D-BAT Academies, an indoor baseball and softball training franchise, offers training lessons, camps, and clinics to children aged 5-18. In its state-of-the-art facilities, children of all experience levels can receive professional training from former pro and college players. The franchise, which began over 20 years ago in Dallas, Texas, has now expanded to more than 100 locations across the US and abroad.
The newest D-BAT Academies location in Schererville, Indiana, is operated by Sean and Evadney Hamilton. Though the couple are both first-time franchisees, they have diverse backgrounds and skills that prepared them well for this new business endeavor. Sean, a baseball player himself, is a program manager at Microsoft with a focus in customer success. Evadney works for Transunion and was involved in track and dance through high school and college. With their combined experience in business and sports, the next logical step was to open their own sports-centric business. One day after a ball game, a friend of Sean’s took him to a local D-BAT Academy. Sean was instantly impressed not only by the facility, but by the franchise’s business model. After doing more research, Sean realized that his role in customer service could easily translate to running his own D-BAT Academy and working with parents and children. Sean and Evadney felt it was a good fit for them and began the process of opening their own location.
When it came time to finance the new facility, Sean and Evadney already knew that SBA lending was the right path for them. Many D-BAT franchisees use SBA loans for financing, so it was a matter of finding the right lender. Using the online SBA Lender Match tool, Sean and Evadney got in touch with Brendan McMoran, one of our experienced Business Development Officers. Brendan began to work with Sean and Evadney to craft a flexible SBA loan solution that would work for their needs. Ultimately, Brendan was able to structure an SBA 7(a) loan for the couple that covered their start-up costs for the franchise and leasehold improvements for the facility.
Sean had this to say about his partnership with Brendan and the team at FNB Small Business Finance:
Working with Brendan was a no-brainer. He was very receptive and accommodating. Brendan and FNB really wanted to have a good understanding of our business and us personally. Brendan was a great guide throughout the process and tailored our loan to our needs.
Congratulations to Sean and Evadney on opening their own D-BAT location! We can’t wait to see what they accomplish in the future and wish them all the success in the world.
