About The Ottawa Community Loan Fund (OCLF)

OCLF Success Stories

A Brush With Success - Faux Unlimited

“I had direct business experience and a solid business plan, but what I didn’t have was a credit history or collateral to prove that I was a good risk. OCLF financing has given me the solid foundation that I needed to advance my business”
Sarah Moffat, Owner, Faux Unlimited,
www.fauxunlimited.ca

About Faux Unlimited
Through her company "Faux Unlimited", Sarah’s artistic talents transform ordinary walls into life-size works of art. Sarah has created gardens, archways and streetscapes using only a brush, paint and her considerable talent. Her work can be seen in homes and businesses all over Ottawa. In 2001, when Sarah wanted to expand her business by offering classes, she approached the Ottawa Community Loan Fund to help her with financing her growth plans. After submitting her business plan and meeting with OCLF staff and volunteers, she was approved for a loan. Now, she’s well on her way to painting the town trompe l’oeil.

A Green Thumbs Up - Regal Landscaping

“With the first OCLF loan,we were able to secure the equipment and manpower to increase productivity substantially. As recent marketing efforts have resulted in even more business—with this specialized equipment—we are still able to meet demand. Thank you OCLF!”
Ralph Schutz, Owner, Regal Landscaping
www.regallandscaping.com

About Regal Landscaping
You could say that Ralph and Deana Schutz have a business in full bloom. They originally heard about the Ottawa Community Loan Fund through some business colleagues and were amongst the OCLF’s first clients. Three loans and caring service from the OCLF have helped this landscaping business grow and its owners and employees prosper.

In 1998, Ralph moved to Ottawa and started Regal Landscaping because his business opportunities in Northern Ontario had dried up. He now runs a year-round service with state-of-the-art equipment that employs up to 7 people. He has also recently launched a website from which he receives numerous requests for quotes.

Thanks to the the support of the Ottawa Community Loan Fund—not only is Regal Landscaping growing stronger, so is our Community.

Wired For Growth - Exclusive Lighting

“If it wasn’t for the Ottawa Community Loan Fund, my business idea would never have had a chance to get off the ground. New Canadian Entrepreneurs like me now have a place to go to get business financing and help that no one else can offer.”
Mohamed Rahman, Owner,
Exclusive Lighting and Electrical Home

About Exclusive Lighting And Electrical Home
“I’m busy unbelievable!” is what Mohamed Rahman was quoted saying in a full page Ottawa Citizen newspaper feature about his highly-successful lighting business. Exclusive Lighting and Electrical Home manufactures and sells unique and affordable lighting arrangements for home and business.

When Mohamed worked at a local bathroom and kitchen design centre, he saw a need for a lighting division and a way to leverage his idea. Given his ability, determination and solid plan, it was the OCLF that believed in him enough to know that he would one day be in the spotlight as a successful self-employed businessman. Just a little help was all that was needed and the OCLF was there to provide it.

High Performance Success - Non-Linear Engineering

“Without the CYBF seed funding, this product would have never got off the ground, they were the only ones that believed in this as much as we did.”
Nathan Phillips, Cory Chobanik,
Partners, Nonlinear Engineering Inc.

About Nonlinear Engineering Inc.
Fresh out of university, Nathan Phillips and Cory Chobanik of Nonlinear Engineering Inc. spent many hours developing a prototype performance display gauge for motorcycles that they knew was commercially unavailable and long overdue.

With the help of a loan from the Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF), a partner of the OCLF, these driven young men were able to attend a trade show where they secured orders for their yet-to-be-manufactured product. These orders provided just the security needed to obtain a larger bank loan from the Business Development Bank (also an OCLF partner) of Canada to begin full production.

In just over a year, Nathan and Cory have been able to develop, manufacture and seek an international market for Veypor; a highly-acclaimed data-acquisition gauge for motorcyles. This add-on is now available on line and is in high demand by motorcycle enthusiasts all over the world. For Nathan and Cory, the OCLF provided a huge performance boost!