based loans, factoring, equipment finance, lender finance, and specialty credit, we’re not confined to one lane. That allows us to be active when conditions are favourable and selective when they’re not. It also helps us avoid the common trap of chasing deals.
- No Two Clients Are Alike
As a referral partner, you already know this: every business has its own story, pressures, and potential. Some need a working capital injection tied to receivables. Others may have equipment-heavy operations or want to finance the growth of their own lending book.
By working across verticals, we can structure financing around the realities of the business rather than trying to fit them into a predefined mold. It doesn’t mean we’re the right fit every time, but it does mean we can have a more thoughtful conversation about what could work.
- Diversification as Risk Management
A great deal is said about risk in lending. For us, diversification isn’t just a portfolio strategy; it’s baked into how we lend. Different industries, collateral types, geographies, and borrower profiles all contribute to building stability. That’s especially important in private, non-bank lending where access to data is imperfect and no two cycles look the same.
This mindset enables us to remain consistent, even when certain market segments are under pressure. It also helps us continue to show up as a reliable partner to you and your clients, even in various challenging conditions.
- Why It Matters to Our Partners
If you work with business owners who sometimes fall outside the traditional banking box, our approach offers an alternative, not a replacement, to what banks can do. We often work alongside banks, not against them. Our goal is to be a practical resource for businesses with tangible assets and real opportunity, even if their story isn’t perfect.
When you refer a deal, we’re not looking to check boxes; we’re looking to understand the business. We value transparency, prompt responses, and creative thinking rooted in fundamentals.
What’s Next
Over the coming months, we’ll share more details on how each of our lending verticals operates, what we look for, how we assess deals, and why we sometimes pass. We hope it’s a helpful way to understand how we think.
And if something crosses your desk that’s complex, urgent, or just outside the norm, we’re always open to a conversation.