How Factoring and Accounts Receivable Funding Can Fix your Working Captital problems

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The Fix Is In ! Cash Flow Problem Solutions

Information on factoring and accounts receivable funding solutions . This type of financing fixes cash flow challenges when properly understood and utilized

When your payments from key customers are significantly slowing down many firms in Canada turn to accounts receivable financing
, otherwise known as ‘factoring’ for a solution to their working capital challenges. As unbelievable as it seems in many cases it is not unusual to have clients tell us that receivables are getting paid in 90 days these days, sometimes longer in fact. Gone seem the days when the 30 day term on your invoice seems acknowledged and honored.



When those payments do slow down that tends to cripple your cash flow. Naturally the solution to the problem, or the obvious one to most business owners is to make an all our effort to improve collections but focusing on increased accounts receivable turnover.

As an aside we think it’s very important that Canadian business owners and financial mangers know their accounts receivable collection period – you don’t have to be an analyst to do that - the simple formula is as follows –



A/R Times 365 Divided by Sales

To illustrate, if your firms year end balance sheet has receivables of 400k and your annual sales are three million dollars your collection period is 48 days. (We wish our collection period was 48 days we can hear you saying!)

Naturally you can alter the above formula on a quarterly or monthly basis by adjusting the A/R and sales level for your required period.

You can address the additional cost in carrying receivables by attempting to raise your prices with your customer to cover those increased A/R cost. However, that gets you profit, and not liquidity. That is where factoring and receivable financing comes in.

Factoring is quickly becoming the first alternative solution for firms who wish to get 85-90% of their cash immediately after they invoice. This solution is available through a pure factoring solution, or, if your firm is a bit larger ( 250k + in receivables) as part of a working capital facility or asset based lending facility.

The challenge, we tell clients, is ensuring you have the type of facility and factoring partner that meets your overall goals in day to day business financing. It certainly also helps when you have a solid business with good clients, but the hard reality is that factoring is available to almost every size and type of business is Canada – what will differentiate your facility is simply the overall pricing, terms, and structure of your facility .

Is your firm a candidate for a factoring or accounts receivable financing facility. It probably is if your customer payments are slowing down, sales are growing, and you are unable to obtain traditional bank lines of credit from Chartered banks. Factoring is hugely popular in the U.S. - Over 140 Billion dollars (yes that’s billion!) was done in 2009. The Canadian landscape is much smaller and fragmented, but bottom line, its growing.

We can’t over emphasize to clients that your factoring facility grows with your business, and your factoring credit facility can be adjusted upward very easily in terms of your growth.

Is there any downside at all to a factoring and working capital facility? When we sit down with clients and work them through the process we focus on 3 main areas –

Choosing the right factoring and receivable financing partner

Ensuring you understand your true costs ( and how to offset them )

Picking the right facility from a day to day ease of doing business perspective



Speak to a trusted, credible and experienced advisor in this area to ensure that you are comfortable that such a business financing is the solution to your cash flow and working capital problems.



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7 Park Avenue Financial :
South Sheridan Executive Centre
2910 South Sheridan Way
Suite 301
Oakville, Ontario
L6J 7J8

Direct Line = 416 319 5769

Office = 905 829 2653

Email = sprokop@7parkavenuefinancial.com

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com


Business financing for Canadian Firms , specializing in working capital, cash flow, asset based financing , Equipment Leasing , franchise finance and Cdn. Tax Credit Finance . Founded 2004 - Completed in excess of 100 Million $ of financing for Canadian corporations .

' Canadian Business Financing With The Intelligent Use Of Experience '

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stan has had a successful career with some of the world’s largest and most successful corporations.
Prior to founding 7 Park Avenue Financial in 2004 his employers over the last 25 years were, ASHLAND OIL, ( 1977-1980) DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION, ( 1980-1990) ) CABLE & WIRELESS PLC,( 1991 -1993) ) AND HEWLETT PACKARD ( 1994-2004 ) He is an expert in Canadian Business Financing.

Stan has over 40 years of business and finance executive experience. He has been recognized as a credit/financial executive for three of the largest technology companies in the world; Hewlett-Packard, Digital Equipment and Cable & Wireless. Stan has had in depth, hands on experience in assessing and evaluating thousands of companies that are seeking financing and expansion. He has been instrumental in helping many companies progress through every phase of financing, mergers & acquisitions, sales and marketing and human resources. Stan has worked with startups and public corporations and has many times established the financial wherewithal of organizations before approving millions of dollars of financing facilities and instruments on behalf of his employers.

Stan Prokop

ABL Loans Are The Newest Trend in Canadian Asset Finance – Why Lenders Offer This Revolver For Asset Finance

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Why An ABL revolver asset finance facility Might Work For Your Firm

Information on ABL loans in Canada . What lenders offer this type of asset finance working capital facilities and why this type of operating line of credit, known as an ABL ‘ revolver ‘ can be the best thing that ever happened to your company

Let's get right to the point. Are you not surprised that many Canadian business owners and financial managers are unaware of the importance that ABL loans via abl lenders play in the asset finance arena in Canada. Are you not even surprised that this type of loan financing (actually it’s not a loan - more on that later), called a ' revolver ' competes with Canadian chartered banking facilities on a day to day basis, and wins!?

Part of the confusion , misconceptions and mis information around this type of financing actually comes from the name and terms around the ABL revolver, which can ,and do mean different things to different people .

In the pure sense and most relevant meaning of the term in Canadian asset finance the ABL facility provides a comprehensive asset financing or monetizing of current ( and in some cases ) fixed assets which allow a company to significantly enhance their working capital facilities . This type of facility competes head on with Canadian charted bank facilities.

The asset finance lenders in Canada have recently gained significant traction. We feel the primary reason is simply that their facilities offered enhanced borrowing with a focus on assets, unlike comparable chartered bank facilities which come with a stringent requirement of clean balance sheets, profitability, ability to maintain rations and covenants, and in many cases requiring outside collateral.

The 2008 and 2009 global recession enhanced the viability and visibility around ABL loans. Banks all over North America pulled back on commercial lines of credit and revolver finance - leaving thousands of companies with reduced, restricted, and in some cases no borrowing or operating facilities.

Most Canadian business owners and financial managers are simply not aware of who the ABL asset finance lender is. Typically they are smaller boutique firms, often subsidiaries of major U.S. corporations and banks .Their teams are small, highly focused on one thing ( monetizing assets for cash flow and working capital !) and offer facilities anywhere from 250k to hundreds of millions of dollars .

Many Canadian companies are also not aware that several of the Canadian charted banks have created asset finance lenders within their bank, and the ultimate irony is that when a loan is called by a chartered bank a competing division within the bank can often rescue the company. We'll let you mull that one over!

As we noted facilities are available for any amount over 250k but the pure play ABL revolver typically comes in at 3 to 5 Million dollars as an entry point. Rates are often competitive to Canadian banks, and small firms can pay a significant premium in financing charges , the offset being able to access working capital to facilitate growth and profits,

In summary, every business owner or financial manager concerned with operating finance should investigate and consider an ABL solution. Normal banking criteria does not apply and you have the ability to grow, restructure, and in some cases easily acquire a competitor using this finance strategy. You consider your firm unique and different, so investigate a new and unique type of business financing. Confused? Hopefully not. Interested? Speak to a Canadian business financing advisor on ABL loans today.




Click here for 7 PARK AVENUE FINANCIAL 7 Park Avenue Financial :
South Sheridan Executive Centre
2910 South Sheridan Way
Suite 301
Oakville, Ontario
L6J 7J8

Direct Line = 416 319 5769

Office = 905 829 2653

Email = sprokop@7parkavenuefinancial.com

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com


Business financing for Canadian Firms , specializing in working capital, cash flow, asset based financing , Equipment Leasing , franchise finance and Cdn. Tax Credit Finance . Founded 2004 - Completed in excess of 100 Million $ of financing for Canadian corporations .

' Canadian Business Financing With The Intelligent Use Of Experience '

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stan has had a successful career with some of the world’s largest and most successful corporations.
Prior to founding 7 Park Avenue Financial in 2004 his employers over the last 25 years were, ASHLAND OIL, ( 1977-1980) DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION, ( 1980-1990) ) CABLE & WIRELESS PLC,( 1991 -1993) ) AND HEWLETT PACKARD ( 1994-2004 ) He is an expert in Canadian Business Financing.

Stan has over 40 years of business and finance executive experience. He has been recognized as a credit/financial executive for three of the largest technology companies in the world; Hewlett-Packard, Digital Equipment and Cable & Wireless. Stan has had in depth, hands on experience in assessing and evaluating thousands of companies that are seeking financing and expansion. He has been instrumental in helping many companies progress through every phase of financing, mergers & acquisitions, sales and marketing and human resources. Stan has worked with startups and public corporations and has many times established the financial wherewithal of organizations before approving millions of dollars of financing facilities and instruments on behalf of his employers.

Stan Prokop

Critical Factors to Consider when Lease Financing in Canada

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Equipment Leasing Canada & Why Equipment Lease Rates aren’t Important!

Information on equipment leasing and lease rates in Canada. Factors other than interest rates are also critical when financing equipment and technology to run and grow your business

How can equipment lease rates in Canada not be the most important part of your equipment leasing in Canada acquisition strategy? That’s what clients want to know when we advise them the while an overall competitive leasing rate is important they must not miss the several other factors that play a huge part in making the proper lease financing decision.

Leasing in Canada has of course been around for many decades, we venture to say at least back to the 19 50’s, if not older than that. As a Canadian business owner and financial manager you recognize that it is clearly one of the most viable methods of acquiring assets for profit and sales growth – Profit through use is one of the buzzwords of equipment leasing in Canada.

The key thing you quickly realize about lease financing in Canada is that it encompasses all types of assets - from heavy industrial equipment, used equipment of all types, and of course technology such as computers and telecom equipment, etc . The reality is, and this is a surprise to many, that even ‘soft’ items can be financed such as computer software, or installation costs and warranties for shop equipment, etc.

So fine, we recognize that leasing is important, and we recognize it’s available to us as a financing option. So why isn’t rate the most important factor, isn’t it all about cost and payments?

We don’t think so, because the reality is that if you don’t properly address or thing about the other key factors that are involved in the whole ‘should I lease or should I buy?” decision then the last thing you should be worrying about is your rate. Let’s cover off one key point about rate before we move on to some of the other factors you must consider – it is as follows - Business is competitive in Canada – There are a number of lease financing sources.

Customers doesn’t believe us but we actually spend a lot of time talking to them and advising them that they get to pick their own rate! How is that possible they ask? It is simply based on the statement that your overall credit quality determines your rate within a very close band of competitive offerings of lease financing in Canada. So if you can properly demonstrate your own overall credit quality re ability to pay, historical cash flows, future cash flow ability, overall business prospects, etc then categorically will be in essence determine your own interest rate on the transaction. End of story on rate!

So, those critical other factors you need to consider - they are as follows – you should discuss with your accountant or a trusted, credible, and experience lease financing specialize what financial statement implications your lease will have – You want to determine if you choose a lease for ownership of the asset, or a lease for use of the asset, the latter being called technically in the industry an ‘operating lease ‘.

Are there any risk to leasing equipment .There might be. This is where you want to talk to your accountant about what the tax advantages or disadvantages are of the transaction. You mighty want to ask him to run what is known as a lease vs. buy analysis to determine, with your input, what is the best way to acquire the asset in questions.

Despite what leasing companies might tell you in their literature or on their website you might find that a true analysis of the transaction shows that leasing is not necessarily the lease expensive way to acquire assets. If you and the leasing company borrow at the same rate (it could happen – leasing companies borrow also to fund your deal) then clearly lease financing might not be the best option.

7 Park Avenue Financial :
South Sheridan Executive Centre
2910 South Sheridan Way
Suite 301
Oakville, Ontario
L6J 7J8

Direct Line = 416 319 5769

Office = 905 829 2653

Email = sprokop@7parkavenuefinancial.com

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com


Business financing for Canadian Firms , specializing in working capital, cash flow, asset based financing , Equipment Leasing , franchise finance and Cdn. Tax Credit Finance . Founded 2004 - Completed in excess of 100 Million $ of financing for Canadian corporations .

' Canadian Business Financing With The Intelligent Use Of Experience '

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stan has had a successful career with some of the world’s largest and most successful corporations.
Prior to founding 7 Park Avenue Financial in 2004 his employers over the last 25 years were, ASHLAND OIL, ( 1977-1980) DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION, ( 1980-1990) ) CABLE & WIRELESS PLC,( 1991 -1993) ) AND HEWLETT PACKARD ( 1994-2004 ) He is an expert in Canadian Business Financing.

Stan has over 40 years of business and finance executive experience. He has been recognized as a credit/financial executive for three of the largest technology companies in the world; Hewlett-Packard, Digital Equipment and Cable & Wireless. Stan has had in depth, hands on experience in assessing and evaluating thousands of companies that are seeking financing and expansion. He has been instrumental in helping many companies progress through every phase of financing, mergers & acquisitions, sales and marketing and human resources. Stan has worked with startups and public corporations and has many times established the financial wherewithal of organizations before approving millions of dollars of financing facilities and instruments on behalf of his employers.

Stan Prokop

Everything You Wanted to Know About Purchase Order Factoring and Inventory Finance in Canada !

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Financing Cost and Methodology of Inventory and Purchase Order finance

Information on purchase order financing and inventory finance & factoring finance solutions in Canada

You may or may not agree we are technically still in a ‘ business credit crunch ‘ but you probably will agree that your Canadian firms ability to factor purchase orders and arrange inventory finance is still a major challenge . Is there any solution, traditional or otherwise, to this ongoing Canadian business financing challenge? We happily tell clients there is, it’s just a case of having the right knowledge and ensuring you qualify for such financing. And you may find that due to the specialized nature and experts in this industry that are available, that it is not as hard as you thought!

Traditional sources of purchase order factoring and inventory finance are the Canadian chartered banks. To qualify for such financing the pre requisites are very clear - a decent balance sheet and income statement, growth prospects, profitability, potential external collateral, and the guarantees of owners and shareholders . Easier said than done, right?!

Purchase order and inventory financing can provide you with the working capital and cash flow to grow your company. It is simply a case of securing this type of financing, but at the same time recognizing that that costs and methodology around this type of financing makes sense for your company.

By assigning or selling your rights in the purchase order to a specialized inventory and p.o. financing firm your supplier is guaranteed payment of goods that you require to fulfill orders and contracts. When your supplier is paid goods or product is shipped to yourself, or potentially your customer, less a financing fee, which is typically in the 3% range. That fee varies, but is a good general starting point for discussion and negotiation.

The concept of the financing fee around purchase order and inventory financing is critical as it relates to your gross margin, or overall profitability on your transactions. If you are in a low margin, slow turnover business the financing fee around a p.o and inventory financing scenario can eat away significantly at your overall profitability. Quite frankly the inventory and p.o. financing firm might deem your overall ability to complete the transaction as not making sense for all parties – there is no reason to just turn over sales and revenue if you do not have a solid profit outcome.

We all know the saying ‘timing is everything ‘, and how about another well worn but quite solid cliché – ‘the sale is not completed until your invoice is paid ‘. Those two well worn saying factor significantly into inventory and purchase order finance. The inventory finance firm expects to be paid when the product is delivered and your invoice is generated. In normal circumstances, if your firm is traditionally financed, you would borrow against your receivables and pay the inventory finance firm, which in some cases could be your bank. (If you had access to traditional finance). If your firm can’t repay the inventory and finance firm then it is wise, and in fact common, to arrange for factoring of your invoice. This is simply the sale and discounting of your invoice – with those funds you pay your supplier, your firm is now paid, and you have realized the actual cash profit on your sale. (Assuming you had those good profit margins we spoke of!)

By now you have probably figured out that a number of key players play a role in the inventory financing and purchase order financing cycle. Those key players are your firm, your customer, your supplier, and the inventory finance and P.O. finance firm. All are dependent on each other to perform properly in purchase order factoring , and in a timely fashion. Business owners and financial managers by now have probably realized the importance of validating your own customer, the purchaser or your product, as being credit worthy and agreed to your payment terms. If those don’t happen you clearly are at risk.

Despite the costs associated with inventory and purchase order financing in Canada there are a number of advantages – your company can grow significantly based upon access to large amounts of capital you might otherwise have not been able to raise or borrow .

And remember, inventory and purchase order finance is not debt on your balance sheet, you are simply monetizing inventory and p.o.’s to raise liquid capital.

So where do you obtain this type of financing. It’s a specialized form of business finance and we suggest to clients that they obtain the services of a successful, credible, and experienced business financing advisor in this area. That allows you to capitalize on opportunities for growth. That person can also assist and help you wade through the finance maze of basic issues, which might include the size of the facility you need, what info you need to provide to complete the financing, how long does it take to arrange the facility, as well as the costs associated with your transaction on a one of or ongoing basis.

When you are comfortable that his type of financing makes sense you should be able to complete your transaction within a number of weeks , assuming the proper level of transparency between you, your customer and your inventory finance and purchase order lender .

7 Park Avenue Financial :
South Sheridan Executive Centre
2910 South Sheridan Way
Suite 301
Oakville, Ontario
L6J 7J8

Direct Line = 416 319 5769

Office = 905 829 2653

Email = sprokop@7parkavenuefinancial.com

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com


Business financing for Canadian Firms , specializing in working capital, cash flow, asset based financing , Equipment Leasing , franchise finance and Cdn. Tax Credit Finance . Founded 2004 - Completed in excess of 100 Million $ of financing for Canadian corporations .

' Canadian Business Financing With The Intelligent Use Of Experience '

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stan has had a successful career with some of the world’s largest and most successful corporations.
Prior to founding 7 Park Avenue Financial in 2004 his employers over the last 25 years were, ASHLAND OIL, ( 1977-1980) DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION, ( 1980-1990) ) CABLE & WIRELESS PLC,( 1991 -1993) ) AND HEWLETT PACKARD ( 1994-2004 ) He is an expert in Canadian Business Financing.

Stan has over 40 years of business and finance executive experience. He has been recognized as a credit/financial executive for three of the largest technology companies in the world; Hewlett-Packard, Digital Equipment and Cable & Wireless. Stan has had in depth, hands on experience in assessing and evaluating thousands of companies that are seeking financing and expansion. He has been instrumental in helping many companies progress through every phase of financing, mergers & acquisitions, sales and marketing and human resources. Stan has worked with startups and public corporations and has many times established the financial wherewithal of organizations before approving millions of dollars of financing facilities and instruments on behalf of his employers.

Stan Prokop

The Inside Scoop On Canadian Equipment Leasing & Asset Financing

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Three ' Must Know ' Things About Equipment Leasing

Information on equipment financing solutions for Canadian business . Canadian leasing solutions can solve all your asset financing needs if you know how it works best

Financing for equipment is sometimes a challenge for Canadian business owners and financial managers. What if you had a solid understanding of 3 key elements of Canadian equipment leasing and financing. Let’s explore some key information around three critical elements of lease financing –



1. What can be financed?

2. What are the type of leases and rates available to my firm?

3. What is the best way to obtain a prompt approval at the best rate, terms and structures for my business asset acquisition?



So what assets can be financed in Canada? The reality of that answer is that almost every business asset can be financed, and moreover, two other key points need to be made. In many cases even intangible assets can be financed – a solid example is software for your business, or even the additional add on requirements that come with many asset acquisitions – these might include installation, warranties, maintenance, shipping/delivery, etc. And, furthermore asset financing in Canada definitely includes the financing of used equipment, which is a major part of the Canadian equipment financing industry. Millions of dollars of used equipment, purchased here or in the U.S. or other international locations are financed annually. We add two critical cautionary items of note here – in certain cases and appraisal or asset valuation or inspection might be required if the asset is new , and in many cases a down payment might be required on a used piece of equipment . These two points would still clearly not negate the major benefits of financing a piece of used equipment. Why used? Simply because many assets in many industries still have a very useful economic life after a typical usage of 3-5 years, for example thing production equipment, etc. In many instances, especially with the use of the internet and auction sites pricing on used equipment might be exceptionally favorable.

One other solid tip is to get your lease financing approved in advanced, as this might allow you to negotiate a better price with the vendor given you are pre approved and the vendor knows they will be paid directly from the leasing company.

Let’s move on to our second point, which is simply that there are some critical technical aspects to lease financing that are very important for business owners to be aware of . First of all you should ensure that you understand there are two types of lease financing available – to keep it simply we will simply call them, as the industry does:

Capital leases

Operating Leases

Which one is best for your firm? We always dislike saying to our clients ‘it depends ‘but the reality is that the choice of lease type should be driven by your final motivation with the asset. By that we simply mean that you need to determine, in advance! , if you intend to own the asset at the end of the lease, or if you simply want to use and return it after an agreed upon amount of time, usually 2- 5 years, although shorter and longer terms might apply (that’s the flexibility of lease financing).

Choosing the type of lease you pick will significantly impact how the lease is carried on your books, and also it is a critical factor in driving pricing. Operating leases will always be priced with a lower monthly payment as the asset is returned to the lessor at the end of the lease. Clients ask us ‘what if we later determine the asset still has a useful economic life and we wish to keep it? Again, here is where the flexibility of lease financing comes in, because you are allowed in an operating lease to pick one of three options at end of term – you can return, purchase, or upgrade. Actually there’s a fourth option, which is simply to agree to extend the lease for a pre agreed upon amount of time.

Let’s move on to our final point, which is simply – You have made the decision to acquire an asset through lease financing. How do you go about that in Canada? We advised clients to work with a credible, experienced, and trusted lease financing advisor - even basic assistance around the final rate, term, and structure could save you many thousands of dollars in payments. Or at the same time, negotiating on your behalf any critical areas such as down payment, limited personal guarantees, or end of lease options can all be the make or break point in Canadian lease financing success. Additionally, the lease financing industry in Canada is very fragmented and consists of captive firms tied to manufacturers, independent Canadian and U.S. firms, and very specialized firms that only do or finance certain things.

In summary , arm yourself with some critical knowledge of lease financing and you will be rewarded with the knowledge that you have chosen the best financing method for the acquisition of new and used equipment and business assets in Canada .

7 Park Avenue Financial :
South Sheridan Executive Centre
2910 South Sheridan Way
Suite 301
Oakville, Ontario
L6J 7J8

Direct Line = 416 319 5769

Office = 905 829 2653

Email = sprokop@7parkavenuefinancial.com

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com


Business financing for Canadian Firms , specializing in working capital, cash flow, asset based financing , Equipment Leasing , franchise finance and Cdn. Tax Credit Finance . Founded 2004 - Completed in excess of 100 Million $ of financing for Canadian corporations .

' Canadian Business Financing With The Intelligent Use Of Experience '

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stan has had a successful career with some of the world’s largest and most successful corporations.
Prior to founding 7 Park Avenue Financial in 2004 his employers over the last 25 years were, ASHLAND OIL, ( 1977-1980) DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION, ( 1980-1990) ) CABLE & WIRELESS PLC,( 1991 -1993) ) AND HEWLETT PACKARD ( 1994-2004 ) He is an expert in Canadian Business Financing.

Stan has over 40 years of business and finance executive experience. He has been recognized as a credit/financial executive for three of the largest technology companies in the world; Hewlett-Packard, Digital Equipment and Cable & Wireless. Stan has had in depth, hands on experience in assessing and evaluating thousands of companies that are seeking financing and expansion. He has been instrumental in helping many companies progress through every phase of financing, mergers & acquisitions, sales and marketing and human resources. Stan has worked with startups and public corporations and has many times established the financial wherewithal of organizations before approving millions of dollars of financing facilities and instruments on behalf of his employers.

Stan Prokop

How to Take Advantage of Commercial Finance Factoring Services in Canada

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Assessing Factoring Costs & Benefits When Considering A/R Financing Solutions

Information on commercial financing factoring services in Canada. Working thru the costs and benefits of A/R finance solutions in Canada

Commercial finance factoring Services may be the solution you are looking for business financing and working capital for your firm. You may or may not be aware that this type of cash flow financing is used by Canadian firms from start up to major corporations.

So what are the benefits of such a business financing and how is your firm able to take advantage of these. The bottom line in business usually always come back to cash flow, and a commercial finance factoring service or facility ( we like to call them working capital facilities ) gives you a form of predictable cash flow . Essentially your working capital grows lock step in pace with your sales growth, and handles all those up and down fluctuations in between.

When we discuss this financing with clients we often use a term ' you pay only for what you use ‘. That is because your firm essentially controls the cash flow spigot, if we can call it that. You have the ability to finance one invoice, a number of invoices, or all your receivables. It's your call!

Invariably the discussion around factoring, also known as ' invoice discounting ‘turns to cost of this service. First of all you have to know how the financing works, at which point you can then assess the costs and the advantages.

Let's look at a quick actual example to ensure we understand the process and cost. Let’s say one of your invoices has just been issued and it’s for $ 10,000.00 - we'll use a clear example and round number in our demonstration. So what happens next? Your firm is advanced, immediately, i.e. almost same day, approx 90% of that invoice amount. So you receive $ 9000.00 at the same time your customer receives their invoice! Your factor discount, i.e. ' the fee' might typical be 2% on this transaction. So if your customer pays the invoice in 30 days (*we’ll be back o you on that one!) your firm receives the balance owing to you, i.e. the holdback, less a 200.00$ fee. ** We realize that not all customers pay in 30 days!

So what just happened here? You made a sale, you got cash immediately for 90%, and you got the balance of the cash (in our case $800.00) when your customer paid. Your cost was 200.00$.

Astute business owners and financial managers can use that immediate cash wisely and productively. You could pay a supplier invoice that you just received, and take a 2% discount for prompt payment. You have just strengthened your relationship with a supplier, and saved 2% - and wait a minute, didn’t we have a 2% factor fee. If you net those two out your financing cost has been effectively reduced to almost zero.

Are all fees in Canada the same, and do all facilities have the same sort of business model and paper flow? The answer is no, they don’t. Your final factor fee, or discount fee depends on your client profiles, how much of a facility you need, the invoice size, and, the most important - how well your clients pay. Remember you can now finance those clients that pay in 60-90 days and have tied up your working capital, but ensure they are profitable clients because at 2% per month carrying cost that erodes your profit margins.



In business it’s all about turnover and your ability to turnover your inventory and, in our case, receivables ultimately determine your financing costs to carry your A/R investment.

Think of commercial finance factoring services as your own ATM machine for cash flow. It becomes a solid potential alternative to term loans with fixed interest, or bank financing that has the requisite requirements that come with a bank deal - solid financials, profitability, guarantees of owners, external collateral, etc.

For those business owners and financial managers that want to get a bit more analytical about the numbers here is another way to look at it - let’s use our same example: If you factored 10,000 once a month all year would have had the use of 120,000.00 in total capital. So your total finance costs on that would be 2400$.

If you borrowed 120,000$ in working capital from your bank at a rate of 6% per annum on a typical 3 year term you would pay over 10,000$ in interest for the same capital . The factoring financing using that logic was cheaper than the bank by at least 8000.00$.



So whats our bottom line? It’s simply that our basic arithmetic has shown us that if we take advantage of commercial finance factoring services we are in control of our own cash flow destiny as well as having the ability to increase sales and offset financing costs with careful use of cash flow and working capital from this unique type of business financing. Speak to a trusted, credible, and experienced business financing advisor in this area to maximize the advantage!





7 Park Avenue Financial :

South Sheridan Executive Centre
2910 South Sheridan Way
Suite 301
Oakville, Ontario
L6J 7J8

Direct Line = 416 319 5769

Office = 905 829 2653

Email = sprokop@7parkavenuefinancial.com

Click here for 7 PARK AVENUE FINANCIAL




Business financing for Canadian Firms , specializing in working capital, cash flow, asset based financing , Equipment Leasing , franchise finance and Cdn. Tax Credit Finance . Founded 2004 - Completed in excess of 100 Million $ of financing for Canadian corporations .

' Canadian Business Financing With The Intelligent Use Of Experience '

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stan has had a successful career with some of the world’s largest and most successful corporations.
Prior to founding 7 Park Avenue Financial in 2004 his employers over the last 25 years were, ASHLAND OIL, ( 1977-1980) DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION, ( 1980-1990) ) CABLE & WIRELESS PLC,( 1991 -1993) ) AND HEWLETT PACKARD ( 1994-2004 ) He is an expert in Canadian Business Financing.

Stan has over 40 years of business and finance executive experience. He has been recognized as a credit/financial executive for three of the largest technology companies in the world; Hewlett-Packard, Digital Equipment and Cable & Wireless. Stan has had in depth, hands on experience in assessing and evaluating thousands of companies that are seeking financing and expansion. He has been instrumental in helping many companies progress through every phase of financing, mergers & acquisitions, sales and marketing and human resources. Stan has worked with startups and public corporations and has many times established the financial wherewithal of organizations before approving millions of dollars of financing facilities and instruments on behalf of his employers.

Stan Prokop