“Without the PPP [Paycheck Protection Program], we would have had a 10 percent survival rate,” notes Al Moses, owner of Longwood, Fla.-based Home Makeover Systems, a provider of water purification and exterior paint services.
Home Makeover Systems is not a startup—the company has been in business for 33 years and has 15 employees.
With this long experience, however, the company still experienced issues when it initiated the process of applying for short-term funding relief during the pandemic.
After several failed attempts, including contacting the state of Florida and a local community bank, Moses turned to Fountainhead for assistance in obtaining the PPP loan.
“I’m glad I found them,” Moses says.
While Fountainhead was happy to work with Moses, the process still required much negotiation and effort, as the funding environment and its associated rules seemed to be changing day by day. The process required 2 months and between 10 and 15 calls per day, Moses explains. (Moses worked closely with Fountainhead commercial loan specialist Krystian Heal.)
Had the money not arrived, Home Makeover Systems would not have been able to survive. Moses explains that 5 days before the funds came in, he was planning on shutting the business down for 2 months. Thankfully, he did not need to.
“Krystian, Fountainhead, and the PPP came just in time,” he recalls.
