William Stern’s Vision: Leading Change in Small Business Financing

by William Jones / ⠀Small Business / March 12, 2025

Having founded Cardiff, Inc. in 2004 to provide flexible business financing, entrepreneur William Stern has weathered many challenges in the past two decades, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout it all, Stern has worked with perseverance and creativity to make small business financing more accessible and inclusive.

The Vision Behind Cardiff, Inc.

When Stern founded Cardiff, Inc., he desired to break away from traditional financial systems to offer more accessible and flexible financing options to small businesses. Responding to gaps in the financial market, he built Cardiff into a trusted name in business loans, introducing inclusive financing models that support small businesses founded by underrepresented entrepreneurs, particularly women-owned and minority-owned businesses. The road has not always been smooth. Stern has worked tirelessly to respond to various unexpected challenges over the years, establishing new methods of equipment financing and aiding small businesses in their recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. As small businesses have had to adapt to swiftly changing conditions, small business financing has also had to adapt.

The $1 Billion Milestone

Amid it all, Cardiff has played a growing role in providing financial opportunities to small businesses nationwide, achieving the milestone of funding over $1 billion in small business loans. Stern attributes his growth to his ability to inspire others—from close friends and colleagues to chance acquaintances—to join his mission. He has inspired hope in his business partners and attracted partners with a similarly resilient attitude. Cardiff’s website slogan is “Borrow better: You wouldn’t wait ten minutes for a latte, so why wait longer for business financing?” The first question that follows this isn’t “Do you qualify?” but “How much cash do you need?” It’s a way of starting the conversation that removes barriers and encourages an “I can do this” approach. As Cardiff continues to grow beyond that $1 billion milestone, Stern increasingly focuses on converting his success into philanthropic efforts. His new podcast, A Stern Talk (punning on his name), aims to share his insights, lessons learned, and perspectives on small business ownership and financing with a broader, more global community of small business owners. A successful business begins not just with an idea and an infusion of capital but with a story. Stern hopes that A Stern Talk can use storytelling to help share valuable experiences and assist business owners–especially business owners from underrepresented communities—in crafting their own compelling stories. Stern feels that it is essential to communicate and learn from both successes and failures.

Looking Ahead

Whether through A Stern Talk or through expanding Cardiff’s reach into new, untapped markets, Stern hopes to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs, which he believes is key to bettering local communities. His primary advice for aspiring small business owners is that inclusivity, trust building, and partnership–not just vision or business acumen–create long-term success. He sees his role as changing how small businesses can access the capital they need to grow and thrive and helping business owners understand how their businesses can grow and thrive. As a business leader and philanthropist, Stern understands the importance of accessible, inclusive small business financing and a partnership-centered small business approach to helping communities grow.