We specialize in helping you find the right financing for your small business or franchise. Our products and solutions have helped launch over 25,000 small businesses. Select the financing option with the best terms and receive the money you need to start your business. Have a financial consultation with a business funding expert who will educate you on your options.
Let our team of experts help you identify the financing that will make it easy to create a thriving business by guiding you through a quick and simple process that is tailored to your unique situation, and explaining all of the funding options available for your business.
Let our team of experts help you identify the financing that will make it easy to create a thriving business by guiding you through a quick and simple process that is tailored to your unique situation, and explaining all of the funding options available for your business.
Services
You don't need to risk your home as collateral or have a minimum credit score. If you have $50,000 in rollable retirement funds, you can use Rollovers for Business Startups (ROBS) to fund your business. Small Business Administration (SBA) loans offer big benefits like low interest rates, long repayment terms, and no ballooning costs.
Find a quicker path to success and profitability by starting out with an infusion of cash. 401(k) business financing, also known as Rollovers for Business Startups (ROBS), is a small business and franchise funding method. ROBS allows you to draw money from your retirement account in order to start or buy a business without incurring an early withdrawal fee or tax penalty.
Traditional business loans are hard to qualify for, require significant down payments, and have high interest rates. So why barter with banks for good loan terms when you can work with Guidant to find lenders who want to bankroll your loan? SBA loans make it easier to get the money your business or franchise needs.
Starting a small business from scratch is complicated. Instead of dealing with the unknown, you can feel confident with a franchise's proven business model. Guidant works with thousands of franchises from emerging concepts to established brands, making it easy for you to find the perfect fit for your small business dream.
Reviews (29)
Heather S.
Feb 01, 2022
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I have found each individual that I have had contact with to be helpful and polite, however I have been told many different things regarding the process of exiting the 401K. I am 73 and want to wind it down, it has not been a good experience and is still not complete. Communication and follow up is not good. The initial setup was very professional, and the years in-between have been good but at this point I would not recommend them, all business has been affected by Covid, so I hate to be too critical.
Matthew N.
Dec 16, 2021
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I kind of guy by the rule if you can't say anything good don't say anything at all but I have found working with Guidant to be like sticking toothpicks under my fingernails. There is no way to get through the process in their advertised 2-3 week time frame, expect 45 days at best and that is if you stay on top of them. Rarely do they return a phone call once the process is started and never expect an email to be replied to. Totally dissatisfied with the process and incompetency, the only reason I am giving them 2 stars is because I really like the overall value they add by getting
Tom H.
Aug 20, 2021
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This place is the absolute worst organization I've dealt with on any level. Total incompetence at every level. Nobody knows what they're doing I started in 2018 with them and just a total nightmare. No correct flings since the inception. They're like a bad mortgage company where you send them the same documents over and over until you get frustrated and go somewhere else. No return calls, Hangs the phone up on you, all with the hope that you'll just cancel and go away. Save yourself the pain and aggregation and just stay far away.
Tom Smith
Jul 29, 2021
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You can tell a first-class organization by the quality of its customer support, in this instance Rachel Weeks, Account Representative 2. She coordinated the efforts of 3 Guidant departments to resolve a complex problem related to SBA loan documentation for our corporation within an incredible 48 hours. Ms. Weeks proved to be a problem solver with excellent communication skills who thoroughly understands the company’s operations. With staff like her, we give Guidant Financial our strongest recommendation.
Charles Witt
Jul 21, 2021
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With Guidant's critical assistance, I formed my corporation in 2007. 14 years later they are still an integral component in my company. They are professional, knowledgeable and eager and pleasant to work with. I am currently entering into a 4 year plan to transition my company to new ownership and they are still here with me working on business valuations and giving guidance on the best way to proceed. I give Guidant a lot of credit for the success of my company and have recommended them to everyone I've met that was looking into forming their own company
Dawn Morrisson
Jul 18, 2021
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Micheal and his entire team have been amazing. They helped me to start a new business during the pandemic. They were there for me with innovative and creative ways to find funding during this very challenging time. I know that I would not have been able to accomplish what I have without Micheal. He has personally invested himself in the well-being of my new venture. He sent me referrals that lead me to the right people to help get funded, while patiently explaining the Rollover process that made it all possible. I can never THANK this amazing team of hard working, behind the scenes people that
Jeff L.
Jun 12, 2021
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I use my retirement money to reinvest in myself. I was met with problem after problem which made no sense. I gave the company a $136.00 a month for 8 years. For what you ask, I am not sure. They would constantly make up reporting forms to confuse you. SALES REP(irs reporting team) would tell you how sorry they were time and time again, but you need to get this done at the last moment. In my opinion, they are selling your employees information which they requested year after year. I want to add one note. I started with them through Wells Fargo corrupt years. During this time, Wells Fargo practices
Donna G.
May 13, 2021
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I was so nerves about doing a ROBES plan to fund my new Franchise business but Guidant made the process seamless. Steve Nilssen reviewed the process with me numerous times and clearly explained it so I could understand. Jennifer Ailshie finalized the set up and everything went smoothly on their end. Due to my experience with the ROBES process and my confidence in Guidant financial I am using them for my business Accounting and Payroll processing needs now that I am up and running . It is all so easy to have one company taking care of your business needs and Guidant has not skipped a beat in the
Karl Campbell The Cabins At Cloudcroft
Mar 24, 2021
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Business Startup) account/corporation which allowed us to pull our 401k out and invest it in ourselves without penalty. They were nothing but professional and we cannot thank them enough. Not only did they help us get our corporation set up in short order, they referred us to a great accounting firm that fit nicely with our needs. If you want to access your retirement funds without penalty and have the money you need to get your business started, call Tyler Roberts at Guidant and tell him Karl sent you!
Karl Campbell
The Cabins at Cloudcroft
Karl Campbell
The Cabins at Cloudcroft
Pa Novitas
Mar 17, 2021
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I love to read reviews, but I typically do not write them. My experience with Guidant has indeed been outstanding. From my first call, I felt very optimistic about my decision to contact them to discuss the possibility of financing a business. Professional, organized, knowledgeable, experienced, patient, and attentive have been demonstrated along the way by every Guidant individual. Many thanks to Scot, Michael, Navid, Jennifer, and Shelby. It is reassuring to know you are all there as I continue my journey.
Walter Frazier
Feb 16, 2021
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I was introduced to Guidant by a transition coach who was helping me transition until business ownership, and my experience has been nothing but positive. The level of professionalism, expertise and customer service go above and beyond. From day one to end of the process, every person assigned to walk me through the process(Steven, Brian and Shelby) assured me we were in this together. That's so important when you feel like a fish out of water. I will be recommending their services to others in need of guidance.
Tom R.
Feb 10, 2021
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I had a great experience working with Guidant Financial to set up my ROBS to fund my new business. They provided all the information needed to go through the process and were always available to answer any questions I had. I highly recomend using Guidant's services if you are looking for a way to fund your new buseinss.
Emily Anderson
Jan 18, 2021
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Guidant Financial has helped many clients over the years thoroughly explore financing options, strategies, and has empowered them in safely and successfully pursuing business ownership. They are highly professional yet very personal in understanding this is a major decision. Lexi Ingraffia is fantastic and I will continue referring clients to Guidant with confidence.
Rob Pearcy
Oct 12, 2020
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As a person that has trained teams to provide the gold standard of customer service let me just say that Guidant Financial sets the bar very high. I am 100% pleased with the effort, engagement and attention to detail that I've experienced with the various teams at Guidant. I was a major skeptic when I first reached out to this company but now I am very confident in recommending them. Guidant has a smooth system that is operated by people that are patient, caring and, above all, invested in my success.
Joel Lewis
Aug 13, 2020
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It has been an absolute pleasure doing business with Guidant Financial. They do very well at making sure you have all off the information necessary to navigate the process, and keep you informed throughout each step. I am a person who questions everything and Shelby Marker has been there to help me out each time I have called. I would definitely recommend Guidant Financial to friends and family.
Danny Szegda
Jun 08, 2020
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As a new business owner getting started there are many many questions and details involved. Without the assistance of Brian and Alex from Guidant I would have been completely lost. They saved me from delaying my opening, duplication, and unnecessary paperwork to the state and IRS. They also steered me to other services that are going to benefit my business and my productivity. They were professional, patient, great listeners, and made sure I understood. I would highly recommend their services.
Christopher Joseph S.
Mar 06, 2020
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Well, my new business is off the ground and funding with the ROBS plan using Guidant Financial went through without the slightest hiccup thanks to the team I worked with, especially Bobby Riddle. The only hesitation with giving 5 stars is that I have yet to go through the end of year filings for the 401k plan. I have not yet worked with this team who will be assisting me going forward. If my experience with this team is as good as the team that helped me through all the steps of funding the business, I'm in terrific hands.
Chris Sorgie
Digital Marketing Consultant
WSI
Chris Sorgie
Digital Marketing Consultant
WSI
Will H.
Jan 31, 2020
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I had a great call with Keith Tracy from Guidant Group and he definitely went above and beyond in helping me solve my business problems. Without going into too much detail, Keith took the time to fully understand my pain points and what I was trying to do. He made a few recommendations, that did not involve Guidant Group but would be a better financing strategy for my business. Needless to say I was impressed and couldn't believe he put my interests ahead of the companies. I will definitely be reaching out again when my business is ready to start offering 401k.
Dave H.
Jul 14, 2019
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Molly M.
Apr 23, 2019
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Horrible service. I am still waiting for them to complete my 5500 from 2017. Every 6 weeks, I can a random email from yet another person in the company asking for one more document or corrections to documents that I have already turned in. Am I being asked to falsify information? Impossible to tell and I can't get a senior advisor to call me back. Only emails. I have asked repeatedly for Guidant to assign one person to my company so they can finish up my 5500 but they just don't respond. I am now getting a lawyer involved. It is never a good idea to hire an accountant that you will never
Michael Z.
Feb 15, 2019
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One star is too many--but yelp won't let you post without at least one star. This company's sales and "record keeping" divisions are so different, it's hard to believe they are under the same roof. At the sales and onboarding phase, they are very good. As a customer, you deal with a handful of very competent professionals. They also set you up with an attorney who is very good. Once you are onboarded, the nightmare begins.
This is when Guidant becomes GuideNOT. Long story short, they are in a critical compliance role and they are awful at it. It's like watching
This is when Guidant becomes GuideNOT. Long story short, they are in a critical compliance role and they are awful at it. It's like watching
Janice L.
Dec 18, 2018
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Rod R.
Nov 28, 2018
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I have been using Guidant after purchasing my business over a year ago with my 401K funds. After a year Guidant has been asking me for Documentation that they should have gotten over a year ago and most are documents that their attorneys created and should have been put into a file in their possession. I see other reviews with the same issues that I am having even after being told from Guidant representatives that no other person seems to have the issues I am having. Guidant is now threatening me with termination and they continue to ask me for documentation after them telling me I should be all
Robert H.
Oct 12, 2018
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I can't say enough about how helpful they have been. They've held my hand all the way through the process and have been proactive in making sure I'm successful in setting up my ROBS IRA.
I have gotten calls from several people just to make sure everything is going well and making sure I'm hitting all of my milestones on time.
It's certainly been money well spent.
Special call outs to Dustin and Alex.
Thanks
I have gotten calls from several people just to make sure everything is going well and making sure I'm hitting all of my milestones on time.
It's certainly been money well spent.
Special call outs to Dustin and Alex.
Thanks
Pip D.
Jun 07, 2018
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Stay away! They waisted my time by not even returning calls! Scott is a sad example of an employee! I left two messages for a returned call and scheduled two on line and never received a call. I set aside time in my day to discuss loan options for a major life decision and they have so little respect to return a call or call you for confirmed online
Update! Even more reason to stay away! They responded to my post because they're concerned about there bottom line. Unfortunately Scott never apologized for wasting my time. Even worse they lied and said they spoke with me and they didn
Update! Even more reason to stay away! They responded to my post because they're concerned about there bottom line. Unfortunately Scott never apologized for wasting my time. Even worse they lied and said they spoke with me and they didn
Viktor F.
Jun 25, 2017
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I have 2 major issues with Guidant:
1. They are WAY TOO EXPENSIVE for what they do. Before engaging with them do some research there are many good companies out there who will set up your 401K business or checkbook IRA business for a lot lower fees. Their monthly fees are also extremly high. Again, there are many other companies with much lower fees.
2. I also think they did not give me the advise they should have. They never discussed with me checkbook IRA or Solo 401K options. I ended up wih 401K and corporation structure, which I think was the most expensive option.
Overall, I don't think
1. They are WAY TOO EXPENSIVE for what they do. Before engaging with them do some research there are many good companies out there who will set up your 401K business or checkbook IRA business for a lot lower fees. Their monthly fees are also extremly high. Again, there are many other companies with much lower fees.
2. I also think they did not give me the advise they should have. They never discussed with me checkbook IRA or Solo 401K options. I ended up wih 401K and corporation structure, which I think was the most expensive option.
Overall, I don't think
Patrick H.
Jun 13, 2017
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I am purchasing a business and Guidant Financial is assisting with the funding process. From my first contact with Michael I realized they were a first class organization with a great process and excellent customer responsiveness. I am using a complex solution to fund the small business (and franchise purchase) I am beginning. They are helpful, explain each step in the process, responsive to challenges that come up. Even though I have to speak with various departments and multiple team members, everyone seems to know what is happening and I haven't had to re-educate anyone on the earlier
Kim B.
Apr 19, 2017
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Just had to tell you what a joy Maria was to work with this morning. I worked at Vanguard Investments for 13 years. I ran the call center for a few years in Charlotte NC. There are definitely days when everyone is on edge (clients and staff). Having been in that environment and knowing what it's like to be on the other side of the phone, I wanted to let you know that Maria is definitely an asset to have on your staff.
She is friendly, patient, proactive. She strikes a wonderful balance of being professional yet genuine. Please pass on my heart-felt 'thank you' to whomever is appropriate
She is friendly, patient, proactive. She strikes a wonderful balance of being professional yet genuine. Please pass on my heart-felt 'thank you' to whomever is appropriate
Theo D.
Jan 12, 2017
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BIGGEST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE!!
Back in 2009 I was in a desperate situation where I needed to get something going to take care of my family. As I was not having any luck in my job search I decided to tap into my 401K with Guidant Financial Group's help to get a business started. Though I cannot fault them for the failure of my business it would have been a great help if they provided or pointed me to where I could acquire services to wrap up the affairs. I tried to close the business myself but it was way too complicated for little ol' me. I tried 2 tax attorneys and 3 tax accountants and
Back in 2009 I was in a desperate situation where I needed to get something going to take care of my family. As I was not having any luck in my job search I decided to tap into my 401K with Guidant Financial Group's help to get a business started. Though I cannot fault them for the failure of my business it would have been a great help if they provided or pointed me to where I could acquire services to wrap up the affairs. I tried to close the business myself but it was way too complicated for little ol' me. I tried 2 tax attorneys and 3 tax accountants and
