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
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
Office = 905 829 2653
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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
