WELCOME !

Thanks for dropping in for some hopefully great business info and on occasion some hopefully not too sarcastic comments on the state of Business Financing in Canada and what we are doing about it !

In 2004 I founded 7 PARK AVENUE FINANCIAL. At that time I had spent all my working life, at that time - Over 30 years in Commercial credit and lending and Canadian business financing. I believe the commercial lending landscape has drastically changed in Canada. I believe a void exists for business owners and finance managers for companies, large and small who want service, creativity, and alternatives.

Every day we strive to consistently deliver business financing that you feel meets the needs of your business. If you believe as we do that financing solutions and alternatives exist for your firm we want to talk to you. Our purpose is simple: we want to deliver the best business finance solutions for your company.



Sunday, January 2, 2011

How To Get Approved For Cash Flow Funding Via A Merchant Cash Advance In Canada

There isn't a day these days when we don’t meet or talk to a small business client who is having cash flow funding challenges. One solution becoming increasing popular in Canada is a merchant cash advance.

With the right partner firm we have found this type of financing to be a solid interim solution for cash flow financing and working capital. Let’s look at how this type of financing helps our clients achieve working capital success and why it might be right for your firm.

You can call it non traditional or alternative, but quite frankly its becoming more popular everyday and thousands of businesses are taking advantage of this type of business cash flow funding . The success of merchant cash advance financing always seems to come back to the issue of your business not being able to secure working capital financing from what we call our traditional sources, i.e. banks, finance firms.

And the reality around this type of financing is that it is quick and easy, and , more remarkably, often unsecured , depending solely on your ability to generate sales based on historical performance and projected profits . Even though the government continues to encourage banks to pay more attention to small business financing the reality is that traditional financing is 99.9% of the time secured via collateral, personal net worth’s, strong personal credit scores of the owners, and generally stable financial performance from a historical perspective.

The above is all well and good, but tends to eliminate the hundreds of clients we meet who have real business challenges and can’t meet some or all of the aforementioned lending criteria.

So how does this type of financing work. You may have heard of the business financing known as factoring. This, in a nutshell, is the financing of your receivables as you generate them. - I.e. same day cash for sales you make. However, thousands of firms, perhaps yours, have a major revenue component made up of cash and credit card sales, and you still need financing for the same reasons: purchasing inventory, reducing payables, making loan payments, etc.

That’s where the merchant cash advance comes in - in essence you receive cash today for future credit and cash sales. Isn’t this risky for the lender, asks our clients? That may or may not be... but the reality is that if your firm, as an example , can demonstrate via bank statements or credit card sale stats that you have solid sales then the merchant advance lender is prepared to advance you funds today for a percentage of those future sales . A quick example is that you could receive , again, as an example, an $80,000 cash flow loan today and repay it, by agreement, with , for example, 20% of all future cash or credit sales . You are receiving cash today, allowing you to fuel further growth in sales and profits.

Speak to a trusted, credible, and experienced Canadian business financing advisor as to how your firm can benefit today from this innovative and valuable cash flow financing.

--

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 6 years - has completed in excess of 50 Million $$ of financing for Canadian corporations .Info re: Canadian business financing & contact details :


http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com/merchant_cash_advance_cash_flow_funding.html

Looking For Canadian Tax Credits For Film Financing?

The train has just left the station and unfortunately your project isn’t on it? We're of course referring to the fact that you might be missing out on Canadian tax credits for film financing.

While many states in the U.S. and in other parts of the world also can only currently describe their film tax credit programs as mild disarray Canada's robust tax credit program for film finance is dead on track for being generous, robust, and, in our clients opinion well administered and funded .

Utilizing Canadian film and video production services tax credits can be the final piece of your financing puzzle as you cobble together debt, equity, and tax incentives to complete the financing of your project. The new paradigm of film financing (we’re also talking of course about television and digital animation projects) is to do the best you can with any number of finance vehicles to complete your project. The economic meltdown of 2008 and 2009 is behind us, things are looking up, but unfortunately there is left a bit of scorched earth as the landscape for independent film financing has eliminated many finance firms, hedge funds, and banks who participated in this entertainment financing.

But through all that the Canadian tax credits for film financing not only stayed intact, they got more generous, and most would agree are efficiently administered. And when you take those tax credits and utilize them as a key part of your financing strategy then you've got a winning combination.

The Canadian government uses provides these tax credits to attract productions such as yours - their own reasons , whether they be cultural, economic, employment , etc are for academics and tax payers to debate - all you have to do is utilize these credits to the maximum for your own projects success .

In the past the entire approval and financing of the Canadian tax credits for film financing was viewed as cumbersome. Boy has that changed. With the aid of a Canadian film tax consultant you can very quickly assemble a competent team which would include an entertainment accountant who can validate your budgets and spends, and at the same time help you navigate the whole tax credit certification process.

With a proper team in place, and having your other debt and equity lined up, you can actually cash flow the credit prior to your project completion - that simply provides you with cash flow and working capital for your project. Typical tax credits on a per cent age basis can actually be 30-45% of your entire project. We repeat - 30 -45%!

So whats our bottom line again? We think its quite simple - don’t let the Canadian tax credits for film financing train leave the station without your project on board! Speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor in film tax credits who can help you cash flow and monetize your project.
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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 6 years - has completed in excess of 50 Million $$ of financing for Canadian corporations .Info re: Canadian business financing & contact details :


http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com/canadian_tax_credits_for_film_financing.html

Saturday, January 1, 2011

How Much Will Sred Tax Credit Financing Cost You and why Sr ed Funding Makes Sense

Does a sred tax credit financing make sense for your firm, and whats the cost of sr&Ed funding in Canada? Well, we'd like to show you some solid reasons to consider a sr&ed loan - we'll let you make that decision , our role is to inform – yours is to decide!


If you are filing sred tax credit claims in Canada you also have the option to finance those claims, when completed, or in some cases, in advance! More about that advance scenario later.

Not every Canadian business owner and financial manager knows they can finance a sred claim - we meet with clients all the time who are surprised their tax credit can actually be financed and monetized into real cash flow, immediately. Naturally we are even more surprised when we run into firms that don’t even know about the program , or , more astonishingly, consider it ' troublesome' to file for a non repayable tax credit . Are we missing something, or is that akin to saying ' no thanks' to some free money.

If you do an internet search on the term ' government grants and loans ' you will see that there are thousands of inquiries around that term. In our humble opinion the two best ' government ' related programs in Canadian business financing are the Scientific Research and Experimental Development program, aka SRED! The other program is the government guaranteed subsidized Loan program, commonly known as the BIL program. More about that one on another day.

Filing your sred claim with the assistance of a firm or accountant or industry specialist is a large part of maximizing your claim. They know the positioning and guidelines around a proper submission, and its all about that fine line of maximizing your claim but ensuring it meets all the criteria. In the last year or so the government has actually streamlined the whole process around submissions, and the jury is still out as to whether Canadian business owners filing for sred tax credits consider this a good or bad thing.

Anyway, sred tax credit financing is available if you have a claim. And we are not talking via the bank, which generally doesn’t consider this a finance vehicle, but rather independent finance firms and Canadian business financing advisors who specialize in sr&Ed funding.

Clients are always very focused on their questions - we can close our eyes and rhyme them off - ' how much does it cost' ' whats involved' and ' how much can I get '.

Claims are generally financed at 70% of the value and the balance is simply held back as a buffer. The whole process can be completed in a week or two with your firm’s co operation, sr&Ed funding is structured very uniquely. You receive funding and don’t make any payments on this financing; it’s a kind of bridge loan. The financing charges are in the 2% per month range - sometimes less, and sometimes more and you can use the funds for any general corporate purpose. With a good track record your claim can be financed during the year as you spend funds , so it is kind of an accrual scenario .

Does sr&Ed funding makes sense? It does it you can use the cash from your non repayable grant to grow your business, increase profits, continue the battle against the competition, and increase your firms cash flow and working capital. The opportunity cost of not doing anything with your claim might just be too great!

Speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor around tax credit financing that might just make great sense for your firm.

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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 6 years - has completed in excess of 50 Million $$ of financing for Canadian corporations .Info re: Canadian business financing & contact details :

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com/sred_tax_credit_financing_sr_ed_funding.html

Friday, December 31, 2010

Worried About Getting A Loan For A Franchise ? - Here's your 2011 Franchise Financing Guideline!

We know you'd rather start the New Year off with a positive attitude about your new role as entrepreneur - let’s demonstrate how you get a loan for a franchise and how franchise financing works in Canada.

Buying a franchise is clearly one of the bigger decisions you'll make in your personal and business life, and you want to be able to do that with specialized information and assistance to help you succeed.

We would never say there are a large number of ways to finance a franchise in Canada , but there are some tried, tested, proven and recommended methods and strategies and we'll show you how they work!

You never want to feel you have been pushed or misguided when you are thinking of getting a franchise financing loan. That's where professional info is always the best solution.

We're the first to agree that the attractiveness of buying a franchise is a powerful concept - you're literally buying a proven formula and it’s no secret that you have a better chance of surviving if you purchase a franchise as opposed to starting your own independent business that has no track record.

So when you decide to finance that franchise the ' legwork’... if we can call it that, is important. Your goals are threefold actually, you want to be able to successfully purchase the franchise, ensure you have some capital to operate it, and finally, growth is important to your overall success, so you want access to growth capital for your business if you need it.

The majority of franchises are cash flow based, i.e. the restaurant industry, so operating capital and growth capital are not as important in those scenarios. But if you are purchasing a business that has receivables, inventory, and equipment needs, well... be aware that those items need working capital financing.

Franchise financing has three parties to it, yourself as the borrower, the franchisor itself, and of course the finance firm or bank. Generally most franchisors in Canada will determine if you are a qualified candidate for them - that includes a combo of business and or industry experience, as well as some sort of qualified financial credit check on yourself that determines you have the wherewithal to successfully purchase a business.

You only need two things to finance a franchise and get a loan for a franchise. Simple, right. Well those two things tend to be the 2 items that our clients worry about - they are Debt, and Equity. Equity is of course the amount of funds that you personally will put into the business - debt is what you'll borrow of course.

In Canada the current environment calls for a 30-50% range owner equity infusion... this number in our opinion seems to have crept up over the years. The debt or loan for franchise acquisition comes from predominantly the government. The government!! clients ask? Yes, because the majority of franchises financing in Canada are done under a special loan program called the BIL/CSBF loan program. To qualify you need a business plan, and miscellaneous info required to support your application.

This loan eliminates a huge part of the risk in getting a franchise, because your personal guarantee is limited, thanks to our friends in Ottawa who sponsor the program. Also, and we think this is great; the loan finances things like leasehold improvements, which typically would be impossible to get elsewhere.

Speak to a trusted, credible, and experienced Canadian business financing advisor who will assist you to complete franchise financing successfully. Getting a loan for franchise finance is not as hard as you think, if you have an expert on your side in 2011.
--

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 6 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_financing_loan_for_franchise.html

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Asset Based Lending Canada - Why An ABL Working Capital Loan is Your 2011 Finance Solution

Optimistic as us? We would bet a nickel that you're a lot more optimistic about business growth and prospects heading into 2011 - Could it have gotten any more challenging over the last two years? Doubtful !

So how asset could based lending Canada and a working capital loan facility give you all the business financing optimism you might have lost over the last couple years.

Simply for the reason that, when properly utilized and structured an asset based line of credit, aka an ' ABL ' is in our opinion your best bet for a one stop shopping solution for all your cash flow needs.

That’s a pretty powerful statement, so let’s examine what an ABL solution is, how it works, and more importantly, why you should potentially consider it for your business financing and working capital solutions.

Simply speaking asset based lending is a cure all for firms that are highly leveraged, have had some challenges in financial performance, and at the same time have an asset base to move forward on and grow the business .

The term asset based line of credit is in no way misleading - it’s simply a line of credit that finances your assets (receivables, inventory, and potentially equipment and real estate) on a revolving basis. To put it in better context think bank line of credit without the rations, covenants, additional collateral, emphasis on personal guarantees and personal net worth, etc.

An ABL working capital loan or revolving facility simply gives you the tool to grow your business, and that tool is cash. No longer will you have to worry about negotiating seasonal or one time bulge needs in your finance needs, and you could even consider an ABL facility as a solution to acquire a competitor.

In many cases the asset based lending Canada solution that you need is a stop gap against two key challenges, the ability to grow your business when you don’t have enough owner equity and are potentially over leveraged.

Naturally the alternative solution to a working capital facility such as this is for the owners of the company to put in more equity and long term working capital. That typically has a lot of challenges to it, and if you talk to anyone seasoned in business finance you'll quickly learn that giving up equity is a lot more expensive than monetizing your assets, which is what a working capital loan facility does when you consider the ABL solution .

So how does the facility work - it is a non bank solution with an independent firm, and provides you with 90% receivable financing, and inventory borrowing that’s based on the actual value of your inventory, not some pre determine cap or limit that many banks impose. (That’s because banks generally don’t have the ability to understand your inventory values - ABL lenders do!).

Asset based lending, in our experience is a bit more costly than traditional banking, but the upside is you have unlimited cash flow financing for your growth and unique business challenges. One other perceived disadvantage of asset based lending in Canada is simply that you have to report on your a/r and inventory in a more timely fashion - Quite frankly though we often tell clients that type of reporting will help them understand their business better .

So, you're probably intrigued! As we have shown you a solution to expand, meet cash flow needs, and access working capital cash flow that might otherwise not be available. Speak to a credible, experienced and trusted Canadian business financing expert on how to access a working capital loan and operating facility today - It’s your 2011 best bet for business financing.

--

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 6 years - has completed in excess of 50 Million $$ of financing for Canadian corporations .Info re: Canadian business financing & contact details :

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com/asset_based_lending_canada_working_capital_loan.html

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Get A Cash Flow Solution In Place For Working Capital Financing – Your 2011 New Year Resolution

What if... just what if you could eliminate your working capital financing issues via a cash flow solution that works as you head into 2011 and beyond? That surely is the wish of most, if not all Canadian business owners and financial managers.

The reason you need that working capital is of course to pay of all your short term obligations in a timely manner. Typically those are accounts payable and items such as lease or loan payments, and of course we're including payroll and salary obligations in there.

As a business owner you need to be aware of whether your overall working capital position is stable, declining, or even increasing. There are some very simple measurements to assess overall situation. One of the most basic measures is simply to monitor sales growth against those current assets. Quick example - if your sales are growing by 20% per annum but you determine your receivables and inventory have grown to 35% of their former values, then, guess what, you have a working capital solution need . No surprise there, as most business managers intuitively know the strains that working capital needs place on a business.

Unlocking. That’s the key to a cash flow solution. What do we mean by that? Simply that you have to do two things to unleash the cash flow that is invested in your business in the form or receivables and inventory. First, you have to improve turnover. That’s an internal thing, and we can’t help our clients on that one, you have to do it yourself. Collect receivables faster, be more diligent in extending credit terms, and control your inventory.

Secondly, and here’s where are clients do ask for external help, is the need to ' monetize ' working capital accounts. How can that are done. The most common solution is bank financing via an operating line of credit for A/R and inventory that would address working capital financing needs.

But most business in Canada today, certainly in the small and medium sized sectors can’t access all the bank financing they need. if at all .

In business you achieve positing working capital financing via profits which fund growth, borrowing on a long term debt basis ( not our favorite!), or selling assets .. Again the latter not our favorite.

What is our favorite then?! It is, as we said, monetizing current assets. You do this via a working capital facility that margins A/R and inventory properly. These facilities, when combined with the inventory component, makes sense for firms with monthly a/r and inventory balances in excess of 250k. When that amount is less than 250k a receivable financing strategy is required. Our favorite is confidential invoice financing or discounting, which we feel is the ultimate cash flow solution. It allows you to bill and collect your own receivables and turns your firm into a cash flow machines readily able to handle all manner of sales growth.

Speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor - he or she will help you pinpoint the working capital challenges and focus on a specific solution that makes sense for your firm. That’s a solid New Year resolution for your business that is achievable.

--
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 6 years - has completed in excess of 50 Million $$ of financing for Canadian corporations .Info re: Canadian business financing & contact details :

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com/cash_flow_solution_working_capital_financing.html

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Is a Leasing Company Your Best Choice For Business Equipment Financing – Choose Business Leasing That Makes Sense !

Common sense financing, fast approvals and flexibility that makes perfect sense for your firm - that’s why when you want to lease business equipment a leasing company is your best choice for business leasing financing.

If we were to ask you to name ten quick benefits of any type of business financing in Canada we quite frankly cant imaging you would name any other type of finance other then leasing . Just think about it.

Ten, yes ten solid reasons to consider a leasing company for your right choice of asset finance. Lets recap them - technological obsolescence protection, accounting benefits, cash flow management, potential tax savings, the right to own or not own the asset at the end of the lease, convenience, ability to match the asset financing to its useful economic life, quick credit approval ( boy do we like that one !) and finally often a lower cost and cash outflow .

Whew! That was a mouthful of reasons. Let’s circle back on one of those benefits, the issue of a prompt credit approval.

Canadian business financing got really challenging in the last couple years. Traditional financial institutions that funded equpment such as banks and insurance companies quite frankly simply stopped funding your business leasing needs. The leasing company you probably worked with also borrows, just in case you didn’t realize it. Somehow we all survived and as we head into 2011 the equipment financing industry is on a pretty good roll.

We keep coming back to flexibility when clients ask us about what the best choice options are in business leasing. Always remember that when you choose to finance an asset you can enter into a lease to own scenario, aka a 'capital lease ' , or, continuing on our theme of flexibility, you can opt for an operating lease - which simply states your desire to use an asset, not own it . Equpment that depreciates quickly, needs to be replaced due to technology, etc, is the perfect choice for an operating lease option.

Asset financing from your business comes out of very different needs - it might be a photocopier for the office, (or computers), equipment for your shop floor, and, even a commercial jet for your corporate meetings! (Well, we can dream , cant we?!). Our point is simply that any type of asset can be leased, and often bundled in with other ancillary services such as installation, maintenance, warranty, etc. Again, there’s our flexibility again.

Do you have a personal business relationship with the hundreds of lease companies in Canada? If you do we're jealous, and you obviously have a lot of time on your hands. If you don’t, speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor who can ensure those many benefits of business leasing can be matched with the leasing company that suits your needs.
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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 6 years - has completed in excess of 50 Million $$ of financing for Canadian corporations .Info re: Canadian business financing & contact details :


http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com/business_leasing_company_business_equipment.html