Your Bank Is Not In Your Corner. We Are.
Senior-led commercial mortgage and business financing advisory for owner-managed businesses across Canada.
Most financing deals fall apart not because the business is not fundable, but because the file was poorly packaged, submitted to the wrong lender, or both. KitsWest Capital changes that. We hold CPA, CBV, and mortgage broker credentials, which means we can assess what your business is actually worth, structure the file the way a lender needs to see it, and place it with the institution most likely to approve it. That combination is rare. Most financing brokers can do one of those things. We do all three.
$500M+ in transactions completed over five years
CPA, CBV, and licensed mortgage broker on the file
Access to banks, credit unions, alternative, and private lenders
Response within one business day
Mike Busch, Managing Partner, holds Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and Chartered Business Valuator (CBV) designations, and is a Licensed Mortgage Broker with 8Twelve Mortgage Corp., a BCFSA-regulated mortgage brokerage.
Get a Confidential Assessment
KitsWest Capital
595 Howe Street, Suite 306
Vancouver, BC V6C 2T5
(604)-762-6225
Not sure what type of financing is right for your situation? That is exactly what the first conversation is for. All enquiries are strictly confidential.
The Problem With How Most Business Financing Gets Done
When a business owner needs financing, the typical path is to call their bank, submit a package, and wait. If the bank says no, or comes back with terms that do not fit, the owner is left starting over with limited time and no clear direction on why the deal did not work.
The problem is not the lender. The problem is the process. Banks and credit unions assess risk in very specific ways, and how a financing request is positioned matters enormously. The normalization of earnings, how the business value is explained, how the use of proceeds is framed: all of it has a direct impact on whether a file gets approved and at what terms.
Most financing brokers submit your file and hope for the best. They do not hold the credentials to assess your business the way a lender will, which means they cannot tell you why a lender might push back or how to get ahead of it.
KitsWest is different. Because our team holds CPA and CBV designations alongside mortgage broker credentials, we understand your business at the financial level before we ever approach a lender. That means better positioning, fewer surprises, and deals that actually close.
Financing We Arrange
We advise on and arrange a broad range of financing for owner-managed and privately held companies:
Commercial Mortgages
Acquisition Financing
Commercial Real Estate
Construction & Development
Equipment Finance
Capital Leases
Mortgage Renewals
Business Term Loans
Working Capital Lines
Refinancing
Mezzanine & Private Debt
If your financing need is not listed above, reach out. We advise on most forms of business debt and have lender relationships across banks, credit unions, alternative lenders, and private capital sources.
What Makes KitsWest Different
We understand your financials the way lenders do.
Our team holds CPA credentials. Before we approach any lender, we analyze your normalized earnings, cash flow, and debt capacity the same way an underwriter will. You do not walk into a lender conversation with a package that raises questions we should have answered first. Most financing brokers cannot do this. We can.
We know what your business is worth before we ask for money.
KitsWest holds both CPA and CBV designations, which means we can assess the value of your business as part of the financing engagement. That changes the conversation with lenders entirely. Instead of guessing at a number, we walk in with a defensible position backed by credentials the lender respects.
A licensed mortgage broker is on your file.
Mike Busch is a Licensed Mortgage Broker with 8Twelve Mortgage Corp., a BCFSA-regulated mortgage brokerage. Commercial mortgages are arranged through 8Twelve Mortgage Corp., which means the same person advising you on the transaction is also the one structuring and placing the mortgage. No referrals, no hand-offs, no gaps between the advisory and the execution.
We place financing across a broad lender network.
We have working relationships with chartered banks, credit unions, and alternative lenders. Depending on your situation, the right lender may not be the obvious one, and we know which lenders are most likely to approve and close a deal like yours.
We work on your behalf, not the lender's.
We do not represent banks or institutions. We advise the borrower. Our job is to find you the best structure and terms for your situation, not to place you wherever is easiest or fastest for us.
We are also M&A advisors.
Other firms arrange financing for acquisitions. KitsWest can run the entire acquisition process alongside it. If you are buying a business and need both the advisory and the financing in one engagement, we are one of the only firms in Canada that can do both at this level of credentials.
We tell you the truth.
If your file is not financeable as structured, we will tell you that and explain why. If the timing is not right, we will tell you that too. Our goal is a deal that actually closes, not a process that drags on and wastes your time.
Representative Transactions
Our team has arranged and advised on the following representative financing transactions:
$80M debt and capital raise, investment management firm
$45M acquisition financing and capital raise, US quick-service restaurant chain
$33M acquisition financing and capital raise, gravel crushing and construction company
$7M debt and capital advisory, industrial manufacturing company including commercial mortgage
$6M restructuring and debtor-in-possession financing, coffee producer
Representative sample. Includes transactions completed at KitsWest Capital and predecessor firms.
How the Process Works
Most commercial financing files take four to ten weeks from first conversation to funding, depending on complexity although KitsWest has the ability to obtain a quick short term financing solution if needed. Here is what the process looks like with KitsWest.
Stage 1 - Initial Assessment
We start with a confidential conversation about your business, the financing need, and the timeline. We review your financial statements and assess how a lender will look at the file, including what questions they will ask and where there may be sensitivity. This gives you a realistic picture of what is achievable before we do anything.
Stage 2 - Structuring and Preparation
We normalize the financials, determine the right loan structure, and prepare the submission package. This includes debt service analysis, business overview, and any supporting materials the lender will need. A well-prepared package reduces back-and-forth, speeds up the review, and reduces the chance of a conditional approval coming back with items that should have been addressed upfront.
Stage 3 - Lender Selection and Submission
We identify the lenders most likely to approve and close your specific deal and submit to those institutions. In some cases we approach one lender. In others, we run a parallel process to generate competitive tension on rate and terms. We manage all lender communication on your behalf.
Stage 4 - Negotiation and Commitment
When offers come in, we evaluate the full picture: rate, term, amortization, prepayment flexibility, covenants, and conditions. We negotiate on your behalf and present you with a clear comparison so you can make an informed decision.
Stage 5 - Conditions and Funding
We manage the conditions process alongside your legal and accounting advisors and coordinate through to funding. Because the file was prepared properly at the start, this stage moves faster and with fewer surprises.
There is no cost and no obligation to the initial conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions
My commercial mortgage is coming up for renewal. Can you help?
Yes, and this is one of the best times to engage an advisor. Renewals are often treated as administrative. Borrowers simply accept what their existing lender offers without shopping the market. Mike Busch is a Licensed Mortgage Broker with 8Twelve Mortgage Corp., a BCFSA-regulated mortgage brokerage, and works with a broad lender network. We can compare your renewal terms against what is currently available and negotiate or reposition the file if there is a better option. There is no obligation to switch lenders, but you should know what your options are before you sign.
What size of financing do you work with?
We advise on a broad range of deal sizes. Commercial mortgages and acquisition financing typically start in the $500K range, though we are flexible. For smaller working capital or business loan needs below $500K, we have referral relationships with lenders who specialize in that space and can point you in the right direction.
Do you charge a fee for the initial consultation?
No. The first conversation is confidential, no-obligation, and free. We will tell you upfront whether we think we can add value and what a typical engagement looks like.
How are you compensated?
For mortgage and loan placements, we are typically compensated through a broker fee paid at funding, either by the lender or as a placement fee. We are transparent about our fee structure at the outset of every engagement.
What if my bank already turned me down?
That is one of the most common starting points for a KitsWest engagement. A bank decline does not mean the deal is not financeable. It often means it was not structured correctly or submitted to the wrong institution. We assess what happened and determine whether there is a viable path forward with a different lender or a different structure.
Do you work outside of BC?
Yes. We advise businesses across Canada, including Alberta, Ontario, and other provinces. Our lender network is national.
Can you help with both acquisition financing and the M&A process itself?
Yes. If you are buying a business and need both advisory support on the transaction and help arranging the acquisition financing, we can handle both in one engagement. Most firms can do one or the other. We do both, and at the credential level that institutional buyers and lenders expect.
Get a Confidential Assessment
KitsWest Capital
595 Howe Street, Suite 306
Vancouver, BC V6C 2T5
(604)-762-6225
Not sure what type of financing is right for your situation? That is exactly what the first conversation is for. All enquiries are strictly confidential.
Mortgage services provided by Mike Busch, Licensed Mortgage Broker with 8Twelve Mortgage Corp., a BCFSA-regulated mortgage brokerage. All mortgage products and services are offered through 8Twelve Mortgage Corp.