What Do I Need to Know When I Am Buying a Business?

Tweet

I often wonder if business owners who are looking at purchasing a business take the same sort of outlook as when they are buying something in the stock market.

Let's take some thoughts from the way Warrant Buffet looks at a company and determine if we could be using those same successful strategies.

Those strategies tend to be summed up in a very concise manner -> make sure you understand what you are buying, ensure the industry prospects are favorable, and if management is going to stay on in some capacity make sure they know what they are doing!

Many owners I meet look to buy into businesses, or franchises for that matter, in an industry they don't understand. We would say that if you can't positively feel good about knowing the real sales potential, how expenses occur, what is the cash flow cycle of the business then you should not by look to purchase that business. Naturally many business owners will often get a strong sense of missing a major opportunity - the business owners forgets that Buffett once said 'above average results... are often produced by doing ordinary things'.

Many business owners like to focus on buying a turn around business, a business that has been either abandoned or poorly managed by its previous owners. While there are clearly some great turn around stories out there, more often than not these transactions become large challenges and financial nightmares. More simply speaking: The business was cheap to buy for a reason!

In a perfect world, (and we realize it's not!) it is optimal to consider purchasing a business that has a solid product and reputation.

The people aspect of purchasing any business is also important, and great investors such as Buffet place a large emphasis on management. Obviously the business purchaser has the focus of either keeping management or replacing management. Naturally management that has a focus on the bottom line and on long term growth are to be very valued.

At a certain point it gets down to 'price'. Business acquirers should focus as much on return on equity as just net income. That is one the key areas in a Buffett type purchase decision. A huge mistake is to also focus on volume as opposed to profit margins. Most business acquisitions involve the buyer assuming or generating debt. The overall focus, it goes without saying is to minimize debt.

Getting back to our legendary investor, Buffett creates a formula for what he calls owner earnings - which formula is as follows:

Net profit + deprecation - Capital assets needed to be acquired

We would agree that this is a great way to look at profit potential in any business being acquired.

Buffett modeled his career on one book, a famous finance book entitled 'The Intelligent Investor ', by a fellow named Ben Graham. As dry and out of date this huge text might seem to today's business person, we could still all use a little ' intelligent investing' assistance when make a major decision to buy a business.

Stan Prokop is the founder of 7 Park Avenue Financial. See http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com The company originates business financing for Canadian companies and is a specialist in working capital and asset based financing of all types. For more information or contact details please see: http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com/Home_page.html

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

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com


Business financing for Canadian Firms , specializing in working capital, cash flow, asset based financing , Equipment Leasing , franchise finance and Cdn. Tax Credit Finance . Founded 2004 - Completed in excess of 100 Million $ of financing for Canadian corporations .

' 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.

Stan Prokop





















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


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3644137

5 Tips For Selecting The Right Leasing Company For Your Equipment Finance Needs

Tweet


Equipment Financing Lease Solutions In Canada - The Not So Radical Way To Finance Asset Needs





Information on equipment finance solutions in Canada . Working with the right leasing company solutions is the best method to address capital equipment needs

Partnering is more often than not the right thing. Bad partnerships don't work and can adversely of course affect your business. That’s why it is so important to select the right firm to originate your equipment finance needs.

The right leasing company on a long term basis will ensure that you are investing properly in the assets you need to run your business for your customer base.

Let’s look at 5 key tips we can provide you to ensure you are putting the right financial strategy in place around asset acquisition. Successfully working and negotiating through these tips with the right leasing partner guarantees you business equipment lease financing success.

Its all about getting approved of course , and getting an approval quite frankly is the biggest decision your lessor has to make around the transaction - that approval can be significantly influenced by yourself - it is important to present both the positives around your firms financials, as well as the challenge you may have, or may be facing,

Chance of getting approved is significantly reduced if negative information about your firm or its financials arises after your submission. Factors that affect your approval are your time in business, your ability to have sourced financing in the past - i.e. other lessors, banks, etc. Other key areas of focus are trade references and the ability of the owners to demonstrate they run their personal lives in a fiscally responsible manner also. This is usually accomplished by the lessor drawing a credit bureau report. On transactions over 50,000.00$, as a general rule financial statements are required, and areas of focus will be your overall balance sheet health and the ability to generate positive cash flow to repay the lease .

Lets move on to rate, we are never under surprised with how much our clients focus solely on rate and their ability to drive down the lessors yield . In Canada leasing equipment is very competitive, and all we can say is that if you have presented your financials properly the market will ensure you have a competitive rate. Naturally you can spend all the time in the world securing a ' better deal ', but consider management time and total savings. A quick example: If you leased a 75k piece of production equipment and were quoted a rate of 10.25% and you spent a lot of time in sourcing another quote, re submitting your financials to a new firm, etc , and got a rate of 10.00% you would be saving twenty dollars a month. We'll let you decide the value of your time.

We have covered off credit approval and rates, Documentation are important also. You should be prepared to provide a proper invoice or quote to the lessor, as well as a certificate of insurance. The equipment lease and your acceptance of delivery are key to the lease commencement. Smaller transaction in Canada has been greatly simplified, so you should typically be provided with a one or two page lease agreement. Larger transactions are of course more complex.

The type of lease you choose and your analysis of the lease versus buy decision is also a key area of focus. Look at your cash flow Vis Vis payments you will make on a lease versus a loan basis. As a general rule leasing tends to be more expensive, but is easier to obtain and is less of a drain on your cash flow.

Two is the magic number. There are two types of leases you should inquire about, a full payout capital lease, as well as an operating lease where use of the asset is more important than owning the asset.

Your overall lease financing decision should be focused on a very simple question - namely:
- is the asset acquisition important to your business profitability and productivity. If new assets and proper financing position your business for competitiveness you have made the right financing decision.

We have covered off 5 key areas in the selection of a leasing company in the equipment finance area. If you find the information and the challenge overwhelming speak to a trusted, credible and experienced business financing advisor who will help you achieve lease financing that meets your goals.

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

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com


Business financing for Canadian Firms , specializing in working capital, cash flow, asset based financing , Equipment Leasing , franchise finance and Cdn. Tax Credit Finance . Founded 2004 - Completed in excess of 100 Million $ of financing for Canadian corporations .

' 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.

Stan Prokop

Factoring Financing – Three Things You Need to Know About Receivable Financing In Canada

Tweet

Fiction vs. Reality - Debunking Factoring & A/R Myths In Canada



Information on factoring and financing and receivable finance solutions in Canada. Debunking the misunderstanding around how it costs, how it works !

You have made the decision to consider factoring financing as an overall business financing strategy. In some cases you may be factoring and receivable financing currently, but are not happy with a number of key issues that weren’t discussed when you set up your facility. Let’s explore the three things you need to know around factoring financing in Canada, and debunk some of the myths and misinformation that is out there on this subject. These are:


All factoring Companies are the same

Factoring is expensive

Factoring is intrusive to my customers and suppliers, but my firm has to live with that


The reality in Canada is that as a country we came late to the factoring party. Factoring started in the U.S. and Europe, and has been established for hundreds of years. As a result the factoring that tends to dominate Canadian business financing, both in business model and pricing is heavily influenced by a small number of foreign firms.

We should probably do a very short ‘primer’ on factoring to ensure we’ve got the basics in place. Factoring, or receivable financing is the sale of your invoices or accounts receivable to a third party. It is very dominant in certain industries, i.e. trucking and transportation, staffing, etc, but quite frankly is now prevalent throughout Canada in many industries. What differentiates factoring is really the three points we’ll discuss – who is offering it to you, what it costs, and how does it work.

We recommend to clients that they deal with Canadian firms when considering a factoring option. Because this business financing is somewhat unique, and mis understood we strongly recommend you work with a trusted, credible, and experienced advisor in this area who can guide you through what many consider the factoring maze.

So let’s get back to our three key areas: First factoring firms vary in Canada by size, geography, and financial capability. You need to align yourself with a party that is most suited to your type of business, the size of your receivables portfolio, and the ability to deal on a one on one basis on any issues that come up .As we stated, it seems common sense that your best partner will be a Canadian firm who as direct representation in your geographical area.

Lets move on to point # 2 - Is factoring expensive? We always hate saying this, but the answer is that it depends. Receivable financing certainly has the aura of being expensive, and unfortunately most clients we meet are always focus on rate. A few key points need to be made, so let’s be clear on this issue. First of all factoring in Canada has a discount rate of between 1-3% per month. We use the term discount rate because the industry itself doesn’t view the rate as an interest rate; it views it as essentially a reduction in your overall gross margin. Let’s use a quick, clear example. Let’s say you have an invoice for $ 100,000.00. Factoring allows you to get approx 90% of the funds on that invoice the day you generate the invoice. (The balance, 10%, is paid to you when your customer pays,) and out of that holdback comes, say a 2% discount fee to the factor firm) the factor industry view that 2% as a commission for financing your invoice. If your customer pays in 30 days Canadian business can be forgiven by saying – I paid 2% per month, that’s 24% per annum that is expensive.

One of the main points we can make when advising clients on a proper factor financing facility is that the funds you get on immediate cash conversion can be used to purchase inventory at a better price for cash, or alternatively, you can take the many 2% net ten day discounts many suppliers offer . If that was the case on all your business we can make the statement that you are recovering 100% of your financing costs via this strategy, plus you have unlimited working capital .That’s financial power.

For our third and final point we address the issue of customer intrusiveness. We alluded the U.S. and U.K. firms who follow a very clear process on the receivable financing for your firm – they send your invoice to your customer on your behalf, they corresponded with the customer , and they call your customer for money .But , and this is a large ‘ but’ did you know that with proper negotiations and the use of a proper advisor you can negotiate and implement a facility that allows you to bill and collect your own receivables, while at the same time getting all the benefits of factoring – i.e. immediate working capital and cash flow?

In summary, factoring can be easily mis understood. Assess what you think is wrong or might not work with this method of financing, and develop a receivables financing strategy with the knowledge that you will not be making the mistakes of others who are less and ill informed.

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

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com


Business financing for Canadian Firms , specializing in working capital, cash flow, asset based financing , Equipment Leasing , franchise finance and Cdn. Tax Credit Finance . Founded 2004 - Completed in excess of 100 Million $ of financing for Canadian corporations .

' 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.

Stan Prokop

Factoring Receivables – Factoring Companies That Don’t Charge Interest in Canada

Tweet




Harnessing the Power of A/R Finance in Canada

Information on factoring receivables & factoring companies in Canada. Knowing and understanding the cost of a/r finance in Canada is key to alternative finance solutions

More and more Canadian business owners and financial managers are considering factoring as a viable alternative financing solution. Everyone seems to tell you that ‘factoring is expensive ‘. If that’s the case why would you want to choose this financing solution? Even moreso, is it even remotely possible to achieve interest free factoring or factoring at zero cost? Let’s show you why that premise is defensible and we will let you decide.

If you are a small or medium sized business you know the true value of financial serenity when you have positive working capital and cash flow. Actually, cash flow is great, if you have positive working capital that simply means that you have a major investment in accounts receivable and inventory, and that isn’t necessarily great, especially if your balance sheet accounts such as receivables aren’t turning over every 30 days. Does anyone ever pay in 30 days anymore? We don’t think so, that’s for sure.

When your firm is able to more efficiently used cash flow generated from accounts receivable you have easier ability to grow your business. In fact as a business owner you quickly realize that the single largest asset on your books is often accounts receivable. In the current economic environment it takes easily one, often two, and sometimes 3 months to collect the average receivable. When you delay payments to suppliers you are increasing your cash flow from operations, when you grant credit to your customers you are decreasing that same cash flow – it’s a daily battle that plays out every day.

Factoring, or receivable financing allows you to collect and immediately invest those funds back into your business.

A quick example offered by a firm called the Receivables Exchange (U.S. based) is as follows –

Let’s say your firm earns 20% on the money it invests in itself, therefore in 44 days your firm can earn a 2.2% return.

Now let’s get to the root of our premise. Factoring companies don’t charge ‘interest ‘per se, because you are not borrowing funds. You are simply monetizing your receivables at a discount for immediate cash today. Let’s use a typical factoring discount rate of 2%, which is certainly not uncommon. That’s a 30 day rate. There is better pricing, and there is higher pricing.

But look at what we are saying – if you can immediately, on the same day you generate an invoice get cash , re invest in your business , and earn a profit, ( we will use our example of 2.2% return in 44 days ) haven’t you in effect achieved zero interest charges on your working capital financing .

Let’s make a more clear and dramatic point – Use our example again of a 2% discount fee for 30 days. What if your receivables for the month were $ 300,000 and you were factoring them at our 2% discount rate. If you have immediate cash for that $ 300,000.00 do you think you could pay major suppliers immediately and subtract 2% for their stated net 30 day payment terms. Also, do you think you could meet with your major and valued suppliers, advice them you were in a position to pay cash on the basis of getting better pricing, and would they accept! We hear the saying ‘cash in king ‘everyday in business – after the 2008 economic meltdown Cash ruled supreme. By offering to pay your suppliers more promptly and buy in greater quantities we have had many clients tell us they have achieved as much as a 5% saving in some cases.

Let’s recap the premise of our information. It’s simpler that it may sound:

**Factoring offers you immediate working capital, and purchases your invoices at a discount – it is incorrect to view these funds as a loan, or an interest rate per annum.


** If you got the typical fee of 2% as a discount charged on factoring by your factoring company and had unlimited cash flow and working capital could you purchase more effectively and pay suppliers more promptly, taking a discount all along the way . Yes we believe you could.

You will never get a letter from a factor firm that states you are being charge no finance charges – but we have effectively shown that the cost of that financing, balanced against carrying your customers and being able to take supplier discounts and purchase more effectively can add thousands of dollars to your bottom line . And at the same time you have removed the business person oft greatest worry – lack of working capital.

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

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com


Business financing for Canadian Firms , specializing in working capital, cash flow, asset based financing , Equipment Leasing , franchise finance and Cdn. Tax Credit Finance . Founded 2004 - Completed in excess of 100 Million $ of financing for Canadian corporations .

' 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.

Stan Prokop

Sr&ed Tax Credit Financing

Tweet







The Only Two Things You Need To Know About Sr&ed Finance

Information on sr&ed tax credit financing in Canada . Here's an overview of what you need to know about sred loans and how they maximize the cash flow potential of your refundable r&d capital tax credit

SR&ED Tax Credit Financing is somewhat misunderstood, or in fact not really considered by many Canadian business owners and financial managers in Canada. We use the word ‘considered ‘simply because many SRED claimants are not aware that their SR&ED claims can be financing as soon as they are filed – in some cases prior to filing!

So let’s return to our topic – what are the two things you need to know about financing your sred tax credit. We’ll keep it simple –

You have to have a Sr&Ed claim to obtain financing for the claim!
A sred financing claim is in fact similar to any business financing application – frankly it’s quite simpler and more focused!


Is that it? Yes, it’s as simple as that. SR&ED tax credit financing is one of the most unique ways to bring valuable cash flow and working capital back into your firm. Just the very nature of sred itself suggests that your firm relies heavily on the credit to recover the capital you have spent under the government’s quite generous non repayable grant.

So let’s return to our point # 1 – to finance a claim, you need a claim. The SRED program in Canada is the governments rebate; in effect it’s a grant, back to Canadian business for any investment you make in research and development. More and more information is coming out everyday from government and private sources which suggest that many firms who are eligible for the program either aren’t aware of it, or even more disappointing, don’t know how to go about preparing and filing a claim. We are often amazed when some clients infer that it’s ‘too much trouble ‘to prepare a sred claim.

A couple of points can be made on this subject. We have met a small handful, and we repeat small handful! Of clients over the years who prepare their own filings. This of course is possible, legal, and in some business owners minds ‘cost effective. The hard reality is that most firms don’t have the technical and financial know how to complete a claim on their own. (Apologies to the firms which successfully prepare a file their own claims – you know who you are!)

The majority of claims in the sred area are prepared by what is known as sred consultants. We tell clients that these consultants are high specialized, are up to date on current government sred and accounting matters, and in most cases work on contingency – meaning that they prepare the claim at their own risk and time, and charge a fee which is totally based on success of the final claim approval. If Canadian business owners and financial managers don’t choose to pay a contingency fee then they can play a flat rate based on the sred consultant’s time on the claim and filing. Naturally more often than not the sred fee has to be paid as soon as the claim is completed, even if you still have to wait several months to a year to get your funds.

More importantly, as it relates to the financing of the sred claim, a claim tends to be more financeable when it is prepared by a reputable consultant in this area. And in fact when you claim is financed, either at time of filing or prior, the sred consultant can also be paid in full or in part out of the financing.

So the bottom line on our point # 1 is simply – make yourself aware of the program if you are not, prepare a solid claim with the use of a reputable consultant, and be knowledgeable that the claim can be financed during preparation or at time of filing .

Let’s move on to point # 2- Clients ask, is it really that simple to finance a Sr&Ed tax credit. There is only one answer, which is of course yes. You should treat your sred tax credit financing just as any other basic financing. Because this area of Canadian business financing is somewhat of a boutique are you should ensure you are working with a credible, trusted, and experienced advisor in this area.

Let’s cover some of the very simple key basics around the financing of your claim. Most firms are eligible, under the program itself, to receive anywhere from 20-50% of your expenses in the R&D area. Your sred claim will ultimately have a final value, which is made up of the federal and provincial portions combined. Let’s assume its 200,000.00 as an example. You and your accountant have filed your year end financials, and included a sred claim of 200k. What happens now if you want to finance that claim. The reality is that you simply have to fill out a standard business financing application – just as if you were borrowing for any other matter. In our case the ‘collateral ‘, if we can call it that, it’s the sred claim. Important to note hear that you are not incurring debt or creating a ‘ loan ‘ on the sred – Your balance sheet stays intact, you are simply ‘ monetizing ‘ the sred claim in order to generate working capital and cash flow now . Generally you receive approximately 70% of the claim as an advance, with the 30% held back and payable to yourself in full when you final claim is audited, approved, and that cheque from the government is ‘in the mail ‘! The financing feels itself, associated with the tax credit financing are deducted from that final 30% holdback. You can generally create a sred loan for a period of a minimum of 60 days, but most sred financing generally last from 3-12 months, depending on the size of your claim, its eligibility with CRA, and whether you are a first time filer.

So whats our bottom line – it couldn’t be simpler:

- Make yourself aware of this great program – prepare a proper claim with someone who is experienced

- If you are focused on cash flow and working capital needs consider financing your claim and directly monetizing this great program.



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

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com


Business financing for Canadian Firms , specializing in working capital, cash flow, asset based financing , Equipment Leasing , franchise finance and Cdn. Tax Credit Finance . Founded 2004 - Completed in excess of 100 Million $ of financing for Canadian corporations .

' 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.

Stan Prokop

SME Business Finance In Canada : The Inventory and Purchase Order Financing Challenge

Tweet

Purchase Order Financing & Inventory Financing In Canada - A Thing Of The Past? Not Really !!

Information on acccess to inventory financing and po financing for companies in the small to medium enterprise sector in Canada

Inventory and Purchase order financing
are two of the most sought after and challenging financing strategies for Canadian business owners and financial managers. The reality is that if you can ensure you don’t have adequate working capital and cash flow to finance inventory, and of course receivables, your business will be ham strung in respect to your ability to grow sales and profits.

The essence of an inventory financing strategy is to ensure that you have capital and cash flow as part of a revolving facility or loan to purchase inventory from your valued suppliers, and convert that inventory into receivables, cash, and of course profits.

Inventory financing and purchase order financing in Canada comes in various forms. The most traditional form it comes in is of course as a component of your bank operating facility. Canadian chartered banks ‘margin ‘receivables and inventory. The challenge in the global financial climate of 2010 is of course your firm’s ability to negotiate such financing on terms favorable to both yourself and the bank.

In our experiences banks tend to me for focused on lending on receivables, which can easily be converted into cash. The harsh reality is that many banks and lending institutions in Canada don’t understand the true value of your inventory, and quite frankly we think they can be forgiven for that , given the multisided of industries in Canada, as well as the fact that inventory comes in three components .

The three components of inventory are raw materials, work in process, and of course finished goods. The mix or ratio of those three components is going to vary in each firms industry.

Our own experience is that when our clients can generate inventory financing as a part of their overall operating credit strategy is they usually come up with something in the 40% range. That is to say that your bank will advance, at any given time, up to 40% of the inventory that you are carrying at your cost. This tends to be a comfortable buffer for the banks, but in many cases doesn’t provide the cash flow and working capital you need to grow sales and profits. We hasten to add of course that bank operating facilities that include an inventory component are closely tied to the overall financial health and financial perception of your firm.

Are there other solutions for inventory and purchase order financing in Canada .Yes, there are, we can also certainly say they are limited. We suggest you align yourself with a business financing expert who can explain to you those methods, which include a straight separate purchase order or inventory financing facility that is outside of your banking arrangements. In those cases the experienced p.o. and inventory lender will determine a valuation on your particular inventory and lend against that. In most cases this simply involves paying your suppliers up front for your inventory needs, while they collateralize your inventory and the receivables that will flow out of that inventory. This type of financing is expensive, but has to be benchmarked against the possibility of your firm losing sales, contracts, and competitive stance in your marketplace.

At the end of the day Canadian business owners and financial managers have to simply address the following issues:

Is my firm losing valuable sales and contract opportunities to competitors due to our inability to finance and pre pay inventory

Are we prepared to lower our overall gross margin by 2-3% points in favor of increasing sales and profits? Speak to a trusted, credible and experienced business financing advisor in this area : A rational inventory financing strategy can then be developed around those two key points.



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

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com


Business financing for Canadian Firms , specializing in working capital, cash flow, asset based financing , Equipment Leasing , franchise finance and Cdn. Tax Credit Finance . Founded 2004 - Completed in excess of 100 Million $ of financing for Canadian corporations .

' 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.

Stan Prokop