As a company focused on supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses, Kentucky-based Prima Coffee Equipment regularly works with customers who rely on coffee equipment financing to turn their business plans into reality.
“I would say roughly 35% of our customers are looking for financing,” said James Weiler, Commercial Sales and Services Manager at Prima Coffee Equipment.
Many of these customers are in the early stages of building their businesses. They come in with an idea, a list of equipment they need, and a defined budget, but they may still be determining if their vision can become a sustainable operation.
“A lot of people are simply trying to get their doors open,” Weiler explained. “They want to see if the concept will work and whether it can turn into a real, sustainable business.”
In some cases, customers are able to match their equipment needs with their available budget. Other times, their vision extends beyond what they can afford upfront.
“Often, customers have bigger plans than what their budget allows,” Weiler stated.
In these situations, equipment financing helps bridge the gap between a customer’s plans and available cash. Customers can move forward with the equipment their businesses need while spreading the cost over time and preserving cash for other expenses.
After evaluating different financing options, the Prima Coffee Equipment team found that APPROVE offered the most seamless and effective approach.
One key advantage is the ability to integrate financing directly into the company’s website, allowing customers to explore financing as part of the purchasing process.
“The website integration was a major factor for us,” Weiler said.
He also emphasized the importance of working with a financing partner that stays involved after an application is submitted.
“What distinguishes APPROVE is that they actually follow through and stay engaged throughout the process,” he said.
That ongoing support gives Prima Coffee Equipment and its customers a clearer path through the financing process, without requiring the sales team to manage every step themselves.
For a team focused on sales and customer relationships, reducing administrative work has been a meaningful advantage for Prima.
“APPROVE handles a significant portion of the process,” Weiler noted. “It takes away a lot of the guesswork and makes things easier for us.”
This allows the Prima team to stay focused on customer relationships rather than paperwork, while giving buyers a smoother financing experience and helping deals move forward more efficiently.
One thing the team didn’t expect was the impact APPROVE would have on lead generation.
APPROVE surfaces warm leads, including customers who start but do not complete a financing application. This gives Prima Coffee Equipment’s sales team an opportunity to follow up while interest is still high.
“That gives us an opportunity to reach out quickly and continue the conversation,” Weiler said.
While simple, this feature has created more opportunities to engage with potential customers and turn financing interest into productive sales conversations.
Equipment financing can support growth by helping more buyers afford the equipment they need, generating new sales leads, and reducing the amount of financing work handled by the sales team.
As demand for financing continues to grow, especially among startup businesses, having a reliable and streamlined solution in place has become increasingly important.
By making financing easier to access and more integrated into the sales experience, APPROVE has helped Prima Coffee Equipment support more aspiring business owners, uncover additional sales opportunities, and make financing a more meaningful contributor to growth.
“APPROVE does a lot of the heavy lifting and makes things really easy for our customers,” Weiler said.