How to get UCC leads for free - need filing opportunities for lending business

This is actually brilliant - never thought about mining expiring continuations for leads. Do most states make this searchable by date range?

Yeah most states let you search by filing date ranges. Just calculate back 4-5 years from current date and look for UCC-1s that don't have recent continuations filed.

Interesting angle - how do you identify which companies are actually viable coming out of bankruptcy vs just gonna fail again?

Look for ones with confirmed reorganization plans and new management. Avoid liquidation cases obviously. The viable ones usually have some kind of DIP financing already lined up but might need additional working capital.

That's actually a really good idea. Build relationships with equipment dealers who might not have their own financing programs.

Yes! I did this with forklift dealers and construction equipment guys. They get customers who need financing all the time.

Exactly. And once you build trust with dealers they'll keep sending you deals. Much better than cold calling random businesses.

Interesting - so it catches debtor name mismatches before you file? That could definitely save time on due diligence.

Exactly. Upload the potential debtor's articles of incorporation and it flags any name variations that could cause UCC-1 rejections. Better to know upfront than file incorrectly.

This works great. I've gotten some of my best deals through CPA referrals. They know which clients are growing and need capital.

Yep, and attorneys doing acquisitions often have buyers who need financing. Build those relationships early.

Do you message them directly on LinkedIn or try to get phone numbers elsewhere?

I usually try to connect first with a personalized message about financing solutions. Response rates are better than cold emails.

Just be careful not to spam people. LinkedIn will restrict your account if you send too many connection requests.

Good point about SBA deals. I should probably get familiar with their requirements anyway.

Yeah, lots of SBA deals need UCC-1s filed on business assets. Worth building relationships with SBA preferred lenders too.

Most business journals have free newsletters too. Easy way to stay informed about local deal flow.

Exactly. I set up Google alerts for terms like 'equipment purchase' and 'expansion' plus my city name.

Which industries do you think are best for UCC filing opportunities?

Manufacturing, transportation, construction, medical practices with expensive equipment. Basically anything with high-value assets that can serve as collateral.

Don't forget restaurants and food service. They're always buying equipment and many have cash flow issues that create financing needs.

That sounds like it could catch expensive mistakes early. How does it work exactly?

Just upload PDFs of the business documents and it cross-references names automatically. Flags any variations that could cause filing rejections or perfection issues.

Smart idea. Never thought about using Google alerts for lead generation.

You can get pretty specific with the search terms. Include industry keywords too like 'manufacturing financing' or 'medical equipment loans'.

This is huge. I get referrals from banks that don't do asset-based lending. They appreciate having someone to send those deals to.

Exactly. Build relationships with complementary lenders rather than just competing with everyone.

Make sure you return the favor when you get deals outside your parameters. Reciprocal referrals work best.

That's a really strategic approach I hadn't considered. M&A transitions create so many financing needs - bridge loans, working capital gaps, equipment refinancing. Do you find companies are more receptive during these periods since they're actively restructuring their finances anyway?

Absolutely - they're already in "deal mode" and expecting to evaluate multiple financing options. Plus their existing lender relationships might be disrupted by the transaction, so they're more open to new providers. I focus on companies where the acquirer is in a different industry or geography than the target, since those deals often need specialized asset-based financing that traditional banks won't touch.

This M&A angle is brilliant - I never thought about the timing advantage you get when companies are already expecting to restructure their debt. Are there specific trade publications you recommend for tracking these deals, or do you mostly rely on general business journals? I'm wondering if industry-specific publications might give earlier signals before deals hit the mainstream press.

Great question @Ethan Wilson! I've found industry-specific publications are goldmines for early M&A intel. For manufacturing deals, I monitor American Machinist and IndustryWeek. For healthcare, Modern Healthcare and Becker's Hospital Review often break acquisition news weeks before it hits mainstream outlets. The key is finding publications that cover middle-market deals in your target sectors - Wall Street Journal only covers the mega-deals, but industry trades cover the $10M-$100M transactions that are perfect for asset-based lenders like us.