Liquid Capital Celebrates its First 5 Years in Central Texas
In the years following the 2008 financial crisis, Juan Pablo “JP” Mondragon saw first-hand the difficulties businesses faced obtaining capital. He asked himself, “How can I provide small and mid-sized companies that are truly committed and have potential access to the funds they need to grow?” The answer was the creation of Liquid Capital Resources in 2012. Since then it has been providing capital to companies from a variety of industries in Central Texas and beyond. Liquid Capital Resources has been recognized as an accessible alternative funding source for businesses.
“Raising capital can be a full-time job and it takes a while to get what your business needs. We wanted to offer choices, simplify the process, and I think we found a good formula.”
Liquid Capital Resources works closely with businesses to determine the best solution for them, not only from a cost perspective, but also considering many factors that can be crucial to a company’s success in the short and long run.
“For some of our clients our solutions aren’t always the best permanent funding source, but we can be the springboard that gets them to their next phase. We can help them transition to bank lending, self-funding, going public, or whatever is their best path.”
Describe the defining moment you knew your business would be successful?
During the first year it was difficult to get the right clients; those deals where the risk/reward ratio made sense. “As with most new companies, at the beginning we wanted to grab any opportunity that we came across. However, we are in the risk assessment business and we had to stay true to our principles, which unfortunately meant turning away some deals that at first appeared attainable.” Today, Liquid Capital Resources is on a positive trajectory. To sustain its growth, it relies on referrals from trusted sources. The true success of Liquid Capital Resources comes from seeing its clients prosper and reach new heights, breaking barriers, all while maintaining basic business disciplines.
“I realized we were onto something really good when one of our first clients, who had previously admitted he was about to give up and sell his business, managed to keep his company and actually doubled the sales within a few months. Every client has a story, and we love to be part of that.”
Although most of its clients do not have access to bank lending or other traditional funding sources, for some companies Liquid Capital Resources was able to supplement an existing financing facility. In fact, there are cases in which traditional lending may seem more affordable but would limit the expansion of a business. JP adds “These are the cases in which we thrive, companies that have a solid business model, healthy profit margins, strong customers, and although they may not be highly profitable yet, there certainly is potential.”
What sets your business apart from your competitors?
- A simple, quick and affordable approval process. “We don’t have the high up-front fees that others charge.”
- Rapid funding process
- Clear pricing, no hidden fees
- No long-term commitments, plain English contracts
- Direct interaction with the funding source and the decision maker
What, if anything, has changed since your business was founded?
We have added several programs to help existing clients and to assist a wider range of companies.
“Although we started with a receivable financing product (called Factoring), we now offer eight different funding options for businesses. One of our first clients required capital to fulfill a Purchase Order; we got her suppliers paid so that she could deliver on the PO. Another client whose business is highly seasonal needed capital beyond its bank’s line of credit during the peak season; we got him a supplemental financing facility. A client that was expanding overseas and had a line of credit from a bank came to us for export financing. We funded a retail company that needed some quick cash to face an unexpected situation. The list of clients we have helped is long and we strive to stay creative with our funding solutions.”