Elevating Ventures With Strategic Financial Guidance
George Handley
Managing Partner
As Managing Partner at Vested Ventures Group, George helps small to middle-market businesses get the financial assistance they need. With a background in financial analysis, financial services consulting, SBA lending, and an extensive partner network, he is well-positioned to help clients identify and obtain financing solutions or financial/ professional services to achieve their business goals. His expertise includes alternative financing types such as funding for mergers and acquisitions, real estate financing, SBA loans, hard money loans, and lines of credit. Through a network of capital providers, professional services firms, and business clients, George makes connections that create opportunities for everyone involved. His business partners include private lenders, real estate investors, CPAs, CFOs, business brokers, commercial lenders, investment bankers, and business attorneys. His leadership responsibilities at Canady include business strategy, business development, client relationships, and managing a talented team of finance professionals.
Prior to VVG, George was Vice President and SBA Commercial Loan Officer at Midwest Regional Bank. He advised and assisted small business clients with SBA loans, assessing needs and qualifications, guiding them through the application, and overseeing the entire process. Business development was also part of his role. He established and managed relationships with both bank clients and business partners, growing his professional network and connecting clients to trusted providers of other services.
Previously, George was a Business Development Representative at NOW CFO, a finance and accounting consultancy with more than 50 locations nationwide. He marketed and coordinated consulting and staffing engagements for small businesses and formed partnerships with providers of other types of professional services. By meeting with clients in different industries to understand their unique needs and offer tailored solutions, he gained a wealth of experience in financial operations.
As a Business Analyst Consultant at a boutique private equity firm, George supported the acquisition of small businesses and national franchises. He performed financial analysis, assessment, and forecasting for acquisition prospects and coordinated accounting functions for operating companies.
George started his career with a highly successful run in the leasing of new luxury apartment projects for several national real estate and property management companies. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Business from the University of South Florida and is an active member of the Association for Corporate Growth.
Core Story
Growing up, my family lived paycheck-to-paycheck in the traumatic aftermath of my father’s failed business venture. The financial difficulties, fights about bills, and the shame of being one of the ‘poor kids’ in a small town loomed over me and my siblings as my parents struggled to make ends meet.
I began to educate myself on entrepreneurship and how money worked. Before I knew it, a window into a lifestyle of freedom started to materialize. At the age of 12, I invested my inheritance from my Aunt in putting vending machines all over my town. I learned how the different mechanisms of a business fit together and earned my first taste of success as an entrepreneur. I thought maybe this could be my ‘way out.’
As I worked my way through college toward a career in finance, the ‘unknown’ factors and poor guidance my father experienced were gradually identified in textbooks and lectures. It was during that time that I committed myself to understanding all the “unknown” factors that business owners tend to struggle with.
Soon after college, I found myself collaborating directly with the CFO and CEO of a private equity firm, who were considering risking their fortunes to expand into something bigger. I helped them through the fear and anxiety that come with risking it all. I helped them triple. I’ll always remember seeing and feeling their relief from the pressure they faced from deadlines and boards.
Whether you’re a new visionary looking to take the leap into the world of business or a successful business owner struggling with the pros and cons of your next big idea, I understand your pain. I know what’s at stake, and I want you to succeed. I want to help you avoid the soul-crushing effects of failed business ventures and see you build the generational wealth that my family missed out on.
I’m here to empower you with knowledge, an unbiased perspective, and solutions that minimize the risk, take away the fear, avoid the pain of failure, and bring you closer to achieving your dream.
Core Values
Understanding - To us, seeking to understand includes two ongoing principles: empathy and diligence. Aside from keeping up with current market trends, financial updates, and local and national challenges in the ever-changing lending landscape, I’m committed to understanding each individual client’s fears, capabilities, needs, and what drives them. I believe that by being thorough on these two fronts, I can better help my clients minimize the risk, take away the fear, and avoid the pain of business failure.
Entrepreneurial Community - We are committed to cultivating a community that fosters entrepreneurship. We believe that individuals who take on the lifestyle, risks, and responsibilities of a business owner are agents of prosperity in their communities. We realize the ripple effect they create for all of us as they bring up others with their innovation and ambition. We are dedicated to celebrating and supporting these special people.
Integrity - We believe that the most effective path to success involves treating our clients as people first, not as organizations or transactions. We are committed to helping the person behind the business idea and to doing what’s in the best interest of our clients in all scenarios.