Save thousands (or Millions ! ) Via Smart Technology And IT Financing Via Finance Benefits

We probably couldn't come up with the exact number but wouldn’t you agree it’s safe to say that Billions of dollars are spent annually on IT (that’s information technology by the way!) and technology financing. Can you really save thousands, or those millions?! by smart acquisition strategies . We're sure you can and we will show you how.


The acquisition of computer, it, and other technology assets is without a doubt one of the largest Capex spends any medium or large sized business makes. Your make those investments because you are optimistic about the future of your firm, coupled by the need to stay ahead of the competition in the ever changing technology curve.

If your are the owner, chief financial officer, or chief information officer of any firm you want to know what your alternatives are in the areas of IT and Technology finance. Those alternatives comes with different costs, different outcomes, and different risks, all of which make it often a daunting decision when you are at the proverbial fork in the road .

The author of this article spent over 20 years in technology financing and saw trends come and go. The largest trend by far, we think, was the desire of firms to go off balance sheet when acquiring computer, technology and telecom assets. That probably is still a good decision today for many reasons - the main ones being lower monthly payments due to the residual taken by the lessors, the ability to invoke your three rights at the end of the term of the lease, as well as the constant availability of upgrading during the term.

Having said all that there are of course some new international accounting rules that will bring those off balance sheet liabilities back onto the balance sheet. Is that a good thing? We won’t weigh in on that one today... it’s probably good for lenders to your firm as all that debt is now front and center on the balance sheet. Anyway, that’s a discussion for another day.

So how are smart decisions made in technology financing - whether its computers, phone systems, software (yes software can be financed!) etc.

It all comes down to a couple key areas - first of all, if you aren’t proficient in lease calcs work with an expert who will help you assume residuals, interest rates, and proper economic life cycles . If you could afford it (some can’t... some can) the smartest thing to do would be to finance technology and IT on a 2 year FMV lease. That way the residual value established by the lessors would be high, you would be able to flip into new technology in 24 months.

Let's use a 2 million dollar major technology finance acquisition as an example - Using smart financing via an FMV lease a monthly payment on our 24 month term would be approx 71k per month.

Your firm would be the beneficiary of a 400,000 residual investment by the part on the other side of the lease. Your monthly payments to acquire 2 million dollars of technology for 24 months would be only 1.7 Million dollars. If you chose the lease to own route or loan on your technology financing your payments on a typical 36 month transaction would be over 2.2 Million dollars, almost 400k more than in our ' smart finance ' scenario.

So, what’s smart IT and technology financing all about? Its knowing the use of your equipment, its expected useful life, how lessors can play the interest and residual game and how some very basic expert information can put you back into the driving seat on those thousands (or millions) that Canada spends on IT finance for technology .Speak to a trusted, credible, and experienced expert to assist you in your benefit recapture in this critical area of business.
-

Stan Prokop is founder 7 Park Avenue Financial ;

Originating financing for Canadian companies,specializing: working capital, cash flow, and asset based financing , the 6 year old firm has completed in excess of 45 Million $ of financing for companies . For info / free consultation on Canadian business financing / contact details see:

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

Canadian Solutions To Your Working Capital Management And Cash Flow Loan Needs

Are there real world solutions to your business working capital management challenges? Is there a solution to your cash flow needs? Is that type of loan even available?

Today we'll be the finance doctor and we'll start y asking you if you have any of these symptoms : Is your firm growing too quickly , to the point where you are forced to focus on daily cash flow needs almost all the time . And are you also finding that you seem to be selling more and making less, from a net profit or income perspective. Do you even have a cash flow budget in place that allows you to assess your supplier payables, and lastly, but certainly not least and perhaps most serious... are you finding it unable to make certain loan or term obligations that your busines has?

It would appear to us, clearly, that you require a ' prescription ' for those symptoms, and that prescription is simply a working capital solution that works specifically for your firm.

Expanding too quickly allows you to stay ahead of the competition of course, but brings with it something the finance folks call ' overtrading ' which is a cash conversion cycle of negativity when those commitments we referred to cant be made because of the high investment in receivables, inventory, and fixed assets you have made to grow your business .

In other words you have the assets, but they are all tied up, leading to a case of poor liquidity. And we must be honest here; if you didn’t have the assets or sales potential there is almost no way we can help. So your ability to bring liquidity and monetize your assets focuses strongly on identifying how you are able to convert assets to cash.

So, never the ones to be accused of just talking abut the problems, lets talk about the solutions we spoke of.

It always comes down to current assets, so you require a solution to be able to monetize sales quickly, and convert A/R and inventory in working capital management success.

In Canada your alternatives are several, and quite frankly these would apply to almost any business anywhere. Many clients that come to us focus on what they term a ' cash flow loan ‘. Is that available, yes... is it recommended maybe. It’s a term loan for permanent working capital. Naturally that comes with more debt and fixed interest payments, so that is many times not an optimal solution.

Our preferred solutions to the working capital management challenge are the following: Confidential invoice financing, asset based lending, purchase order financing, and inventory financing. These solutions come in a variety of combinations depending on the size of your working capital requirement, as well, as the general financial profile of your business - i.e. are you currently financial challenged , or are all aspects of your business simply great . (It’s rarely the latter when we talk to clients.

In summary, investigate the benefits and mechanics of the 5 solutions we have outlined. Determine which ones work for your firm, and speak to a trusted, credible and experienced business financing advisor on your ability to secure in short order the cash flow and working capital you need to run your business successfully.

-


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/working_capital_management_cash_flow_loan.html

Commercial Business Equipment Leasing Services Provided by Financing Companies in Canada

Business owners want to maximize services and benefits related to commercial business equipment leasing and financing. Being able to work with companies that can provide you with asset acquisition financing allows you to resolve that age old question - ' should I buy or lease that new asset? ’

The reality of business assets, 99% of the time, is that they depreciate and eventually become obsolete - whether its 3, 5, or even ten years down the road. When you think of leasing you should view it as a ' utility ' service. What do we mean by that?Let’s use electricity as our example . You want to use electricity, but you dont want to own it. That’s how you need to view business equipment finance - a solid way of financing something that is depreciating in value. You are, in effect, matching your cash outlays against the useful equipment life of the asset.

As business people we want choices, alternatives so to speak. Clearly that’s where lease financing in Canada steps up to the table. Want prompt credit approval - leasing is probably the fastest method of obtaining a commercial credit approval in the Canadian financing landscape.

Want choices - boy have we go choices. Some of those very real choices, services and benefits include matching the type of lease you write to your asset type. If you are leasing technology such as computers you want to probably focus on what is known as an off balance sheet or operating lease. Even though the accounting popularity of accounting for this type of lease is disappearing there are still significant services and benefits - i.e. lower payments, ability to upgrade or return the asset, etc .

It's almost always about cash flow and working capital when it comes to looking at asset acquisitions for your company. You have a budget, you want to maximize it. You dont want to outlay huge sums of capital, and to top all that off you want to stay competitive and buy the newest, latest, and greatest . That clearly is the service offering com financing companies in Canada, who want to tailor your commercial business equipment leasing needs to what makes optimal sense for your firm.

In larger corporations executives are measured on key financial metrics / ratios such as return on capital and return on equity. Simply speaking if they can improve profits and shareholder wealth by minimizing capital outlay, or structuring off balance sheet transactions... well, you guessed it, that’s why they employ lease finance and loan strategies. (By the way a lease is not a loan but the terms are often intermingled by our clients).

So do these services really keep you ahead of the curve in capital asset acquisition - we certainly thin we have shown you they have? Utilizing lease finance allows you to acquire current technology, maximize financial statement and accounting benefits, and give you maximum flexibility relative to assets acquire and cash outlay.

Speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor on how commercial business equipment leasing in any area of your business provides you with services and benefits you previously weren’t aware of or were not maximizing.

-
Stan Prokop is founder 7 Park Avenue Financial ; Originating financing for Canadian companies,specializing: working capital, cash flow, and asset based financing , the 6 year old firm has completed in excess of 45 Million $ of financing for companies . For info / free consultation on Canadian business financing / contact details see:

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

Advice on Canadian leasing company Equipment And Finance Loan Transactions

Canadian and U.S. firms finance billions of dollars of business assets via an equipment loan every year. Leasing companies provide some of the strongest benefits for capital acquisition than any other type of financing. Let's examine what some of those advantages are, and provide you with some clear tips and advice on obtaining the best equipment financing rates and structures.

Your firm only has an advantage when it is benchmarked against another alternative. That alternative in business financing tends to be outright purchase of the assets.

Canadian business owners and financials managers tend to be less aware of the accounting and financial aspects of an equipment lease. The most obvious advantage is simply that you know on a monthly recurring basis what your payment is - which hopefully you have budgeted for in your cash flow and working capital outlays.

Some of the best advice we can provide clients with is tips on selecting the right type of equipment finance lease or loan transaction. That revolves around the concept of either ' owning ‘, or ' using '.
If you wish to own the equipment at the end of the lease term you need to pick what is known as a capital lease or ' full payout' transaction as it is known in the industry. The concept is simple - The elements of the lease are the term, interest rate, end payment, monthly payment, and of course the value of your transaction. Using a financial calculator you can calculate any one of these key finance loan elements if you know the other data points.

Business changes constantly and so do financing rules on occasion. Many Canadian business owners and financial managers are not aware that there is an international accounting movement afoot to significantly diminish the value of operating leases, which is the other type of lease that leasing companies offer. This is a ' lease to use' transaction, where you have the right at the end of the finance transaction to return the equipment if you choose.

Over the years the key advantage of operating leases was that you could record the transaction off your balance sheet, it was simply an expense, and didn’t alter your debt and equity ratios, etc. However, international accounting standards are now going to require that you show the transaction on your books.

So the best advice we can give you is to discuss that issue with your accountant. Quite frankly a lot of the other benefits of operating leases still probably make it worthwhile - they have lower payments than a regular lease, and you still have that option to return the asset when you no longer require it at end of term.

Additional advice on your leasing company search or negotiation revolves around the whole issue of cash management. Did you know that you can potentially structure your transaction for payment flexibility, as well as adding in several intangible items such as warranty, delivery, installation, etc?

So what's our bottom line - simply to research which benefits make the most sense to your firm, pick the lease that suits your business and accounting needs, and speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor about a leasing company that matches your firm’s needs.

-


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/finance_equipment_loan_leasing_company.html

Why Canadian Companies Use Factoring Receivables Solutions for Business Financing

Knowing you are making the right choice in factoring receivables for your Canadian business is half the battle. You then have to pick the best firm to facilitate your transaction, and like most business owners you want to know you have made the right decision.

Let's recap why A/R financing works, and more importantly, how to select the best companies to work with based on your own needs.

There are numerous reasons why you might want to use a factoring receivables strategy to finance your business. The best reason you can have is that you are growing! And growing quickly - Because in that situation you are unable to achieve the sort of traditional financing you need to run and finance your business on a daily basis. Simply speaking working capital and cash flow become your overwhelming priority on a day to day basis, and that shouldn’t be the case!

So, yes... you have identified invoice factoring and financing as your solution - but more importantly you also want to know how it works and how it will both affect and benefit your business on a day to day basis. The reality is that if are a small and medium sized business owner in Canada you are probably relying heavily on what the finance folks call a ' self financing' strategy. That simply means that you are only using your existing cash flow to finance your growth and profits - you are not in a position to, or don’t want to... take on more debt for your company.

Enter at stage left receivables financing companies! They purchase your a/r a daily, weekly, monthly ( its your choice!) basis and provide you with same day cash flow as soon as you have generated a valid sale and invoice .

And why does this strategy appeal to Canadian business owners? Simply because you are not creating debt on your balance sheet, and the personal guarantee situation is all but eliminated and you have the ability, ( if you choose the right partner firm ) to exit this financing at any time .

So, it all seems like a perfect world right? in effect the perfect business financing situation . Well in business it doesn’t work that way, there are pitfalls and mistakes you need to avoid when utilizing a factoring receivables strategy.

So what are those mistakes you should not make? Partnering... you need a firm that meets your needs, both geographcially, with competitive rates, and the ability to transact with you on a daily basis. We strong recommend what we call a C I D solution, which is the acronym for Confidential Invoice Discounting. This allows you to bill and collect your own receivables, finance them when you want, and receive the same rates as your competitors who aren’t using this C I D strategy. In their case their customers are contacted for payment by the factor firm, and this is unappealing to many Canadian businesses.

Whether we like it or not our clients always focus on rate when talking about a move to companies that will finance their receivables. Factoring rates are perceived as more expensive but in many cases when you factor in use of funds, ability to grow your business, etc the decision is not as difficult as you might think.

Speak to a trusted , credible, and experienced Canadian business financing advisor who is an expert in factoring pricing, picking the best solution for your firm, and negotiating pricing and fees and advances that work best for your future growth and profits .

-


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_receivables_financing_companies_canadian.html

How Financing Options In The Canadian Equipment Leasing Industry Can Benefit or Harm Your Overall Profitability When You Lease Equipment !

As a Canadian business owner and financial manager you need to investigate your financing options when you lease equipment. Equipment leasing provides you with a combination of rights and obligations.

One critical area is the type of lease you choose and any residual values associated when you lease equipment .These residual values may represent an additional significant profit to the lease company in the transaction. Are there ways you can actually profit from the type of lease you choose? We think there are, and we will demonstrate how

The residual value is a solid portion of the lenders over all ' return ' on the transaction. Again, lessor return often equates to lessee shortfall, and you are the lessee!

So what is that residual value? At the end of the term of any lease there are options that any savvy borrower should both negotiate and understand. If You enter into a ' true operating lease ' then you have the option to return the equipment to the lessor (or maybe it is the manufacturer itself) when the lease transaction has terminated. Many major manufacturers of equpment, computers, etc have large in house leasing divisions which are profit centers for their financing options they provide customers.

When the equipment is returned the lessor re-sells the equipment, or in some cases actually rents or leases out the equipment again, obviously on a ' previously used ' basis. In the construction or aircraft industry assets can be used as long as 10- 20 years!

Borrowers need to understand that the potential profit the lender/lessor realizes on a transaction hinges significantly on the final value of the asset at the end of the term.

Let's use a simple example. If a customer purchases something for a value of 100.00 and wants to lease it the lessor will perhaps estimate that the equipment will be worth 10% of its original value, or in our case, $ 10.00 at the end of the term of the lease. He will often base his rate on the expected recovery. Naturally the lender could receive more or less at the end of the lease term - he bases his price and interest rate accordingly.

Borrowers therefore might want to significantly investigate the residual value being contemplated in this type of operating lease transactions, and, in some cases, invoke their right to buy the equipment at the end of the lease. It could in fact be resold for a profit if the company has a strong sense the asset will maintain its value. Again, think aircraft and construction equipment in the equipment leasing example we used.

Naturally lease companies want to earn a profit - the question becomes what a reasonable profit is and is at your firms expense.
Speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian equipment leasing advisor who can provide you with real financing options when you lease equipment that make sense from your perspective, the borrower!
--
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_leasing_financing_options_lease.html

Looking For a Business Cash Advance And Merchant Funding Via A Cash Flow Loan? Here's How!

Could a business cash advance help your firm? The dramatic rise of small business financing in merchant funding via a cash flow loan is simply a factor of companies such as yours wanting to capitalize on the working capital and cash flow that is, in effect, locked up in your future sales and growth potential.

It doesn’t take rocket science for any business owner of financial manager to figure out that if his or her firm has investments in receivables and inventory then those assets, typically called ‘ current assets’ requires financing in some form.
Of course you can ' self finance ' - meaning simply wait for your inventory to turn into receivables, and then wait probably even longer for your inventory and perhaps receivables to turn into cash. But, doing that forces you to give up on sales opportunities and challenges the very core of your financial health, given that we all agree cash flow is king.


If you are fortunate enough to be financing via a Canadian chartered bank you are of course familiar with ' collateral '- our banks do a great job of explaining that to you! Why don’t you use your own firm’s collateral, its assets, mainly accounts receivable, and monetize that asset into cash.

Clients are often fairly clear on the benefits of a business cash advance and cash flow loan, which is also called ' merchant funding ‘. What they don’t seem to have the best handle on is how it works.


One you have such a facility set up it quite frankly is one of the easiest and quickest ways to unlock cash flow and working capital on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. And by the way, you only pay for the financing you are using. Let’s get back though, to how it works.

Funds via the cash flow loan are advanced immediately on the approval of your facility. There is no direct collateral for the transaction - the collateral is your future sales.
Didn’t you just feel your cash flow being totally unlocked and flowing?! Approximately 15% of future sales are used to reduce your cash flow loan via the merchant funding facility. In general rates on the transaction are in the 2% range.

2% you say! Isn’t that expensive for small business financing. Absolutely, positively maybe, but we actually don’t think it is. That is because all in rates from your bank when you total up all the fees, services, standby fees etc often total in the 11-12% range , not the 6% or 7% you think you are getting . And furthermore, if you take the huge amount of cash you just receive and use it to purchase more efficiently, or takes discounts on supplier invoice payments you make your total cost of capital goes down . And, another point, if you are in a competitive environment, (who isn't) does your ability to have unlimited cash flow put you steps ahead of your competition? We think it does.

There are a number of ways to finance your business. If your firm has sales potential, and you are challenged by the timing in which money flows through your business then consider the benefits of account a business cash advance via a cash flow loan for under a merchant funding program . Speak to a trusted, credible, and experienced business advisor on this popular financing tool for small business financing in Canada.
--


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/business_cash_advance_merchant_funding_cash_loan.html