The Center Awards Grant to Sur-Ryl Marketing, Pays It Forward to Other Small Businesses

Brea, CA, January 26, 2017 (Newswire.com) - “At Sur-Ryl Marketing, we do marketing all day, every day.” Sequoia Houston, winner of The Center’s “Access to Capital” grant explains. “Because we work with so many different clients across a number of industries, we have insight into metrics that many small business owners don't understand.”

Sur-Ryl Marketing, an LA based full-service digital marketing agency in operation for 7 years, has a business philosophy of “teach them how to fish.” The company offers small business owners assistance and training allowing the programs put in place by Sur-Ryl to be sustained.

"I think The Center felt our work helping small businesses was aligned with their mission."

Sequoia Houston, Owner of Sur-Ryl Marketing

This culture of helping small businesses succeed is one of the contributing factors Sur-Ryl Marketing was awarded a $2,500 grant, funded by CIT, at an “Access to Capital” seminar organized by The Center, a nonprofit small business resource organization. The grant offering received 82 entries, and the event was host to a diverse group of 62 attendees, with a combined $4MM+ in annual income.

Featured speaker, Lendistry CEO, Everett K. Sands, spoke on the importance of companies like Lendistry, working in partnership with banks to provide financial resources to small business owners, particularly those in underserved communities.

“Many times, you'll attend an event and the presenters give you just enough information to scratch the surface, hoping that you'll contact them for their paid services. This was not the case with Everett. It was his goal to make sure that attendees walked out of the session with information that we could start using immediately to make a difference in our businesses. It was refreshing,” Ms. Houston said.

“I think The Center felt our work helping small businesses was aligned with their mission,” Ms. Houston said on winning the grant. When asked why it’s difficult for small businesses to manage their own marketing, she points out that small business owners often set-up an online presence, but there’s no system in place to make sure the marketing is effective, and no strategy to evolve it over time. She calls it, “set it, and forget it.”

Small business owners, and their staff, often find themselves wearing different hats to meet the day-to-day operational needs of their companies. The job of marketing usually falls on the shoulders of someone whose experience makes them largely unqualified to create a comprehensive and effective marketing strategy. Ms. Houston frequently sees office staff take on marketing roles, as was the case for one of her clients, whose office manager was tasked with creating and executing the company’s marketing strategy.

Routine tasks such as updating a website, drafting a press release, and posting job openings online can be daunting to those without experience, but are important in running a business as any communication with the public is an opportunity to sell your brand. Ms. Houston, who once worked in the marketing department at KPMG, says a disadvantage small business owners have is not having access to marketing resources utilized by large companies. Sur-Ryl Marketing works in partnership with small businesses to create an affordable marketing and branding strategy that can be maintained in-house.

She adds that marketing firms like hers, make sure business owners get the most value for their marketing dollars, implement important SEO content for greater market reach, and know the true cost of free websites that hinder the ability to be found in searches. Small business owners can’t be proficient in all things, at all times.

One of Sur-Ryl Marketing’s clients, Gladstone Insurance, is about to launch an exciting new app, The Insurance Center Powered by Gladstone Insurance. Located at car dealerships, these kiosks will allow buyers to quickly access auto insurance quotes onsite. While successful in their field, and armed with an innovative idea, the company relied on Sur-Ryl’s marketing expertise to brand the company’s image to be more in sync with the forward thinking, sleek app. Having access to professional services to fill the gaps is crucial to the success of small businesses whose competitors are often larger companies with greater resources.

A small business owner herself, Sequoia Houston used her $2,500 grant to facilitate the launch of a new endeavor, Mocha Stock. In early 2017, she expects to launch a website providing stock images and video clips focused on diversity. The content will be available for use by small businesses and marketing companies like her own who target a wide range of companies in diverse communities.

Sur-Ryl Marketing would like to thank The Center for awarding them the generous grant. Small businesses interested in marketing services can reach Sur-Ryl Marketing by visiting their website, www.surrylmarketing.com, or contacting them directly at (323) 238-7359.

Small businesses can learn more about the upcoming “Access to Capital” event in Palm Desert hosted by The Center on March 30 by visiting their website, www.TheCenterSocal.org, and about small business lending products offered by Lendistry, by visiting www.Lendistry.com.

About Lendistry

Lendistry’s mission is to provide economic opportunities and progressive growth for small business owners and their underserved communities as a source of financing and financial education. Responsible lending for the benefit of both small business owners and investors is at the core of Lendistry’s culture.

Since 2014, Lendistry has originated, funded and/or syndicated roughly $92MM in transactions, providing the U.S. small business community a range of financial services and products. Lendistry has a flexible, interactive, and unique technology-based underwriting and servicing mechanism geared towards small business transactions between $50,000-$1,000,000, and terms up to 10 years.

Lendistry also has a certification from the Department of Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) office providing access to a variety of credit enhancement programs. These CDFI programs allow Lendistry to borrow at low rates over extended periods of time, leverage loan guarantees financed by each state within the U.S., and request Community Reinvestment Act investment and lending proceeds from FDIC-insured banking institutions.

About CIT

Founded in 1908, CIT (NYSE: CIT) is a financial holding company with more than $65 billion in assets. Its principal bank subsidiary, CIT Bank, N.A., (Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender) has more than $30 billion of deposits and more than $40 billion of assets. It provides financing, leasing, and advisory services principally to middle-market companies across a wide variety of industries primarily in North America, and equipment financing and leasing solutions to the transportation sector. It also offers products and services to consumers through its Internet bank franchise and a network of retail branches in Southern California, operating as OneWest Bank, a division of CIT Bank, N.A. cit.com

Media Contact:                     

Leeann Lynch
562-242-2905
leeann@lendistry.com