How He Funded over $1,000,000 through SBA

Oz Konar:

You feel a really good, fulfilling part of you to say, “Hey, I helped this client.” And at Christmas, they’ll send you gifts and say, “Thank you for helping my restaurant, helping my business, or helping me start a business.”

That’s the most rewarding part to me.

Hey everyone, Oz Konar here. Today I have another special guest with me. Hideyaki Kuo is part of our Business Lending Blueprint community. He works closely with one of our lending partners, and she reached out to me speaking very highly of him.

I’ve seen his name in our portal, but I didn’t get a chance to really get to know him. We were chatting for a couple of minutes, and I got his permission to turn on the recording so we could share his journey and experience with you.

He’s already dropped so many golden nuggets just in our quick chat, and I thought you guys would benefit from it.

Great to have you here. How are you doing?

Hideyaki Kuo:

Good, good. It’s a pleasure to be here.

Oz Konar:

It’s been my pleasure. Can you tell me a little about yourself and your background?

Hideyaki Kuo:

Yes. I was primarily in lending, but not business financing per se. I was doing more on the commercial side — larger commercial property lending and things like that. It’s very different.

About two or three years ago, I started thinking about different routes. Around me, there are a lot of business owners looking for financing. I already had good relationships with banks and understood how they work.

During that time — as you know, post-COVID — a lot of businesses were struggling and trying to get financing. That’s when I stumbled upon your program. I was really curious to take a look and see what I could do with it.

It proved that I was right to invest the time and money into the program. I did pretty well with it and helped a lot of business owners locally and across different states.

Oz Konar:

Definitely a good investment on your part. We were going through your numbers — amazing numbers, the amount of funding you’ve done.

But I’m more curious: you come from commercial lending. What opportunity did you see on this side? Why not just stay in commercial lending instead of adding this type of funding? For someone who doesn’t understand the difference, what’s the bigger opportunity here?

Hideyaki Kuo:

To be honest, commercial lending is really about numbers. Deal sizes are larger, but you might only do a couple of deals a year to meet quotas.

At the end of the day, it’s all numbers. There’s a relationship, but it’s not as close as what I have now with business owners.

I had friends struggling, and I couldn’t do anything about it because I didn’t have the right programs to help them.

What I find most rewarding now is the personal connection. For example, I work with a lot of restaurant owners. They have incredible stories — coming from nothing to owning restaurants or franchises.

I get to participate in their journey: helping finance their first restaurant, then multiple locations. I become part of it. I become their friend, their financial mentor. I teach them how to be financeable.

That’s the biggest difference. It’s relationship-based. You connect on a personal level.

When a client sends you a gift at Christmas and says, “Thank you for helping my restaurant or helping me start my business,” you can’t beat that.

Oz Konar:

For someone who doesn’t understand this industry, why would a business go through you instead of going directly to Bank of America, Wells Fargo, or another bank?

Hideyaki Kuo:

I always tell my clients this: you can go to Bank of America or any bank, but you’re just a number to them.

Banks are designed to decline you, not approve you. Fundamentally, banks need collateral. That’s why they love mortgages — if something goes wrong, they can liquidate the property.

When it comes to business lending, what can they collateralize? Nothing. Unless you have large deposits or a long-standing relationship, they don’t want these deals.

With us, it’s different. We have multiple options, and we genuinely care about their business. We don’t treat them like a number.

Every transaction is a journey. I find the right solution based on their credit, bank statements, and situation. Over time, I developed a formula to match the right funding option to the client.

It’s more personable. We’re closer to them — like a friend who can help, not a salesperson.

Oz Konar:

People aren’t looking for robotic systems. They’re looking for an advisor.

Small businesses don’t know their options. Schools don’t teach business credit or financing. Banks won’t educate them. They need someone to answer the call and guide them.

You’ve funded over a million dollars already. Amazing work.

One of the biggest questions we get is: “How do I find customers?” How do you find business owners who need funding?

Hideyaki Kuo:

For me personally, chambers of commerce are huge. In-person networking is the most rewarding and brings the highest-quality leads.

Referrals are the best way to get business. Your clients refer their friends. But in the beginning, you have to join organizations and expose yourself.

I went to chambers of commerce, business expos, conferences — different cities, different states. You meet direct customers and referral partners.

Insurance agents are a great example. Commercial insurance agents work with business owners every day. I met one at a mega business expo, and he referred me a deal worth about a million dollars.

Business brokers, real estate brokers — same thing. They work with people starting or buying businesses. I offer referral fees, which motivates them.

These organizations help you build a reputation. Once you build trust, referrals start flowing.

Oz Konar:

I’m glad you said that. A lot of people chase shiny objects for lead generation.

Referral marketing works because money is the common denominator for business. Insurance agents, CPAs, brokers — they already talk to business owners.

There’s a cost to networking — travel, events — but it’s the best way to build your brand and consistency. One strong referral partner can change your entire business.

My advice to anyone watching: don’t make lead generation the biggest problem. Be accountable. Talk to people. Be solution-oriented.

Sometimes businesses don’t even know they need funding — they just don’t know their options.

Just be human. Just help people.