The Buzz with Phillip Quintana of Capital One Bank

Phillip Quintana, is a Senior Vice President, Market Executive – Business Banking at Capital One Bank.  With high energy, proven leadership and goal oriented methods, Phil has successfully built performance based teams throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. He was an important catalyst for the WDCEP’s 2011 Business Plan Competition and provided vital information to potential applicants on writing a business plan, developing a financial plan and presenting a business plan to investors. Phil has been with Capital One Bank for over a year and brings with him many years of experience in the industry.

Capital One Bank has partnered with the Washington, DC Economic Partnership this past year on its Business Plan Competition.  Can you talk about that partnership?

Capital One Bank is proud of our partnership with the WDCEP. As a local bank, we believe that a thriving small business sector is essential to the overall health and well-being of our city. We support the collaborative community that the WDCEP is working to build in Washington, DC, and we are committed to continuing our partnership with the WDCEP to help facilitate small business development and growth in this region.

What are some initiatives that Capital One Bank has put in place to help small businesses in DC?

At Capital One Bank, we recognize the important role that local small businesses play in stimulating the economy. Our experienced bankers work with our small business customers every day to help them realize their financial goals. We also partner with national and local organizations, like the WDCEP and Goodwill of Greater Washington, to support innovative programs that help individuals gain new job skills or to build on existing business management skills. This approach to supporting our communities is part of a strategy that we call “Investing for Good,” our comprehensive approach to adding value to the communities in which we live, work and do business.

With your first year partnering with the WDCEP in the Business Plan Competition, what do you think of this initiative (the BPC) as a way of helping small businesses?

Initiatives like the Business Plan Competition help to identify promising local small businesses – and connect them with the tools and resources they need to be successful. Capital One Bank helped to sponsor this initiative as well as provide mentoring and technical assistance to applicants, by conducting interactive presentations and workshops with our business bankers, who brought a real world perspective to the process of writing a business plan, developing a financial plan and presenting each to investors. We believe that everyone who participated in this competition can come away with new applicable business skills, invaluable insight and a host of new contacts.

Since acquiring Chevy Chase Bank in the region, what trends have you noticed with the region’s small business environment?

There are a number of encouraging small business trends that we’ve seen emerge over the past few years. As I mentioned earlier, there is an increased focus on collaboration and connecting local entrepreneurs with each other and with more seasoned leaders to help them build a foundation for success. There has also been a shift toward greater sustainability and environmental awareness. The Washington, DC region has a lot to offer entrepreneurs and existing small businesses, and I predict that with the help of programs like those developed by the WDCEP, even more local business will be poised for future success and growth.