Don’t Fail to Investigate Canada Government Grants and Loans – The Small Business Loan Program Works!

If you are either a start up (pre revenue) firm or an established small or medium (we’ll define medium a bit later) sized company in Canada you should be investigating, and using the Government of Canada small business loan program.

Why? We will give you 4 reasons - Great terms, rates, structures and qualification criteria. Could you ask for anything better in Canadian business financing - we don’t think so and we have been a fan of the program now for years.

Many clients or callers requesting information on the program (the formal name is BIL / CSBF) often utilize the terms ' grants ' when requesting info on the program. The BIL /CSBF program is not a grant. It is a special business financing program sponsored by Industry Canada (those good folks in Ottawa ....). The program was developed by the government to assist the thousands of firms who might not qualify for what the finance folks call ' traditional financing ' - aka ' the bank!”.

We also promised you we would qualify the term ' medium sized firm ' when it comes to qualifying for the program .In the case of the Small Business loan program any firm under 5 Million dollars in either actual or projected revenue still qualifies for the program . Naturally your firm has to be privately owned, and be considered a ' for profit ' business. (We’re all ' for profit ‘!)

As we said, many customers call looking for ' grants ' - we're all for free grant money also - we are sure it exists out there somewhere, we just have never found it. Actually, let’s clarify that, two great programs, S R ED, and film tax credits are non repayable credits you can easily apply for if you qualify for either of those credits .Those two programs are a discussion for another day though.

Typical client questions always include - how much can we get or apply for??... What are the rates and terms? and whats the process involved ? Get ready for a short, simply and basic primer in all those three areas!

The Canada government small business loan has a maximum cap of 350,000.00 dollars. However, if you chose to use this financing for real estate you can actually receive 500k. We note that for many years the program had a cap of 250k and during the global recession (2008-2009) the government raised the limit on the program.

Many firms who are either new or have challenges might think the rates and structures are onerous under the program. Exactly the opposite... financing is at only 3% over prime, and from a term perspective you can go from 5 - 7 years, we typically structure 5 years as a reasonable term.

Penalties to pay back if you're successful - There are none!!

There isn’t a day when we don’t spend time advising clients on what can be financed under the program... that’s where a lot of mis information exists. The program only covers equipment, leaseholds and real estate. We would add that software is included in the equipment category.

So who is using the program - Almost 8000 businesses did in 2010 - so you can be sure that the program works and is robust.

The greatest challenge around the program in our opinion has been the confusion on where and how to apply. We've completed transactions in a week and then heard from clients that they have spent months floundering on their processes in this type of financing. Speaking to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor in the area of government small business loans will get you on the fast track to some of the best financing available in Canada 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/canada_government_grants_loans_small_business_loan.html

Not Getting The Best Canadian Equipment Lease Interest Rates in Commercial Leasing ?

Looking for the best deal in town on Equipment lease rates in commercial leasing asset acquisition ? Our clients ' interest ‘in getting those best rates is always somewhat amusing to us. Why? Simply because the ability to understand how lease pricing is derived is not always clear to Canadian business owners and financial managers.

Lets examine some of the key factors that drive your final pricing and how you can have a very direct effect on the assets you finance and the price you pay - as always it seems to always come down to that ' monthly payment ' - so lets demystify that process .

First of all many business owners never take the time to look at their alternatives when it comes to equipment leasing of their fixed assets. Two key issues come into play here, one is simply they type of lease they enter into (there are two types - do you know which is which) and the second is understanding what the 5 (yes five!) components are of a very simple lease calculation.
Back to point # 1: When you are making that lease versus buy decision make sure you evaluate your alternatives.

The key alternative to lease finance is one in which you might consider a bank term loan, or alternatively purchasing the asset out of your operating cash flow based on existing credit lines that are in place. But quite frankly the reason you are reading this in the first place is that you have already decided that commercial equipment lease financing is in fact the best method of asset acquisition - at this point you just want a good deal . So we're assuming you have done your lease vs. buy analysis and are focused on our core subject today - a great lease rate and structure!

Getting back to those 5 key elements in lease financing pricing - what are they? They are simply as follows - the term of your lease, the interest rate being charged by the lessor, the value of your transaction, the future value of the lease, ( i.e. what happens at the last payment ) and out of that falls nicely # 5 - your monthly payment .

Many business owners, and are we say, financial managers don’t use a financial calculator. If you have access to that type of calculator you can simply input either your data, or assumptions on any of those 4 critical data points and out will pop the last piece of data that completes the commercial leasing pricing and structure.

Quick example - lets say you are leasing an asset for $100,000 - you want a 5 year lease, you think your lease interest rate should be about 8%, and you want to own the equipment at the end of the lease. Congratulations, you have just quantified 4 out of the 5 data points - Enter those into your lease calculator and you will see that the monthly payment is 2014$.

But wait, let’s say you can only afford 1500$ a month and you have done your analysis on the payback of the asset. Enter 1500$ into your lease calculator and it will show you that to achieve that lease payment the term must be 88 monthly, not 60 months .
Getting the point - its a simple one - understand that if you know the key elements of your lease inputs you can manipulate that info to achieve either the best rate, the best monthly payment, the optimal term of the lease, etc .

The type of analysis we have just done relates to a capital lease transaction - remember we spoke of two types of leases. If you want an operating lease (i.e. use, but not ownership of the asset) our data elements are just the same but you'll find that your overall interest rate on the amount financed will be much lower, because the lessor and you have opted to have the lease company own the asset.

Do we even have to mention that the key driver in the actual interest rate charged is very simply the overall credit quality of your firm when it comes to borrowing.

So what have we covered - simply that you have the ability to manipulate key lease elements to drive a final pricing and structure that works best for your firm. Is there a quicker way to ensure you have all the points covered - there is! Speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian lease financing advisor who can ensure you the final deal is the best deal in commercial equipment leasing 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/equipment_lease_rates_interest_commercial_leasing.html

Going It Alone In Canadian Franchise Loan Financing ? Business Franchising Loans

Don’t listen to them. Many will of course tell you it might be dangerous to ' go it alone ' when you are looking for franchising financing loans.

Can you actually get a business franchise loan without any outside help? Its certainly , possible , and we'll share some advice, tips, strategies and info around your potential do it yourself strategy - but we'll also demonstrate why some professional assistance along the way will ensure the success you are looking for in your franchise business acquisition .

There are of course some real potential pitfalls along the way on your road to franchising success. You want to be sure of course, to the extent that you can be, that your business will be profitable. But all business is of course a risk, whether it’s General Motors or your vision of your own service or restaurant business as an example. It is critical to make the most of the opportunities you have to examine profit potential. Those profits by the way are of course what pay back those franchise finance loans!

Along the way on your franchise journey you have numerous methods of determining financial success. A good start is looking closely at your franchisors prospectus and information, - even though that info might be for ' average ‘ franchisees it gives you a good sense of profit potential versus risk .

Don’t forget of course that your risk is that you are no only borrowing funds for the franchise but that your own personal equity injection into the business is a key part of the overall franchise financing package you will eventually come up with . So work to minimize the risk of franchise business failure.

Get your costs in order and understood. That’s some of the best advice we can provide. We advise clients to look at the total picture, which includes soft costs and hard costs, some of which can be financed, not all. Typically we recommend your owner equity be used to cover those ' soft costs' such as the franchise fee, etc.

Try also to match revenues with expenses - it might make perfect sense to lease some of those ' hard assets ' in the franchise to match the economic benefits you will receive from those assets with the useful economic life of the asset. Want a simple explanation of that? Example: If you're starting a restaurant and a large fridge or cooler is, say 75,000.00 doesn’t it make sense to finance that at say 2k per month on a lease as opposed to using valuable equity and working capital and paying cash. We think so. Wouldn’t you?

So how are franchises actually financing in Canada. We focus on a total package that might include a franchise term loan, a working capital loan, and the appropriate amount of external financing through a financial vehicle such as an equipment lease. Here's the big surprise in Canadian franchise loan financing - simply that the majority of franchises are financed with the government loan program called the BIL / CSBF program. By the way, it has incredible rates, terms, structures, and a limited personal guarantee. What more could you ask for.

So, in summary, is it possible to go it alone in Canadian business franchising financing? It is, but a better solution might be to work with a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business finance advisor who will craft your package according to financial available and your particular situation and needs. Going it alone, but with a suitable partner when needed is a good thing sometimes!



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/franchise_loan_financing_franchising_business.html

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