Denied by Desjardins? There’s a Faster Way to Fund Your Quebec Business.
A rejection or a slow process at Desjardins or your Caisse populaire doesn’t have to stall your business. lendflo compares your file against 50+ Canadian lenders and gives you a fast decision — in full English or French, with no branch visit required.
Let’s Be Honest About Desjardins
Desjardins and the Caisse populaire network are Quebec’s largest and most established cooperative financial institutions, with excellent products for businesses that fit their model. The issue isn’t that Desjardins is a bad lender — it’s that its approval criteria and French-first cooperative structure exclude a large share of viable Quebec businesses, including many anglophone-run companies. lendflo doesn’t replace Desjardins; we give business owners who don’t fit that model a faster, bilingual path to capital.
Why Quebec Business Owners Look Beyond Desjardins
Four common situations where lendflo is the better fit.
Weeks of Waiting You Don't Have
Desjardins commercial applications move through committee-style underwriting that routinely takes a month or longer. If you're covering payroll, chasing a seasonal window, or need to move on a deal now, that timeline can cost you the opportunity.
Already Declined by Desjardins
A Desjardins decline usually comes down to rigid, cooperative-model criteria — time in business, credit score, collateral, or sector. Our lender network reads files differently, often weighing current revenue and cash flow more heavily than banking tenure.
Prefer to Do Business in English
Desjardins operates as a French-first cooperative, and while service quality varies by branch, some anglophone business owners find the process, paperwork, and follow-up easier in English. lendflo runs the entire application, comparison, and funding process in English or French, your choice.
You Just Want to Compare Offers
Even a Desjardins approval is only one offer from one lender. lendflo puts your file in front of 50+ Canadian lenders at once, so you can see what rate and terms the broader market will actually give a business like yours.
lendflo vs. Desjardins — Side by Side
When Desjardins Is Actually the Better Choice
We’ll tell you when lendflo isn’t the right fit — you deserve an honest recommendation, not a sales pitch.
Built for Quebec’s Anglophone Business Community
Whether you run a business in the West Island, NDG, the Eastern Townships, or anywhere else in Quebec, lendflo advisors work with you entirely in English — application, lender calls, contracts, and funding — while still comparing the same 50+ lender network available to French-speaking applicants. No branch visit, no requirement to conduct business in French.
How lendflo Works
Apply online in about 5 minutes
No branch visit, no paper file. Tell us about your business and how much financing you need — in English or French.
We shop your file to 50+ lenders
Our network is screened for your profile automatically, so you see real offers instead of a single yes-or-no answer.
Fast decision, funded fast
Once you accept an offer and sign, funds are deposited directly into your business account — no weeks of follow-up.
Frequently Asked Questions
We’re here to simplify your business financing journey, so you can feel confident every step of the way.
Yes. lendflo operates fully in both English and French, with dedicated advisors for anglophone business owners in Montreal (West Island, NDG, Westmount), the Eastern Townships, and across the province. You never have to switch languages mid-conversation or work through a French-only branch process.
Desjardins and the Caisse populaire network apply cooperative-lending criteria built around long banking relationships: typically 2+ years of financial history, a credit score of 680 or higher, personal guarantees, and audited statements. Newer businesses, seasonal revenue, or an imperfect credit history are common reasons for a decline — even when the business itself is healthy.
lendflo is a licensed Canadian business financing broker connecting you to a network of 50+ lenders, several of which specialize in Quebec SMBs and have no branch-membership requirement. We evaluate your file on current business revenue and cash flow — not solely on how long you've banked somewhere.
Desjardins commercial loan applications typically take 3 to 8 weeks to move through underwriting. lendflo gives you a fast decision, with funds available shortly after you sign — no in-branch appointment, no paper file.
No. lendflo is fully independent of the Desjardins network. Your existing business account — at Desjardins or any other institution — is all that's needed to receive funding. Many of our Quebec clients keep their Desjardins account for day-to-day banking and use lendflo specifically for financing.
Nothing to the business owner. lendflo is 100% free to apply — we're paid a commission by the lender only when financing is funded. There are no application fees, no broker fees, and checking your options never affects your credit score.
Still have questions?
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Questions to ask any lender or broker before you sign
The same six questions work for a bank, an online lender or a broker.
- How are you paid? — and will I ever pay a fee?
- What is the total I will repay? — not just the interest rate.
- What happens if I repay early? — is there a charge?
- Do I need collateral or a personal guarantee? — read the offer for the clause.
- How soon will funds arrive? — after approval and signing.
- Who will I deal with afterwards? — the lender or the broker.
People also ask
lendflo is a broker, not a lender: it compares offers from several lenders for you and is paid by the lenders, not by you. BDC and banks lend their own money under their own criteria. Compare timelines and total cost on each lender’s own page.
The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) is a federal Crown corporation that lends to and advises Canadian entrepreneurs; it is not a chartered bank. Approval times depend on the product, so check bdc.ca for current details. lendflo is a broker, not a lender, and can show you other offers to compare.
A business loan broker does not lend its own money. It compares offers from several lenders for you and is usually paid by the lender when a loan funds. lendflo works this way: free for business owners, paid by lenders. Ask any broker how it is paid, and compare total repayment.
No. lendflo is free for business owners; it is paid by the lender when a loan funds. Whoever arranges a loan, always compare the total amount you will repay on each offer, not only the interest rate.
Terms explained
What is an alternative lender?
An alternative lender is a non-bank company that provides business financing, such as an online lender or a private lender. Alternative lenders typically decide faster and use broader criteria than banks, often looking at revenue and cash flow as well as credit, in exchange for a higher cost.
See in the glossaryWhat is a business loan broker?
A business loan broker is an intermediary that compares offers from several lenders for a business instead of lending its own money. It is usually paid by the lender when a loan funds. lendflo is a broker: it is free for business owners and paid by lenders.
See in the glossaryWhat is the total cost of borrowing?
The total cost of borrowing is everything you pay on top of the amount you borrow, including interest and fees. The annual percentage rate (APR) expresses that cost as a yearly percentage so offers can be compared. Always compare the total amount repaid, not only the interest rate.
See in the glossaryTopic guide
Part of the guide: Government programs and lender alternatives
BDC, the Canada Small Business Financing Program, banks and other lenders — and how a broker compares them.