Use Canadian Film Tax Credit Policy for Successful Financing of Film , TV , And Animation Projects

We can forgive non Canadian producers for not being up to date on Canadian film tax credit policy or the financing mechanisms available around film tax credit scenarios in Canada.

It's a little difficult to stay up to date on whets happening in the U.S., the U.K. and other parts of the world as it relates to the film tax credit part of the entertainment industry - that involves of course film, TV, and the last, but not least, rapidly growing digital animation industry.

But let's be clear on this - the film tax credit and its related credits are a major incentive to any producer planning to shoot or product a film television and animated feature in Canada . There is not a day when we dont receive a call from U.S. folks inquiring about the credit. (The key tax credit in question is called The Canadian Film and Video Production Services Tax Credit)

Similar to its foreign counterparts at it's simplest we can just say it’s a major incentive to growth film TV and animation production in Canada. It’s a financial incentive; it’s as simple as that.

Prior to current systems and governance there was a perception that the tax credit application and funding system was cumbersome. We feel very comfortable in saying that feeling has gone away to the point where applications are actually submitted online.

The Canadian film tax credit is a refundable, non repayable credit that can play a very significant role in the overall financing of your project. Books are written around the challenges that independent producers face in putting together a complete financing package for their project. And don't even talk to us about the timelines involved in film finance!

But, imagine this, receiving anywhere from 30-45%, or more of your entire financing via the ultimate receipt, or monetization of your film tax credit. Haven’t we just taken a huge piece of your financing challenge and workload away? The credits are heavily focused on labor expenditures; naturally the feds feel that employment in the industry is a very positive identifier for the program success.

We've referenced a number of times here the monetization of your film tax credit. Using the tax credit policy as a financing mechanism can help you cash flow your project and provide a decent part of the overall working capital you need. Tax credit film financing is a boutique industry in Canada, only a small number of players, and pricing and structures vary. A very small handful of Canada’s largest chartered banks have boutique divisions that focus on this type of financing if you can meet general bank criteria. An even smaller number of firms finance the tax credits outside the bank.

So do we have anything against U.S. or other film tax jurisdictions? Absolutely not, but check into the Canadian scene in this area and we are positive it might be a driving factor in your decision to film or produce in Canada.

Seek a credible, trusted, and experienced Canadian business financing advisor in this area to help you put together a core team around the application, approval and monetizing of your credit.




Stan Prokop is founder 7 Park Avenue Financial ; see

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com

Originating financing for Canadian companies,specializing: working capital, cash flow, and asset based financing , the 7 year old firm has completed in excess of 50 Million $ of financing for companies . For info / free consultation on Canadian business financing / contact details see:

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

Finance Challenges ? Why An ABL Lender Has Your Canadian Financing Challenge Solved ! An Asset Lending Loan

Seems strange, don’t you think ? That the same type of financing that could be a solution for taking your company out of special loans might be the same one that can handle your growth financing needs ?

We are talking about ABL - the finance acronym for ' asset based lending ‘. ABL lending is a powerful financing loan (not really a loan per se) but we will get back to that) offered by a unique type of lender in the Canadian marketplace.

How unique are those lenders - we think very! And we're going to demonstrate why, right about now!

ABL lending and financing is a financing facility that is set up to monetize or cash flow your assets. The closest comparison we can offer you to this type of financing is that it is comparable to a Canadian chartered bank operating line of credit and financing facility. But boy are they different.

Your ABL lender sets up a monetization of all your business assets, but typically the key assets are receivables, inventory, and occasionally complimented by equipment and real estate if those latter two are applicable. We can hear you already, because we have heard it from clients a thousand times ' But why is that different from a bank line of credit?"

The answer is simply, the total focus and amount of the facility is actually based on your total assets, and their current values. Bank operating lines on the other hand are pre set limits that are significantly focused on financial ratio, loan covenants, tangible net worth, and outside guarantees and equity. What a difference, right?

So is ABL lending better? Ours is to inform, yours is to decide - but abl financing optimizes the amount of financing you can achieve to the max. It is set up as a base of all your assets, with yourself drawing against those assets on a daily basis. That of course matches perfectly the needs of your company, i.e. the daily inflows , outflows, special bulge needs, large new contracts, overcoming slow collection challenges, etc .

Because the abl solution is always focused on your total asset picture it in effect optimizes your total available working capital. We think you're getting the picture. And getting back to that always comparison against a chartered bank facility your borrowings on a daily basis are managed much in the same way - you use those same established ' borrowing base certificates ' that allow you to drawn down on cash flow and working capital on an ongoing basis.

The bottom line -as sales grow and you generate receivable sand inventory your abl loan financing fluctuates to turn your company into a true cash flow machine.

Some of the key issues you need to address in choosing the ' perfect ' ABL lender are as follows - the size of the facility, what information is required of your firm to set up the facility ( appraisals and operating audits are required ) , the timeline to set up the facility ( typically 2- 7 weeks depending on size and your reporting capability ) and issues such as cost and ongoing reporting and monitoring .

In the U.S. stats show that almost 30% of firms use some form of abl lending and loan financing to finance their firms. We are pretty sure the numbers in Canada are lower, but we sure do think you should determine if this type of financing is your total solution to business finance challenges. Speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor about solving your cash flow challenges - today!




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/abl_lending_loan_finance_financing_lender.html

Looking For Working Capital And Business Capital In Canada ? Commercial Lending Isn’t What You Think

Having a closed mind on achieving working capital and business capital financing via commercial lending just might not be the best thing .

Let's focus in on working capital financing and talk specifically about the type of cash flow solution that might best suit your business - which you haven’t even considered!

No one is disagreeing with you that Canadian business financing solutions aren’t difficult to achieve, yet alone envision. By itself working capital and cash flow financing is more unsecured from a finance firm or lenders position. So exactly how do you go about financing your business and determining what, in today’s challenging environment ( post 2008-2009 ) are the best solutions for business capital?

When you think about it, its really all about your cash cycle, how funds flow through your business and historically how your business has operated with this ' cash cycle ' in mind . Every business, or rather industry, seems to have a little bit of its own nuances.

And if you are a service focused business then the receivables you generated pose an even more of a required focus as we need to determine how you will use working capital financing to finance business operations. That is not to say that service type businesses cant be financed, it just becomes a question of securing financing that meets your specific needs - as the financial folks would say , you business is not capital or asset intensive - yet you still require cash flow financing - as your sales grow your receivables and operational needs grow also.

So let’s get to the nub of our discussion, what are the solutions available for working capital in the current Canadian commercial lending environment?

If you are more of a service business ( i.e. not capital intensive - example = mfg ) and can demonstrate on going recurring sales and receivables you are a prime candidate for a receivable financing facility . Our favorite and in fact recommending is a confidential invoice discounting/financing facility. This type of commercial lending facility is generally available through what we call non banks - i.e. private independent finance companies. It allows you to generate cash flow and working capital as you generate sales, and you can then focus on meeting your obligations of staffing and operations prior to collecting from clients. You also do this on a confidential basis, i.e. there is no notification to your client basis, as is the case with more traditional receivable financing.

Firms that are more asset intensive need to consider ABL facilities ( asset based lending ) that provide a combo of inventory, a/r and equipment financing that is margined ( on a daily basis !) to give you all the cash flow and business capital you need . Canadian businesses know only too well that lengthy collection periods can become the death of their business.

Also in many cases the amount of receivable financing you need simply isn’t always available from Canadian chartered banks - we meet many clients who have some commercial lending from banks, but it never seems to be enough when you are in growth mode or experiencing some sort of other business challenge. This then forces the Canadian business owner and financial manager to assess options that you don’t necessarily have to consider, i.e. getting in additional equity and diluting your ownership.

In summary , yes we agree its complicated - term loans, asset based loans, invoice discounting facilities, unsecured cash flow financing ... a lot of considerations . And which one is truly best for your firm. As we've said it might not be as complicated as you think .Speak to a trusted credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor to understand the best solution and the cost and ramifications of commercial lending that makes sense for your firm.




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_commercial_lending_business.html

The Best Tools and Resources for Equipment Finance and Asset Lease Success - A Canadian Leasing Equipment How To !

It's your call, but if your firm has ever experienced a challenged in purchasing an equipment asset it’s about time you understood the benefits and flexibility of equipment financing via a leasing strategy.

The reality is that for most Canadian firms not all benefits attached to leasing equipment will necessarily make sense for you, but your ability to capitalize and maximize on those benefits that do will save you potentially thousands of dollars.

Today’s business world is all about competition and your ability to acquire an asset lease allows you to win the battle against deprecation and obsolescence. Quite frankly though many firms actually acquire used equipment in a variety of asset categories and this part of equipment finance in Canada is a booming one. The recent 2008-2009 recession left a glut of assets in many industries such as printing, construction, etc.

When it comes to technology financing though new is probably better, and that’s where lease financing shines. When you consider the relatively short time span it takes to arrange such a lease it often becomes a true advantage over a loan or bank term loan scenario .

Clients often ask what the ' entry points ' are to leasing in Canada. Frankly assets from three thousand to the millions are leased everyday in Canada - the bottom line is that equipment finance doesn’t discriminate against size. Stats available in the U.S. and Canada suggest that over 80% of firm lease equipment at one time or another.

Is there one constant driver in the search for great asset lease solutions? We think that more often or not it’s limited capital. Clients seem to feel that the most efficient use of their working capital and cash flow is the ' driver ' for their search for leasing equipment options. And as we said, that goes from hi tech, to low tech, whether you are financing newest computer and software technology, or refurbishing plant and equipment or transportation ' rolling stock' type assets.

As a Canadian business owner your preference is for choices. Asset lease transactions provide you with those! Focusing on either the type of lease you are acquiring, the need for a specialized term (leases generally are available for terms of 24 months to 7 years - depending on the asset and your firms overall credit quality.

Many smaller and medium sized firms don't take advantage of operating leases when considering the equipment finance option. This strategy can lower your payments, perfectly match the use and term of the equipment to your needs, and create balance sheet and accounting enhancements that will allow you to acquire the latest technology without taking on long term debt.

And don’t forget our friend ' Bundling ‘. Do you know him? Most business owners don’t realize that a lot of soft costs around an asset lease transaction don’t need to be paid out in hard cash. They can be in effect ' bundled ' into a transaction - typically these items include maintenance, warranty, installation, delivery, training, etc. That’s true flexibility.

If you want to be on the cutting edge of asset acquisition in today’s competitive environment then speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing and leasing advisor who can ensure a structure and approval that makes sense can be completed in a timely manner to your firms advantage.



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/equipment_finance_leasing_equipment_asset_lease.html

Supersize Your Canadian Business Accounts Receivable Finance Success via Confidential Invoice Discounting Factoring

Surprised? Clients often are, when we tell them that they have the ability to ' super size ' their level of working capital and cash flow via a little known business accounts receivable finance strategy known as C I D - confidential invoice discounting or factoring .

What do we mean exactly by the reference to supersizing? Simply that it is highly possible that on utilization of this type of financing you will often double, in some cases triple your access to immediate cash flow and working capital. And in some cases where you would have been self financing or had non financing in place whatsoever, well, your firm has it now.

So what’s C I D - how does it work, what can we compare it to, what does it cost, and why is it so innovative. That’s a lot of questions, so let’s get to some basic answers.

C I D, as we stated is our terminology for confidential invoice discounting, more commonly also called factoring. This type of financing is used by firms of all sizes (even major corporations, by the way) but in reality seems to be more common in the S M E (small and medium enterprise sector). It even accommodates start ups if you can believe it, as any type of financing for a start up is often a major challenge for the business owner.

As a Canadian business owner in the business to business market you typically have a large investment in accounts receivable. But how do you finance that investment when traditional capital is not available, or the reality is that you dont qualify?

That's exactly where business accounts receivable invoicing and discounting comes in. Your ability to sell those invoices as you generate them, using the A/R as collateral allows your company to turn into an instant cash flow machine.

So that’s the essence of factoring, or invoice discounting, but where does our key benefit of confidentiality come in. Right about here! Because the key difference of C I D and business factoring is that you are in control of your sales ledger and customer base, not the factor firm. That’s where you immediately gain superiority over other firms who use this type of financing but are forced by their factoring agreement to make their customers aware of how they are financing their firm.

On a daily basis C I D work in the same manner as what we will call ' traditional ‘ accounts receivable finance and invoice discounting. It’s a simple process. You generate invoices for the products and services that your firm provides and you receive immediate same day funds for 90% of the invoice value. The remaining 10% is held back until you client pays, you then receive the 10% less a finance fee of anywhere from 1-2.5% per month.

Clearly the advantages of this type of business financing couldn’t be more pronounced - its quick financing, its easy to administer ( you bill and collect your own a/r) and you use that valuable working capital and cash flow you have just achieved to run your business on an operating basis .

So, does Confidential Invoice Discounting seem like the proper accounts receivable finance strategy for your firm? Ultimately you will decide that - we're simply letting you in on the secret and letting you be the decision maker around super sizing that cash flow. Speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor on how this type of business financing can put you ahead of the pack!



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/accounts_receivable_finance_business_invoice.html

Why Canadian Merchant Cash Advance And Business Credit Card Loan Facilities Are Popular forms OF Small Business Finance

There certainly aren’t countless options for small business, retailers, restaurants, etc for achieving working capital and business financing success in Canada
So let's discuss the new and up and coming kid on the block, who goes by a variety of creative names - including but not limited to : merchant cash advance , small business loan, and credit card advance sales loan.
What are these facilities, how do they work, and are they perhaps tailor made for your short and intermediate term cash flow and working capital needs.
The merchant cash advance became popular clearly as a result of businesses such as yours, probably retail in nature who have seen traditional sources of financing either disappear, and quite frankly perhaps weren’t even there in the first place!
While this form of financing is more expensive than traditional financing, as alternative financing goes, it does the trick, providing you with working capital and cash flow based on future sales.
And we can assure you that we spend a lot of time with clients carefully explaining that it’s not a loan per se that brings onerous debt on to your balance sheet. You are simply receiving an ' advance ' against future sales. Other commercial business makes sales, and then immediately finance their receivables to generate cash flow. In the case of your business, either a retail establishment or a restaurant ( basically any business that takes credit cards on a regular basis ) your are simple cash flowing those future sales, getting funds today, and repaying the advance via a percentage of future sales that you feel confident will be made .
Using a simple example, if you are advance , again just as a example here, $ 10,000.00 for your working capital needs a per cent age , typically 10 -30 per cent of future sales is used as a repayment of that advance your firm has just been provided with . Where this works best is if you have a solid credit card sales revenue model, and your have solid gross margins on your services, products, etc.
So is it a good idea for you firm? Well, certainly as we said, it’s a newer form of alternative financing. In most cases we see when discussing the options it is clear to all parties that traditional bank financing options have been fully exhausted. As we said, thousands of firms sell and finance their receivables - all you are doing is selling and financing a portion of your future sales - so for many it does make sense.

And by the way, it’s clearly a form of financing that is unsecured, because the collateral is in fact future sales that hopefully will materialize, but might not!

A good rule of thumb we use is that it’s an excellent short and intermediate finance strategy. Over the longer term you should be working on a long term strategy to probably finance your business.
A merchant cash advance business credit card loan is also very easy to achieve. The main focus is your ability to demonstrate your sales revenue via bank or credit card processing statements. Small business owners can expect of course to be a guarantor on this type of unsecured loan financing.
So, that’s the offering. If you are scrambling on a daily basis in a retail or restaurant type business environment speak to a trusted, credible an experienced Canadian business financing advisor about merchant cash flow advance financing.


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/merchant_cash_advance_business_credit_card_loan.html

Canadian Business Loan Financing – Pain or Pleasure ? Mastering Finance Success With Equipment Lease Companies

You've been there before. Does this sound familiar? You need to acquire costly assets for your company and don't want to utilize your cash reserves of business operating credit to acquire asset financing.

Yes of course you could get a traditional term loan via your chartered bank, but if you are a small or medium sized business and unable to access term financing what are your available options? The answer is a business financing lease loan via Canadian equipment lease companies.

Why are some firms successful in both obtaining approval for their leased asset needs, and at the same time seemingly able to get the payments they want to sustain their cash flow and working capital.

Let's examine some key info, strategies, tips, and types of solutions available to Canadian business owners and financial managers.

You will find first of all, and this is a key driver in business financing and equipment leasing... that approval for your transaction is much easier to obtian than other types of asset finance. Most business owners don’t understand the very simple process involved in acquiring asset financing via equipment lease companies in Canada. To prove our point it’s simply a fact that in North America Billions, yes billions of dollars of assets are lease financed.

A typical approval process is simply a standard credit application, appropriate financial disclosure, and a copy of a quote or invoice from your chosen vendor. It's as simple as that. Naturally the larger the transaction size the more info you might have to provide re financial statements, etc.

Many businesses aren’t aware that a huge part of the equipment lease industry in Canada utilizes whats known as an ' app only ' approval process, with you as a business owner providing only a standard application, with most approvals done via automatic scoring, via the lessors ' point system ' criteria around your years in business , payment record to suppliers , etc.

You have truly mastered equipment lease business financing when you fully comprehend the fact that almost any asset, even some intangibles (i.e. software) can be financed. Its
when you make your lease and loan finance decision a part of your overall long term financing strategy that you suddenly realize that every asset that is both costly and depreciates probably makes sense in your overall lease financing strategy .

Successful lease finance lets you keep and grow your cash reserves, allowing you to survive against that constant battle with your competitors. One of the smartest things you can do is to develop relationships with equipment lease companies that will over a long term basis provide you with ongoing lease lines of credit for all your asset needs. The industry itself refers to this strategy as an ' evergreen ' scenario, one in which your firm is constantly refreshing its assets to generate sales and profits.

How many times have you felt that sales and profits are growing, you seem to be winning the competitive battle, but cash flow is a challenge due the to the heavy investment you have in assets such as receivables and inventory . That’s when business financing via a n equipment lease makes your overall success complete, as you retain that much needed operating cash flow for growth and sales, letting lease and loan finance hand the asset acquisition part of your growth plan .

Let's get one thing straight. The reason leasing companies in Canada exist is simply their own mandate to generate lease transactions! Criteria for approval is significantly different than a more traditional banking approach, with heavy emphasis placed on the asset as collateral, as well as its ability to generate profits and sales for your company . Many business owners are surprised to hear that even start ups or very young firms can generate significant lease financing approvals for assets they need to grow the business.

We've focused on issue such as approval, types of assets, and alternatives to traditional financing in looking at your relationship with equipment lease companies. But don’t forget also the other major benefits of this asset acquisition strategy, some of which may be more important than others to your firm. They include tax and balance sheet advantages, improving your ability to manage obsolescence in assets.

We can guarantee you that you'll only master and be successful in lease financing when you understand the make up of the Canadian equipment lease landscape. Knowing who to talk to and whats available will put you significant ahead of the pack. Speak to a trusted, credible and experience Canadian business financing advisor for assistance in dealing with equipment leasing companies to your advantage.



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_lease_companies_business_financing_loan.html