Does Your Company Need Corporate Team Building ? Have We Got A Solution For Your !

Information on Corporate Team Building In Canada

Business experts agree that proper ( and fun !) team building activities are a key aspect of fostering people working together in your company.

Yet most corporate managers and HR folks are many times overwhelmed when it comes to which type of event works . Music is a universal language and can make it possible to achieve the objectives of your firm - a successful team event.

When challenged with the concept of budgets and fun, (the critical combo ), The League Of Rock eliminates the risk associated with a winning combination of expenses and return on investment, aka 'the fun quotient' !

Do alternative solutions to a music team event work . We're not sure, but we confess we've never been a fan of shooting paint balls at the CEO, getting grimy on a scavenger hunt , or , heaven forbid, white water rafting! Have previous team events faded in memory very quickly ? Not this one !

Don't forget to consider the key reasons you are holding a team event , who will participate, and what are we trying to achieve.

Team filled music sessions via the League of Rock's have proven to bring people together, eliminate inter office tensions, and created camaraderie under pressure. No secret that music energizes people and gets them smiling again. And it can be done almost anywhere that works .

Looking for results on your investment ? Who isn't. League of Rock music sessions are fun and relaxed, they foster a fun type of competitiveness and allow groups to make fun choices under pressure.

Interested? Check out music team building with the League of Rock . Our activities can include everyone, including mgmt, have no physical restrictions, and leave people with a sense of accomplishment .

If you're in charge of a fun and meaningful corporate team event contact us for more info.


Team Building • Corporate Music Leagues • The Best Band Ever!

The League Of Rock is known world wide for it's incredible Team Building Events and One-Of-A-Kind Company Music Leagues. Every time we produce an event, our Clients say "It's the best Team Building Event they've ever had". If you want to use music to improve collaboration, engage staff, engineer relationships, improve communication or bring groups of people together just to have some fun outside the office environment, you must come along with us... The journey we take together, will be the best experience your staff will every have

Need Business Turnaround Financing For Your Company? Canadian Solutions For Distressed Corporate Situations

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Information on successfully getting through the business turnaround !

#businessturnaroundfinancing

Business turnaround financing for Canadian firms is clearly one of the most challenging forms of corporate finance for those firms experiencing distress from either internal or external factors, more often than not a combination of both .

You can call it crisis management, turnaround management... whatever, bottom line, your company might need it. How then does a firm recognize that need, and what tools and financial solutions are available in Canada to implement a financial reorganization that makes sense.

Without a doubt it's about understanding both the causes and implications of company financial problems, and then implementing a solution.

When Canadian business owners and financial managers of companies in need of financing changes face their ' to do ' list a number of key focuses must be forged. They include restructuring your current debt, potentially downsizing your business, and addressing various legal issues with your current lenders, which might be both operating lenders and term lenders such as lessors, senior bank facilities, etc.

A common sense way of looking at things is to address some very basic questions, in effect:

What is going wrong and how must management take responsibility?

Do we have resources (i.e. assets) and financial assistance and expertise to begin and complete the turnaround?

Naturally depending on the size of your firm the challenge has different levels of complexity. Distressed situations can be addressed in either a ' strategic ' manner, or via an operating turnaround. Our comments are more focused on the operating turnaround... it’s the basics such as increasing sales, lowering costs, and refinancing assets.

In many cases new creditors must replace your current creditors. Again we emphasize that your current firm might be a start up, or one that has experienced tremendous growth and then stalled, , or in some cases your firm has been around a long time and financial issues simply have come to ahead and need to be addressed. All these firms require external turnaround management assistance, quite frankly, someone who has been here before.

At the end of the day it's about looking at your refinancing options which might include secured debt, bank debt, and other debt with commercial finance companies.

What then are potential solutions for corporate distressed situations? In Canada those solutions are:

debtor in possession financing; asset based lending, monetizing current assets via working capital facilities that include A/R and inventory and equipment components. Other less widely used options include securitization of contracts, tax credit financing, and supply chain financing.

Business turnaround financing is one of the most challenging aspects of Canadian business financing.

Speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor for solutions that make sense for your firm.








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

Dear Abby : What Do I Need To Know About An Asset Based Revolving Credit Facility And ABL Loan? Signed: Anxious

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Information on asset based financing in Canada

Dear Anxious - A great question and now for some hopefully great answers on the subject of an asset based revolving credit facility for your company.

No doubt you have heard about the relatively newest form of business financing in Canada .What you may not understand is simply how an ' ABL ' loan is different from comparative offerings, such as the traditional chartered bank line of credit.

While is has many similarities to its competitors in daily utilization, the benefit of the facility tend to be significantly more enhanced for firms such as yours.

Typical borrowing facilities of this type are secured by two key assets, your receivables and inventory. Your goal when you enter into such a facility is clearly to optimize working capital around whats available today, and what you might need in the future. That’s where an ABL loan comes in. By giving your asset based lender the security around those two assets you create a borrowing margin immediately available to yourself.

We know you're asking yourself ' so whats so different about that ‘... ‘Haven’t you just described what a
bank line of credit facility is?’? The true merit of the asset based revolving credit facility is twofold, if we're going to keep things simple.

First of all the advance rates or the amounts you borrow can be significantly more than in other more conservative facilities. It is certainly no unusual to achieve an 85-90% advance rate on your eligible receivable, those under 90 days. And when it comes to inventory, don’t get us started ; because once its clearly understood what type of inventory you carry, what the general turnover is, and how you capture and track this asset you can usually borrow anywhere from 30- 70% against your inventory line .

The other key benefit is the absence of a lot of those ratio and covenant restrictions imposed by traditional financing, including the de-focus on areas such as your personal guarantees.

Let’s keep things simple. If you weren’t getting any significant inventory margining before, and were getting standard 75% a/r advance we can safely say that many companies can increase their borrowing capacity by anywhere from 50-100% on day one .. Via their ABL loan facility.

We keep using the term ' ABL LOAN ‘, but the reality is that your company is taking on zero additional debt in a true asset based line of credit scenario . You are simply ' monetizing ' assets for liquidity. Your facility goes up and down everyday, in the true business cycle as you buy inventory, reduce payables, generate sales, and of course collect them. It’s as simple as that.

So, who is eligible for this type of business borrowing? As we said, we like to keep it simple, so the reality is that any business requiring a working capital line of credit in excess of 250k is in fact eligible. And, get this, you can be public, private, doing well, financially challenged, or even in bankruptcy proceedings. We think we can safely say that ABL financing doesn’t discriminate - if you have assets your eligible in some form for this great new trend in Canadian
business financing!

Well that’s it ‘Anxious’. Want more info? Consider speaking to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor on the merits and differences in asset based revolving credit facilities in Canada.




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

Looking To Fund Your Business ? 5 Tips On Start Up & Small Business Finance Companies And Banking In Canada

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Information on Small Business Finance , business finance companies and banking in Canada

It sometimes seems that when you're bigger things always seem a bit easier - not always but most of the time.

That’s why when you are looking to fund your business and you're a small to medium sized business owner or financial manager knowing which firms and finance companies are appropriate to deal with seems like a challenge. And business banking from a borrowing perspective seems like a huge challenge.

And another thing, if it’s not all the time, it’s sometimes, because at certain points in your company's growth and history you are looking for business funding of some sort. What are the options - who can you turn to? Never fear... real world advice is here!

Business financing to either start or grow your business is available in a variety of ways and solutions. Let's examine 5 key topic areas.

The number 1 solution, as perceived by many business people is banks and commercial credit unions. However, perception is certainly not always reality as many have discovered. However if you are in a position to demonstrate to the bank that your own pockets (i.e. your own money!) is committed to the business then they are certainly a good place to start.

Want to know who we think is the absolute best bank in town? We’re sure you do, and here’s the answer, its one that houses a banker who is committed to grow and understand your business.

One of the best programs offered by the bank is co sponsored by the government, it’s the SBL loan program, providing you with great rates, terms and structures, and even limited personal liability for the financing.

Point # 2 -There isn’t a day when we don’t get a call asking us for some assistance on government grants. There are probably hundreds , if not more , of government grant programs - our own opinion is that they are often difficult to qualify for and at the same time chances of approval on non repayable funds is , suffice to say, slim . We will add though that the SR&ED program is probably the best program in this area, although its not a grant per se. Check it out though if you feel you qualify.

Grant programs are often targeted to very specific cultural or environmental issues , and many come with strings attached, such as matching funds only, etc.

So focus on getting sources of capital to borrow, not give you!

Point # 3- Talk to a Boy Scout. That’s because that organizations motto of ' BE PREPARED ' runs very true in business. Your ability to present yourself, your background, your historical, present and future financials is critical to obtaining business financing from finance companies and banks in Canada. Many clients seem either overwhelmed with how to do this properly, or quite honestly just aren’t qualified. We are all experts inn our own area of expertise, right?

Solid professional assistance from your accountant or Canadian business financing advisor is steps away, and at a nominal cost, all things considered.

Tip # 4- We all know whats in it for us when we borrow funds in a banking or non banking facility. But whats in it for the lender? Never forget that point. Finance companies in Canada are based around risk and reward. Most business owners don’t realize that business financing in Canada is available from a rate of 3% per annum to 3% per month. All types of assets can be financed or monetized. Companies in bankruptcy proceedings can even borrow at low rates. It’s all about the assets, the rate of return, and how you put together your business funding request.

Tip # 5- Always is prepared to deliver on some level of owner equity, i.e. your own contribution into the business. That can be via a cash injection, retained earnings in the business, or assets that aren’t already collateralized.

So, Canadian business financing . It comes in many forms. Receivable financing, equipment finance, working capital cash flow loans, asset based lending, franchise financing, tax credit finance, etc.


Speak to a trusted Canadian business financing advisor on how to fund your business, and which finance companies and banking partners are appropriate for you.







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

Early Warning Signs You Need A Canadian ABL Asset Based Finance Facility Line Of Credit

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Information on ASSET BASED FINANCING

As a business owner or financial manager you want to be able to ensure that a business line of credit has the ability to assist your firm before, during and after serious financial challenges occur. That's where the ABL asset based finance facility comes in.
In a perfect world (we know it's not) you want to be able to detect financial challenges, understand why they happen, and then implement a solution to avoid them. Understanding the problem (or problems) allows you to make the difficult decisions to continue your business successfully.

So what kind of problems can in fact your business run into. From our experience some are obvious and others not so obvious. And more importantly is there one specific business strategy; in our case today the ABL asset based line of credit that can in fact help you execute the turnaround.

There are probably 5 major early warning signs that your firm might need an alternative financing solution.
So what are some of those early warning signals? They are as follows:

1. Too much short term debt
2. You're trapped in a vicious cash flow cycle
3. You've accumulated current assets that have little or no value (example: obsolete inventories, poor receivables)
4. Your investment in fixed assets has put a major strain on your liquidity
5. Your firm is trying to find itself as it struggles to makes sales projections without the proper assets and financing to back up that growth


So whether your company has purposely created some of these challenges or whether external market forces have the good news in fact is there is a solution, and the one we are recommending today is the ABL facility. It's a business line of credit like no other.
The ABL business line of credit differs from a bank facility in that you have the ability to margin, at very solid levels your current and fixed assets, all in the form of a revolving business line of credit.

Typically the liquidity provided by this facility gives you access to much more cash flow and working capital, and at the same time isn't punishing your firm by forcing you to totally focus on meeting ratios, covenants, and even provide outside collateral.


That is to say the ABL revolver facility allows you to continue to operate, probably with much more liquidity in spit of your capital structure, your historical challenges or financial losses, etc.

In Canada ABL facilities are typically provided by non regulated commercial finance firms. The ultimate irony we've observed over the years is that the Canada's chartered banks themselves, recognizing limitations of traditional facilities, have themselves even ventured into this ' non- bank ' financing idea. Now that's business irony.



If you want a solid insight into some of the early warning signs that your current financing strategies aren't working speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor about the possible solution to those upcoming or existing challenges.









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

Achieve the Impossible With ABL ? How The Asset Based Line Of Credit Facility Creates Financing

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Information On Asset Based Financing For Canadian Business

Why do we maintain ABL financing achieves the impossible? For us, it seems pretty simple. It's that just one type of Canadian business financing, the asset based line of credit facility , can successfully address, and answer ' YES ' to the following questions:

Is Your Firm viewed as high risk by other more traditional institutions such as Canadian chartered banks?

Do you wish to acquire a competitor or another firm?

Do you need interim financing while in the stages of a ' turnaround'?

Are you experiencing ' hyper growth ' without the necessary financing to handle that growth?

Are you considering a bankruptcy/ receivership or in one now?

Doesnt it seems incredible that one unique method of financing can address those 5 issues, or is it just us that's impressed? Hopefully not.

ABL finance has gradually grown in popularity in Canada; we're often surprised why it has not grown faster. The reality is that some of the largest companies in Canada, both public and private now utilize this type of financing. Even more interesting, and somewhat ironic is that Canadian banks have boutique divisions that are also offering this method of finance.

We have often felt though that in the case of the banks there arent to many differences in some of the credit criteria, which is great for pricing and size of the facility, but less so for approval!

So how do asset based financings in fact address the 5 business concerns we profiled earlier. It's actually pretty simple as a concept. In essence it's a line of credit facility that bundles all your assets into one revolving line of credit. We can't over emphasize the word ' assets ' - that’s the strength of the financing. In the case of ABL its not about ratios, covenants, outside collateral, high emphasis on personal guarantees... its just about... you guessed it .. ‘Assets’!

As the levels of your financing expand you are in a position to borrow against these rising assets due to sales expansion, etc. Naturally it goes without saying that the margining of these assets is what your new found liquidity is all about. For a starter A/R and inventory is margined at typically 90% and 30-70% respectively. That liquidity is further enhanced by allowing you to borrow against equipment and real estate within that same facility.

In Canada facilities such as this typically start at 250k and go to tens of millions of dollars. And they do address all of the 5 situations we have mentioned.

Speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor on how an ABL asset based line of credit facility just might be what you need ... today!





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

Take Charge Of Your Business Asset Finance Today Via A Revolving ABL Credit Facility

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Information About Asset Based Lending In Canada

We meet a lot of business owners that say they don't necessarily feel ' in charge ' when it comes to business asset finance and their ability to secure a proper revolving line of credit.

ABL credit, i.e. the asset based line of credit via a non bank facility is one way the Canadian business owner can take charge and regain control o their business financing needs .

Asset based lenders exist in a wide variety of forms in Canada... today we're focusing on the true asset based lender that provides, outside the bank environment, business lines of credit .

Where it gets a little confusing for Canadian business is that some day to day terms are intermingled to make this form of finance confusing to some. Trust us, its not confusing!

Hopefully even we can be forgiven for contributing to some of that confusion sometimes, as we have positioned ABL Credit as a non bank solution. But in reality even some of the banks participate in this type of finance via separate boutique divisions within the chartered banks. It's at that time its important to know who to deal with and why.

True asset based lines of credit revolve around one thing, the ultimate liquidation of collateral. Simply speaking the security and liquidity in the business asset finance LOC focuses on the underlying collateral that you're borrowing against. As we have noted in the past that collateral consists of receivables, inventory and equipment for the most part. (Real estate can also be added in sometimes.)

So what’s different about ABL credit when it comes to a comparison to a Canadian chartered bank? The simple explanation is that in a bank line of credit your ratios and covenants have to be performing, as set out and agreed to by the bank and yourself, with a revolving ABL facility you need to ensure those assets are operating, ie turning over, and hopefully growing.

That's probably our most significant point today, that being that your assets secured under the ABL facility must have a solid liquidation and market value. In revolving business asset finance you typically borrow 90% of A/R, and 30-70%, as negotiated for inventory and equipment.

The appeal of Asset based lines of credit is that it pertains, in Canada, to all sizes of firms. While larger facilities tend to be in the millions of dollars a financing program of this manner can be set up for a minimum of 250k if in fact your firm is smaller. But we repeat... essentially there is no upper limit.

Want to regain control and take charge of your business financing
. Speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor on how revolving business asset finance can help your firm.










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