Max Liu, CFA
Business Financing Strategist
Case Studies

Five financing files, five different problems.

Real engagements, restructured from a lender's perspective. Details anonymized to protect client confidentiality.

Before

An idea, and a lot of uncertainty

No structure, unclear numbers, and no sense of how a lender will read the request.

After

A coherent, lender-ready file

Clear strategy, tested numbers, and a proposal a bank can actually evaluate with confidence.

Restaurant

Case 1 — Opening a Northern Chinese Restaurant in Coquitlam

Client Background

Mr. W. immigrated to Canada five years ago and had accumulated CAD $300,000 in savings. He identified an opportunity to open a Northern Chinese restaurant in Coquitlam, BC. Total startup investment was estimated at CAD $600,000, requiring CAD $300,000 in commercial financing.

Initial Assessment

  • First-time business owner
  • No operating history
  • Startup restaurant industry (higher perceived risk)
  • Revenue projections required independent support
  • Loan structure needed optimization

Our Strategy

  • Validated the market opportunity through demographic and competitor analysis
  • Tested whether the requested loan amount and owner equity created an appropriate financing structure
  • Built conservative financial projections based on realistic operating assumptions
  • Stress-tested cash flow under lower-than-expected sales
  • Recommended a low-cost social media strategy (WeChat, Xiaohongshu, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook) to accelerate customer acquisition
  • Identified potential lender concerns in advance and addressed them within the strategy

Result

The project was transformed from “a restaurant idea” into a structured financing proposal, supported by market analysis, realistic projections, and a lender-focused strategy. The application was successfully submitted to the bank.

Acquisition

Case 2 — Buying an Existing Business: Convenience Store

Background

Mr. S. wanted to become self-employed after more than ten years in retail. Instead of starting new, he purchased an existing convenience store in Burnaby for CAD $800,000, with CAD $250,000 for the down payment.

Challenge

The store had been profitable for years, but sales had gradually declined under the current owner. The bank wanted to know whether the business could recover after the ownership change.

Our Strategy

  • Explained why the previous owner was selling
  • Prepared a clear plan to extend business hours
  • Introduced parcel pickup and delivery services to increase traffic
  • Added higher-margin product categories
  • Prepared realistic projections showing gradual improvement rather than immediate growth

Result

The financing proposal presented the value of the existing business together with the client's strategy for improving future performance.

Lesson

Buying an existing business is not only about its past performance. Lenders also want confidence that the new owner has a practical plan to improve the business.

Franchise

Case 3 — Opening a Franchise Fitness Studio in Surrey

Client Background

Ms. L. had CAD $150,000 in savings and wanted to open a franchise fitness studio in Surrey, BC. Total investment, including franchise fee and buildout, was estimated at CAD $450,000, requiring CAD $300,000 in commercial financing.

Initial Assessment

  • No direct experience operating a fitness business
  • Franchise disclosure projections did not reflect the local market
  • Franchisor territory approval still pending
  • No working capital reserve built into the initial request

Our Strategy

  • Adjusted the franchisor's standard disclosures to reflect local rent, wage, and membership pricing
  • Documented the client's transferable management and client-service experience
  • Built a working capital reserve into the request to cover the pre-revenue ramp-up period
  • Coordinated the financing timeline with the franchisor's territory approval process

Result

The financing request was structured to include a working capital buffer, providing additional liquidity during the studio's initial membership growth period.

Equipment

Case 4 — Equipment Financing for a Trucking Company

Client Background

Mr. T. had operated a small trucking company for three years and was awarded a new multi-year hauling contract, requiring the purchase of two additional trucks — CAD $220,000 in equipment financing.

Challenge

The business already carried equipment debt, and revenue was seasonal. The lender's primary concern was whether the business could service additional debt through its slower months.

Our Strategy

  • Consolidated the existing debt schedule against the proposed new payments
  • Built contract-backed revenue projections tied to the new hauling agreement
  • Prepared a debt service coverage ratio (DSCR) analysis to demonstrate repayment capacity
  • Proposed a seasonal payment structure aligned with the business's slower months

Result

The financing proposal supported a customized, seasonally adjusted payment structure designed to better align debt payments with the business's cash flow pattern.

Expansion

Case 5 — Financing a Second Location for an Established Bakery

Client Background

Ms. P. had successfully operated a bakery in Richmond for six years and wanted to open a second location in Langley for an estimated CAD $180,000.

Challenge

The lender's main concern was management capacity: whether the first location's success depended on the owner's daily, hands-on presence, and whether that success could be replicated without her.

Our Strategy

  • Prepared a management transition plan for the original location, including a designated manager
  • Documented the owner's planned time allocation across both locations
  • Built a consolidated cash flow model showing combined debt service across both stores
  • Identified early operating milestones to track before the second location scaled up

Result

The financing structure incorporated a milestone-based draw approach, with funding tied to agreed operating milestones for the second location.

Next Step

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