
Who We Are
Since its founding in 1984 by Tim Connolly, Corporate Strategies Merchant Bankers has become known for creating successful financial outcomes for banks, borrowers, investors and law firms.
We specialize in facing the challenges of funding critical, time sensitive business transactions. We transform those challenges into successes by:
* Developing unique, non-bank Private Lending solutions for deals that absolutely, positively must get done
* Making direct Investments as principals in commercial real estate opportunities
* Buying control positions in energy or technology operating companies.
Corporate Strategies reputation has been built upon solving complex client financing requirements and investing for our own account in turnaround opportunities that result in higher returns on our time and capital. See stories of previous successful financial outcomes and investments over the last 39 years in other sections of our website.
What We Do
We solve financial and operational crises for our clients. In 2020, when the COVID pandemic threatened virtually all businesses, we carefully studied the ongoing Congressional negotiations of emergency pandemic funding. When the CARES Act passed in March, 2020, we knew its funding structure and evolving qualification requirements. Our early institutional knowledge of CARES Act requirements quickly resulted in obtaining millions of dollars in EIDL and PPP emergency funding for our nearly bankrupt small business clients, as well as critical funding for churches, schools and nonprofits.
We brought our clients the added value of the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) payroll tax refund program. This once-in-a-lifetime funding opportunity that is available to our clients is fraught with IRS audit risk and demands careful attention to detail and IRS guidance. We provide that. We engaged a deeply experienced former Arther Anderson auditor to lead our ERC team of finance and tax professionals including tax attorneys, CPA’s and former IRS agents.
Corporate Strategies’ clients can depend on meticulous, well-documented ERC substantiation records that will withstand the scrutiny of any future IRS audit. We call our ERC Payroll Tax qualification services IRS “Audit Safe,” since our extensive documentation has passed IRS reviews and audits of our clients without controversy or penalties. The ERC program deadline begins April 15, 2024 for 2020 claims, and 2021 claims end April 15, 2025.
Determine If Your COVID Startup Business, Small Business, Church, Non-Profit or School is Eligible for Up to $26,000 per Employee In ERC Payroll Tax Refunds
Private Funding
Private funding non-bank alternative financing available:
- Employee Retention Credit (ERC) payroll tax refunds: business funding without the debt
- Asset-based loans from private lenders: family offices, hedge funds, non-bank lenders
- Sales leasebacks or refinancing of business-owned real estate and equipment
Investments
Investments we seek range from $2,500,000 to $15,000,000 and include:
- Land acquisitions suitable for commercial and residential real estate development
- Acquisition of commercial real estate notes and business assets from banks, non-bank commercial lenders, family offices, investors, and private investment funds
- Revenue-generating operating companies in select industries (excluding startups)


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