Business Financing Loan Checklist . Here’s Some Reasons Your Cash Flow Is Upside Down

Understanding The System When It Comes To Canadian Business Finance


OVERVIEW – Information on business financing loan data points for cash flow success




Business Financing Loan challenges? When business owners and financial managers contemplate additional borrowing for cash flow for their firm they must think it terms of whether the business does, or will have, enough cash flow to make the debt repayments. We can further assure business owners that the bank or lending institution is thinking the same way!

When businesses enter into bank loans or other institutional loans the payments are, 99% of the time fixed and specified. The business owner and financial manager must ensure those payments can be made. If the company has over relied on debt it is viewed as highly leverage by the lender.

So how can a business owner determine if the company has the cash flow to support the debt? More importantly how does the lender do that calculation?

The calculation that banks and other term lenders focus on is called 'Times Interest Earned '. The business owner (and the banker) can calculate that formula very simply.
The Times Interest formula is calculated as follows:

Net profit before taxes, plus interest expense / divided by interest expense


The calculation becomes an absolute number. If the number is in fact '1 'that means that the company has in act made just enough to pay the exact interest expense for the year. We would point out that this calculation is always usually done on an annual basis.
So is '1' the magic number? The answer is no, and the answer should be intuitive to the business owner. That is because a times interest of 1 means there is absolutely no cushion for anything going wrong, and all business owners no about Murphy's Law!


So if earning decline or if the company takes on additional debt our ' times interest earned ' number become unsatisfactory - that is to say that we have determined there is not sufficient cash flow to service the debt.


We have determined '1' is not a great number then, well what is? The answer, as in many facets of business, is of course 'that depends '. Many industries differ and there is not really any specific number that is viewed as the Holy Grail by lenders. What we have found though that higher is better than lower. When the number is hovering around 1 both the business owner and the lender, should and will, respectively, have some concern.


We point out also that income, as a key component in our calculation varies between companies in final calculation re tax rate and other accounting adjustments. Some lenders and business owners also add deprecation to the profit because it is not a real cash expense.
Another quick calculation business people can perform is to calculate the cash flow number as a per cent age of debt. This calculation is often done by lenders to ensure long term debt is not being misused. If a company has a high percentage of total debt to cash flow it should be a strong indicator to the company owners that growth will be constrained, as all cash is going to debt, not growth. Therefore new equipment, inventory, receivables, etc will suffer in terms of growth.


In summary, business owners, by doing actual current calculations, as well as projections, can easily calculate their 'times interest earned' and cash flow as % of debt. This will allow the business to position loan repayments positively with their lenders, at the same time providing them with insights into how the bank or other lender will view payment capability.


Don’t let your business financing needs turn out to be upside down. Seek out and speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor with a track record of success.





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 10 years - has completed in excess of 80 Million $$ of financing for Canadian corporations . Core competancies include receivables financing, asset based lending, working capital, equipment finance, franchise finance and tax credit financing.
Info re: Canadian business financing & contact details :

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com/business-financing-loan-cash-flow.html



CONTACT:
7 Park Avenue Financial
South Sheridan Executive Centre
2910 South Sheridan Way
Suite 301
Oakville, Ontario
L6J 7J8
Phone = 905 829 2653
Fax = 905 829 2653
Email = sprokop@7parkavenuefinancial.com

















Stan Prokop

Business Turnaround Strategy Needed ? Consider A Cash Flow Doctor

Is There A Doctor In The House?


OVERVIEW – Information on a cash flow business turnaround strategy for the Canadian business owner / manager




Business turnaround strategy required. That turnaround might cover a lot of issues, but we're talking about the ' CASH FLOW ' issue today. Let's dig in.

Business owners and financial managers know the importance of cash flow and working capital as generated by their accounts receivable and inventory accounts. What is the ultimate effect of a lack of cash flow and working capital - we know the answer - it is a business failure.

It's all about understanding the problem, and then... you guessed it... fixing it! When it's not an intuitive realization, there are some technical ways to assess the problem. That's when you might need what we can only describe as a business cash flow doctor.

You should be looking for someone that understands your financials and business, has a solid track record and experience, and can facilitate cash flow turnarounds by offering up solid and sometimes creative working capital solutions.

Business owners can utilize a financial analysis technique that finance textbooks call the 'DOOMSDAY RATIO '. What is that ratio and what is its significance?

The Doomsday ratio is calculated by the following easy formula:
Cash divided by Current Liabilities.

This is one of the most powerful and effective solvency ratios that a business owner can utilize. Business people might be aware of two other similar ratios, the current ratio and the quick ratio. The current ratio included the firm's current assets, including accounts receivable and inventory. The Quick ratio did the same but excluded inventory.

The business owner can quickly see that the doomsday ratio focuses solely on Cash! We can call it a very demanding ratio because it focuses solely on the liquid gold within the company, cash! As liquid as your receivables and inventory are, they aren't cash yet, and everyone knows the day to day business challenges of converting receivables and goods into a final cash customer payment.

Really the best way to look at the Doomsday ratio is to view it as an ongoing measure of the firm’s cash 'buffer'. The bottom lien is that it will show the business owner what 'cushion' of cash the firm has. Business owners could even choose to monitor the ratio daily, as it could very well warn against impending shortages of working capital.

Many business owners know that it is also not productive to carry cash on hand, particularly in today's low interest rate environment. So it makes common sense that the doomsday ratio may in fact be less than one, but at least we have a number that, on an ongoing basis, we can monitor.

Each business over time has a philosophy and business practice around how much cash is kept on hand. Naturally it's also obvious, and important to know that if you reduce your operating line of credit with you cash you still have the full liquidity of your operating line, but you aren't paying any interest to borrow. That's a good strategy also.

Customers can also enhance their position by factoring or selling their accounts receivable, which would put them in a strong position to generate cash and maintain a positive Doomsday Ratio.

In summary, the analysis technique is a valuable took to monitor cash flow/working capital for any business.

And don't forget to see that CASH FLOW doctor who can implement solutions such as:

A/R Financing
Working Capital Loans
Bridge Loans
Sale leasebacks
Non bank asset based revolving credit facilities
Tax credit monetization
PO Financing

Seek out and speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor for that business turnaround strategy you require when it comes to refinancing.




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 10 years - has completed in excess of 80 Million $$ of financing for Canadian corporations . Core competancies include receivables financing, asset based lending, working capital, equipment finance, franchise finance and tax credit financing.
Info re: Canadian business financing & contact details :


7 Park Avenue Financial = Business Turnaround Cash Flow Expertise




CONTACT:
7 Park Avenue Financial
South Sheridan Executive Centre
2910 South Sheridan Way
Suite 301
Oakville, Ontario
L6J 7J8
Phone = 905 829 2653
Fax = 905 829 2653
Email = sprokop@7parkavenuefinancial.com



















Stan Prokop

Working Capital And Factoring In Canada. Business Financing Advice You Can’t Buy

The Past Is A Foreign Country . They Do Things Differently There


OVERVIEW – Information on working capital solutions in Canada. Factoring and Receivable Type Solutions Just Might Work



Factoring and Working Capital in Canada . We’ve been mesmerized lately by our favourite new saying - The Past Is a Foreign Country. They Do Things Differently There! It’s from the novel ‘The Go Between ‘. Can it pertain to Canadian Business Financing? We think so! Let’s dig in.

The cost of credit is the cost of not taking credit terms extended for business financing. When Canadian business owners extend, or receive business credit the credit terms are expressed as the amount of discount that is given for prompt payment, when the prompt payment discount expires, and when the invoice is due.

Let's look at an example. We might say that we are being offered 2% ten, net 30. What does that mean? It means that if we pay the invoice in 10 days we can subtract 2% of the invoice amount for our payment. We can assure you that your supplier, if it is your firm being offered the discount truly means ten days! Not take 2% and pay in 30 days as some try to do. (Those discounts are charged back.)

Let's work through an example. Supposed you are being offered 9000.00 of credit on 2% ten net 30 days. You can either pay 9000.00 x 98% = 8820$ in ten days, or of course, as we have noted, pay the full 9000.00 in 30 days. If your company is in a position to take the discount you can save a significant amount on your purchase price from that supplier.

If you wait the full 30 days you effectively borrow 8820 for 20 days, paying 9000- 8820, or 180$ of interest.
So what is the 'credit cost' in borrowing this money? The calculation is done as follows:
Credit cost = % discount / 100-%discount x 360days/ credit period - discount period.
If you work through the numbers in our example the credit cost = 36.7%.

As our example shows, the annual percentage cost of being offered a 2 % 10 day/ net 30 days scenario is almost 37%. Remember also that this discount is continually offered, so it was offered 18 times a year the effective annual credit cost is 43%!!


Selling on credit is an accepted an important part of business. From the customer perspective it's a source of financing, because you receive goods or services that you don't have to pay for until a specific future point in time, usually 30 days more often than not. As business grows between a supplier and customer the amount of financing being extended or taken grows.

So what is the final point of interest in our article? Its is as follows. More and more Canadian firms are looking at factoring and working capital financing facilities outside of bank financing. If our business could pay cash for goods and services we would take the discounts and arrange with our bank to allow us to pay for everything in Cash!


Unfortunately our balance sheets and income statements don't allow us to generate those sorts of bank facilities.
Factoring is the immediate sale of our accounts receivable for cash. It also can cost anywhere from 1 - 3% per month in 'discount fees that are taken by the factor firm.

Is that expensive? Yes. And maybe not! Because as we have seen if we can sell our receivables immediately for cash and then take supplier discounts we can offset a large portion, ( maybe all ) of the financing costs. Oh, and by the way . Confidential A/R finance allows you to regain and maintain total control over your own business . You bill, collect and still get the cash flow you need.

That allows us to be in the best of stead with our suppliers - We have cash to pay our bills and we receive immediate cash for our invoices. In a high growth scenario that's worth its weight in gold so to speak!

Factoring can serve the dual purposes of generating significant cash flow and receiving significant price or payment discounts from our preferred major suppliers.

That is a winning cash flow combination! So, yes, times are changing in business finance. It’s not the past. Seek out and speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor who can assist you with your cash flow 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 10 years - has completed in excess of 80 Million $$ of financing for Canadian corporations . Core competancies include receivables financing, asset based lending, working capital, equipment finance, franchise finance and tax credit financing.
Info re: Canadian business financing & contact details :


7 Park Avenue Financial = Working Capital And Factoring Solutions






CONTACT:
7 Park Avenue Financial
South Sheridan Executive Centre
2910 South Sheridan Way
Suite 301
Oakville, Ontario
L6J 7J8
Phone = 905 829 2653
Fax = 905 829 2653
Email = sprokop@7parkavenuefinancial.com
















Stan Prokop

Sources Of Capital In Canada . How About A Side Order Of Business Funding

Would You Consider New Sources Of Capital If You Had Choices?

OVERVIEW – Information on sources of capital for business funding in Canada . What does the weight of evidence suggest around your needs for new financial solutions



Sources of capital . It's a reality need for businesses that are growing , or wishing to survive. . The capital in a company of course comes from the owner or borrowed funds. Generally speaking business owners prefer to borrow rather than sell equity in the company, as that sale of equity dilutes the ownership position, i.e. they own less of the pie! New equity can come from friends and family, venture capital firms, and angel investors. These parties are looking for good management, integrity, owner financial stake, and growth potential.

However, in the current difficult financial environment many lenders are in fact insisting that business owners put more of their own money into the company. There is never an easy answer when it comes to the debt or equity question.

When businesses borrow funds there is a cost to that capital - as interest on that debt reduces over-all profits. New equity in the company of course does not reduce those earnings, however the profits are distributed more widely and the earnings are proportionately reduced.

Borrowing funds of course comes with risk, as those loans must be repaid. Business owners sometimes get caught in the trap of financing long term projects with short term money - they are therefore at the mercy of having to always roll over that debt, and potentially also seeing rates go up, sometimes dramatically. Also, a business can carry only so much debt, at which point cash flow becomes a potential problem if the company is over leveraged.

Currently rates are very low for businesses that have access to capital. Therefore in many cases it might make sense to lock into longer term loans in the current attractive rate environment.

When the business owner has made the decision to purse business loans the old Boy Scout model works very well - BE PREPARED! Business owners that do their homework will usually be successful. Let’s not forget the banks and finance firms are actually in business to loan funds. Naturally collateral, or additional collateral certainly improves the chances of debt financing success and loan approval.


Debt and equity financing as a sources of capital should be used for the right reasons - expansion, seasonality of business, increased inventory and working capital that will increase sales. Funds that need to address business inadequacies such as poor management, financial losses, falling sales, etc are very difficult to come by! Financial solutions for growing companies includes:

A/R FINANCE

EQUIPMENT FINANCING

WORKING CAPITAL TERM LOANS AND CASH FLOW LOANS

ASSET BASED LINES OF CREDIT

COMMERCIAL BANK FACILITIES

TAX CREDIT FINANCING

SALE LEASEBACKS AND BRIDGE LOANS

SECURITIZATION AND MEZZANINE FUNDING SOLUTIONS

In summary, business owners should carefully consider the positive and negative effects of additional debt or equity capital. Once they have made an informed decision, either on their own or with a trusted , credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor they should consider the cost of that capital and how it is best achieved via alternate financial solutions for business funding .




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 10 years - has completed in excess of 80 Million $$ of financing for Canadian corporations . Core competancies include receivables financing, asset based lending, working capital, equipment finance, franchise finance and tax credit financing.
Info re: Canadian business financing & contact details :

CONTACT:
7 Park Avenue Financial
South Sheridan Executive Centre
2910 South Sheridan Way
Suite 301
Oakville, Ontario
L6J 7J8
Phone = 905 829 2653
Fax = 905 829 2653
Email = sprokop@7parkavenuefinancial.com















Stan Prokop

Leasing Financing In Canada. Equipment Finance In Canada Can Be Difficult Only If You Want It To Be

Asset Financing Needs Happening In Super Slow Motion


OVERVIEW – Information on leasing finance in Canada. Is There A Better Way to Manage Equipment Finance needs



Leasing Financing in Canada. Does it sometimes feel that you're fixed asset needs are travelling in Super Slow Motion? That undesirable speed doesn't have to be the case in equipment finance. Let's dig in.

Successful Canadian business owners and managers in Canada recognize that at certain times in their business cycle they need to obtain the right assets to grow and operate the company. They are of course restricted for many reasons, one of them being: Cash!

You may be dealing with a number of different suppliers and vendors that are critical to your business - they include your technology needs as well your manufacturing and rolling stock.

In many cases it makes tremendous sense to seek out financing from the actual vendor itself. Larger successful brand name firms often offer in house financing for their products and services. They might be doing the lease financing themselves, or partnering with a financial institution to make the acquisition easy.

Even your firm could do this with your own products /services by the way if that is common in your industry, but that's a subject for another day.

One of the challenges for firms who utilize asset financing via leasing is the issue of who to deal with. No knowledge of the industry players will have you potentially dealing with companies where you won’t meet their approval criteria. Other factors include the dollar size of the transaction, the nature of the asset you are financing (that’s where specialized players in equipment finance make sense) as well as geographical limitations.

In some cases it makes a lot of sense for you to investigate operating leases. That makes tremendous sense when looking for financial solutions for needs such as technology, or for your truck and car needs. That solution allows you to lower acquisition cost, monthly payments, etc. You're using the assets with the intent of not owning them when you're considering an Operating Lease.

One other area to ' beef up ' your knowledge in equipment finance is the area of terms and documentation. Here's where some good information and advice can save you thousands of dollars around your rights and obligations in a lease.

Top experts in the field say that at the end of the day you should have three goals in leasing financing:

1.Getting the access to capital that you need to grow your business and maintain the competitive edge

2. Manage costs

3. Risk avoidance re obsolescence of assets, interest rates, etc


One final tip - Consider a lease line of credit option. One initial approval process can allow you to be pre-approved for all your asset finance needs. That allows you to focus on putting those asset finance needs into ' warp speed ‘ ... not slow motion.

Seek out and speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor with a track record of success who can assist you with your leasing financing 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 10 years - has completed in excess of 80 Million $$ of financing for Canadian corporations . Core competancies include receivables financing, asset based lending, working capital, equipment finance, franchise finance and tax credit financing.
Info re: Canadian business financing & contact details :

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com/leasing-financing-equipment-finance.html




CONTACT:
7 Park Avenue Financial
South Sheridan Executive Centre
2910 South Sheridan Way
Suite 301
Oakville, Ontario
L6J 7J8
Phone = 905 829 2653
Fax = 905 829 2653
Email = sprokop@7parkavenuefinancial.com


















Stan Prokop

Sale Leaseback ? Things You Never Knew About A Lease Back Business Financing In Canada

More Confusing Than That ‘ Dark Matter’ Mystery ? The Sale Leaseback Doesn’t Have To Be That Way

OVERVIEW – Information on the sale leaseback financing option in Canada . How does the Sale Lease Back work and what do Canadian business owners/managers need to know to success complete this cash flow strategy successfully


A Sale Leaseback transaction in Canada. Does it has to be more confusing than that ' dark matter' mystery we've read about - you know the one, that stuff that fills the galaxy and affects gravitational influence..? We don’t' think so, so let's dig in.

As an owner of unencumbered ( no liens ) equipment the business owner and financial manager in Canada has the option to consider a sale lease back transaction which is generally used to enhance cash flow and working capital . From a fundamental understanding point it couldn’t be simpler. You in effect sell an asset, or assets back to a finance firm who then creates a lease around the transaction. You owned the equipment, you sold that ownership, and on final payment under the sale leaseback... you guessed it, the assets are yours again.

More often than not you have not simply sold the assets to a third party because the assets we're talking about are used in the operation and growth of our business. Those assets might be shop floor equipment, technology, rolling stock, i.e. trucks, etc.

Where do things get interesting then in that whole scenario? It's simply that the transaction has financial, tax, and accounting issues that make or break the ultimate success of the transaction.

We always are talking to clients about the fact there are only essentially two types of lease transactions in Canada, capital ' lease to own ', and 'operating' lease to use. In theory you could probably have an operating lease sale leaseback, but we see that rarely. So typically in this type of financing it's a capital lease.

While we mentioned that in the majority of all transactions we see the main purpose or goal is to enhance working capital and cash flow larger more sophisticated companies sometimes use the sale leaseback as a finance or accounting ' trick ' for their own internal or external purposes.

There is one area of this method of cash flow financing that owners/managers sometimes forget. It's the whole thought process and requirements imposed by your lender on the value of the equipment. While sophisticated and specialized finance firms might have the means to establish the financeable value of the transaction they might also insist by policy or requirement that an appraisal be done on the asset or assets to be financed.

If that's the case two important things must be kept in mind. Owners tend to focus on the current ' fair market value ' of the asset, and they feel they want financing on that value. Lenders, being the pessimists they are (!) focus on liquidation value, i.e. what they can sell the asset for if there's a problem - with you! It's as if they want to be repaid in full! Keep those appraisal/valuation issues in mind.

At the end of the day the best way to probably describe this whole process is that its one additional method of increasing cash flow and helping you to grow your business. Just kidding, but to hell with pride of ownership... it's all about cash flow! Seek out and speak to a trusted credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor with a strong track record to assist you with your sale lease back option 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 10 years - has completed in excess of 90 Million $$ of financing for Canadian corporations . Core competancies include receivables financing, asset based lending, working capital, equipment finance, franchise finance and tax credit financing.
Info re: Canadian business financing & contact details :


7 Park Avenue Financial = Sale Leaseback Financing





CONTACT:
7 Park Avenue Financial
South Sheridan Executive Centre
2910 South Sheridan Way
Suite 301
Oakville, Ontario
L6J 7J8
Phone = 905 829 2653
Fax = 905 829 2653
Email = sprokop@7parkavenuefinancial.com





















Stan Prokop

Business Credit Line Rates In Canada . Which One Of These Two Works For Your Company

Not Against The Rules . Consider The Other Business Line Of Credit . What? There’s Another Option?



OVERVIEW – Information on business credit line rates in Canada . Banks and Asset based credit lines means different types of rates for different types of facilities






Business credit line rates in Canada . What factors determine the cost of lines of credit for your company based on the type of revolving credit line you choose and the particular characteristics of that type of facility? The reality? You've got two basic choices for this method of Canadian business financing, and its perfectly legal to check out and consider both! Let's dig in.


One of the largest misconceptions in Canadian business is the fact that there is only 1 type of business credit line in Canada. Wrong! Your company has the choice of the traditional (and revered?!) Canadian chartered bank facility. But in recent years there is a new kid on the block, the non bank Asset based Credit Line.

In the past we are more than sure than most businesses view the bank facility as the best and only way to go re cost and flexibility and borrowing power. It certainly the case when it comes to cost , as Commercial credit lines are based on bank spreads that more often than not come in at 1 or 2% above the current prime rate . These days with rates being so low that bank credit line is tremendously appealing.

When the bank facility isn’t appealing is when your firm doesnt qualify for traditional bank criteria which at the end of the day revolve around a small handful of key metrics:

Size of facility
Debt to Equity ratio
Cash Flow Coverage
Profits

If your firm has the financial appeal to a Canadian bank a feeding frenzy can easily occur as the banks step over each other racing for your business. What a great deal.

On the other hand your business financing need for a revolving credit line in Canada can be fully satisfied by an ABL. It's a non bank credit line that fundamentally lumps together all your current and fixed assets and allows you to borrow against them in one facility. Confusion often exists when we explain that offering to clients as they can be forgiven as to how they can maintain a business credit line outside the bank. Trust us... they can.

The pricing on Asset based credit lines fluctuates, and that's a bit of an understatement. Typical facilities range at a minimum in the 250k range, and many of the largest corporations in Canada borrow tens of millions of dollars under this type of arrangement.

How does pricing work in ABL, as compared to the bank. Here's the straight answer on that. If your firm can satisfy the 4 key elements of bank business credit lines, as we have noted above, your firm can match or beat bank pricing.

The reality is though that the ABL business credit line rates offer more borrowing power and less restrictive credit criteria for approval. As a result the pricing typically is higher, and in some cases much higher than bank financing. So the correct answer is that ABL credit facilities range anyway from Prime rate to as much as 1.5% per month, essentially mezzanine type rates. So is ABL expensive if you can get all the business credit you need and turnover more sales and generate more profits . We will of course let you be the judge of that.

Business owners and financial managers need to balance credit line rates against their ability to satisfy lending criteria and access capital they might not be otherwise able to get approved for.

So, what type of credit line and pricing works for your firm? Seek out and speak to a trusted, credible, and experienced Canadian business financing advisor with a track record of delivering business credit facility solutions.



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 10 years - has completed in excess of 80 Million $$ of financing for Canadian corporations . Core competancies include receivables financing, asset based lending, working capital, equipment finance, franchise finance and tax credit financing.
Info re: Canadian business financing & contact details :

7 Park Avenue Financial = Business Credit Lines






CONTACT:
7 Park Avenue Financial
South Sheridan Executive Centre
2910 South Sheridan Way
Suite 301
Oakville, Ontario
L6J 7J8
Phone = 905 829 2653
Fax = 905 829 2653
Email = sprokop@7parkavenuefinancial.com




















Stan Prokop