Scottsdale Community Bank is helping local businesses and nonprofits turn big ideas into reality through its pioneering Lemonade Stand Loan Program, a creative microloan initiative inspired by the spirit of a child’s first business venture.
Besides its robust large loan program, qualified businesses, individuals and nonprofits can secure loans of up to $25,000 to help launch, grow or stabilize operations, giving them the support and financial backing they need to build momentum and make their next moves. The initiative also showcases one of the bank’s core principles: the belief that no loan is too small when it supports local progress.
The microloan program reflects Scottsdale Community Bank’s ongoing commitment to supporting local entrepreneurship and innovation by helping startups and small business owners take advantage of time-sensitive opportunities they might otherwise miss due to the constraints of traditional loans and lending programs.
“Our Lemonade Stand Loan Program really embodies what community banking is all about,” said Scottsdale Community Bank President & CEO Neill LeCorgne. “Small businesses are the backbone of
this city’s economy and play a big part in creating jobs and keeping more money circulating within city limits. These microloans are a great option for those looking for a hand starting, maintaining or expanding a small business or nonprofit, especially if they may struggle to secure timely financing through more traditional methods.”
LeCorgne also noted that the bank devotes the same level of due diligence to its Lemonade Stand Loans as it does larger ones, and that it tailors each loan term and conditions to reflect an applicant’s specific situation and timeline. The program is also a favorite of Scottsdale Community Bank Chair of the Board George Weisz, who kept a small model lemonade stand on his desk for years as a constant reminder of the business’s beginnings – and his own refusal to pass by a child’s lemonade stand without pulling over.
“The small gesture of stopping and supporting a neighborhood lemonade stand can make a big difference in the life of a young entrepreneur,” Weisz said. “We now display the lemonade stand in our front lobby as a standing reminder of how every great business or idea gets its start.”
Scottsdale Community Bank’s Lemonade Stand Loan Program is just one in a series of efforts and initiatives highlighting the benefits of banking at the community level. In addition to offering easier access to smaller loan opportunities, the bank also prides itself on utilizing the highest levels of technology, maintaining lasting relationships within the community, and giving all clients, large or small, personalized, responsive service from names they know and trust.
