Testimonials

A New Food Franchise Owner writes: "We have had many positive experiences with the [Franchise Company] and it's affiliates, but absolutely none better than with Richard and Direct Connect. Richard is responsive, innovative, and will work hard until the job is done and you have your financing."

President and CEO of Multi-Million Dollar Corporation writes: "The business plan has been an absolute smash hit. The lenders that I have presented it to so far have said it is one of the best that they have seen. I appreciate your hard work in making it the success that was needed."

Television Sportscaster & Entrepreneur writes: Dear Reg, There was indeed gold at the end of the rainbow and you, dear Sir, were my lucky charm. Following months of planning, strategizing, financing, construction and the anticipated red tape, our new start-up business is up and running. Frankly, it would have been difficult to complete the dream without your financial wizardry. When bank after bank abruptly rejected every request seeking a Small Business loan Direct Connect Ventures came to the rescue. Despite government programs intended to help entrepreneurs, regulators are being overly cautious, making it nearly impossible to secure a loan-- especially for those of us in the food industry. At that point, the choice was to either postpone plans to open a self-serve frozen yogurt lounge (missing out on a red-hot market) or commit to a costly project by having to wipe out savings accounts and drastically reduce a solid investment porfolio. In the middle of that quandary, a business associate suggested I talk to you-- described as an investment broker who had recently secured sizeable loans for fast food franchises. I was initially skeptical considering my recent banking experience. However, after a short conversation with you explaining details of a unique approach, I was sold. Within days Direct Connect Ventures was putting together a detailed business plan, SBA forms were being meticulously prepared and financial data was collected in anticipation of every conceivable bank request. The road travelled was not easy, considering the amount of information required. Nonetheless, it always felt like a team project and the support was unbelievable. A few weeks later, everything was in place- business plan, bios, forms, documents, letters. The next step was to submit the package to banks and finance institutions. Amazingly, we had interest from several lenders, literally, within hours. At that point it was simply a matter of choosing the right partner. In no time, we were signing loan documents under your personal guidance. Even after funds were released, you have checked in regularly to monitor our progress and have been there every step of the way. I cannot express my gratitude enough for your instrumental help in realizing a dream.

Self Employment Career and Franchise Coach, The Entrepreneur's Source writes: I originally partnered with Reg Byrd to educate the community about the dream of entrepreneurship. Reg is a great source of information on the dynamics of going into business. He is also very generous in sharing his time and insight that he acquired from years of experience in finance and franchising. Educating and sharing information is just one element of Reg Byrd, and Direct Connect Ventures. He delivers results! I have had the privilege of watching Reg exhibit patience, coaching and sheer determination to get the "deal done". I highly recommend Reg Byrd and Direct Connect Ventures as a source for entrepreneurship education, and financing businesses.

FCP Enterprises, LLC d/b/a Max Muscle: Reg Byrd and his team of professionals at Direct Connect Ventures went above and beyond to support our desire to become franchise business owners. Reg took the time to get to know us and learn about our business venture. His team helped us develop a top notch business plan and assemble all of the documents necessary to apply for funding. Throughout the process, Reg made us feel as though we were his most important client and went to bat with his bank contacts to present our funding proposal. When things seemed uncertain, Reg's enthusiasm, honesty, business savvy, industry knowledge, and voice of reason kept us feeling confident that things would work out. As a result, we successfully secured funding to pursue our entrepreneurial goal. We are forever thankful and grateful that Reg was referred to us. We have learned so much from Reg. We could not have asked for a better person and professional to be a part of our life and assist us with our dream. We will continue to stay in contact with Reg as our business grows. We highly recommend Reg and Direct Connect Ventures to anyone who wants to work with one of the best professionals and firms out there and we will continue to share our experience with others. Thank you Reg, and thank you to the professionals at Direct Connect Ventures.

From a Multi-Business Proprietor: We have a very good feeling about our venture and intend to grow it to need financing for an expansion. DCV will be our first consideration- you have a very impressive system and a friendly, no- pressure way of communicating with clients. I'm almost sad we won't be working together! We will be telling others about the DCV option.

From a Small Business Owner: I'm grateful to have professionals of your caliber on my side. I would recommend DCV to anyone, anywhere, anytime.

From an Investment Partnership Firm: Direct Connect provides support for small businesses that are looking for financing to become established or to expand. We have worked with Reg on our own financing project and I can attest to the expertise and responsiveness of the firm. They used our baseline information to develop an excellent business plan, guided us in assembling all of the documents needed to apply for funding and then interacted with banks that they work with to present the proposal. They have taken the mystery out of the loan application process for us and made it as painless as possible.

Cowgirls Espresso d/b/a The San Miguel Coffee Company LLC writes... "I'm writing to express my appreciation for the excellent service that you and your staff provided for me. I'm glad that I could turn to professionals like yourself to help with my business plan and help kick start my dream of becoming my own boss. Thank you and your staff for always going that extra mile for me. It is becoming all too rare these days to find a company that goes to such great length to satisfy its customers. Thank you so much."

Self Employment Career and Franchise Coach, The Entrepreneur's Source writes… Reg has demonstrated that he can take on the most challenging client situations and bring them to a favorable conclusion in a very professional manner in regards to Business Funding. He is with my client every step of the way working through every detail and keeping me informed the whole way...it really takes the stress out of the picture for everyone knowing that he has everything covered with his relationships. His care and dignity are sincerely appreciated by my clients. I would highly recommend Reg and Direct Connect Funding.”

Self Employment Career and Franchise Coach, The Entrepreneur's Source writes... “I've used Reg Byrd as a resource both personally and professionally. I've referred Reg to my clients for advice and service in providing franchise financing options. My personal experience has been that he will go out of his way to help others and show respect and honesty. If he was not able to help my clients he was ready with a resource that could. It has been reported back to me that my clients felt very comfortable with his friendly and caring demeanor. He easily gained their trust where trust is very important. As a coach, it is important that my clients know that I am looking out for their best interest and my referrals are a reflection of my professionalism. I feel confident that I'm sending my clients to someone who is looking out for their best interest, knows his business and will take good care of them as well.”

Venere.com writes… “Reg is an outstanding and very dedicated professional who is always prepared to go the extra mile for his clients, business partners and staff. He has great attention to detail and is wonderful to work with. His keen sense of logic paired with a deep understanding of his industry's inner workings, makes him a great asset to any organization and I hope that I will have the chance to work with him again in the future.”

An Executive Committee Colleague at the Hyatt Regency Long Beach writes…“Reg was a hard working Controller that understood F & B and all its quirks and he was a pleasure to work with.”