Online SMB lenders believe they are in a unique position to help lend to small businesses during these chaotic times; “Non-bank online lenders have a critical role in getting access to capital as quickly as possible,” said Ryan Metcalf, Head of U.S. Regulatory Affairs & Social Impact at Funding Circle, to Forbes. “Funding Circle approves loans in under 24 hours and funds them in three days whereas banks take on average a little over a month.”; Congress would have to designate online lenders as approved lenders in order for them to lend some of the stimulus capital to businesses so they can pay staff; the industry trade group Financial Innovation Now wrote a letter to Congress saying in part, “Any federal small business loan program must leverage digital advances in the marketplace to ensure that stimulus can reach those businesses most in need.” Forbes
