Our fee structure depends on the type of engagement. For full support on turnaround, acquisition, or scaling transactions, we charge a modest monthly retainer during execution plus a success fee of 1.5%-3% of capital raised (depending on complexity), which is rolled into the loan proceeds at closing—you never pay out of pocket. Pre-financing consulting services for targeted deliverables, such as capital planning or structure reviews, are billed hourly. Post-financing engagements for ongoing lender reporting and board guidance are available on a monthly retainer. All fees are transparent and discussed upfront with no hidden costs.
We bring three critical advantages you can't replicate alone. First, we know which of Canada's 400+ lenders will actually fund your specific situation—saving months of declined applications and burned bridges. Second, our relationships create genuine competition for your business, typically resulting in improved pricing by 100-300 basis points and securing more flexible covenants than those achieved through single-lender negotiations. Third, we structure transactions to satisfy lender requirements while protecting your operational flexibility, transforming situations that seem unfundable into closed deals with sustainable terms.
Alternative lending typically ranges from 10-18% annually, reflecting the flexibility these lenders provide when banks can't accommodate your timing or structure. While higher than conventional rates of prime plus 1-3%, this capital enables critical execution when opportunity cost exceeds financing cost. Most businesses successfully refinance to conventional banking within 12-24 months once performance validates the investment, making alternative financing a strategic bridge, not a permanent solution.
If your bank has moved you to special loans, declined your growth financing, or can't meet your acquisition timeline, you're likely facing a structure or timing issue that professional advisory can solve. When the cost of delay—missed revenue, stalled acquisitions, or enforcement risk—exceeds the premium for alternative capital, non-bank financing becomes the strategic choice. Companies that attempt this alone typically spend 3-6 months getting declined before engaging advisors, burning critical time and lender relationships that could have been preserved with proper guidance.
We start with core financial documentation: three years of accountant-prepared financial statements, year-to-date income statement and balance sheet, aged AR/AP reports, equipment and inventory listings, confirmation of tax obligations, and your ownership structure showing all related entities. For owned properties, we'll need available details like appraisals, environmental assessments, or tax assessments. Specific situations require additional documents—turnarounds need bank correspondence and covenant details, acquisitions need the purchase agreement and target financials, scaling needs growth projections and customer contracts. This initial review, delivered within 48 hours under strict confidentiality, determines whether and how we can help.
If your growth opportunity has a limited window and generates returns exceeding 25% annually, the cost of waiting typically exceeds any premium for alternative capital. Time to market matters more than lower rates when you're scaling. Alternative lenders evaluate potential; conventional lenders need historical proof that doesn't exist until after you've scaled.
Clear ROI exceeding 25%, a credible path to stable cash flows within 24 months, an experienced management team, and defined milestones that demonstrate progress are key factors in achieving success. The opportunity must justify the higher cost of capital through superior returns. Lenders also look for businesses with proven core operations ready to expand, not startups seeking proof of concept.
Alternative lenders underwrite forward-looking business cases by analyzing projected cash flows, market opportunity, and management capability. They're comfortable with growth volatility and understand that scaling rarely follows a straight line. Conventional lenders require historical validation and stable metrics that simply don't exist during rapid expansion phases.
Properly structured facilities preserve capital for operations during expansion through tailored mechanisms that fit your business model. When returns on deployed capital exceed costs by 2x or more, the rate differential becomes secondary to execution speed. Focus on generating returns during growth phases, rather than minimizing interest expense, which will be temporary once you refinance.
With 12-24 months of stable performance at your new scale, refinancing becomes achievable for most businesses through a bank. We structure reporting and covenants from the outset to align with future banking requirements. This makes refinancing a natural progression based on proven results rather than another complex negotiation requiring new terms and structures.
Ideally, before, allowing us to properly structure your opportunity for appropriate capital sources and preserving all options. If lenders have already declined, we can pivot quickly to suitable alternatives without burning additional time or relationships. Early engagement prevents damaged credibility that could complicate both current and future financing efforts.
We model downside scenarios and structure facilities with reset mechanisms that account for volatility. Alternative lenders prefer working through challenges over enforcement, especially when core operations remain strong. The key is maintaining transparent communication and having contingency plans built into the original structure.
No advisor can guarantee specific outcomes, but our structured process and broad market coverage consistently delivers competitive options. We've successfully placed hundreds of millions in scaling capital across diverse industries. Our value isn't in guarantees but in creating competitive tension that optimizes available terms for your specific situation.
Banks typically don’t decline financing on a business's fundamentals; more frequently, it’s because of the deal structure, risk allocation, or supporting diligence not fitting their lending mandate. A structure-first approach clarifies whether approval is possible and can often reopen doors, even after an initial refusal.
Other major banks typically use similar credit criteria and risk models, so outcomes are often unchanged unless the structure undergoes significant evolution. A targeted structure review is the fastest way to determine whether a revised approach can restore bankability or if alternative lenders are required.
If your deal was declined, it’s crucial to determine whether the fundamentals or structure were the barrier. In many cases, restructuring the offer around lender priorities unlocks conventional financing; when it cannot, a disciplined process with private credit providers ensures you receive competitive terms.
Private credit usually commands higher rates but may include greater covenant flexibility. in the short term. While these lenders fill important gaps, a structure that aligns with bank mandates typically secures lower-cost capital and greater operational flexibility.
Your legal and accounting advisors are crucial to the process; however, structuring, packaging, and marketing acquisition debt require expertise in capital markets, access to lenders, and disciplined negotiation. We coordinate with your team but bring the specialized skillset and relationships required to secure the best terms.
Our fees are transparent and success-based, typically ranging from 1.5% to 2.5% of the debt raised, paid from the proceeds at funding. In some cases, a modest monthly retainer or break fee may apply. We work exclusively for you, never for lenders, aligning our interests with yours.
Covenant breaches don't eliminate all options with existing lenders, but they do significantly change the conversation. Some banks will consider forbearance agreements or covenant resets if you demonstrate credible recovery plans and meaningful progress. However, once accounts migrate to Special Loans departments, the mandate shifts from relationship banking to risk mitigation and exit. Alternative lenders are structured to support situations that conventional banks can't. Time matters—the sooner you engage advisors, the more options remain available before bank pressure forces suboptimal decisions.
Other conventional banks typically decline for the same reasons your existing lender moved you to Special Loans. They use similar underwriting frameworks, risk models, and covenant structures. If you haven't already approached other banks, a quick effort won't hurt, but don't let it drag on for weeks. Alternative lenders exist precisely because conventional banking can't accommodate every situation—they evaluate risk differently and structure capital for businesses in transition. We can help you determine quickly whether conventional refinancing remains viable or whether alternative capital makes more sense for your timeline and situation.
Your bank extracted significant value through interest rate spread—the difference between what they pay for capital and what they charge you. That margin funds their operations, including their commercial banking team. Advisor fees are transparent and situational, typically 2% to 3% of capital raised. The relevant comparison is value created versus cost. Structured processes typically improve pricing and covenant terms by amounts that exceed advisory fees, while preventing costly mistakes and preserving future refinancing options. More importantly, advisors work for you, not for the lender—your interests, not capital deployment targets.
Alternative lending rates typically range from 10% to 18%, depending on the situation's complexity, collateral coverage, recovery timeline, and perceived risk. Factors that drive pricing include debt service coverage ratios, asset quality, management capability, and credibility of turnaround plans. These rates reflect higher risk and shorter-term capital designed to help you regain bankable status. We structure refinancing with clear paths to return to conventional banking once performance stabilizes — typically 12 to 24 months — when rates return to prime plus 1% to 3%. The goal isn't permanent alternative financing—it's strategic bridge capital that creates runway for recovery.
No. Our fees are paid exclusively by clients, not lenders. This structure eliminates conflicts of interest that arise when advisors receive placement fees or ongoing compensation from capital providers. We negotiate on your behalf without incentive to favor one lender over another or to close deals that don't serve your interests. Our compensation aligns entirely with securing the best available terms and structures for your situation.
Accounting firms and CFOs bring valuable financial expertise, but capital markets execution requires different capabilities—lender relationships across Canada's alternative lending market, an understanding of how distressed credit providers evaluate risk, experience in structuring deals that get funded rather than declined, and negotiation leverage from running competitive processes regularly. Most importantly, failed refinancing attempts damage credibility permanently and compress timelines further. The false economy of saving advisory fees often costs multiples more when approaches fail, leverage evaporates, or problematic terms get accepted under pressure. Your CFO and accountants remain critical to the process—we coordinate with them throughout, bringing specialized capital markets capabilities they don't typically possess.
Early engagement preserves optionality. The best time is when you first recognize that your capital needs exceed your internal capabilities, or when conventional banking relationships are showing signs of strain. We've seen businesses save months and improve terms significantly by engaging before covenant breaches or rushed acquisition timelines force compromises.
Absolutely. Each service stands independently, allowing you to test our capabilities without committing to a full mandate. Many relationships begin with capital planning or lender negotiation, then expand naturally as trust builds and needs evolve.
Consulting services are available on an hourly or monthly retainer basis, typically for discrete analysis or ongoing reporting. Full financing mandates typically carry success fees of 1.5%-3% of the capital raised, which are paid from the closing proceeds, thereby preserving working capital. We provide detailed fee structures during initial consultation, with no surprises or hidden costs.
Alternative lending rates typically range from 10% to 18%, depending on the situation's complexity, collateral coverage, recovery timeline, and perceived risk. Factors that drive pricing include debt service coverage ratios, asset quality, management capability, and credibility of turnaround plans. These rates reflect higher risk and shorter-term capital designed to help you regain bankable status. We structure refinancing with clear paths to return to conventional banking once performance stabilizes — typically 12 to 24 months — when rates return to prime plus 1% to 3%. The goal isn't permanent alternative financing—it's strategic bridge capital that creates runway for recovery.
Never. Our compensation comes exclusively from clients, eliminating conflicts of interest that arise when advisors accept placement fees or ongoing referral compensation from lenders. This independence allows us to negotiate aggressively on your behalf and recommend only the capital providers that best fit your situation.
Always. We integrate seamlessly with your legal counsel, accountants, and other trusted advisors, respecting established relationships while filling specific expertise gaps. Clear role definition and coordinated communication ensure everyone pulls in the same direction without duplicated efforts or conflicting advice.
Begin with targeted consulting to clarify your position and explore your options. Capital planning, financial analysis, or preliminary structuring work often reveals whether immediate financing makes sense or if strategic preparation would yield better outcomes. We'll tell you honestly if waiting serves your interests better.
