WELCOME !

Thanks for dropping in for some hopefully great business info and on occasion some hopefully not too sarcastic comments on the state of Business Financing in Canada and what we are doing about it !

In 2004 I founded 7 PARK AVENUE FINANCIAL. At that time I had spent all my working life, at that time - Over 30 years in Commercial credit and lending and Canadian business financing. I believe the commercial lending landscape has drastically changed in Canada. I believe a void exists for business owners and finance managers for companies, large and small who want service, creativity, and alternatives.

Every day we strive to consistently deliver business financing that you feel meets the needs of your business. If you believe as we do that financing solutions and alternatives exist for your firm we want to talk to you. Our purpose is simple: we want to deliver the best business finance solutions for your company.



Thursday, December 8, 2016

Inventory Financing In Canada : Sweating It Out On Business Loans For Inventories?







Unexpected Turbulence Around Your Business Inventory Financing Needs ?



OVERVIEW – Information on inventory financing in Canada. Business loans for inventories are a specialized type of finance . Here is what business owners/financial mgrs need to know




Inventory financing in Canada is often a key component of the business loans challenge. That challenge? Ensuring the right mix of working capital financing for inventories, and that it compliments your other external financing is what it's all about. Let's dig in.


In times gone by inventory financing was most often provided by Canadian charted banks as a product of the overall revolving line of credit, which of course usually included receivables also. The ability of a company to free up cash that is tied up in inventory is critical for a firm's cash flow. These days traditional financing perceived as 'hard to get ' having many owners/mgrs sweating it out
in this key area of their business.


Have you heard the line: "if you working capital are positive you need cash flow financing '. The working capital definition referred to is of course the classic textbook definition of going to your balance sheet and subtracting current liabilities from current assets.
However, most of us operate in the real world, not the textbook world, so how do we finance inventory that we as business owners and financial managers know is good collateral?


What the Canadian business owner and financial manger must realize is that your bank or independent inventory financier is not interested in ever getting back your inventory. That should lead you to focus very strongly on your ability to project your inventory turnover, its overall marketability, and your ability to qualify the inventory into several categories - which include raw materials, work in process, and finished goods.

Success breeds challenges, because when you are turning over your inventory you need to replace it, and quite often the financial investment you have made in inventory is still part of your overall cash conversation cycle - which is of course : inventory, receivable, cash, in that order .

Combined with A/R Finance solutions asset loans are powerful working capital l drivers -simply because unless bank facilities that are ratio financial statement performance driven, they are in fact collateral and true value driven.


So a proper facility, when set up, margins your receivables and inventory to their true agreed upon values .What we are of course saying is that if you have slow moving inventory and uncollectible receivables you will be a poor candidate for an inventory financing facility.

In order to achieve a proper facility focus on maintaining adequate inventory reports and controls, ultimately a perpetual inventory system is the best method of securing inventory finance because it of course helps focus on the true picture of your inventory movement .

Your firm's ability to produce valid purchase orders, contracts, and proper inventory accounting are a key plus in successful inventory finance. A solid proposal, prepared with the assistance of a business financing advisor perhaps, will include a financial and executive summary review, inventory records and control documentation, and you ability to show repayment of the inventory loan as well as good fluctuations.


Inventory finance works best when you can clearly demonstrate a need, and the ability to show the inventory financing facility will generate additional sales and profits. If you have good margins that will help offset some of the additional costs of such a facility. Simply your ability to generate more cash from inventory and to purchase smarter should in fact be a new benefit that will reap additional profits.

You can also spend a lot of time in Canada searching out for inventory financing that doesn't exist. It is highly specialized, and the number of firms is in the handful, so focus on working with the right parties so as not to waste your valuable time. Understand costs, as well as the benefits that an inventory financing facility will bring to your business. Seek out and speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor who can assist you with your inventory loan and asset finance needs.


Stan Prokop
- founder of 7 Park Avenue Financial
Originating business financing for Canadian companies , specializing in working capital, cash flow, asset based financing . In business 10 years - Completed in excess of 100 Million $$ of financing for Canadian corporations . Core competancies include receivables financing, asset based lending, working capital, equipment finance, franchise finance and tax credit financing. Info & Contact Details :

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com

7 Park Avenue Financial

South Sheridan Executive Centre
2910 South Sheridan Way
Suite 301
Oakville, Ontario
L6J 7J8

Direct Line
= 416 319 5769

Office = 905 829 2653


Email
= sprokop@7parkavenuefinancial.com


'
Canadian Business Financing with the intelligent use of experience '


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stan has had a successful career with some of the world’s largest and most successful corporations.
Prior to founding 7 Park Avenue Financial in 2004 his employers over the last 25 years were, ASHLAND OIL, ( 1977-1980) DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION, ( 1980-1990) ) CABLE & WIRELESS PLC,( 1991 -1993) ) AND HEWLETT PACKARD ( 1994-2004 ) He is an expert in Canadian Business Financing.

Stan has over 40 years of business and finance executive experience. He has been recognized as a credit/financial executive for three of the largest technology companies in the world; Hewlett-Packard, Digital Equipment and Cable & Wireless. Stan has had in depth, hands on experience in assessing and evaluating thousands of companies that are seeking financing and expansion. He has been instrumental in helping many companies progress through every phase of financing, mergers & acquisitions, sales and marketing and human resources. Stan has worked with startups and public corporations and has many times established the financial wherewithal of organizations before approving millions of dollars of financing facilities and instruments on behalf of his employers.












Stop Dreading Working Capital Financing : Cash Flow Lending and Loans That Make Sense













Managing and getting working capital are two different things, and worrying about cash flow financing and what type of lending and loans are out there is of course another, and probably the issue that concerns your firm most.

Let's look at some key issues around sourcing working capital for your Canadian business, although we are quite sure our information applies universally. How you have managed or are managing your internal financing is directly related to what solutions you have available.

Let's also be clear on what we are talking about, which is essentially your current assets and current liabilities. The accounts consist of receivables, inventory, your access to credit lines, and on the other side of the balance sheet your accounts payable. You want to have sufficient funds to satisfy your short term creditors, i.e. your suppliers, make any long term loan payments you have, and, most critically access cash for day to day working capital and growth.

We have mentioned how you manage your cash flow. Most business owners we meet do it intuitively, i.e. your business has a flow or rhythm around paying suppliers, billing your product and services, and finally creating receivables and getting paid. We also find working capital an interesting term, because in reality the accounts we mentioned, i.e. a/r and inventory are in effect tied up. They are unable to be monetized or cash flowed, and that's why you need working capital solutions.

Most business owners don't know the technical term for monitoring their cash flow and working capital. A great tool is called the cash conversion cycle; another is called the DuPont Cycle. Each of those two tools provide you with some very rudimentary calculations you can make to monitor how fast a dollar travels through your company, and what effect on your profits and returns faster turnover has. Check those two out!

So, we've done a fairly good job of identifying our issue and problem... you were probably looking for solutions, right? The good news is there are several. The optimal solution in any business is to have your suppliers finance your firm - your cash flow increases when you don't pay suppliers and are billing and collecting your own receivables. However, slow down payables to an extreme is not a recommended solution, certainly in terms of your supplier's way of thinking!

The solutions to cash flow financing in Canada are as follows: asset based lending, receivable financing, purchase order financing, and working capital term loans. All these solutions are either very suited to your firm or not applicable.

Our favor rite and probably most recommended client solutions asset based lending; it's simply a revolving line of credit on which you borrow daily against A/R and inventory. Yes, we said inventory. And these facilities are not loans per se; they are simply credit lines you access for your assets. Smaller firms should consider C I D invoice discounting, it's our recommended solution, allowing you to bill and collect your own receivables but monetize them when you want. That's true cash flow financing.

Whatever your challenge speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor who can assist you in accessing working capital and cash flow financing that most makes sense for your business growth and profits.

Stan Prokop
- founder of 7 Park Avenue Financial

Originating business financing for Canadian companies , specializing in working capital, cash flow, asset based financing . In business 10 years - Completed in excess of 100 Million $$ of financing for Canadian corporations . Core competancies include receivables financing, asset based lending, working capital, equipment finance, franchise finance and tax credit financing. Info & Contact Details :
http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com

7 Park Avenue Financial
South Sheridan Executive Centre
2910 South Sheridan Way
Suite 301
Oakville, Ontario
L6J 7J8


Direct Line
= 416 319 5769

Office = 905 829 2653


Email
= sprokop@7parkavenuefinancial.com


' Canadian Business Financing with the intelligent use of experience '


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stan has had a successful career with some of the world’s largest and most successful corporations.
Prior to founding 7 Park Avenue Financial in 2004 his employers over the last 25 years were, ASHLAND OIL, ( 1977-1980) DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION, ( 1980-1990) ) CABLE & WIRELESS PLC,( 1991 -1993) ) AND HEWLETT PACKARD ( 1994-2004 ) He is an expert in Canadian Business Financing.

Stan has over 40 years of business and finance executive experience. He has been recognized as a credit/financial executive for three of the largest technology companies in the world; Hewlett-Packard, Digital Equipment and Cable & Wireless. Stan has had in depth, hands on experience in assessing and evaluating thousands of companies that are seeking financing and expansion. He has been instrumental in helping many companies progress through every phase of financing, mergers & acquisitions, sales and marketing and human resources. Stan has worked with startups and public corporations and has many times established the financial wherewithal of organizations before approving millions of dollars of financing facilities and instruments on behalf of his employers.







Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Stan_Prokop/432698

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5889129

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

SRED Loan At The Speed Of Light? SR ED Funding Via A R&D Capital Tax Credit Loan Speeds Up Cash Flow : Avoid The SR&ED Waiting Game









SR&ED FUNDING - 5 Key SRED Loan Basics For Cash Flow Success!



OVERVIEW – Information on SR&ED Loans in Canada. A tax credit r&d capital recovery loan is a great way to monetize your refundable tax credit and enhance and accelerate cash flow on your research investments














A SR ED funding loan has been a key advantage of business owners & financial mgrs. who take advantage of Canada's SR&ED program. The prompt receipt of your R&D capital tax credit is quite often a key part of your overall cash flow strategy. While it’s not quite the ‘speed of light ‘
it’s still quicker than almost all other loans in business. We're covering off some key SR&ED financing basics - let's dig in.

The program is by far the best program in Canada that incorporates a non repayable grant for your firms R& D work. Many clients hear about ' government grants and loans ' and ultimately realize these are not as available as one would think - however SRED is everything you hoped for... and more.

The true power of the SR&ED PROGRAM comes when you accelerate your claim and turn it into immediate cash. Most of our clients, as sophisticated as they might be in their sred filings actually also haven't heard that in certain cases your sred can be considered for financing. In fact the majority of claims are prepared by third parties called ' SR&ED Consultants ' who in many cases focus only on claim prep not claim financing.

Even more important is that claims can also be finance PRIOR to filing - That whole process is called SR&ED accrual financing.

What then are your ' must knows' when it comes to SR ED funding?


1.
SRED is highly specialized - seek and work with a trusted, credible an experienced consultant to prepare your claim, as well as a credible business financing advisor to fund your claim immediately.

2.
The only thing you need to know about financing a claim is that you must have a claim! It is a simple business financing application with supporting back up on your Sr&Ed - your actual refund is the key collateral in the claim.

3.
SRED's are financed at 70% of your total claim value

4. You can finance a claim as soon as it is filed; starting earlier simply accelerates the process. And remember, you can opt to finance prior to filing under accrual filing. It kind of like a SR ED line of credit.

5. We refer to a SRED ' loan ' - the reality is that no additional debt is added to your balance sheet, because the loan is offset by the asset, the claim itself! You are simply monetizing, or ' cash flowing ' your claim.

As you can see by now the whole process of a SR&ED Finance is simply the financing or' factoring 'of your claim. You are selling your right in the receivable now in lieu of cash that you will receive from the government many months from now, in some cases close to a year.

A quick recap /primer?


5 key basics.
As we noted Sr&Ed funding is specialized. Work with an expert for two reasons - maximizing the value and finance rate on your transaction, as well as ensuring the whole process goes smoothly. You should not view the sred loan process any differently than you would any other financing, you apply, you provide supporting back up, and you receive your funds after the normal sort of due diligence. The collateral, if we can call it that, is the SR&ED claim itself.

With respect to # 2 simply focus on the fact that you should consider financing the claim if it will generate a reasonable amount of working capital and cash flow that you need today. To be honest most claims that are financed are in the 100k ++ range, but smaller claims can be effectively financed

Point #3 had us referring to loan to value - you can expect to receive an immediate advance on approx 70% of your claim - that the combo of the federal and provincial component. The balance is a holdback - it’s still your money, but final financing costs, plus any adjustments the government makes to your claim are accounted for in that 30% buffer that is held back by the lender.

"When can be obtaining our funds "is really the meaning of our 4th point. The entire process takes approx 2-3 weeks as it covers your application, review of your sred, normal financial due diligence, and the clarification of any issues raised by your firm or the sred finance firm . And the good news here is that again the term ' sred funding loan' is a misnomer, you don't make any payments, and finance charges simply accrue and are deducted from the final accounting of the claim. That covers our 5th point of course.

Bottom line - if you're a user of the SR&ED program consider a sred funding to solve that challenge of cash flow/working capital tied up in your R&D capital investments.



Stan Prokop - founder of 7 Park Avenue Financial
Originating business financing for Canadian companies , specializing in working capital, cash flow, asset based financing . In business 10 years - Completed in excess of 100 Million $$ of financing for Canadian corporations . Core competancies include receivables financing, asset based lending, working capital, equipment finance, franchise finance and tax credit financing. Info & Contact Details :


http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com

7 Park Avenue Financial
South Sheridan Executive Centre
2910 South Sheridan Way
Suite 301
Oakville, Ontario
L6J 7J8


Direct Line = 416 319 5769

Office = 905 829 2653


Email = sprokop@7parkavenuefinancial.com



' Canadian Business Financing with the intelligent use of experience '



ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stan has had a successful career with some of the world’s largest and most successful corporations.
Prior to founding 7 Park Avenue Financial in 2004 his employers over the last 25 years were, ASHLAND OIL, ( 1977-1980) DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION, ( 1980-1990) ) CABLE & WIRELESS PLC,( 1991 -1993) ) AND HEWLETT PACKARD ( 1994-2004 ) He is an expert in Canadian Business Financing.

Stan has over 40 years of business and finance executive experience. He has been recognized as a credit/financial executive for three of the largest technology companies in the world; Hewlett-Packard, Digital Equipment and Cable & Wireless. Stan has had in depth, hands on experience in assessing and evaluating thousands of companies that are seeking financing and expansion. He has been instrumental in helping many companies progress through every phase of financing, mergers & acquisitions, sales and marketing and human resources. Stan has worked with startups and public corporations and has many times established the financial wherewithal of organizations before approving millions of dollars of financing facilities and instruments on behalf of his employers.



Monday, December 5, 2016

Equipment Finance Leasing In Canada : Behind The Scenes In Lease Finance & Asset Loans










Will That Be Cash , Or…. Equipment Leasing? Making the Case For Leasing Asset Finance




OVERVIEW – Information on equipment finance in Canada. Lease finance is a solid alternative to term loans and leasing solutions have never been more abundant for businesses financing new or used assets






Equipment finance & asset loan solutions in Canada more often than not boil down to one basic question - Will that be cash .. or lease finance?!



Why do thousands of firms of all size in Canada continue to come back to this great method of financing their equipment, capital expenditures, etc? One of those reasons is simply that they need the equipment for increased growth and profits, and to remain competitive in their industry. Let's dig in.


Acquiring new equipment has a cost attached to it of course. Those capital budgets, whether your firm is large or small, can be a huge drain on your cash flow and working capital needs - cash flow and working capital that you would prefer to have on a daily basis.


Every firm has different reasons for Leasing in Canada. It's kind of the opposite of the old adage of buying on credit as a preferred option to cash . That adage makes less sense when considering new or used equipt options for asset that are expensive, and depreciate!


Different industries have different levels of capital intensity , and increased capital needs often force owners to raise additional equity . Lease finance allows you to conserve cash.. and equity !


For businesses that are in a competitive environment the focus is always on staying up to date with plant equipment, computers, software , etc ( By the way, software can be leased also!)


Numerous issues arise out of asset finance needs - They include budgets, cash flow challenges, miscellaneous related costs, etc.
Let’s look at a quick example: Let’s say your company needs an 80,000.00 piece of equipment for the manufacturing process. What are the options of the Canadian business owner and financial manager?


They are fairly obvious, so which one is best? The options are:

- Pay cash and reduce the company ‘ cash on hand ‘ on the balance sheet

- Draw down on the company line of credit - most firms today need to make maximum use of their working capital and cash is almost never in abundance

- Speak to your Canadian chartered bank about equipment loans

- Lease the equipment



Bank negotiations around term loans and loan covenants and approval times don’t seem to appealing . Lease financing becomes a very obvious first choice. The faster the new equipment arrives and proper lease financing put in place the faster you can continue to grow sales!


Seek out and speak to a trusted, credible, and experienced lease financing advisor and discover how those financing options can enhance your business!



Stan Prokop - founder of 7 Park Avenue Financial

Originating business financing for Canadian companies , specializing in working capital, cash flow, asset based financing . In business 10 years - Completed in excess of 100 Million $$ of financing for Canadian corporations . Core competancies include receivables financing, asset based lending, working capital, equipment finance, franchise finance and tax credit financing. Info & Contact Details :

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com


7 Park Avenue Financial

South Sheridan Executive Centre
2910 South Sheridan Way
Suite 301
Oakville, Ontario
L6J 7J8


Direct Line = 416 319 5769

Office = 905 829 2653



Email = sprokop@7parkavenuefinancial.com


'

Canadian Business Financing with the intelligent use of experience '


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stan has had a successful career with some of the world’s largest and most successful corporations.
Prior to founding 7 Park Avenue Financial in 2004 his employers over the last 25 years were, ASHLAND OIL, ( 1977-1980) DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION, ( 1980-1990) ) CABLE & WIRELESS PLC,( 1991 -1993) ) AND HEWLETT PACKARD ( 1994-2004 ) He is an expert in Canadian Business Financing.

Stan has over 40 years of business and finance executive experience. He has been recognized as a credit/financial executive for three of the largest technology companies in the world; Hewlett-Packard, Digital Equipment and Cable & Wireless. Stan has had in depth, hands on experience in assessing and evaluating thousands of companies that are seeking financing and expansion. He has been instrumental in helping many companies progress through every phase of financing, mergers & acquisitions, sales and marketing and human resources. Stan has worked with startups and public corporations and has many times established the financial wherewithal of organizations before approving millions of dollars of financing facilities and instruments on behalf of his employers.




Sunday, December 4, 2016

Business Line Of Credit Solutions In Canada: Does Asset Finance Deliver on Cash Flow?













2 Reasons Why Working Capital Financing via a Business Line of Credit is the Best Asset Finance Solution for your Business




OVERVIEW – Information on asset finance as a viable business line of credit solution in Canada. Non bank credit lines deliver on .. cash flow!





Business line of credit needs focus mainly on one issue - delivering on cash flow! Let's dig in!

Typically Canadian business owners/financial mgrs have only 2 choices in this area of their business -

1. Banks

2. Commercial Finance firms who deliver on credit lines via asset finance strategies

It's often the case that firms using Canadian chartered banks cannot fully access the total working capital solution they require thru their banks. So no surprise that one of the fastest growing trends in Canada revolves around a concept known as an 'asset based line of credit '. Ironically when we meet with many clients they are not even familiar with the term, let alone its benefits!

So is in fact this type of business financing better than a Canadian chartered bank line of credit? We'll let you be the judge of that.
Here are therefore the reasons why working capital cash flow funding via asset finance just might be the Holy Grail for your firm’s growth and success.


1. The facility will bring you higher levels of liquidity, cash flow and working capital based on your asset base


2. You qualify much more easily for a facility that is in fact even higher in line of credit requirements


In recent years the term asset based lending had somewhat of a negative effect or perception when it was discussed by business owners. But, guess what - time changes, and nothing changes faster than trends in business.

The 2008 and 2009 global economic meltdown forced thousands of businesses, small, medium and even large to re assess their financing. In some cases that was simply because their financier disappeared! This happened less so in Canada, but the ripples of global liquidity clearly touched Canada also! And those ripples are still rippling!


So let's get back to our premise #1 which is that utilizing an asset based line of credit brings you greater liquidity. Why is this so?

It is simply because the asset based facility focuses solely on the assets. Traditional financing, as you may have so painfully discovered, focuses on balance sheet ratio, profitability, external collateral, and personal guarantees. The reality is that if your firm is selling shoes to WALMART (as an example) then historically your bank or lender had no sense of what those shoes were worth or what to do with them in a worst case scenario.
Enter asset based lending! Working with a credible, trusted and experienced asset based lending advisor will allow you to truly leverage assets to borrow for more liquidity, working capital and profit growth.

So what are those assets you can leverage - they are as follows:

Receivables

Inventory

Equipment (that is unencumbered)

Real estate (If applicable)


Look at your current working capital and credit facilities - you may have these through a bank, or even more challenging, you might be self financing. If you could leverage tomorrow 90% of your receivables, 50-70% of your inventory, and borrow on a monthly basis against fixed assets would that work for your firm? We have a feeling that in many cases we just doubled and tripled your borrowing power.

Let's look at our premise # 2- you qualify for more capital with less stringent qualification requirements. This point somewhat dovetails on our point #1 - that is to say that the total focus of an asset based line of credit revolves mostly around one work - the ' Asset ‘! The values of your assets in fact determine your total operating facility - it is not pre determined by balance sheet ratios, covenants, etc.

Most business owners and financial managers use the facility for the primary purpose of providing day to day working capital and liquidity to their firm. Asset based lending has less stringent overall requirements, but we should mention of course that it generally is more expensive than bank financing.

You can use asset based credit lines to complement many parts of your business, including:

Acquisition of a Competitor

Growth

Turnarounds


Seek out and speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor who can assist you in your business credit line and cash flow needs.


Stan Prokop - founder of 7 Park Avenue Financial –
Originating business financing for Canadian companies , specializing in working capital, cash flow, asset based financing . In business 10 years - Completed in excess of 100 Million $$ of financing for Canadian corporations . Core competancies include receivables financing, asset based lending, working capital, equipment finance, franchise finance and tax credit financing. Info & Contact Details :

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com


7 Park Avenue Financial
South Sheridan Executive Centre
2910 South Sheridan Way
Suite 301
Oakville, Ontario
L6J 7J8

Direct Line
= 416 319 5769

Office
= 905 829 2653


Email
= sprokop@7parkavenuefinancial.com


'
Canadian Business Financing with the intelligent use of experience '



ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stan has had a successful career with some of the world’s largest and most successful corporations.
Prior to founding 7 Park Avenue Financial in 2004 his employers over the last 25 years were, ASHLAND OIL, ( 1977-1980) DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION, ( 1980-1990) ) CABLE & WIRELESS PLC,( 1991 -1993) ) AND HEWLETT PACKARD ( 1994-2004 ) He is an expert in Canadian Business Financing.

Stan has over 40 years of business and finance executive experience. He has been recognized as a credit/financial executive for three of the largest technology companies in the world; Hewlett-Packard, Digital Equipment and Cable & Wireless. Stan has had in depth, hands on experience in assessing and evaluating thousands of companies that are seeking financing and expansion. He has been instrumental in helping many companies progress through every phase of financing, mergers & acquisitions, sales and marketing and human resources. Stan has worked with startups and public corporations and has many times established the financial wherewithal of organizations before approving millions of dollars of financing facilities and instruments on behalf of his employers.










Thursday, December 1, 2016

Action Required : Investigate Business Loans & Cash Flow & Working Capital Solutions In Canada








How Your Competitors Do Money : Fixing Your Business Financing Solutions!




OVERVIEW – Information on business loans and solutions and alternatives to cash flow and working capital financing sources in Canada






Business loans in Canada, along with working capital financing and other cash flow solutions aren't that different than shoes ... they come in different sizes and styles! So how can you ensure you're achieving finance success similar to your competitors? Let's examine what business owners/financial mgrs are looking for these days when it comes to company finance solutions. Let's dig in.

Part of the challenge we tell clients is simply the terminology. Working capital means different things to different business owners, as do debt solutions and asset monetization.

Working capital can be achieved successfully, and in a fairly timely fashion in the following three manners:

1.
A cash working capital term loan that injects permanent working capital into your firm and is paid back over a specific period at a fixed rate. Govt Small Business Guaranteed Loans also provide long term financing for equipment and leasehold improvements

2.
Monetizing your current asset accounts - i.e. advance high levels of margin against your receivables and inventory. Here solutions include: bank lines of credit, as well as alternative asset based non bank lines of credit

3.
Various subsets of Asset Based Lending, including

SR&ED Tax Credit Financing
Sale Leasebacks
Equipment Financing
Royalty Finance


Is it possible to increase cash flow / working capital at no cost? We're glad you asked! We will call it our internal strategy - You can increase your working capital tomorrow at no cost - we repeat, no cost by doing the following:

1. Collecting your receivables more quickly

2. Turning your Inventory over faster

3. Slowing down your accounts payable



All of those require management skills and a greater level of customer intrusion - which is to say you do so at the risk of potentially offending suppliers and valued customers. But it is the perfect way to achieve working capital nirvana... trust us on that.


The current business environment makes it very challenging for you as a business owner to achieve any level of working capital via a loan or monetization of your current assets.

Canadian chartered banks are among the most respected in the world, but business owners know that it is extremely difficult to achieve working capital via traditional bank financing. As a business owner you need two things - reliable financing, and financing to grow your business. If you have bank financing and are unable to replace it the situations becomes of course even more challenging, because you become 'self financing 'at a good point.


Key Point - If your firm has positive working capital (subtract current liabilities from your current assets) you need external financing. For a starter you are essentially stopping or at a minimum hindering your growth when you are self financing or have financing challenges with traditional institutions.

One of the best pieces of advice we feel we give business owners is to not focus on one solution only as the ' holy grail ' to their working capital challenges . The reality, in our experience is that the solution to cash flow challenges will come from a variety of different sources, certainly two at a minimum that will allow you to achieve working capital and cash flow piece of mind.

Is cost of financing important? Yes it is, but don't forget to ask yourself the questions around access to capital and what you can do with those funds, vs. just focusing on cost of capital.

Most alternative financing structures come with high rates than traditional banking. We address this issue with clients by saying that in some cases these solutions will actually save your firm from extinction, but on a more positive note, they can, despite their costs, help you grow sales and profits, thereby offsetting much of the perceived higher costs.

Don't be afraid to consider traditional as well as alternative working capital and debt sources. Seek out and speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor who can ensure you're getting the same access to financing as your competitors.


Stan Prokop - founder of 7 Park Avenue Financial
Originating business financing for Canadian companies , specializing in working capital, cash flow, asset based financing . In business 10 years - Completed in excess of 100 Million $$ of financing for Canadian corporations . Core competancies include receivables financing, asset based lending, working capital, equipment finance, franchise finance and tax credit financing. Info & Contact Details :


http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com


7 Park Avenue Financial

South Sheridan Executive Centre
2910 South Sheridan Way
Suite 301
Oakville, Ontario
L6J 7J8
Direct Line = 416 319 5769

Office
= 905 829 2653


Email

= sprokop@7parkavenuefinancial.com


'
Canadian Business Financing with the intelligent use of experience '


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stan has had a successful career with some of the world’s largest and most successful corporations.
Prior to founding 7 Park Avenue Financial in 2004 his employers over the last 25 years were, ASHLAND OIL, ( 1977-1980) DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION, ( 1980-1990) ) CABLE & WIRELESS PLC,( 1991 -1993) ) AND HEWLETT PACKARD ( 1994-2004 ) He is an expert in Canadian Business Financing.

Stan has over 40 years of business and finance executive experience. He has been recognized as a credit/financial executive for three of the largest technology companies in the world; Hewlett-Packard, Digital Equipment and Cable & Wireless. Stan has had in depth, hands on experience in assessing and evaluating thousands of companies that are seeking financing and expansion. He has been instrumental in helping many companies progress through every phase of financing, mergers & acquisitions, sales and marketing and human resources. Stan has worked with startups and public corporations and has many times established the financial wherewithal of organizations before approving millions of dollars of financing facilities and instruments on behalf of his employers.