Inventory Financing as a Working Capital Solution

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Why Is It So Hard To Finance Inventory In Canada? We Know Why !



Information on inventory financing solutions in Canada. The ability to finance inventories as a key component of your working capital strategy is key to business financing success

If your Canadian firm is ‘ inventory intensive ‘ then an inventory financing solution has to be an optimal part of your overall working capital strategy . Unfortunately it has probably never been more difficult to access the amount of financing you need for inventory in order to maintain and grow sales and profits.

Let’s review some of the key basics and then outline what types of solutions are available to your firm. The essence of inventory financing is simply the ability of your firm to generate a short term advance, or operating facility based on the amount of inventory you have on hand. A couple of key concepts come into play here. One is simply valuation – meaning of course there has to some agreement between you and an inventory financier as to what value can be placed on inventory.

We can appreciate to a certain degree the conundrum that Canadian chartered banks have with inventory – which is simply - how do we understand it! There are hundreds of different industries and business models in Canada, and the ability of any one entity to understand what the value of a certain industry inventory is, and more important, how it could be remarketed in liquidation is of course the challenge.

As a result, as we have inferred, the banks have tended to shy away from advancing any significant amount of financing against inventory. When financing is in fact advance it tends to be very formulaic, and, similar to the receivables advance, very focused on your overall operational, financial, and collateral situation.

What Canadian business owners actually need is for a true inventory lender to work with them to understand what the maximum amount of funding can be given against ongoing inventory on hand. Again we will raise one other technical point, which is when we talk to inventory it can be in the form of raw material, work in progress, or finished goods. Those three categories alone of course require a whole additional subset of lender knowledge.

Fortunately there are firms in Canada who are very focused on inventory financing – in some cases these can be in the form of floor plan financing , although the purpose of our information here is pure inventory financing .

We recommend clients work with a trusted, credible, and experienced advisor in this area – one who can deliver an inventory solution that either compliments your existing financing arrangements, or, in some cases perhaps replacing your current financing with a very focused and specialized asset based line of credit that maximizes the total value of your receivables and inventory.

When inventory plays a key role in your company’s sales process your ability to generate cash flow and working capital on an ongoing basis against this asset will ultimately prove to be a major competitive advantage for on going growth and profits.

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

Why An Asset Based Loan Might Be Your Best Business Line of Credit Solution in Canada

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How to use Asset Finance for Working Capital

Information on the asset based loan strategy to facilitate a business line of credit solution for all your company's working capital and cash flow needs for growth

Canadian business owners and financial managers fully realize that based upon their working capital and cash flow needs a business line of credit is a necessity for the overall financing needs of the business.

An asset finance strategy can sometimes be the best solution for your overall business financing needs. Clients we speak to have trouble differentiating this type of solution from a regular Canadian chartered bank line of credit.

The difference is simply the overall focus of the financing – an asset based line of credit focuses solely on the variety of different business assets you have – they include predominantly inventory, receivables, equipment, and in some cases real estate .

When you successfully set up an asset based loan facility you are in effect monetizing these assets to their maximum, and borrowing against them as you need funds, on a daily basis. Naturally the main and most liquid assets in this type of financing tend to be receivables and inventory, but those other hard assets can nicely shore up an even higher credit facility for your firm.

So let’s get back to the difference between this type of facility, which some companies have never heard of, and a bank revolving line of credit. Your asset based business line of credit, unlike the bank facility, focuses 99% on the value of the assets in your business – so the bottom line is that as those assets grow you have unlimited working capital to grow ! – And that’s a good thing.

Another way of looking at this or explaining it more clearly is the manner in which these loans are set up and approved. Asset based loans for a business line of credit in this asset finance strategy focuses on collateral and its value. If you have now, or in the past secured a bank facility on the other hand you of course recognize the banks puts a lot of emphasis on non asset issues such as overall financial statement quality, external collateral, personal guarantees, etc. That is the main difference between these two types of financing. If you can demonstrate positive cash flow and cash flow from operations to a Canadian chartered bank it is unlikely you can obtain a business line of credit that suits your overall needs. Asset finance on the other hand is collateral based – if you have A/R, inventory, and perhaps equipment and real estate you can draw down on a daily basis against the value of those assets!

One other critical difference is that less covenants and ratio requirements are in place in an asset based line of credit. So if your firm has ongoing liquid and fixed assets you are in an excellent position to negotiate a business line of credit for an asset based financing facility.

How does this facility work on a daily basis? Is a question we always get from clients? You still of course do your banking at a bank or perhaps a credit union – but you supply on a regular (perhaps a weekly or monthly basis) what is known as a borrowing base certificate for your assets. The asset based lender then advances funds into your account which you can use to finance your business.

Asset based loans, or working capital facilities as we also like to call them have different levels of pricing based on overall facility size and with whom you are financing the line with. We recommend you review the benefits of an asset based business line of credit and speak to a credible, trusted, and experienced business financing advisor to determine if this type of working capital arrangement suits your firm. Many Canadian businesses are moving to this type of facility to fund future growth and profits.

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

SRED Loans for Cash and Working Capital Now

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SR&ED Productivity Enhancement ? It's Called SR&ED Financing !!

Information on SR&ED Financing in Canada . The ability to monetize/cash flow your sred claim accelerates working capital and cash flow

SRED financing is simply the method by which you can, our firms own option, monetize or ‘cash flow ‘ you Sr&Ed tax credit and generate needed working capital and cash flow for ongoing operations or of course further investment in your r&d processes and development .

We have all seen the oil change commercial where the mechanic states ‘you can pay me now or pay me later ‘. Well financing your sred claim has a similar ring to it – of course you have the option of waiting for the government at the federal and provincial levels to mail your firm your cheque – that could take anywhere from 1-12 months – Or you can arrange to finance that claim now and utilize those funds for any business purpose .

Are we eligible to finance our sr&Ed claim? Clients often ask. We can only replay that if you have a claim, and have filed it, your are in fact eligible. In fact, under certain circumstance it can be arranged to receive funds even prior to filing.

Clearly the pure financial benefits of the sred grant program in Canada are numerous – you receive significant amounts back from expenditures made on research, including wages and salaries associated with that research, as well as major portions of material and equipment expenses.

All of those above noted expenses are ‘cash out ‘to your firm – the funds have been spent .So why not consider financing your claim and receiving those funds back in an extremely timely manner.

We can almost hear some of your questions now as you review our information, as they are typical of what many clients ask:

How exactly do I monetize the sred claim

What exactly is a sred loan – is there additional debt involved

How long does it take and what does it cost?


Let’s cover off some of those very basic questions so you can feel comfortable about the sred financing process. The sred financing, or the monetization or cash flowing of you sred claim is simply a business financing that uses the actual sred claim as collateral. You receive approximately 70% of the full federal and provincial total as a short term cash loan that is collateralized by the sred itself. Of course the additional 30% is still yours, it is simply held back as a buffer for any adjustments that are made to your claim.

No payments are made on your sred loan, and the final cheque to you firm (you have already received 70%) is the holdback amount less the financing costs. So you have pure cash flow and additional working capital, no long term debt associated with a loan per se, and no payments are made. That is truly creative business financing for which most Canadian business owners are not even aware.

The typical process to create a sr&Ed financing is approximately 2-3 weeks, you should quite frankly view it as any other business application – the usual business info and backup on your firm, plus of course the details of the sred financing.

In summary, have your claim prepared by a qualified sred consultant - recent submission rules and styles have changed.

If you have unlimited cash flow and working capital resources by all means wait for your cheque – if you want to cash flow or discount your claim speak to a credible , experienced and trusted business financing advisor in this area .

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

What Do I Need to Know When I Am Buying a Business?

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I often wonder if business owners who are looking at purchasing a business take the same sort of outlook as when they are buying something in the stock market.

Let's take some thoughts from the way Warrant Buffet looks at a company and determine if we could be using those same successful strategies.

Those strategies tend to be summed up in a very concise manner -> make sure you understand what you are buying, ensure the industry prospects are favorable, and if management is going to stay on in some capacity make sure they know what they are doing!

Many owners I meet look to buy into businesses, or franchises for that matter, in an industry they don't understand. We would say that if you can't positively feel good about knowing the real sales potential, how expenses occur, what is the cash flow cycle of the business then you should not by look to purchase that business. Naturally many business owners will often get a strong sense of missing a major opportunity - the business owners forgets that Buffett once said 'above average results... are often produced by doing ordinary things'.

Many business owners like to focus on buying a turn around business, a business that has been either abandoned or poorly managed by its previous owners. While there are clearly some great turn around stories out there, more often than not these transactions become large challenges and financial nightmares. More simply speaking: The business was cheap to buy for a reason!

In a perfect world, (and we realize it's not!) it is optimal to consider purchasing a business that has a solid product and reputation.

The people aspect of purchasing any business is also important, and great investors such as Buffet place a large emphasis on management. Obviously the business purchaser has the focus of either keeping management or replacing management. Naturally management that has a focus on the bottom line and on long term growth are to be very valued.

At a certain point it gets down to 'price'. Business acquirers should focus as much on return on equity as just net income. That is one the key areas in a Buffett type purchase decision. A huge mistake is to also focus on volume as opposed to profit margins. Most business acquisitions involve the buyer assuming or generating debt. The overall focus, it goes without saying is to minimize debt.

Getting back to our legendary investor, Buffett creates a formula for what he calls owner earnings - which formula is as follows:

Net profit + deprecation - Capital assets needed to be acquired

We would agree that this is a great way to look at profit potential in any business being acquired.

Buffett modeled his career on one book, a famous finance book entitled 'The Intelligent Investor ', by a fellow named Ben Graham. As dry and out of date this huge text might seem to today's business person, we could still all use a little ' intelligent investing' assistance when make a major decision to buy a business.



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

















Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Stan_Prokop/432698


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3644137

How to Achieve Franchise Financing Success in Canada

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BREAKING NEWS - Franchising is Hot !


Information on franchise financing in Canada. The ability to access and place proper business finance in place is key to franchisee success in Canada's hottest industry segment

Franchise financing is an integral part of the Canadian entrepreneur’s challenge of obtaining and building a success Canadian franchise. As most Canadian business owners quickly discover, franchisors do not provide direct or indirect financing in the Canadian marketplace. This leaves the business owner essentially on his or her own to generate the capital they need from chartered banks, finance firms, and other institutions.

It goes without saying that the budding entrepreneur needs to first make a significant investment in general franchise knowledge – i.e. the pros and cons, as well as of course focusing on financing the franchise.

Franchises in Canada are product and service related. When you purchase the franchise you should have strong level of confidence that the concept is proven and successful, as you will be trying to replicate that success based on the products, services and brand awareness of the franchisor.

Franchisees are encouraged to do a proper level of due diligence based on that availability of information with respect to the business success of the franchisor. If you are considered a franchise that is owned and run by a large well know public company – think McDonalds! You of course have the ability to carefully review the financial statements and management commentary that is available to anyone by virtue of the companies listing on the public stock exchanges.

The good news about franchise financing and the risk that the business entrepreneur takes is that there is a significant amount of disclosure required by law to you as a franchisee. In Canada, as well as the United States you should have the ability to get a copy of the franchisors financial statements. If you don’t feel qualified to read and interpret a financial statement you should use the services of a trusted franchise financing advisor, or even your accountant or lawyer would be good choices.

Many franchisors in Canada will of course gladly give your franchisee references, and you should clearly talk to other franchisees about financial performance with respect to what you hope to achieve based on your personal investment and borrowed funds . When we say ‘ financial performance ‘ we of course mean general business basics such as sales, profits, working capital challenges , leverage ( how much debt do you need to take on ), etc .

In financing a franchise you clearly want to understand how much debt you are going to take on – this is also directly commensurate with what you need to put into the business as your own investment. Most business owners today fully realize that a franchise can never be 100% OPM. OPM= Other Peoples Money!

Our experience in Canadian franchise financing is that the financing of your newly acquired business has is a combination of your own investment, as well as borrowed funds. Franchise financing success in Canada is most commonly achieved by your utilization of the CSBF program, which is one of Canada’s best programs for small and medium sized business. This program provides up to 90% financing of leaseholds and fixed assets. When our firm structures a franchise financing we supplement the CSBF program with a combination, as required, of lease financing, and in some cases a cash term loan if in fact that is required .

In summary, by carefully selecting your franchisor, understanding your overall financial risk, and carefully putting together a financing package that fits your needs, you will have a very strong chance of being successful in your franchise venture.

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

Your Company Needs Business Credit - Commercial Loan Alternatives in Canada

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Information on commercial loan alternatives in Canada. The ability to access business credit makes or breaks a firm

Will This Year End Like It Began? If you could change one thing in your business what would it be?
If you are like many business owners you need Business Financing !
Well, what if...?

As a Canadian business owner and financial manager you realize you need business credit or a commercial loan, if not all the time, some of the time. Funds for your business are required for what everyone refers to as ‘working capital ‘. That challenge is wrestled with everyday by your firm – purchasing inventory, paying employees, investing in assets, and, unfortunately, waiting for customers to pay. And you of course are still waiting – for those customers to pay.

Business credit is achieved in a variety of manners. Financing alternatives are available for the start up firm to major corporations – there are only 4 ‘minor’ challenges around those alternatives.

Are you as a business owner aware of all the different financing alternatives

What are the advantages ( and disadvantages ) of those options

What do they cost, how do they Work?

Where do I get them?!


And yes, we were being a bit facetious, because those are not MINOR challenges!

We can safely say that if your company is credit worthy, has solid financials, is profitable, is in the right industry, and has lots of assets and collateral that you can be financed in totality by a Canadian charted bank .But there are thousands of businesses in Canada that don’t have those qualifications, but they still require credit lines and receivable financing, inventory advances, equipment financing, potential real estate mortgages, etc

If you business can’t access all the financing you need then its time to look at some of those options and alternatives we spoke about. Receivable financing is right up there today in popularity .Also called ‘factoring’ it is the immediate sale of receivables that generates immediate working capital for your firm. It is easy to obtain, efficient, and eliminates a lot of the requirements that come with typical lending standards. This is probably the fastest growing part of business financing today in Canada, and we encourage business owners to speak to a credible, successful and experienced expert in this field to ensure they understand the basics around cost, daily paperwork flow, and potential pitfalls around some of the loopholes some factors insert in their paperwork with your firm.

One of Canada’s quasi government entities offers a specialized working capital term loan. The loan is essentially unsecured, has a competitive interest rate, and injects positive and permanent working capital into your firm. Check out that option.

Many clients always refer to the term ‘Government grants and loans ‘. The two most popular programs, if we can call them that, are the government Small Business Loan as well as the SR&ED program which provides non repayable grants on your research and development. The former, the infamous ‘ SBL ‘ loan, finances equipment and leaseholds at great rates, terms , and structures, with even limited personal guarantees.

So whats our bottom line on business credit and commercial loan alternatives – keeping it simple we can say that you should be aware of alternatives, they do exist. Traditional financing is available, and alternative financing is abundant – work through the mechanics with some experienced assistance and determine what type of business credit options work for your company.

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