Sometimes Lyle Guidolin has a hard time explaining the exact nature of his business to his close friends. He's not a banker, not a broker, not a financial manager.

Put simply, Guidolin is in the business of making money for his clients. And he's extremely good at his job.

As president of Source Financial Services, based in Red Deer, Guidolin has perfected the science of trolling a vast network of North American lenders to help fund commercial land development and oil and gas transactions.

"I'm not a mortgage broker. I'm an intermediary," Guidolin explains. "I find money for legitimate buyers who need rapid turnaround to help them take advantage of business opportunities."

Lyle Guidolin, president of Source Financial Services.

Source Financial has built a reputation for trust and competence that gives the company access to a remarkable variety of institutional and private lenders. If Lyle Guidolin can't help you with financing your latest project, nobody can. It's that simple. In 2007 alone, his company completed $55 million in funding proposals.

Guidolin hastens to make one thing clear, however.

Source Financial Services does not connect you with lenders of last resort and the high interest rates that come with them.

"We pride ourselves on negotiating extremely competitive interest rates for our clients," he says.

To illustrate his methods, Guidolin points to a recent success story. Within the past two years, the Source Financial team was able to raise seed money of $3 million for a client who had his eye on a piece of prime property in rural Alberta. Guidolin canvassed his network and found a willing lender.

With an eye to redevelopment, the client then asked Guidolin to help him turn a profit.

Using Guidolin as a hands-on consultant, the client persuaded county officials to re-zone the property. Then Source Financial and the client hired engineers to draft an area structure plan and further help with the process. By the time they were through, the property was "subdivision-ready" and therefore much more attractive to a new buyer.

With regulatory hurdles thus cleared, Source Financial's client was eventually able to flip the property for a cool $15.5 million.

Longtime clients refer to Guidolin as an accomplished "go-to guy," who knows how to work within the system.

That requires a knowledge of compliance procedures, as well as the God-given ability to cut through red tape. Guidolin qualifies on both counts.

He's a master at making sure his customers get what they want. Corporate clients come to Source Financial to help them identify likely properties for long-range business purposes. Then Guidolin tracks down a source for cash, shares advice on investor relations and supplies important insights and assistance throughout the regulatory process.

A self-described graduate of the school of hard knocks, Guidolin has built his network through years of relentless effort.

During that time, he has impressed his associates as a trustworthy intermediary who always delivers on a pledge.

"I don't quit until every conceivable avenue has been exhausted," he says. "I'm a bit of a bulldog," he adds, grinning.

A born researcher, Guidolin uses every tool at his disposal (including the Internet) to find financing for his clients' projects. During more than a decade in the insurance business, he refined his salesmanship skills, earning a nickname that he continues to cherish: the Cold Call Cowboy.

"I make my living on the phone," he says.

Guidolin has worked with business lenders across the continent, building lasting relationships with each.

And his hard work has paid off. When he calls, important people answer the phone in New York, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Toronto and throughout Western Canada.

With their help, Guidolin has been able to achieve his customers' objectives in the overwhelming majority of cases.

Most business people realize that access to loans has tended to dry up in recent months. Particularly in the U.S., a lingering credit crisis has caused traditional lenders to proceed with caution.

During times such as these, the expertise and dedication of Source Financial Services is particularly welcome. As Guidolin likes to say: "The banker isn't always your friend.”

Alternative sources of funding can help you gain your objectives, painlessly and efficiently.

So if you're casting about for expert help, look no further.

Get in touch with the Cold Call Cowboy and get your show on the road. Call (403) 392-2134 or e-mail lguidolin@hotmail.com.