Need Turnaround Financing Or A Restructuring Loan ?

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Turnaround financing and business refinance solutions are often required when your company has been on the rise... and then, unfortunately, a fall situation. Turnaround finance typically requires restructuring loan, or loans, of some type, in combination with performance changes in your business. It's all about fixing a business! Let's dig in.

Well managed companies that have a proper business plan and cash flow forecasts are rarely caught totally off guard in a liquidity crisis ( pandemics excluded ! ) and often can reverse very negative financial results. If your management team is not seasoned your company has to get help on how to survive a potential insolvency crisis.

The ability to successfully complete your business turnaround via restructuring and turnaround financing will put your firm back on solid ground. Financial recovery is ' time-sensitive ' to say the least so our ability to select and work with the right firm is ' job 1 '! Every industry has unique financing needs and you need a firm with a track record of business financial success to deliver on restructuring loans that will work to your benefit.

Leading experts such as KPMG, world-renowned for turnaround advise that turnaround and restructuring is really a 3 step or 3 phased approach for the restructuring of a company - addressing the strategic crisis, addressing the sales and profit crisis, and then the fix on your liquidity crunch for funding a business.


Challenges in the turn around abound, especially since in a turn around .especially when it comes to SME COMMERCIAL FINANCE needs, new equity/owner capital is often difficult if not impossible to acquire. So that lack of money must come from operating assets and sales. The ability to maintain sales and increase profits is of course also key to your cash flow problems.



Safe to say that owners/mgrs have to recognize the issues that arose prior to a turnaround need - they include issues such as costs in the business, mgmt/employee performance, or lower sales. Naturally, those types of issues, combined with a poor asset and sales finance strategy are typically the key issues.



Key signs of a poor finance strategy being in place are your inability to buy new needed assets , inability to meet fixed cost commitments, and loan and lease default scenarios.

Typically owners and management will notice trends in costs and sales revenue that require some sort of corrective action. In many cases, timely attention to those areas will save any sort of formal insolvency steps being taken.

This is when a hard look at your business needs to taken, and quickly. That's a look at the overall structure of the company, and that typically involves your vendors, all owners, and any other stakeholders such as key employees and of course your current lenders. You are looking for ' the fix ' and may possibly need outside help.

A good management team can often take informal internal steps to save a good business, but as we have stated, outside help should probably be considered. The ability to have time to restructure your firm on your own is always less costly and allows you to have maximum flexibility in negotiation with third parties such as banks, etc.

Implementing a Restructuring Plan and a Corporate Restructuring 

 

During this time owners and financial managers must address all the operating issues within the business, such as accounting, administration, and the management of working capital. Never has the role of financial and administrative staff been so crucial as the ability to provide financial results and cash flow forecasts for owners and lenders.



There has never been a more critical time to accelerate collection of receivables and taking a hard look at inventory turns, and the overall value of inventory, which in many cases can be in various stages of production. This entire process in well run or financially distressed companies is called the ' cash conversion cycle ' and measures the travel of money as it flows through your firm. Solving cash flow problems and timing of asset conversion to cash is key.

If a company is managing the turnaround internally on its own outside lending has to be evaluated, either through existing lenders or new sources of business capital. One of the quickest methods to accelerate cash is considering an accounts receivable financing facility, sometimes known as factoring, although the word ' FACTORING' has many versions. At 7 Park Avenue Financial we recommend CONFIDENTIAL RECEIVABLE FINANCING, allow your firm to bill and collect your own receivables while generating immediate cash flow on all sales.

An internal focus on fixing the problem allows your company to avoid formal restructuring, especially when a bank has put your account into the ' special loans ' category, often requiring a forbearance agreement to give you the much needed time we have been talking about. Those formal proceedings such as CCAA, RECEIVERSHIP, PROPOSAL TO CREDITORS, DEBTOR IN POSSESSION, etc. all involve very costly and time-consuming measures. It goes without saying, but we will say it, that negotiating financing during formal types of insolvency is highly difficult!




In some cases companies that have made an investment in r&d capital should consider factoring their SR&ED claim. Another solid strategy we've implemented is the sale-leaseback finance process, allowing you to generate cash flow from owned assets while at the same time retaining the use of those assets. Cash conservation should be a key management focus, evaluating all possible options.



Many businesses get to the ' crisis ' situation without ever having prepared a proper business plan and cash flow plan. Suffice to say that now is the time to do that! That financial forecast and plan will determine where turnaround finance is needed and how it could be achieved. Those types of efforts will determine where cash will come from and how and when it will be used.



There is a great story around a fellow named Henry Frick - In 1871 he borrowed through good and bad times to acquire and grow businesses. His secret? It might well come from the actual bank notes from Thomas Mellon of Mellon bank - a bank U.S. money center bank. Those notes? They read ' land is good ... the ovens are well built, manager on the job all day... keeps books in the evening... knows his business’!



There often emerges a clear ' pecking order ' in who or what needs to be paid and addressed in a business refinancing. That list of key players is pretty short - government obligations, key suppliers, and utilities/rent!



For those customers with bank facilities in place, they are of course forced to address the turnaround when a demand loan is called. An asset loan is often the solution that ' takes out ' the bank and provides an interim financing solution. At the end of the day it's all about being able to leverage assets via asset based lending type solutions that will allow you to put an operating plan in place while still retaining some balance sheet strength.

Asset based lending facilities which typically come from non bank lenders allow your refinance assets and move to recovery. ABL financing works in all scenarios, whether a firm is restructuring or not , and provides your firm with maximum liquidity for all assets as well as the ability to monetize sales.

SUMMARY OF TURNAROUND FINANCING SOLUTIONS :

Turnaround finance Solutions that are available are diverse - They include:



Asset based bridge loan on assets



Asset-based revolving credit facility - combines A/R, inventory and equipment and real estate into one business credit line



Tax credit finance



A/R financing


Purchase Order Financing / Contract Finance



Sale leaseback lease/loan on unencumbered assets



Sales/Royalty finance

Restructuring Advisor Assistance

At 7 Park Avenue Financial, we focus on the turnaround task at hand, helping you plan and facilitate a restructuring that works for all vested parties. That might include cash flow planning and financing, negotiating with current senior lenders and other secured lenders, as well as vendors/suppliers. Raising business capital and funding through this process requires experience and the ability to move quickly when your firm needs it most. Many firms and industries have different needs and circumstances.

At the end of the day it's all about the preservation of the true value in your company and it's future, ensuring the company transformation process works. That comes from your work on implementing costs and sales analysis, as well as ensuring you have a financing partner in place to optimize cash flow and working capital. Your ability to take action in turnaround planning to address lower sales or cash flow generation is key to the turnaround.



If your business is facing operating losses and other issues requiring business refinancing seek out and speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor and restructuring consultant for help in asset loan and cash flow needs. Welcome to the turnaround plan !




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

Direct Line = 416 319 5769

Email = sprokop@7parkavenuefinancial.com

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com

Click Here For 7 PARK AVENUE FINANCIAL website !



7 Park Avenue Financial provides value-added financing consultation for small and medium-sized businesses in the areas of cash flow, working capital, and debt financing.



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. He is an experienced

business financing consultant

.

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 financing 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
7 Park Avenue Financial/Copyright/2020

The Asset Based Line Of Credit : Your DIY Turnaround Strategy

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How Can an Asset Based Line of Credit Help Your Company Implement a Turnaround Strategy

Information on asset based lines of credit . Companies that need either a turnaround or growth strategy outside traditional bank financing should investigate this specialized form of alternative finance

An asset based line of credit is an excellent strategy for any firm who is considering viable turnaround options. This finance strategy is also an excellent way to assist a firm in understand what some of its underlying problems are.

An Asset based line of credit, commonly referred to as an 'ABL' arrangement can be instituted even if the company is not profitable or in fact is experiencing financial duress.

Prior to considering an ABL many firms will find they are experiencing sever cash flow pressures. Traditional working capital is shrinking, and sometimes external factors to the business simply exacerbate the financial challenge. If the business owner or financial executive do not take charge at this point a business failure in fact is likely.

Many firms gravitate towards an ABL arrangement after their bank operating line of credit. Most business owners quickly realize both the benefits and the risk of having significant bank lines in place. Traditionally these lines of credit are secured by receivables and inventory. Businesses are told they can borrow up to a certain limit based on these facilities. Every month the company submits detailed lists of a/r and inventory and can borrow certain pre agreed upon limits against those assets.

Banks typically advance 75% of those receivables that are under 90 days. In asset based lines of credit facilities that amount is often 90- 100% of receivables, creating immediate additional liquidity.

Banks have become much more cautious on inventory, that is simply because they don't, and cant be expected, to understand each firms inventory values and products. Asset based lenders tend to have much more experience in these matters and are more often than not inventory experts. Therefore advances against inventory are much higher. Again, what does that do, well it of course creates additional liquidity.

Many, if not most, oh, lets be honest, all banks set maximum borrowing limits that are dependant on other external factors such as other collateral they hold, perceived operating risk, and the value of personal guarantees of the shareholders.

Bank operating lines are best when a firm is experience steady, but not erratic growth, and when the firm can operate comfortably within its borrowing limits as agreed upon with the bank.

When firms run into financial challenges they of course have a business that is contracting in many ways. Therefore borrowing against receivables and inventory becomes limited, and the bills that need to be paid are of course paid with less cash available and on hand.

It is at this point that many businesses realize they are starting to default on bank covenants. In many cases, for a variety of reasons, sales are falling.

It is very difficult for a business owner to both realize what is happening, and, moreso of a challenge, correct the problem. Financial losses only augment the cash flow problem. Many companies in fact aren't trouble by operating losses, but have simply over expanded. Business owners get into the mindset that if they are expanding, there can't be a problem! Most financial executives know that a company can fail not for lack of profit, but from lack of liquidity.

The time to consider an asset based line of credit is probably right now. The customers bank either has, or is reviewing its options relative to collateral and security arrangements. The bank will start to take measure to ensure it gets paid in full - this typically includes reducing operating lines of credit, formally calling a loan and setting new deadlines for the customer to 'right' the business, or exit the bank relationship.

It is at this time the customer should be focusing on alternative lending sources such as the asset based line of credit with non-bank finance firms. This facility improves liquidity, places less reliance on external guarantees and collateral, and can operate with a firm that is getting back on its track to profitability. We hasten to add that a severe financial 'death spiral' cannot be properly address by either the bank or the asset based line of credit solution.

The business owner and manager must recognize the current financial situation, and address that situation in as prompt and efficient manner as possible.


7 Park Avenue Financial :

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 .







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.



Stan Prokop

3 Business Strategies For a Financing Turnaround & Restructuring

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Three Strategies To Save Your Company In A Business Financing ' Pickle ' !

Information on business turnaround strategies for challenged firms . Restructuring financing is all about Loans a& Cash Flow Strategies That Make Sense

There are strategies that troubled companies can use to save themselves from dire straits and regain their former financial success. These same sort of strategies are valuable for business owners and financial executives to understand how their firms can avoid financial turbulence and failure.

We must first realize that business failure or bankruptcy never happens overnight. Normally there is a gradual trend of financial deterioration that is sometimes exacerbated by industry troubles. In the 2009-2010 environment the auto industry is a poster child for a troubled industry, as an example.

Naturally firms that are on the very precipice of failure or bankruptcy do not have many options or time left. It has to fix itself, or sink. No business owners or entrepreneurs want to face bankruptcy, liquidation, and other creditor issues.

Do financially failing firms survive because of a revival in products or their services, or have they in fact executed on improved financial management. This is a challenging questions, because the very financial problems that beset a firm hinder it in getting new sales, acquiring inventory, and regaining supplier credibility.

Also, lets be realistic, banks and other finance companies do not throw themselves at failing firms with financial offers of loans, lines of credit, etc. In fact what usually happens is that the company is forced to pledge some or all assets at much higher rates, sometimes simply accentuating the financial problems that were already there.

So what are the financial strategies that a firm can undertake to avoid financial failure when it has been losing sales, not generating profits, and generally traveling down a potential death spiral?
There are three or four solid strategies that can save the firm. The first is ' assets '. The second is liabilities and debt, and the third we will simply call ' maneuverering '.

Strategy 1:

Assets have value. They can be sold, re financed,, or pledged to secure new financing. This type of strategy works best when it works for all parties, the company and the lender, or the company and another firm. However lets be clear that this is somewhat of a one shot strategy. It either must work or it doesn't. Asset maneuvers have 3 stages of success: assets can be used to get a new loan, assets can be sold, or they can, in somewhat of a worst case scenario, be liquidated.

Strategy 2:

On the other side of assets on the balance sheet is debt and equity. Debt can be structured properly to ensure the lender gets a reasonable reward, and the company is able to both repay and survive. There are too many types of debt to consider for the purposes of this article - suffice to say that creativity in debt is somewhat unlimited. A firm could issue debt, as an example, and repay only when the company is earning profits again.This would normally entail higher rates, but again, as we have stated, the transaction has to make sense both for customer and lender. A solid alternative solution is to simply re - structure existing debt at new rates and amortizations.
Alternatively to debt a company with promise can bring in new equity or ownership. This is somewhat more risk for all as dilution of ownership is usually significant when a company is failing and bring in new equity capital.

Strategy 3:

A firm sometimes has to look to the outside for help. Since the owners and managers are often too close to the problem it is somewhat of a classic case of not seeing the forest for the trees. Outside consultants and industry experts can often bring a solution to the table. They have insights that management simply did not possess. These strategies include developing new sales and product strategies, bring in new management, or considering a strategic merger.

In summary, anyone who has worked through several business cycles over a number of years knows that companies can in fact be saved. Some go on to be the new super stars of their respective industry. The company must clearly uncover what the problem is, and then adapt strategies, financial or otherwise, to fix those problems. Seek out and speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business Financing Advisor with a track record of success who can assist you with your funding & capital 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.


Stan Prokop

How Does Ed Predict My Business is Going to Go Bankrupt? And Who is Ed?

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We are quite sure that many business owners and financial managers, and to some degree even sophisticated financial analysts have never heard of Edward Altman.

Altman was a pioneer in financial research into troubled firms. He was a New York professor/scholar. Obviously this took a lot of what we could call ' back testing ' - that is to say going back in a companies history to determine why they failed and what were the financial characteristics of that failure.

A lot of his work revolves around the in depth analysis of 33 firms that went bankrupt eventually.

Altman wrote volumes on companies in distress and bankrupt companies, and is most known for his contribution of a short formula called 'THE Z-SCORE '.

What is the Z-SCORE? In essence it's a predictor of bankruptcy and business failure! One might think the formula is overly complex, but it is not. It is simply an analytical tool that could be used by any business owner, financial manager, or for that matter a personal investor looking to purchase a stock in the stock market. It is somewhat of a dramatic statement, but Altman felt you could predict the bankruptcy, in many cases, several years before the actual event. (Short sellers of stock take note!!)

Altman developed the tool in the 1960's and we feel it is still very valid today. The ultimate result of a Z-SCORE calculation is an absolute number. If firms have a score of 1.8 or less Altman maintains the company is a strong credit for bankruptcy.

How is the score calculated? Again, readers will be surprised at how easy the score is to calculate. Remember that the absolute number of the score essentially is a reading on the company's financial health.

The elements of the score are as follows:


Working Capital
Total Assets
Retained Earnings
Earnings/Profit
Sales
Total liabilities

Note ** If any business owner does not know how to get those numbers from his financial statement we suggest they are already headed for business failure!

The calculation is done as follows:

Working Capital divided by Total Assets
Retained Earnings divided by total assets
Earnings divided by total assets
Retained Earnings divided by Total liabilities
Sales divided by Total Assets

Each number is calculated and then added up. The result is a final Z-SCORE. Remember that we have said that if a company has a score of less than 1.8 Altman believed they were headed for bankruptcy. (Note there is a weighting assigned to each calculation also - readers can do their own research on the calculation) Obviously when he back tested those financials of firms that ultimately failed he showed they had exhibited a score of less than 1.8 much earlier.

Altman noted that firms with a Z-SCORE of greater than 3 were, in general, strong financially. Readers can also guess that a company with a score somewhere in the middle is a firm in the 'grey zone '. The bottom line - lower is worse!

So would you invest your personal money in the stock market in a company that had a Z-SCORE of 1.8? And do you believe you have a tool that can effectively predict the ultimate failure of a company. And finally, do you know the Z-SCORE of your own firm as a business owner or financial manager - we have shown that it is not hard to calculate. We note that ALTMAN did feel strongly that the formula works better for larger corporations. What the reader does with that data is a subject of another discussion.

No formula is absolute, but, the weight of evidence suggests that if Ed (his formula /model) is predicting something, we should listen!



Stan Prokop is the founder of 7 Park Avenue Financial

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

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.


Stan Prokop



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