Small Business Success is All About Relationships, Says Banker

When it comes to business, banker Brendon Robinson considers himself a
small business adviser and partner in helping clients
obtain capital to purchase equipment, develop a marketing strategy or
just about anything else to ensure their small business will thrive.
Robinson is the assistant vice president and small business relationship
manager for Santander Bank with a niche focus on the NJ and
Pennsylvania market– a post he has held since January.
????
?I tell clients that I’ve been in the banking industry since the early 2000s and I know what the winners did to succeed and what the losers wish they had done,? Robinson said in a recent interview with TNJ.com. For Robinson, who was named branch manager of the year for the bank in 2014 for the Pennsylvania and East and Central New Jersey region, establishing and maintaining a positive business relationship with clients is how the business banking alliance should start and end. ?I have relationships with clients that maybe a year or two ago we weren’t able to complete a deal for them for whatever reason but later on we were able to secure one,? he said. ?It’s about advising and consulting clients about what they need to do to make a deal happen.?
????
One of the things Robinson does in promulgating a healthy and proactive relationship with clients is determining what funding initiatives are available and what the funds will be used for. ?One of the coolest things about my job is that I’m able to connect the dots within my portfolio–{for example, uniting a client who is doing property renovations with another client who is a contractor},? he said. ?That relationship will lessen the {financial} burden on my client, unite some of my clients and bring added value to myself and the bank.? Robinson said he frequently implores business owners to utilize a business line of credit?for both unexpected expenses and a viable backup for the business.? ?A business credit line is a type of insurance for a small business,? he said. ?If you have health insurance and car insurance to protect you; why not have insurance to protect your business??
????
Lastly, Robinson added that while some business owners, especially minority and women owned business enterprises, may have a staid or lackluster opinion of traditional banks when it comes to borrowing money to grow a business?many bankers indeed want a small business to succeed. This notion is is supported by various national and state government figures that show that 2 out of 3 people in the country either own or work for a small business. ?More than just giving out funds, banks want their small business clients to succeed and grow,? he said. ?If they don’t succeed, then no one wins.?