Gail Reints-Pratl

Founder & President, Sky Business Credit, LLC

Gail Reints-Pratl is the founder and president of Sky Business Credit, LLC, a factoring company committed to supporting small businesses with funding needs up to $1.5 million. With over 20 years of factoring industry experience, Gail is an expert at structuring factoring lines to provide maximum flexibility for clients. She believes factoring is a cash-flow tool that all small businesses can use to fuel their growth. Gail is always fully transparent with clients and treats them with the same respect she’d hope to find if she was a customer.

Gail has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from DePaul University. Prior to founding Sky Business Credit, Gail oversaw the Midwest region for an international account receivables financing company. She is an active member of the Secured Finance Network (SFNet) and a longtime member and prior board member of the International Factoring Association and has been a subject matter expert for their account executive certification program.

What advice would you offer to women just starting out in the industry?

Give it at least two years to decide if you enjoy working in this industry. I work in factoring, and you either love it or you don’t. There’s not a lot of in-between. If you aren’t loving it by the end of two years, it’s probably not for you. If you do love it, learn as much as you can and you will probably make it your career.  

What do you know now that you wish you knew in the beginning of your career? 

That there are no limitations to how far I could advance my career in this industry.  Contrary to my hearing that finance was a “man’s world” and that at most meetings and conferences I was one of few women, I was never treated as though I didn’t belong. Quite the opposite - I was always treated with respect and encouraged.

What role has mentoring played in your career?

Mentoring has played a huge role. I never had “formal” mentors, but I always looked for people around me to learn from. That comes naturally for me because I’m always looking for ways to learn more. Early on at my first job in factoring, the owner of the company, Trevor Morgan, made it a point to teach me all aspects of the business. Later on in my career, I credit Stewart Chesters for teaching me to be a better manager of teams. Without his mentorship, I don’t think I would have had the courage to start my own company, which has been operating successfully since 2010. Lastly, there were two people in the factoring industry I approached early on in my career and became friends with that had apparently determined I knew what I was doing professionally. What I didn’t know until very recently was, behind the scenes, they opened some doors that provided me with opportunities that I may not have had otherwise. That was very humbling information to find out. It just goes to show that you never know the effect that other people have on your life in even the smallest ways.

What do you enjoy most about your role? Least?

I enjoy being able to help small businesses accomplish their goals. It’s so satisfying to hear a small business owner say they wish they had known about us sooner, or that we helped them grow their business because they finally have the cash flow they needed to expand. If I had to pick what I like least, I’d say it’s not always easy running a small business as all the decisions are on your shoulders. I’ve learned sometimes it’s best to say, “you know what, guys, no one has all the answers, but let’s try this.” However, I love what I do and I wouldn’t have it any other way.