New Franchisee? How Franchising Lenders work in Canadian franchise finance

Being the ' new person ' is not always beneficial, especially when it comes to a major life decision such as your new career as a franchisee in Canada. Not knowing about franchise finance or franchising lenders work is definitely a set back - so lets get you ' armed and ready ' with some solid info on financing your franchise .

First of all, here’s the good news - financing a franchise in Canada is certainly possible - It’s mostly done by a guy named BILL! And we're not kidding. More about him later.

In fact though, the franchise industry is currently viewed as quite healthy as lenders feel that the concept of proven business models and branding of your franchise are great steps to opening what ultimately is a ' start up ' business. Clearly we all agree a franchise ' start up ' is steps ahead of opening up your own business and ' taking a chance'.

So, can you get a ' standard’ bank loan to complete your franchise finance? We don’t want to be too sarcastic here, but the answer is, yes, if you have a million dollars net worth, pristine credit, and some outside collateral and guarantee ability. So what we are saying, putting that sarcasm aside, is that conventional lending doesn’t really work if you're a new franchisee seeking an independent business opportunity financing.

So, that brings us to our friend BIll, remember we told you he finances most of the franchises in Canada. Clearly a popular guy, as he finances millions of dollars of franchises. Our clients want to immediately get to know this Bill guy. So, who is Bill?

Actually we have spelled his name wrong, its BIL, because that is the name of the government sponsored loan programme in Canada (in the U.S. it’s called the SBA loan) that funds most franchisees in Canada.

How can one program be so popular? It's simply because it’s well suited to what you are trying to accomplish. It provides great rates, terms and structures, limited personal guarantees, and requires what we in our firm call a reasonable or decent personal credit history. I.E. You don’t need that million dollar net worth we spoke of earlier?

So how do you achieve franchise finance success with franchising lenders on the BIL loan? Again, pardon our humor, but investigate the Boy Scout motto - Be Prepared!

The essence of approval for your franchisee venture for franchising lenders under a BIL loan is a crisp business plan, a financial projection that makes sense, and various back up documents as required by the program. Naturally you also need assistance in determining who offers this loan program, how it can be sometime augmented with other financing, and it sure helps if you present it professionally and properly.

So, we always try to have a bottom line, and in this cases its pretty simple - investigate the BIL program, do your homework, identify key requirements, and, if you are challenged by any of the above seek a trusted, credible, and experienced Canadian business financing advisor who can help you achieve franchisee franchise finance success with the right franchising lenders for your BIL. And, by the way, congratulations on your new role as a Canadian entrepreneur!

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Stan Prokop - founder of 7 Park Avenue Financial -

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com

Originating business financing for Canadian companies , specializing in working capital, cash flow, asset based financing . In business 7 years - has completed in excess of 50 Million $$ of financing for Canadian corporations .Info re: Canadian business financing & contact details :

http://www.parkavenuefinancial.com/franchise_finance_franchising_lenders_franchisee.html

Who Are The Best Asset Based Lenders ? Looking for loan financing companies in Canada for Working Capital?

We know where you are at. You've heard about asset based lenders, are a bit confused about this type of loan financing (It’s not really a loan) and you want to know which companies in Canada best suit your working capital needs.

Everything seems to be going ' viral ' these days, and we strongly feel that asset based lines of credit from Canadian asset based lenders are right up there - to put it simply, they are ' trending up ' in popularity .

Let’s examine the key basics of the service offering of asset based lenders in Canada and determine how you pick what's best for your firm. That is the real challenge.

So, again, what is the service offering really about when you're looking for an asset based lender? It’s actually a bit more simple to understand than you think. Clients we talk to are of course 100% familiar with a bank operating line of credit - that’s been available forever - if , and its a big if, you qualify.

Loan financing companies offering asset based lines of credit are simply finance firms, usually private and independent , that offer you an operating line of credit - based on the true value of your receivables , inventory, and in many cases fixed assets or real estate that don’t have other liens on them . Simple as that.

We know you're struggling to see the difference between that bank facility and this newer version of it. The key differences are simply, and that’s why hundreds, probably thousands of firms are moving to this type of working capital and cash flow facility. We'll summarize the benefits of that facility quickly and easily. They are as follows: easier approval, less collateral, covenants and guarantees from owners, more liquidity, and unlimited financial borrowing power.

Let's cover off those last two points a bit more; they are the ones that most intrigue our clients who are considering the switch. Asset based lenders approve many firms for either more working capital than the client would have received from a bank , or often times approvals are based on facilities that never would be approved by a bank in any circumstances .

Don't believe us? Actually many firms who are even in special loans or coming out of bankruptcy can, in many circumstances, access asset based lenders. Why? Because they have the one thing an ABL (that’s the acronym for the industry) needs: ASSETS!

So we think we've got you onside with the benefit of an asset based line of credit from loan financing companies in Canada that offer these type of revolving facilities. But which one is best for your firm.

Here's what you need to know. We speak of a ' loan ' but keep in mind this is basically an operating line of credit for your firm. The factors that affect who you are best to deal with are as follows - the size of your facility, the current financial situation your firm is in, where you are located, and the mix between A/R, inventory, and those other assets you might have on hand. These type of facilities work best when they are in the 250k and up range. And by the way, up in our case means anything up to 50 Millions dollars, or more!

If your firm doesn't qualify from a size perspective there are still some unique business financing strategies for current assets that makes sense.

Speak to a trusted, credible, and experienced Canadian business financing advisor. You'll be on the road to improved working capital health in a short time!

--


Stan Prokop - founder of 7 Park Avenue Financial -
http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com

Originating business financing for Canadian companies , specializing in working capital, cash flow, asset based financing . In business 7 years - has completed in excess of 50 Million $$ of financing for Canadian corporations .Info re: Canadian business financing & contact details :

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com/asset_based_lenders_loan_financing_companies.html

The Reality Around Working Capital And Cash Flow Business Financing In Canada

Your access, and the way you manage your firms working capital and cash flow play a key role in business financing and your firm’s growth and overall well being. We rarely get an argument on that one.

Your ability to get financing on items such as fixed assets, a/r, and inventory will ultimately depend on how successful and also how fast your company can grow .

Clients are somewhat amazed when we tell them that we can pinpoint the exact time when they will stop being successful! What do we mean by that? Simply that you have a great little tool to determine when you need that extra capital in your business. Most small and medium sized businesses haven’t heard of it, we can assure you larger more sophisticated corporations have a total handle on this one.

So whats the tool - it’s called the Sustainable growth ratio and it’s a simple formula that shows you the most your firm can grow without bringing in new capital. For example, if you want to get a shareholder return on your total capital in the business of 20% you can re invest all your earnings and keep your relative overall financial position the same. Want to grow faster, then access more outside capital .Simple as that.

However accessing more capital from the viewpoint of our clients is either difficult, or undesirable - i.e. reducing their ownership interests, etc. So whats the choice. It’s simply monetize your business financing assets such as receivables, inventory and unencumbered assets and create working capital and cash flow via asset turnover.

You create cash flow financing internally be addressing how you finance receivables, inventory, and accounts payable. Accounts payable you ask?! Yes, simply because as you slow your payables you generate real cash flow progress. Naturally there is a fine line here between generating that cash and alienating your valued suppliers!

We never want to be accused of talking about the problems and not the solutions, and we mean real world solutions, not textbook solutions to Canadian working capital financing.

So let’s recap the solutions and why and when they might make sense. The easy, quick, go to solution is working with a commercial banker to determine if you qualify for bank financing from an operating line of credit point of view. We surmise that if you have all the access to bank credit you need you wouldn’t be here reading our solutions proposed!

Other real world alternatives for cash flow financing in Canada, some of which are even unknown to our clients include asset based lending facilities that are non bank in nature - basically lines of credit from private finance firms. Other solutions include confidential invoice discounting, and purchase order financing, which also occasionally dovetail into the financing of your inventory either prior to purchase or when its on your shop floor .

In summary, we spoke of your desire or inability to attract long term capital to your business, the solution being short term working capital decisions around how you finance on a day to day basis. Speak to a trusted, credible an experienced business financing advisor on how to access the Canadian business financing you need. Today!

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Stan Prokop - founder of 7 Park Avenue Financial -

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com
Originating business financing for Canadian companies , specializing in working capital, cash flow, asset based financing . In business 7 years - has completed in excess of 50 Million $$ of financing for Canadian corporations .Info re: Canadian business financing & contact details :
http://www.7
parkavenuefinancial.com/working_capital_cash_flow_business_financing.html

Considering Equipment Finance in Canada ? – Why Equipment Leasing Is Your Finance Advantage

Want some good news ? - Your firm has the ' home team advantage ‘. That common sports expression we think pertains to business when you are making use of all the advantages of equipment finance and equipment leasing for your Canadian acquisition needs.

A lot of the advantages of leasing are constantly being talked about - if you don’t know them by now it sounds like you are considering lease financing for the first time. Sitting down with clients it always becomes apparent to us that of all those advantages, and they are numerous, cash flow is often the most significant benefit to business owners and financial managers.

So, is cash flow still the ruling king, as we have heard it always was? Definitely, because when you utilize equipment finance solutions you in effect have created your own new line of business credit. And the restrictions, covenants, outside collateral, and all those other things you associate with a bank or term loan seem to suddenly have gone away with your equipment leasing solution.

Is leasing versus buying also considered a key advantage? That’s a question clients always ask. The reality is that there are somewhat complicated accounting, tax, and depreciation calculations that come into play on that issue - more often than not we think it’s a bit of a wash in our opinion. However, depending on the actual type of lease you use there could be some immediate apparent advantages.

For example, choosing a residual type lease, also know in the industry as an operating lease gives you the chance to experience a lower payment advantage, and lower payments are always a good thing ,

Want to devote a huge piece of your life to getting a term loan or bank financing arrangement in place for your new equipment. By all mans go ahead - but our clients have already beat you to the bunch, and we sure hope they are not your competitors, because they obtain lease approvals in a matter of a couple days - Canadian equipment finance leases are approved in a much more expeditious manner .

There is a term in business finance revolving around the concept of matching long term assets to long term debt. Simply speaking, using an extreme example, you wouldn’t use your entire business line of credit to purchase a plant equipment asset that might have a useful life of, say, ten years. All of a sudden the use of the operating facility for the purchase has totally eliminated your day to day operating cash flow, which is typically used to pay employees, repay loans, purchase product, etc.

And getting back out our old friend cash flow, the true flexibility of leasing, is that those payments you need to make can be structured flexibly around seasonality of your business, as well as the matching of the payment to the useful economic life of the asset .

So, in summary, how can you get the equipment finance advantage in Canada? Speak to a trusted credible , and experienced Canadian business financing advisor who will assist you in ensuring you have the right lease, a prompt approval, and rates terms and structures that match you equipment leasing needs . That then, is your home team advantage!

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Stan Prokop - founder of 7 Park Avenue Financial -

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com

Originating business financing for Canadian companies , specializing in working capital, cash flow, asset based financing . In business 7 years - has completed in excess of 50 Million $$ of financing for Canadian corporations .Info re: Canadian business financing & contact details :

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com/equipment_finance_equipment_leasing.html

How To Get The Best Factoring Financing From Your Receivable Investment And How Factoring Firms Differ in Canada

Clients who are in the process of investigating factoring financing want to know their receivable investment is being financed in the best manner possible. So... are factoring firms different - oh boy - you dont believe how different they are.

Let's examine some of the key issues around factoring and receivable financing in Canada - lets look at what the best type of facility is (in our opinion at least!), how the financing works, and most importantly, why you should consider using it.

Let's address the last issue first, namely why you should be using, or at least considering factoring financing. The reality is that your business is in one of several categories - they might be as follows: you are unable to unable to obtain traditional bank type financing; your business is growing at an exceptionally fast rate to support bank financing approval, your firm has financial challenges re operating losses and other issues.

So how do you choose among the many factoring firms out there in the Canadian environment? This is where it gets tricky, and you will save probably thousands of dollars when it comes to working with the factoring firms that make sense for your needs.

Here's the basic ' lay of the land' in a nutshell. Canada has hundreds, and we mean hundreds of factoring firms that come in all shapes and sizes, small local boutique operations, branches of U.S. and U.K. firms, and everything in between. We recommend a Canadian receivable financing firm that is local to understanding your needs, and one that offers confidential invoice factoring, which by far in our opinion, is the best type of A/R financing.

As most Canadian business owners and financial managers know invoice discounting, aka factoring is simply the sale of your receivables, on a one of, or entire basis, for immediate cash. Sounds simple and sounds great, right. It is, but the type of facility you choose and what you pay can make or break your decision to finance your A/R investment.

Costs of financing your A/R with factoring firms differ greatly - Generally you can be expected to pay between 1-3% per month based on a few key issues such as the size of your A/R investment, the industry you are in, and your receivable turnover, or DSO as its known in the business.

We strongly recommend clients search for a confidential invoice discounting facility - by far the best. Your firm retains all the advantages of factoring financing, but bills and collects your own receivables, receiving cash instantly as you invoice. This facility compares to the other 99.9% of the industry which uses a cumbersome system that involves notification to your customers around your financing arrangements.

There isn’t a day when we aren’t asked by clients about the cost of factoring, which is perceived as high by many clients. We can assure you that yes, it is higher than bank financing, but ask your bank if they will give you an unlimited line of credit based on your receivables . Keep us posted on that one, because we thing you know the answer already.

Also, if you used receivable factoring prudently you could actually in many cases achieve the same costs as you have in bank type lines of credit, but that’s a subject for another day.

Unsure of how factoring finance works - lets cover it off then! You invoice you client for work or services or product done/shipped, etc. You receive the same day, cash flow wired into your bank for that invoice or invoices. Typically 90% is advanced same day, the other 10% is a buffer , held back and remitted to you when your client pays, less the factoring costs themselves .

So whats our bottom line then - we think we can sum it up as follows. There are different types of factoring - we maintain confidential invoice factoring works best. Cost vary between firms and you should ensure you work with a trusted , credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor to get the facility that makes most sense financially for your company .


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Stan Prokop - founder of 7 Park Avenue Financial -

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com

Originating business financing for Canadian companies , specializing in working capital, cash flow, asset based financing . In business 7 years - has completed in excess of 50 Million $$ of financing for Canadian corporations .Info re: Canadian business financing & contact details :

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com/factoring_financing_receivable_factoring_firms.html

Why You Should Use Canadian Film Tax Credits For Your Film Production Financing

Don’t consider using Canadian film tax credits for film production if your film production has all the financing you need and your current projects are totally financed and will achieve a solid return on investment for your project.

Unfortunately, we haven’t met one producer or project owner in film, television and animation that seems to have all the funding they need and in place! We've heard they exist, I guess we just haven’t met them.

The Canadian government, and more often than not Ontario, British Columbia and the Maritimes are totally focused on providing you with non repayable funding for your projects in the genres of film, TV and the growing genre of animated features. They are offering, so what aren’t you taking?!

We are pretty sure the Canadian film tax credits have the same goal as in other parts of the world, namely stimulation of investment and employment.

If your film production (we will use that term interchangeably with tv/animation) requires additional funding (which project doesn’t) the provincial film funds can provide you with anywhere from 30 - 45% of your entire budget. And by the way , that’s not a loan , that’s tax credits that are certified and come back to you as the project owner in the form of a cheque - In Hollywood terms the government wants to ' show you the money ' !

We are often asked why Canadian film tax credits vary when we meet with clients and discuss broad ranges of per cent age funding of your project. It all comes down to a few simple issues around which of the 6 available tax credits you use (we recommend you use the one that will give you the most funds by the way!) and where your project is originated re shooting, production, development, post development, etc .

We encourage clients to seek an advisor who is trusted, credible and experiences in Canadian film tax credits for film production. That allows you to maximize your funding, ensure you are eligible, and, as we have said, allow you to 'max out ', so to speak, on the credits that are applicable to your particular project.

What you need to do is ensure your project qualifies and that you are aware of application, filing and other regulations that come into play that allow you to receive funds.

And oh yes, by the way. You could wait 3, 6, or even 12 months for your funds, but we recommend all clients assess the financeability of your credits before you receive the cheque. Financing your Canadian film tax credits allows you to monetize that future credit into a bridge loan, collateralized by the credit, and provides you with cash flow and working capital for your current production.

Financing your film production via the monetization of your tax credits involves just a few basics - ensuring you have your other debt and equity in place, validating your credit and budgets as eligible, and ensuring your financial filings are up to date.

Speak to a trusted expert in Canadian film financing to achieve additional funding for your projects - maximize on that film tax credit, and consider borrowing against it for funding you need now. Fade to credits!

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Stan Prokop - founder of 7 Park Avenue Financial -

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com

Originating business financing for Canadian companies , specializing in working capital, cash flow, asset based financing . In business 7 years - has completed in excess of 50 Million $$ of financing for Canadian corporations .Info re: Canadian business financing & contact details :

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com/canadian_film_tax_credits_film_production.html

Effective Sred Tax Credit Financing – Using A SR ED Loan For The Right Reasons

Would your company like to make the most out of a good thing in business - Effective sred tax credit financing, we think you'll agree, does just that. Contemplating a sr Ed loan for the right reasons to us just makes solid business sense.

Lets cover off exactly what you need to know about maximizing your participation in whats known as the Canadian governments Scientific Research and Experimental Development offering - we in the layman’s world call it the SR ED , or SR&ED program . Leave it to the government to use that formal terminology!

Whether you have never heard of the program at all, or are a first time claimant for your share, or , if you are one of the lucky ones and have been filing for years for your share of the 3 Billion dollar pie you are clearly in line to hear some great news . What is that news? It's simply that for the right reasons your ability to cash flow, monetize, borrow against, factor, whatever you want to call it , your sred tax credit can be an effective way of increasing your working capital and cash flow .

Could it be any simpler? Your company is eligible for a refund on expenditures that have been verified under the program for R&D expenditures. Thousands, and we mean thousands of businesses, many of them your competitors, are receiving cheques from the government, that are non repayable for your investment in R&D processes, products and services.

If you are not missing out on filing your claims are you missing out on effective sred tax credit financing. You just might be. We strongly believe that utilizing a sr ed loan for the right reasons is a great way to stay one step ahead of the working capital game .

Let’s examine why effective sred tax credit financing via a sr Ed loan makes sense. Generally it only makes sense under one single condition - its that your firm needs cash flow and working capital for payables reduction, further investment, equipment, and general operating expenses .! We are quite sure you are already in that group!

Monetizing your sred tax credit is simply borrowing against a rebate that is coming to you from the federal and provincial government via your sred claim. Is there anyone in the room that disputes funds today are better than funds tomorrow? We don’t believe you will argue with us on that.

If you are part of the program, or considering the sr&Ed program from a participation point of view you should consider financing your claim after it’s completed. In actuality you can finance it immediately after it’s filed, or in many cases, as you are expending funds!

SR&ED financing is simply the monetizing of that account receivable (that’s really what your sred claim has now become) to use the cash for any worthwhile corporate purpose. A sr ed loan for the right reasons allows you to increase cash flow , and simply stay more competitive - which you probably already are given you are investing in r&d type work .

Effective sred tax credit financing works best when its done quickly and efficiently at competitive rates - no payments are made by your firm and the proceeds of your sr ed loan are netted against the final cheque your firm is due .

Want to wait 3, 6, or 12 months for your sr&Ed cheque. By all means do - but remember your competitor got their cheque today by effective use of a sr&Ed tax credit finance strategy. That’s something to think about.

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Stan Prokop - founder of 7 Park Avenue Financial -

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com

Originating business financing for Canadian companies , specializing in working capital, cash flow, asset based financing . In business 7 years - has completed in excess of 50 Million $$ of financing for Canadian corporations .Info re: Canadian business financing & contact details :

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com/sred_tax_credit_financing_sr_ed_loan.html