Do you remember the days when everyone from your barber to your banker knew you by name? Truth be told, this wasn’t all that long ago and it wasn’t due to there being fewer customers overall, either. What allowed courteous workers to get to know their clientele was the fact that they worked for small businesses where service with a smile was the standard operating procedure. Today, billion-dollar conglomerates own the supply chain from the bottom up and month-over-month revenue, shareholder value and meeting supervisor-set goals are the new status quo. Curt Kramer, whose lending group is aimed at folks trying to kick-start their small business footprint, doesn’t think this is the way things should be.

Today’s pharmacies are national chains going by the names of CVS, Walgreens or Duane Reade. They can be found in almost every town in the country and offer everything from prescription drugs to snack food and toiletries. There’s an easy explanation for this, says Curt Kramer: “Pharmacies have taken on the convenience store model, a vast change from years ago when pharmacies were largely individually owned and operated.” Once again, this isn’t the way things have to be. If you’re a small business entrepreneur in search of a small business loan to help make ends meet, there are existing pharmacy loan programs that can help. Overall, Curt Kramer explains the purpose of that program as this: The chance to finally grow your business into the community cornerstone that you’ve always wanted it to be. This means opening for business every day and know that you are truly improving the lives of the folks who come to your pharmacy. The same can’t be said for the mission objective of the national chains and as Curt Kramer points out, CVS recently partnered with Aetna insurance company to – as some industry experts expect – go up against the likes of Amazon when the internet retail giant enters the pharmaceutical realm.

Here’s the thing about local pharmacies and small businesses in general: the first-name basis is a bonus some shoppers seek out. They want to patronize the stores on Main Street instead of lining the already-bursting pockets of chain outlets owned by Wall Street. With guidance and fiscal assistance from Curt Kramer’s lending group, the pharmacy loan program and merchant cash-advance offerings can truly open doors. Federal estimates place the number of small businesses in the U.S. near the 30-million mark; why not investigate Curt Kramer’s offerings and see how these can help you out as a fledgling enterpriser.