Why You Should Choose a Community Bank for Your Small Business Loan

As a small business owner, you have a lot on your mind. Running a business takes a tremendous amount of energy and focus, so the ins and outs of securing a loan are probably not very high on your list of priorities. At Origin Bank, we can make the process easier for you -- it’s our area of expertise! The first step is to choose the bank you’ll use for your loan, and we believe that every small business should choose a community bank for its loan needs. Here’s why:

  1. The focus is on you, and businesses like yours. Because of that, we’re familiar with the unique factors that affect your small business. Lending provisions like the Small Business Jobs Act are complicated, so it works to your benefit to have a lender experienced in situations that specifically affect you. Community banks account for over half of small business lending, so when it comes to the success of your business, choose a specialist in small business lending like Origin Bank.

  2. Lenders want to make an impact, and we offer our bankers the largest opportunity to change the lives of small business owners like you. We believe the greatest reward is in seeing how a loan can make real change in our community. We also believe in the power of better work culture, attracting top-notch lenders who care deeply about their community and their clients – you won’t just be a number to us.

  3. Community banks focus on building relationships. Instead of leaning solely on algorithmic decision-making in lending, which can prevent small businesses from even being able to secure a loan, community banks are better able to evaluate “soft factors” that algorithmic analysis might miss. At community banks like Origin, we take the time to get to know you and your business, because we believe that algorithms alone can’t predict how much your business will help our community.

  4. Small businesses that apply for loans from community banks are more likely to be approved. Of the small business owners who apply for a loan, 76% are approved at community banks. It’s not because community banks have lax standards – it’s because we build relationships and walk you through the process. We don’t want your loan application to be the first or last time we see you.

  5. Small businesses are more likely to be satisfied with their experience at community banks. Of the small businesses that receive loans from community banks, 75% are satisfied with their experience, demonstrating that strong relationships really do matter. Even online lenders, which have high approval ratings for loans, have much lower satisfaction ratings. At the end of the day, we don’t want to be just a quick fix. We want satisfied customers for the long term.

If you’d like to learn more about how Origin can help your small business, contact our team to set up a time to talk one-on-one.