Your community bank may be your best business partner
Whether you need advice on a new business venture, a business loan or a better way to manage payments, your best bet for access to professional guidance, knowledgeable decision-makers and financial resources may be your local community bank.
And just as you would encourage people in your community to shop local, there are numerous benefits to you as a small-business owner when you bank local.
Work with people who know you
Community banks give you the advantage of building a personal connection that you may not have with a bigger regional or national bank group. Community banks like FNBC Bank & Trust typically serve customers and accounts from within our branch communities, which means that we are focusing on a smaller pool of business banking clients. That provides a more personalized service experience for you and heightened attention to your business needs.
Access to decision-makers
Community bankers know their customers. We consider the whole banking relationship when making decisions about financing. You can count on quick, responsive decision making from your community banker because loan decisions are made locally by managers, directors and bank executives who live and work locally, not in another state or region.
Support your local community
Community banks reinvest their resources back into their local communities. When you bank locally, your deposits are used to fund loans to other local businesses, to support local schools, civic and nonprofit organizations and to help local residents buy or build homes. With bigger national or regional bank groups, you don't know for sure if your funds are helping someone locally or being diverted to investments in other states. Channeling money into your local economy benefits everyone, especially local small businesses.
Community banking is a partnership
Many community banks are, in fact, locally owned small businesses. The owners and executive officers of FNBC Bank & Trust understand the challenges you face. We are good resources for advice and guidance on overcoming business disruptions, adapting to changing business needs or achieving new business goals.
When you need to rely on a trusted partner through the various stages of your business growth, we are already familiar with your corporate spending habits, your loan history and your business model. That familiarity, combined with our knowledge of the local business landscape, can provide great insight to inform your decision making.
If you want to build relationships with supportive partners who have a strong commitment to your business and your local business community, your local community bank is a great place to start.
FNBC Bank & Trust is a locally owned and locally managed community bank with a 100-year history of providing financial services, support and leadership to businesses and communities throughout the Chicago metropolitan area. We have branch offices in LaGrange, Western Springs, Mokena, West Chicago and Yorkville.
Legal, investment and tax notice: This information is not intended to be and should not be treated as legal advice, investment advice or tax advice. You should under no circumstances rely on this information as a substitute for obtaining specific legal or tax advice from your own legal or tax advisers.
• William V. Iaculla is executive vice president and chief loan officer of FNBC Bank & Trust.