At a time in which most lenders continue to rigidly adhere to traditional and outdated lending models, Narin Charan offers an updated approach featuring a simple and straightforward process. It has been almost 10 years since Mr. Charan founded Capital Alliance, a tech-enabled lender that operates with the needs of its small business clients firmly in mind.
Offering up to $1 million in unsecured loans through a three-step process yielding a same-day decision, Mr. Charan has introduced a tremendous amount of innovation into an industry that seems almost wholly resistant to change. Mr. Charan’s belief in simple processes along with a relationship-based approach to lending is unique among lenders, which is why Capital Alliance has earned such a strong reputation among those seeking an influx of capital without having to endure the frustrations inherent in the outdated models still favored by many other lenders.
The company represents Mr. Charan’s response to the economic recession that posed such an existential threat to small businesses especially, which is part of the reason that Capital Alliance is so committed to small business owners and believes in its relationship-based lending model, one in which the company partners with each client to ensure their long-term success. Mr. Charan’s own success is a product of an innovative approach to lending, one that combines cutting-edge technology and a client-centered philosophy.
1.What was your best/favorite subject in school?
I’m naturally curious about everything, so I was interested in every subject during my school years. That intellectual curiosity hasn’t wavered over the years; I’m always asking questions and reading up on new subjects whenever I have some spare time.
2. What was your first job?
A family friend ran a small accounting business and needed part-time help during tax season, so I worked there while I was in high school.
3. Where and how did you first get into the industry you currently work in?
With the Great Recession affecting so many people, I saw an opportunity to help the people struggling the most by creating Capital Alliance.
4. How have those jobs prepared you for what you do now?
Even while working part-time during tax season, I had the opportunity to get to know the people behind all the local businesses in the area. I’ve always respected the hard work small business owners put in to achieve success, which is why I believe in a relationship-based model of lending.
5. Describe the best day of work you’ve ever had.
There was one day very early on that, for some reason, just felt like a tipping point for the business. I was confident up until that point, but there was a clear sense that all the hard work we put in had paid off in the form of a sustainable and successful business.
6. How do you keep yourself motivated?
Since we work with so many small business owners, it’s the personal stories they share that keep me motivated.
7. What kind of business ideas excite you most?
It’s about more than just the idea for me; more than anything, it’s the people behind the idea that gets me excited about the business. The idea is important, but I’ve seen the right idea flounder with the wrong person while the wrong idea flourishes with the right person.
8. Have you ever tried any unorthodox techniques to attract attention to your business?
Interestingly enough, the level of transparency in our marketing is somewhat unorthodox among lenders.
9. What personal achievement are you most proud of?
I’m proud that I was so inspired by the opportunity to help others that I took action to build a business from the ground-up.
10. What wisdom you would have liked to share with yourself when you first started out?
Almost everything about our approach was so different from what the rest of the industry was doing — and it still is today — that I actually began to worry that I might have missed something along the way. Everything seemed like common sense to me, and I couldn’t figure out why the model I created was so outside the norm. So, if could share any wisdom with my former self, it would be this: Trust your judgment, and don’t concern yourself with needless comparisons.