Something Sweet By Maddie Lu #STRONG21

An Unexpected Year

Something Sweet by Maddie Lu has been in business for six years. Business has always been strong with the support of the local community backing the bakery. However, last year made Something Sweet by Maddie Lu face a challenge they never saw coming.

Maddie Carlos, Owner of Something Sweet by Maddie Lu, was not one to give into circumstance. She and her business faced last year’s challenges head on with her community and bank behind her. Now, she is determined to thrive in 2021. She is “baking it happen”.

From Hoping To Surviving

Maddie opened Something Sweet with her mom, Laurie, in 2015. A second location was opened in Mall of America in 2017. From then on, it was off to the races for Maddie. As a Food Network baking contestant, she has a great drive for competing. In fact, she has won Winner Cake All on the program.

The tenacity that has driven her to compete on the Food Network drove her to come out on top in 2021. Last year proved to be a worthy adversary. Maddie and her mom were apprehensive when they were forced to lay-off employees due to the events of this past year. However, the pair heard about the help Paycheck Protection Programs (PPP) offered. 

Their current bank was unable to assist them with their loan application at the speed they required. "After we realized that we would not be getting the loan from our bank as quickly as we needed, we reached out to our bookkeeper who referred us to Village Bank. We quickly learned that Village Bank's main focus was on entrepreneurs and with that they were able to process our PPP loan quickly," mentioned Maddie Carlos.

A saving grace came in the form of a recommendation. Their accountant, John Dierkhising (managing partner at Bottom Line Accounting), mentioned Village Bank to the duo and from there they came into contact with Dana Kinde, SVP of Lending at Village Bank. With hope in their back pockets, they talked to their banker, Dana, about the possibility of PPP assistance. 

From Surviving To Thriving

The first round of PPP that Village Bank supported allowed for Maddie and Laurie to bring their staff back. With health precautions in place, they were open for business in a “new normal” world. The bakery was again mixing and baking while the community happily placed orders on a new online system.

Village Bank also aided in a second round of PPP that helped pay employees who were displaced when the Mall of America was shutdown. This round of PPP also allowed Something Sweet to pay rent for the second location. Maddie and Laurie are thankful for the quick aid and advice Village Bank provided them. They are also thankful for the support of their community. Word-of-mouth has truly helped Something Sweet survive and thrive in 2021. The local community is the force behind making Something Sweet by Maddie Lu #STRONG21.

Set For A #STRONG21

With the help of Village Bank, Something Sweet by Maddie Lu has been able to continue supporting the baking needs of the community. The reason Maddie is proud to be a Villager is because she knows Village Bank will be there for her when she needs the help most. Village Bank is invested in Something Sweet’s future! Maddie enjoys being part of a bank that is ready to help her own it and build something special.

Connect with Maddie for all your bakery needs.

Just like Something Sweet by Maddie Lu, you deserve a #STRONG21. We’ll get you there.

Connect with Dana for your #STRONG21
	DANA KINDE  |  SVP, COMMERCIAL BANKER Here to help you with your new or existing Commercial or SBA Financing needs. SBA Loans Conventional Loans Send me an email  |  763-398-3511 Learn more about Dana

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