Business finance brand Fifo Capital knows partnership, mutual gain and shared experience are more than just words. The success of their new funding model is proof breaking down the barriers to entry will only make their place in the business finance market stronger.

Removing Barriers

Fifo Capital is doing something that’s never been done before, especially not in the business finance market. They’re removing barriers to entry and letting franchisees with different skill sets come together and make a real-life peer-to-peer lending scenario. “When people hear peer-to-peer lending, they automatically think online and that you’ll never meet the person, but our model is cemented in real-life and requires our franchisees to be involved”, explains Fifo Capital Managing Director Neil McMillan. “Our model proves peer-to-peer lending doesn’t have to be passive”.

Skill Set Segments

A year ago, Fifo Capital realised finding people with all the skills to be a franchisee was becoming more and more difficult. So they made the decision to split a franchisee role into skill set segments allowing people to join Fifo Capital in one of the following capacities:

• A fully fledged franchisee who has all the skills and access to their own funding,
• A transactional franchisee who has the skills but no funding, 
• An Investor Partner - who does not have the skills but has the funding.

“Within two weeks of starting this model, 100% of the investor funds were used up and the borrower franchisees were delighted as there is an almost unlimited supply of funds”, explains Neil.

Returns

Returns are large, with scenario 1 generating returns as high as 50% per annum. And 2 and 3 generating returns around 25% per annum according to Neil. This coupled with the business lifestyle benefits - the ability to set your own work hours and spend more time with family, as well as low overheads – in fact mostly, you only need to worry about your car, phone and computer. All this makes Fifo Capital very attractive to people who are fed up with the corporate 9-5 environment.

Fifo Capital’s commitment to people is what’s setting them apart from other lenders. “We’re very much focused on the relationship model and that filters down”, says Neil. “70% of our business is referred to us because we’re not on our phones we’re out there connecting with people. It’s these key values that will play a crucial role in the continued success and growth of Fifo Capital – for the business as a whole and their new franchise partners.