Hey {{first_name}},

A former dentist just built a $92 million storage portfolio – and SBA loans were the secret weapon.

Most investors think you need institutional capital or massive net worth to scale in storage. But Wayde Elliott proved otherwise. After an injury ended his dentistry career, he started with one small project in Oregon and systematically grew to 11 facilities across California and Oregon.

His financing strategy: Loans from the Small Business Administration.

And what he discovered could completely change how you think about portfolio growth.

This story was featured last week on Inside Self Storage – you can see their full writeup here.

SBA loans aren't just for your first deal – they're a portfolio growth engine.

SBA loans really do offer something unique: up to 90% financing with long-term, fixed rates.

That capital efficiency means you can acquire and develop more properties with less of your own cash.

But here's the critical part:

It's not just about the financing terms.

Elliott's background in healthcare taught him trust and attention to detail. Those skills translated directly into finding "hidden opportunities" – underperforming facilities in good markets where operational improvements create value.

SBA financing gave him the capital to acquire these assets, and his operational expertise turned them into high-performers.

The real lesson: 

SBA loans are most powerful when combined with operational knowledge.

Anyone can get cheap financing. Not everyone can identify a facility operating at 82% occupancy that should be at 93%.

Or recognize when a market has strong fundamentals but the current owner has zero online presence.

Or understand which operational changes actually move the needle.

That combination – favorable financing terms plus operational expertise – is what allowed Elliott to scale from one project to $92 million in developed properties.

If you're sitting on the sidelines waiting for "better market conditions" or trying to raise equity for your next deal, you might be overlooking the financing tool that's been available all along.

Here's to using the right tools,

Cody

P.S. The most underutilized advantage of SBA loans might be that they force you to think like a business operator, not just a real estate investor. The application process requires detailed business plans and operational projections – which is exactly the kind of thinking that separates successful storage operators from everyone else.