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Enthusiasm, passion and a taste of big business leads entrepreneur to start his own business.
It all started as a part-time job in banking while I was in college almost 20 years ago. I’ve always been interested in business and financial markets. And I’ve observed how the entrepreneurial spirit runs deep in West Michigan. Having worked in banking with various clients in retail, mortgage, and commercial lending throughout my career, I met many business owners and heard their stories. I had living, breathing case studies in front of me. It inspired me to seek out a platform that allowed me to deliver a more pointed and personal customer experience.
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Creating a Culture of Serving
As an entrepreneur, I wanted to transition to an environment that was nimble and dynamic. I was interested in fostering a culture that allowed change to be implemented based on real-time feedback, not through committees and budget cycles.
I’ve always been passionate about helping others, whether coworkers or customers… being an advocate has always been important to me. Having an opportunity where I can mentor a team, provide the necessary resources to be able to truly invest in them and help them serve others, is a huge part of what brought me to starting my own business.
After leaving banking in 2017, I consulted for a while as I contemplated what I wanted the next chapter of my life to entail. When I was introduced to the Allstate opportunity, I found that working with a national brand like Allstate gives me the best of all worlds — I can mentor, teach and serve while having the scale and infrastructure of a Fortune 500 company at my disposal.
ChoiceOne has Common-Sense Approach
During my career in banking, I built relationships with many people from various banking institutions and was able to get a feel for those institutions’ capabilities. ChoiceOne seemed like it mirrored what I liked in a bank; having the required functions while giving their team the flexibility to look at opportunities objectively and make decisions regarding investment. I met Troy and Brad at various occasions, and we shared our experiences. When it was time to make my transition, they seemed to be the most open and ideal to work with to start my business. ChoiceOne has a common-sense approach to banking. Instead of managing an overall portfolio that can take the human portion out of the deal, ChoiceOne considers and sees strength in the people behind the investment.
Key – Fairness of the Deal
There are so many variables when starting a business and finding a bank. But from a relationship standpoint, the human aspect is alive and well. I was able to talk with Troy and he offered valuable insight, weighing in on considerations I was making. ChoiceOne looked at me and my background as an individual. There are not too many business owners today that even know the senior lender of their bank and with a certain level of accessibility. I appreciate that Troy structured the financing in a way that’s the most advantages for me. There are many institutions that will try to exploit certain scenarios with potential risk. What stood out to me was the fairness of the deal.
Allstate Rivertown Insurance Group Plans Summer Opening
For me, Allstate checks all the boxes. I am an exclusive, agent of Allstate with national-level tools and market insights. I am building a team based on shared trust and a desire to help individuals.
We are looking forward to a summer opening! The office space is currently being built out and is in Grandville, near Rivertown Crossings Mall. Allstate Rivertown Insurance Group offers property & casualty and life insurance, along with various investment options. Because we offer services to both personal and commercial clients, we are a bit unique and meet the needs of many of today’s businesses and households. I am excited for this next chapter and grateful to building a company in the West Michigan community I love.
Bank with confidence with ChoiceOne Bank's Business Services. For more information, contact Troy Butler today: 616-205-0328.
