Ethics & Standards | Seaport Funding Group

HOW WE OPERATE

Operating in the business-financing sector requires trust, transparency, and sound professional judgment.

At Seaport Funding Group, our commitment to ethical, expert service starts at the top. Our senior leadership holds the Accredited Small Business Consultant® (ASBC®) designation — a credential issued by the International Association of Accredited Small Business Consultants (AASBC®) that requires rigorous training, demonstrated expertise, and ongoing adherence to a defined Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics.

That accreditation isn't just a credential on a wall. It reflects a deliberate choice to hold ourselves to a professional standard in an industry where accountability matters. The AASBC® framework promotes honest, competent, and responsible consulting across the small-business community, and those values are embedded in how we approach every client relationship — from the first conversation about funding options to the final stages of a transaction.

When you work with Seaport Funding Group, you're working with a team whose leadership has been trained and vetted to those standards, and who has made a professional commitment to uphold them.

Grounded in these established standards, Seaport Funding Group is committed to:

Upholding integrity, independence, and objectivity when presenting financing options or advising on capital solutions.
Protecting the confidentiality of sensitive financial and business information.
Recognizing and avoiding conflicts of interest in all funding-related engagements.
Delivering advisory services with diligence, accuracy, and professionalism.
Supporting the financial stability, compliance, and long-term growth of small businesses through ethical, education-driven guidance.

Visit AASBC website

Standards & Ethics

Preamble

Members of the International Association of Accredited Small Business Consultants (AASBC®) are expected to uphold the highest standards of professional conduct. By maintaining certification and membership in good standing, advisors affirm their commitment to integrity, objectivity, accountability, and responsible advisory practice.

Standard of ethics

Client Interest

Members shall place the clients best interest at the forefront of every engagement. All advisory work must be conducted with integrity, objectivity, professionalism, and due diligence.

Avoidance of Conflict of Interests

Members shall avoid engagements involving actual or potential conflicts of interest unless fully disclosed to and acknowledged by the client. If a conflict arises during an engagement, the member must promptly disclose the matter and take appropriate action, including withdrawal if necessary.

Confidentiality

Members shall protect all confidential, proprietary, and privileged client information obtained in the course of an engagement. Such information may not be disclosed without appropriate authorization, except as required by law.

Discreditable Acts

Members shall not engage in unethical, unlawful, or unprofessional conduct that could discredit the association or undermine public trust in its certification standards.

Reasonable Fees

Members shall establish clear fee arrangements prior to the commencement of services and charge fees that are fair, transparent, and commensurate with the scope of work performed

Standard of performance

Professional Competence Members shall accept only those engagements for which they possess the requisite knowledge, skill, and capacity to perform competently within agreed timeframes. If additional expertise is required, members must obtain appropriate education, research, or collaboration before accepting or continuing the engagement.

Due Professional Care Members shall perform all consulting engagements with diligence, attention to detail, sound professional judgment, and appropriate follow through.

Understanding and Communication with Clients Members shall communicate clearly – in writing or verbally – the scope of services, the objectives, work plan, deliverables, responsibilities, and fee arrangements prior to and during the engagement.

Continuing Education Members shall maintain and enhance their professional confidence through ongoing education, training, and awareness of developments relative to small business and SME advisory practice.