Redefining Community Banking: How Vastly’s Digital Experience Platform (VastlyFUSION) Expands Community Bank and Credit Union Offerings

For decades, community banks and credit unions have been the trusted financial partners of small businesses. They’ve supported local entrepreneurs, helped companies weather economic storms and built long-lasting relationships.

But today, fintech disruptors and alternative lenders are taking that trust and turning it into business.

🔴 Small businesses are bypassing traditional banks in favor of faster, more flexible funding options.

🔴 Embedded financial services are now baked into business platforms, cutting banks out of the equation.

🔴Limited service offerings make it difficult for banks to support small businesses beyond loans and deposits.

🔴 Banks often can’t serve every small business due to strict lending requirements—forcing them to turn away potential customers.

The result? Small business customers—who should be the most loyal—are drifting toward non-bank providers, taking their deposits, transactions and future business elsewhere.

💡 Here’s the truth: Digital transformation alone won’t save community banking. The key is expanding the value you offer small businesses—beyond just loans and accounts.

That’s why VastlyFUSION is a game-changer.

Stop Losing Small Businesses to Fintechs: Offer More, Keep Them Longer

Small businesses aren’t leaving banks because they don’t trust them—they’re leaving because banks can’t offer the flexibility, speed and additional resources they need to thrive.

VastlyFUSION flips the script by equipping community banks and credit unions with the tools to:

✅ Provide lending and financial services even when small businesses don’t meet traditional banking requirements.

✅ Offer a curated marketplace of business and marketing solutions that small businesses actually need to grow.

✅ Build a connected ecosystem where local businesses can network, find resources and engage—all within their bank’s platform.

💡The best part? Banks and credit unions keep small business customers engaged within their ecosystem, strengthening retention and increasing deposits.

🚧 Why Traditional Banks Struggle to Serve Small Businesses

1️⃣ Rigid Lending Standards That Push Small Businesses Away

Banks want to serve small businesses, but rigid loan requirements and slow approval processes make it difficult.

🔴 Banks have strict underwriting requirements that exclude many small businesses from securing financing.

🔴 Alternative lenders approve loans in minutes, while traditional banks take weeks—losing business in the process.

🔴 Non-bank providers aren’t bound by the same regulations—which is why they can offer funding that banks can’t.

2️⃣ Banks Offer Limited Business Growth Tools

Today’s small businesses need more than just capital—they need business and marketing tools.

🔴 Small businesses need more than a bank account—they need marketing, operations support and sales tools to scale.

🔴 Most banks don’t have a centralized platform for small businesses to access these essential services.

🔴 Fintech platforms can offer all-in-one solutions—leaving traditional banks behind.

3️⃣ Fintechs And Alternative Lenders Are Stealing SMB Relationships

How VastlyFUSION Reinvents Community Banking for Small Businesses

VastlyFUSION transforms community banks and credit unions from traditional banking into an essential business growth partner.

With Vastly as a non-bank, fintech partner, community banks and credit unions can expand offerings without regulatory constraints, keeping more small businesses engaged within their ecosystem.

🔹 Embedded Financial Services—Lend More, Without the Risk

✔ Fund More Small Businesses, Even When They Don’t Meet Bank Loan Requirements – VastlyFUSION’s Finance Products enable banks to offer financing through a non-bank lending partner, keeping customers in the ecosystem without taking on additional risk.

✔ Embedded Credit, BNPL and Payment Processing – Let businesses finance purchases, invest in equipment or expand operations—all through your bank’s ecosystem.

✔ Preserve Depositor Relationships While Offering More Services – Even if small businesses don’t qualify for traditional lending, they still get financial support through Vastly, allowing banks to retain the depositor relationship while still meeting the customer’s funding needs.

💡 The result? More approved loans, stronger retention, deeper customer relationships and increased revenue opportunities for community banks and credit unions.

🔹 A Curated Business Marketplace—The Tools small businesses Actually Need

✔ Custom Products: Showcase and offer your own digital tools and solutions tailored to member needs.

✔ Business Products: Offer a suite of business solutions designed to support business growth, efficiency and scalability.

✔ Marketing Products: Equip members with robust tools to elevate their online presence and boost brand visibility.

💡 The result? Community banks and credit unions become a go-to resource for small business success, not just financial transactions.

🔹 Community and Peer-to-Peer Business Connections

✔ Facilitate Small Business Networking and Collaboration – Help small businesses find partners, vendors and customers through built-in business communities.

✔ Exclusive Member Benefits and Marketplace Discounts – Provide small businesses access to premium tools and services at exclusive rates.

✔ Business Referral Networks – Keep local businesses connected, engaged and actively using their bank’s ecosystem.

💡 The result? Community banks and credit unions strengthen SMB loyalty and make their platform indispensable.

The Future of Community Banking Is More Than Just Accounts and Loans

For too long, banks and credit unions have watched small businesses leave—not because they wanted to, but because they didn’t have the tools they needed.

VastlyFUSION ends that cycle by enabling banks to:

🚀 Offer more financial services—even to businesses that don’t meet bank lending requirements.

🚀 Provide small businesses with real tools for growth, not just banking and financing.

🚀 Keep depositors engaged and prevent them from turning to fintech competitors.

This isn’t just a digital transformation. It’s a fundamental shift in how banks serve small businesses.

Are you ready to take control of your small business banking relationships?

Schedule a call today and discover how VastlyFUSION can help your bank or credit union expand its offerings, increase engagement and build stronger small business loyalty.