Bankable By Design
Capital Access Consulting for Organizations that Fund and Support Entrepreneurs
We strengthen your capacity to serve small businesses by preparing clients to meet underwriting standards, submit complete documentation, and succeed in securing funding.
Who We Serve
Helping Your Clients Get to ‘Yes’ — Faster
We work behind the scenes with SBDCs, Banks, CDFIs, and Economic Development Groups to ensure that the small businesses you support are ready for funding. Our consulting engagements are designed to extend your team’s capacity, reduce processing friction, and improve client outcomes.
Whether you’re facing overwhelmed staff, incomplete loan packages, or underserved entrepreneurs who need more hands-on help — we can help you meet your goals without compromising quality or compliance.
How We Help
Bankability Toolkit Training
Workshops for orgs like SBDCs, CDFIs, and banks to better prep clients for funding
Bankability Index
A database of top lender criteria & funding insights
Bankable Blueprint
One-on-one support to get businesses loan- or investor-ready
About our Founder: Suzanne Darden
I’ve spent my career helping small businesses become fundable — not just by checking boxes, but by understanding what really makes a lender say “yes.”
With a background in both business ownership and commercial banking, I saw early on how confusing and discouraging the capital access process could be for entrepreneurs. I made it my mission to lift the veil on what makes a business bankable, and to build systems that help people navigate funding with clarity, confidence, and strategic support.
Over the past two decades, I’ve served as a business banker, loan officer, and capital access advisor, working alongside lenders, government partners, and economic development organizations to secure funding for business owners in all stages — from startup to succession planning.
In 2013, I joined the Alabama SBDC to build and lead their first-ever Capital Access Team, where I developed and scaled a high-touch model that served over 250+ businesses a year, supporting capital requests from $25,000 to $25 million. Whether it was traditional bank loans, financing with SBA or USDA guarantees, state guarantee programs, or creative capital stacks, I became the go-to expert for helping small businesses secure their best funding packages.
Now through Bankable by Design, I work with organizations like SBDCs, CRA departments at Banks, CDFIs, and Revolving Loan Funds to ensure the businesses they serve are truly capital-ready — saving time, increasing approvals, and reducing risk.