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Information on asset based lending lines of credit in Canada. These facilities are an alternative to bank credit lines and are used successfully by companies in every industry
More and more Canadian firms who purchase product overseas or in the United States marketplace are finding of course that to achieve economics of scale in pricing and shipping they have to purchase in significantly larger quantities, and also allow for shipping time. And, even more critical is the questions of how to address the supplier’s payment request which often includes hefty deposits or full payment in advance.
Although established firms have access to operating liens of credit with Canadian chartered banks even these facilities often cannot provide the full financing resources that come with strong, explosive, or seasonal bulges in revenue growth.
Enter asset based lending, or the actual facility which is called an asset based line of credit. The simple definition and explanation is as follows – it is an operating or revolving line of credit facility that totally focuses on the assets of your firm, those being primarily inventory, receivables, and fixed assets such as equipment.
When your Canadian firm applies for a chartered bank line of credit there is a very strong focus on your operational metrics and your overall all balance sheet and income statement rations. A line of credit is set up with your bank that is very much related to your firms tangible equity, its debt load, historical cash flow, etc. ( Yes, we said historical cash flow! Which means that the banks focuses on how you have generated cash and profits in the past! That is little solace to the mfr, wholesales or distributor in Canada that needs cash flow now to fulfill order, contracts, etc.
The asset based line of credit places only a small reliance on those issues, what if focuses on instead is the true current value of your inventory, receivables and unencumbered equipment assets. Asset based lending specialists have a very strong sense and experience around the true liquidation values of your inventory , receivables, and fair market values of your equipment .
Therefore the final amount of the asset based line of credit you are approved for is often, almost 99% of the time, larger that a bank facility. That allows you to draw down immediately on the values of those assets, generated more cash flow. Many companies who have bank lines in Canada actually do not even have an inventory component in those facilities – so just the fact that you can now generate today cash flow out of inventory values is a huge cash flow benefit.
While asset based lending in the U.S. and, more recently in Canada was considered a non – traditional form of business financing it has clearly now entered the mainstream. You would be very surprised at the medium and large corporations in Canada that utilize this type of financing.
Different financing strategies achieve different benefits for each company. The main benefits of this type of financing facility are:
Easier to set up , get approved, and administer
Although facilities are set up with an initial cap the reality is that as your assets grow via increased sales the facility grows also – Why? Because, as we said, its asset based, not covenant or ratio based
Higher advance margins are place on receivables, usually 90%, and inventory, which in many cases hasn’t been or couldn’t be financed before is now immediately financeable
The facility usually always includes a/r and inventory , but more often than note has a fixed asset equipment or real estate component also
ABL facilities, which is the acronym these financings are known as, are specialized financings. They are an alternative to bank or traditional financing. They are becoming more popular everyday, and business owners are encouraged to speak to a specialist who is trusted, credible and experienced in this exciting new area of Canadian business financing.
7 Park Avenue Financial :
2910 South Sheridan Way
Suite 301
Oakville, Ontario
L6J 7J8
Office = 905 829 2653
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 .
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
