Chris Hurn is the founder and CEO of Fountainhead, "The Nation’s Leading Nonbank Small Business Lender".  Chris has more than 20 years of leadership experience in the commercial lending industry. Chris and his executive team have collectively closed over $24.09 billion worth of projects, making them one of the most experienced teams in commercial lending to owners of small to midsize businesses. Under Hurn’s leadership, Fountainhead was named to the Inc. 5000 list for the third time — and is the ninth fastest-growing firm in Greater Orlando. 

Chris has become well-known for his advocacy on behalf of small business owners, which have included several stints delivering testimony to the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship as well as the U.S. House of Representatives Small Business Committee. He regularly appears in national outlets such as the American Business Journals, CNBC, CNN, Fox Business, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and many more.

 In this episode we discuss:

• Chris dinner table and his academic background  [3:23]
• Setting up his first franchise business: a barbershop  [6:05]
• How he got into the finance industry  [7:40]
• Financing start-up businesses  [10:20]
• Benchmark to get SBA loans   [13:07]
• Being an influencer and speaking to various media outlets  [18:50]
• Fountainhead’s culture, shared missions, INC 5000  [21:50]
• Things that entrepreneurs should be mindful of  [24:30]
• The rise of businesses for sale  [27:58]
• What to consider in acquiring an existing business [29:50]
• Best way to reach Chris Hurn [31:15]

Links to sources and tools:

• Follow Chris on social media:
  • Instagram  
  • Twitter 
  • LinkedIn
• Learn more about SBA lending
  • Fountainhead 
  • Company LinkedIn

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