Is this a dying canary moment signaling the onset of the next crisis?

CNN Money reports (h/t Yves Smith):

Squeezed by tight credit and tempted by record high gold prices, small business owners are finding an alternative to the bank: the pawn shop.

More than half of the customers at online pawn shop, Pawngo, are small business owners, said Todd Hills, CEO of the Denver-based company.

“These guys can’t wait. They have businesses. They have employees they need to pay,” said Hills, who launched Pawngo in June. “This is a great way to solve a short-term need.”