A Message from Don Burnett

Thanks for taking your time to explore leasing in your bank. My bank, Focus Bank, started its leasing program in 1987, and I never imagined it would be so well received and so profitable. When we started leasing, we were a small community bank in a predominantly agricultural area with declining population and little growth potential. Obviously, I was becoming quite concerned about the financial future. We had always been a progressive bank, but it seemed as though each new product we introduced gave us no competitive advantage and no increase in profit. Does this sound familiar?

When we developed our own leasing program, I discovered a financial product that was a sleeping giant. It has become a product that provides me with my highest credit yields, a good non-interest income stream, and a competitive advantage that is hard to believe. Our portfolio now exceeds $20,000,000 and we have the largest community bank leasing operation between St. Louis and New Orleans.

It has become obvious that most banks don’t lease. For the life of me, I don’t know why. It is a natural financial product for banks. Of all capital equipment acquired, 33% is leased. If you don’t lease, that means your customer is going elsewhere.

In 1993 we developed a program that offers a complete turnkey installation of leasing into your bank. Our program includes training, software, operating manuals, sample policy, telephone support system, and above all else, the individual sales training you need to maximize this potential. This comes with satisfaction guaranteed, or your money back. When you leave our training you are completely equipped to start leasing tomorrow. To date, we have trained approximately 200 banks in 34 different states.

We call our program Banclease.

This program is not expensive. In fact, we can show you how this program will pay for itself with the first few leases you write.

I’m a community banker in the middle of a tough market, but I do know what has worked for my organization. If leasing works here, it will work for you. Opportunity is easy to recognize when it goes to work for your competition!