Our Services
Most small business owners don’t have a capital problem. They have a translation problem between how they see their business, and how a lender sees it. Capital River exists to close that gap.
Founder Ethan Dunstan spent 25 years as a commercial banker at UVA Community Credit Union, Virginia National Bank, and Wachovia. He has read the files, run the credit committee discussions, and made the calls that small business owners are trying to influence from the outside. That experience shapes everything we do.
We work with three kinds of engagements:
Get Bank-Ready
Most commercial loan applications don’t fail because the business isn’t qualified. They fail because the package is presented to the bank looking like a question rather than an answer.
We work with owners before they approach a lender to make sure the file is built the way an underwriter wants to read it.
That means:
Clean, reconciled financials
Projections that tie to a credible story
A debt service coverage calculation the bank won’t have to redo.
Owners often come to us after a loan has already been declined elsewhere. In those cases, we diagnose what the lender actually saw, fix what can be fixed, and decide whether to go back to the same institution or take the application somewhere it’s more likely to end with a “Yes”.
Find the Right Capital
Not every business needs a bank loan, and not every bank is the right bank.
The right financing depends on what the money is for, how predictable the cash flow is, what collateral exists, and how much dilution or personal guarantee the owner is willing to accept. The answer might be an SBA 7(a) loan, a conventional commercial line, equipment financing, a USDA Rural Development loan, an asset-based facility, or — sometimes — none of the above.
We help owners map their situation to the right source of capital and, where appropriate, make introductions. Twenty-five years in central Virginia banking means we know which institutions actually fund which kinds of deals, which lenders are leaning into which industries, and which conversations are worth having before the formal application goes in.
We are not brokers. We do not earn a commission on the financing you secure. Our incentive is to point you at the capital that fits your business, not the capital that pays us.
Fix the Cash Flow Problem
A surprising number of capital requests are really working-capital management problems wearing a different hat. The business doesn’t need more money — it needs the money it already has to move faster.
We diagnose the underlying cash cycle: how long receivables sit, how inventory is turning, where payables are creating drag, and whether the business is funding growth out of margin or out of float. Sometimes the answer is still to borrow. Sometimes it’s to renegotiate terms with key customers and suppliers to avoid the loan entirely. Either way, the owner makes the decision with the actual picture in front of them.
This work is often the most valuable thing we do, because it changes what the business needs from its bank — and from us — going forward.
We specialize in guiding businesses through the intricate labyrinth of capital acquisition
Our Approach
At Capital River Advisors we believe in the power of consultative sales and relationship management to achieve outstanding results. Our commitment to excellence and continuous learning has been the cornerstone of our success, and it’s the foundation upon which we built Capital River Advisors.
