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Canadian Business Financing Strategies
Information on the advantages and potential risk of debt financing in Canada . Factors that determine business funding when non equity solutions are required to fund Canadian firms
Debt financing. When it comes to business funding that is ' non equity ' in nature the busines owner and manager can benefit from a number of business financing solutions. A good solid way to begin is to ensure which solutions are available and to ensure you understand the pros and cons of each.
When it comes to debt finance solutions it's paramount to remember that the lender, finance firm, bank etc is not sharing profits and is at risk - as such pretty well their only focus is getting paid!
In a way that’s the benefit, i.e. one of our ‘pros’ of taking on debt - You know exactly what conditions and rates come with the loan ( hopefully!) - It's just up to you to ensure you have the cash flow to repay. So broadly speaking, you're very much in control, unlike being at the whims of an equity investor.
Let's recap some of the key sources of debt financing in Canada - they include:
Bank loans
Government Small business loans
Leasing
Mortgages
Also included in our list are:
Inventory financing
Receivables factoring
Asset based credit lines
Tax Credit Monetization
Supply Chain /PO Finance
These latter 5 monetize current assets so they are in fact a bit of a hybrid.
Most companies very quickly discover that no firm can be properly financed with 100% debt, so it’s important to keep in mind the relationship between debt and equity. That equity in fact becomes the business owners risk and that’s why it's probably also prudent to manage your debt load.
What factors affect a company's ability to get debt financing? In smaller to medium sized firms the actual credit status and history of the owners is very important.
Is size important in debt financing? It sure is! Many firms constantly struggle to acquire more debt based on their growth needs. We can pretty well guarantee to clients that if the proper cash flow projections arent available, realistic and accurate that not a lot of debt financing is going to take place.
Rates are of course critical in debt financing, and are typically commensurate with the risk profile of your firm, as well as the nature of the firm or bank you are dealing with. The same pretty well goes for collateral, whether that is personal or corporate as a ' back up ' to the debt financing facility.
It's critical to exercise diligence and caution when taking on debt for your firm. Just the actual ratio of debt to equity is a good number to always monitor ... 2 Time debt to equity is a commonly respected ratio. When it’s higher than that you're force to generate extra cash just to pay and service that debt.
We're pretty sure that we make debt sound like somewhat of a burden. That is not the case though, as the right amount of debt and overall leverage can make your company more successful, and if there is one guarantee in life it’s that debt is cheaper than equity. And remember also that there are a number of non bank firms that can supply the debt you need if you are rejected by our Canadian banking system.
In many cases rates and size of the loan or loans you seek might be appropriate but the overall conditions the loan demands may not be suitable. That's when you might well seek out and speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor who can assist you with your debt financing and funding needs.
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 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