What role does networking play in growing a commercial finance advisory business?
Networking has been central to Vast Commercial Finance's growth since the firm was founded. Dan Cholewinski describes it as a consistent, multi-format practice — spanning regular networking events, industry dinners, and one-on-one meetings — that has underpinned the business's development across its first four and a half years. Crucially, Cholewinski frames effective networking not as a sales activity, but as a way of building a broader support system that creates value over time.
One of the more practical insights Cholewinski shares is that the right rooms to be in change as a business matures. As Vast Commercial Finance's niche became sharper, so did the question of where to invest networking time. Early-stage networking may open any number of doors; later, the priority shifts toward the rooms most aligned with the specific clients, partners, and referral sources the business actually needs.
He is equally clear about the cost of not showing up. For Cholewinski, a dip in sales is not a mystery to be analysed from behind a desk — it is a straightforward signal that not enough conversations are happening with new people. You can listen to the full episode on Listenly to hear him break down how he thinks about prospecting, referrals, and choosing the right networking environments at each stage of business growth.
"If I feel I'm not making enough sales, it's because I'm not talking to enough strangers — as simple as that. Being sat behind the desk being really good at something isn't gonna bring you a whole load of sales."
— Dan Cholewinski, Co-founder, Vast Commercial FinanceAbout Dan Cholewinski
Dan Cholewinski entered financial services at 18, starting in data administration before progressing to underwriting at 19 and telesales at 20. By 21, he had joined a growing motor finance lender where he would spend the next 15 years — becoming its first salesperson in a national accounts division targeting the top 100 UK motor dealer groups at 23, and taking on his first leadership role managing a field sales team at 26. He witnessed that business grow from roughly 65–70 employees to around 600 during his tenure. That breadth of experience — spanning sales, underwriting, leadership, and scale — directly informs how Cholewinski built Vast Commercial Finance from the ground up. His advice on networking carries the weight of someone who has grown revenue both inside a large organisation and as a founder starting from scratch, making his perspective on where to invest relationship-building time particularly grounded in lived practice.
See also
According to Dan Cholewinski, there is genuine market appetite for M&A funding and it is more accessible than many business owners assume. Lenders are actively looking to support acquisition-led growth, and SMEs should not rule out this route before exploring it with an adviser.
Vast Commercial Finance advises on commercial finance and real estate finance, working with businesses of all sizes when they need to borrow money to unlock growth opportunities, acquisitions, or property investments.
After joining the senior management team of a motor finance lending business, Cholewinski found that his day-to-day work shifted heavily toward internal meetings and processes rather than the client-facing and commercial work he was passionate about — which ultimately led him to co-found Vast Commercial Finance.