Is a Sale Leaseback of My Business Assets a Good Thing?

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Sale Leaseback Financing

At various points in the economic cycle a business owner or financial manager considers a sale leaseback financing. Is that type of transaction advantageous, and what are the risks and benefits?

Many firms do not fully know about or understand the advantages of this type transaction. This is a classic alternative financing strategy that works best when it is a good deal for the lessee and the lessor. It does not work well when the lessor presumes it is a 'cash grab' by the lessee.

This type of financing should be contemplated if your firm has the following characteristics:

- Experiencing working capital challenges
- Declining profits
- Excess unencumbered assets
- High amount of debt




If a company has a high amount of debt a sale leaseback transaction can still be a very positive financing event. By structuring the the transasction as an operating lease the debt becomes 'off balance sheet '. This gives the appearance of the company being not so highly leveraged and quite often it can save the company from being in default of its loan covenants.

In many cases the sale leaseback can bring a significant amount of capital back into the firm.

So when does a firm consider such a transaction - every industry is different but if the firm is bottom line, over leverage, i.e. Debt too high, there can be advantages to an off balance sheet sale leaseback transaction.

If a company has historically had pride of ownership, and has significant assets, and is suddenly going through a high growth stage it also becomes a good candidate for a sale leaseback. Cash flows are restructured and the company gains significant new working capital.

The best candidates, overall, for this type of financing strategy are high growth companies who would prefer to invest additional cash in receivables and inventory. Naturally no lessor wants to consider such a financing if the company is in some sort of death spiral.

In some cases when assets have in fact appreciated (not depreciated in value) the company may actually be able to report a gain in earnings, as the sale leaseback transaction in excess of book value allows the company to book the sale leaseback gain into the profit account!

Many government institutions, such as municipalities, hospitals, etc may find this type of financing strategy as optimal in solving temporary budget cuts and working capital challenges.



In summary, a properly structured sale leaseback can provide new cash, enhance earnings, and in effect be a creative way to temporarily re finance the firm or institution.





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


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: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Stan_Prokop/432698


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3723483

Is it Advisable to Consider Sale-Leaseback Financing?

Information on sale lease back transactions in Canada. Leaseback financing has many advantages when properly executed. Here's why .. and how.

Many business owners and financial managers are often faced with the consideration of utilizing a sale - leaseback to generate cash. This strategy became much more popular over the last year or so as banking and credit liquidity scenarios deteriorated.

The overall strategy can be viewed as giving some operational flexibility to the business. The bottom line of course is that it brings additional cash into the company at a time when ash is king. The customer is of course, essentially 'tapping into equity 'that the firm has built up in the asset. What is that asset?

Typically assets given up for consideration in sale leasebacks are manufacturing equipment, computers, and even a firm's real estate.

Sale-leasebacks have to make sense to both the lessor and the lessee. We view the largest ' negative ' aspect to such a transaction being the potential perception by the lessor, or other lenders that the firm is making a last ditch ' cash grab '. There has to be, as referenced above, an agreement that the transaction works for both parties.

If we analyze a typical example of a transaction we will hopefully get a better sense of why this strategy can in fact be a common sense financing alternative. Company A has manufacturing assets, shown as fixed assets on the balance sheet. In the sale - leaseback scenario the assets of course remain at the company - they do not move. The company receives cash for the sale of the asset to the lease firm. Quite frankly customers who consider this transaction have explored other traditional options by this time, such as reviewing additional financing with their bank or other senior lenders. Naturally the equipment is used on a daily basis to continue to generate sales, (and hopefully profits) for the firm.

In certain instances the sale-leaseback can in fact enhance the customer's balance sheet. One additional major flexibility is that the new sale-leaseback financing can in fact be used to generate additional flexibility at the end of the lease - i.e. the customer can again regain ownership of the asset if it will have economic value, or might choose to negotiate a return of upgrade with the vendor or lessor.

In summary, does a sale-leaseback of assets make sense? The answer as we have seen is ' yes ' if in fact it is done for the right reasons and makes sense for the customer and the lender.



Stan Prokop
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





Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3556312

Why The Sale Lease back Is Irreplaceable As A Finance Strategy: The Right Asset Buy Back Makes A Winning Leaseback Transaction

Holy Smokes!

Sale Leaseback Actually Works . Talk About Freeing Up Working Capital !

OVERVIEW – Information on the benefits of a sale lease back transaction . Asset buy back financing has significant benefits . What are the most important mechanics of a leaseback transaction









The sale lease back comes into consideration by Canadian business owners and financial managers for several reasons, and at several times. It's a text book case of freeing up valuable working and making absolute sense of the asset buy back. Let's dig in.

A leaseback transaction makes sense at certain key points in a company history. As firms struggle during revenue and profit challenges the owner/manager, prudent as he or she is, will look to the balance sheet for untapped capital. Those unencumbered (i.e. not financed) assets present a great opportunity to enhance cash flow and change the balance sheet optics.

It's never a perfect world but it certainly comes close to that when assets on your books are owned, have a useful life, and still have considerable value. In that case the planets have aligned! Your ability to then ' sell back ‘the asset to a finance partner can create in those circumstances both profit and cash flow. The ultimate win / win.

The actual sell price and valuation of the asset is key in a sale leaseback strategy. Additionally, dare we say it; your accountants must be comfortable with how the transaction will be recorded on balance sheet and income statement presentation.

It's always about ' cash being king' and cash proceeds received from the leaseback transaction strengthen your balance sheet. We're the last persons to get exciting about accounting in a sale lease back - suffice to say that it’s absolutely critical to ensure that your transaction has the proper impact on balance sheet, cash on hand, debt, and deprecation. Bottom line, talk to the experts.

We pointed out earlier that the win / win in a sale leaseback is a productive asset that you own and are still using. The buy back simply means that for a specific period of time you are transferring ownership to your lessor or lender.

One of the most critical aspects of preparing for your refinancing in this manner is understanding the probable necessary need for an appraisal This typically is done by a third party firm - suffice to say that most owners me meet and talk to in this type of financing have a strong opinion of the value of the asset . Unfortunately they are typically focusing on replacement cost, while a lessor or lender focuses on liquidation cost. Somewhere in the middle is probably the right answer!

You will also want to demonstrate to your lessor or lender (sometimes the leaseback transaction is structured as bridge loan or term debt - not a lease) there are no liens or encumbrances on your asset. In Canada this is quickly and economically established via a search under your provincial Personal Property Security Act.

Cash flow is a great benefit of a buy back financing. Be fore warned that you don't want to be viewed as executing a cash grab - be prepared to demonstrate the purposes of the capital/cash flow you receive from the financing. A sale leaseback is not desirable by any lender if a firm is in a death spiral.

Holy smokes, it appears to be true that asset refinancing is a solid working capital replenishment strategy. 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 refinancing needs.


Stan Prokop - 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 90 Million $ of financing for Canadian corporations . Info /Contact :


7 Park Avenue Financial = Canadian Sale Leaseback And Bridge Loan Expertise











Stan Prokop









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CONTACT:

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 '

Stan Prokop