Canadian Business Financing - 7 Park Avenue Financial

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, February 10, 2019

Looking for Debt Financing ? Don’t Ignore Working Capital Funding Sources

You’ve got Options for business financing in Canada

Information on sources of debt financing and working capital cash flow solutions for growing and operating your business in Canada

We're not shocked - You wont be either - a recent U.S. survey by CFO Magazine stated that cash flow and working capital and accessing working capital funding sources was the biggest concern of any financial manager.

Welcome to Canada ! We are pretty sure we are in the same boat as we talk to clients who seek alternatives to debt financing and liquidity for their companies.

The other key item in the study was that business in general was dissatisfied with their banking relationships - again no real surprise.

So we all agree there is a gap in working capital solutions for Canadian business. Let’s discuss why that gap exists, and, more importantly is there alternatives to taking on more debt financing while at the same increasing cash flow in your firm.

As we have written in the past we always tell clients the best program in Canada, bar none in our opinion is the government small business loan program, which is underwritten by our good friends in Ottawa. Great rates, terms and structures, what more could you ask for. Well here’s the problem, the program only covers equipment, leaseholds and real estate - that’s called debt financing. So not working capital or cash flow is ever going to come out of that program for your firm. Let's move on then.

We can start by defining our working capital problem by simply saying it’s the day to day liquidity in your business that we are talking about - essentially the amount of funds you have in your company that could be liquid if you didn’t have them tied up in inventory, accounts receivable, and in some cases prepaid current assets. And of coruse the ' double whammy' comes in when you have your obligations on the other side of the balance sheet, i.e. accounts payable and term loans.

Working capital funding sources come from two areas, debt and the monetization of those current assets. We prefer monetizing and cash flowing things like A/R and inventory as opposed to debt financing, which infers a long term commitment.

So let’s get right to the point, what are your alternatives to cash flow success. The good news is there are a good handful of alternatives - they include operating lines of credit which can come from your bank or your non bank lender. Clients are increasing more interested in hearing about non bank lenders because these firms can more readily approve financing for your inventory and receivables. The ' buzz word' around this industry is asset based lending, and we advise clients to check it out, because in many cases it’s the ultimate solution to working capital success.

If you are a smaller firm you can employ accounts receivable financing , otherwise known as invoice discounting. If done properly ( and many times it is not ) it can turn your firm into literally an ATM cash flow machine, as you generate instant cash flow for all your sales . This type of facility comes at a cost and we find there are many misconceptions about the cost of this type of financing, and as importantly, how it works.

So lets summarize -

you aren’t going to get working capital from our friends in Ottawa - if you qualify for bank financing employ it! Many of our clients don’t, so consider great alternatives for working capital funding sources such as asset based lines of credit, receivable financing, or in some cases even securitization.

So if your firm has a thirst for liquidity (!) speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor who will work with you to solve your cash flow challenge .

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

Direct Line = 416 319 5769

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

Thursday, February 7, 2019

Understanding Cash Flow For Business : Why Receivable Factoring Just Might Be The Solution

You’re at the Crossroads for a Business Financing Decision

Information on receivable financing and business cash flow strategies in Canada - Factoring and Confidential Receivable finance solutions might be the right solution to your working capital challenges

Choices. Alternatives. Robert Johnson, an old blues legend wrote of being at the ' crossroads ' and had choices.
That’s what Canadian business is looking for more than ever when it comes to the Canadian business financing marketplace for small and medium size businesses. (We suspect the big guys want the same thing!).

If your business can't obtain any (or enough) cash flow for business growth then receivable factoring just might be an option. Naturally you're the client, so we'll let you decide.

Clients always ask ' why can my firm obtain working capital financing via receivable factoring when we can via the bank. The answer is really not that mysterious - it’s a case of your new financing partner looking solely at the asset and not the big picture, which our friends at the bank tend to be focused on.

And don’t get us wrong, if you firm can obtain ' all ' the financing it needs from a Canadian chartered bank you clearly have the ultimate cash flow security in place... however the reality is that we havent really met many of those firms in the tumultuous environmENT post 2008-2009 global business financial meltdown.

So yes, the cost of factoring in general is more expensive (in some cases it actually might be cheaper!) but with receivable factoring your are operating your business in an entirely different manner.

As a Canadian business owner and financial manager you should not feel embarrassed that you haven’t heard a lot about receivable financing via a factoring working capital facility. It’s been around as a financing tool for quite some time, but it’s been a little under the radar, and oft considered an alternative tool for Canadian business financing.

Essentially it is the sale, on a one of, or ongoing basis (it’s your choice) of your receivables to a third party. You receive funds instantly, and we mean basically same day! And the total focus is very simple and straightforward - the transaction is only about the value of your receivable, its not additional debt for your balance sheet, and it monetizes your receivables to the extent that you choose.

Control is the key word here, as you control what you need to borrow, when, and what those funds will be used for. Traditionally all our clients use the funds for just one purpose - financing their business for more growth and profits.

Perception is often confused with reality, and the perception is that a receivable factoring strategy to generate cash flow for business is expensive. Yes, no... Maybe! The cost of this type of financing tends to be in the 1-3% per month range. What many of our clients miss is that putting yourself in this type of facility assures you unlimited sales and profit growth. Your investment in receivables (and inventory) has essentially been monetized on a long term basis. Also, the funds you obtain from this type of financing allow you to take supplier discounts, enhance supplier relationships, purchase smarter and in larger quantities, and increase your A/R and inventory turns, which technically play a huge role in your return on equity.

So, is receivable financing and factoring your working capital solution for business cash flow - only you can decide, but you do have choices and alternative you previously might not have been aware of. Speak to a trusted, credible, an experienced Canadian business financing advisor to ensure you choose the right method of financing when you're at the crossroads!

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

Direct Line = 416 319 5769

Email = sprokop@7parkavenuefinancial.com

' Canadian Business Financing With The Intelligent Use Of Experience '

Film Tax Credit Financing in Canada

Information on film tax credit financing in Canada

Film tax credit financing in Canada is a unique and specialized type of financing. While many of the larger film, tv, and digital media firms in Canada are aware of and are utilizing this type of financing, many smaller and independent firms are either unaware that the financing exists, or alternatively know there are substantial tax credits, but were not aware that they can be monetized into immediate cash flow for either project completion, or even moving on to your next project.

All of this activity stems from federal and provincial legislation that was recently amended to increase tax credits to Canadian firms in the three aforementioned sectors:

Film

Television

Digital Media – i.e. Animation, etc

All these program obviously boost Canadian content and help foster Canadas reputation in the industry, and the government, both at the federal and provincial level seems keenly comfortable that these tax credits and incentives, which are non repayable in most cases (yes we said non repayable) generate additional tax and revenue for Canada many times in excess of the tax credit values.

While federal legislation is of course standardized across the country each province has different organizations under different ministries to handle the provincial portion of the grants.

In Ontario as an example you can claim tax credits for 6 different credits – but did you know that if properly claimed you can generate immediate cash flow and financing of these film credits. (The six credits are: Production services/book publishing/sounds recording/interactive media/film and tv/computer animation).

How can these credits be financed ask our clients? Simply speaking if you have valid tax credit claims and the proper certificates in place you can monetize these into immediate cash flow. From a terminology perspective we can almost say that you are monetizing, factoring, or discounting your claim now based on cash flow you will receive from the federal and provincial authorities. In effect they are accounts receivable now on your special purpose entities (i.e. your current project/production) balance sheet.

Clients also ask what qualities or additional information must be in place in order to generate immediate financing of your tax credit. The answer is that you must have your affairs in order, namely the ability to confirm your eligibility, ensuring you have the right certificates either in place or set to be in place, and of course maintain proper records showing your disbursements, etc.

In certain cases , where proper documentation is available and has the ability to be maintained ‘accrual financing ‘ is also available – by that we mean cash flow is made available during your production prior to final certification . This is a true temporary cash flow and working capital benefit for many independent type productions.

A recent paper by the prestigious firm KPMG referred to these tax credits as ‘hidden money ‘. We would point out that the financing of these credits is in fact the true hidden money that could be the final spoke in your productions wheel!

In summary, if your project is eligible for tax credits take advantage of them. If you wish to monetize those credits immediately into additional working capital and cash flow then speak to a trusted, credible and experienced firm in this area. It’s a great cash flow and working capital strategy in one of Canada’s most exciting industries.

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

Direct Line = 416 319 5769

Email = sprokop@7parkavenuefinancial.com

' Canadian Business Financing With The Intelligent Use Of Experience '

Tuesday, February 5, 2019

Save thousands (or Millions ! ) Via Technology & IT Financing Via Smart Finance Benefits

Make IT Technology Finance Work For Your Business

Information on what strategies can save you thousands, and millions on technology and IT financing . What benefits can you expect to receive when you consider these finance strategies

We probably couldn't come up with the exact number but wouldn’t you agree it’s safe to say that Billions of dollars are spent annually on IT (that’s information technology by the way!) and technology financing. Can you really save thousands, or those millions?! by smart acquisition strategies . We're sure you can and we will show you how.

The acquisition of computer, it, and other technology assets is without a doubt one of the largest Capex spends any medium or large sized business makes. Your make those investments because you are optimistic about the future of your firm, coupled by the need to stay ahead of the competition in the ever changing technology curve.

If your are the owner, chief financial officer, or chief information officer of any firm you want to know what your alternatives are in the areas of IT and Technology finance. Those alternatives comes with different costs, different outcomes, and different risks, all of which make it often a daunting decision when you are at the proverbial fork in the road .

The author of this article spent over 20 years in technology financing and saw trends come and go. The largest trend by far, we think, was the desire of firms to go off balance sheet when acquiring computer, technology and telecom assets. That probably is still a good decision today for many reasons - the main ones being lower monthly payments due to the residual taken by the lessors, the ability to invoke your three rights at the end of the term of the lease, as well as the constant availability of upgrading during the term.

Having said all that there are of course some new international accounting rules that will bring those off balance sheet liabilities back onto the balance sheet. Is that a good thing? We won’t weigh in on that one today... it’s probably good for lenders to your firm as all that debt is now front and center on the balance sheet. Anyway, that’s a discussion for another day.

So how are smart decisions made in technology financing - whether its computers, phone systems, software (yes software can be financed!) etc.

It all comes down to a couple key areas - first of all, if you aren’t proficient in lease calcs work with an expert who will help you assume residuals, interest rates, and proper economic life cycles . If you could afford it (some can’t... some can) the smartest thing to do would be to finance technology and IT on a 2 year FMV lease. That way the residual value established by the lessors would be high, you would be able to flip into new technology in 24 months.

Let's use a 2 million dollar major technology finance acquisition as an example - Using smart financing via an FMV lease a monthly payment on our 24 month term would be approx 71k per month.

Your firm would be the beneficiary of a 400,000 residual investment by the part on the other side of the lease. Your monthly payments to acquire 2 million dollars of technology for 24 months would be only 1.7 Million dollars. If you chose the lease to own route or loan on your technology financing your payments on a typical 36 month transaction would be over 2.2 Million dollars, almost 400k more than in our ' smart finance ' scenario.

So, what’s smart IT and technology financing all about? Its knowing the use of your equipment, its expected useful life, how lessors can play the interest and residual game and how some very basic expert information can put you back into the driving seat on those thousands (or millions) that Canada spends on IT finance for technology .Speak to a trusted, credible, and experienced expert to assist you in your benefit recapture in this critical area of business.

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

Direct Line = 416 319 5769

Email = sprokop@7parkavenuefinancial.com

' Canadian Business Financing With The Intelligent Use Of Experience '

Sunday, February 3, 2019

Franchise Financing Loans In Canada

Franchising Loan - Are You Approved? Here's How

Information on
franchising loan strategies to ensure approval for the entrepreneur

Franchise financing approval in Canada is a key aspect of the entrepreneurs challenge to purchase and build a business. Canadian business people purchase franchises because they wish to profit and be successful on an already proven business model. We of course assume they have picked the right franchise!

What mistakes can be made in franchise financing as it relates to the purchase of a new or existing franchise? Naturally solid planning and careful preparation of a business plan increases the chance of success.

Whether a business is a franchise business or not the under pinnings of a successful finance strategy are important to long term success. Business owners, bankers, other lenders and financial analysts always look at the relationship between debt and equity – in simply language that means how much you yourself are putting into the business and how much you are borrowing. If you borrow too much you are considered ‘over leveraged. Therefore in the course of purchasing your franchise you should be prepared to make a personal investment in the business also – that’s a given – it cannot all be OPM, which is and an acronym for ‘Other Peoples Money ‘.

So of course when we meet with clients they always ask ‘how much do I have to put into the business? The answer is as follows – many franchisors will actually insist on a certain amount of money being put down , because based on their actual experience with their own locations and other franchisees over time there develops formulas as to what is an optimal investment by yourself .

Also keep in mind that if you, as an example, are purchasing, say, a large unit of a restaurant chain that transaction might be in the 1 Million dollars range. Let’s say you put 25% down of 250k. Another franchisee might be buying a service oriented business that does not have and furthermore does not require fixed assets such as leaseholds, equipment, etc. If that business cost 100k to purchase a 25% down payment is of course only 25k, much less than the 250k other franchisee had to put down in absolute dollars. So our point is simply that if the purchase price of your franchise is asset intensive, and has a higher dollar value you must naturally assume that a large absolute dollar amount of financing is required. That probably is clearly the appeal of many service based franchises that do not require assets.

So how are asset based franchises financing in Canada. There is in our opinion a large amount of dis information on franchise financing in Canada – therefore new and prospective franchises are encourage to speak to a trusted and credible franchise financing expert . That is simply because you will know your options and strategy much better. It certainly doesn’t hurt, if you can, to speak to other franchisees in the franchise system that you are looking at purchasing.

In some respects there is a benefit to purchasing an existing franchise from a current franchisee in the system you are looking at. Our observation is that those units come with a higher price , for the simple reason they are proven already, they have sales, profits, and cash flows that you can analyze , with your franchise financing expert, to determine the overall viability of the business .

We have worked with a number of prospective franchisees who actually are comfortable in buying a franchise that is not doing so well because they strong feel they can turn it around. So there are in effect buying a business that is proven, but temporarily distressed in some manner, usually relating to issues such as poor sales revenues, etc.

Franchises in Canada are financed predominantly by one major government program that is in existence – we have found that by utilizing this program, and complimenting that financing with a working capital term loan and lease and equipment financing (if applicable) helps to ensure overall franchise financing success.

In summary, ultimately you as a business owner have to be comfortable with what you are purchasing – but you should also take comfort in knowing that franchise financing is available in Canada, and simply needs to be tailored to the type of business you are buying, its size and asset requirements, as well as the utilization of proven and available financing methods such as the government CSBF program we referred to.

Investigate your opportunity, plan financing carefully, execute on that financing and your chances of success increase immensely

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

Direct Line = 416 319 5769

Email = sprokop@7parkavenuefinancial.com

' Canadian Business Financing With The Intelligent Use Of Experience '

Thursday, January 31, 2019

Film Tax Credit Financing Canada – Cash Flow Tax Credits Now!

Information on financing film and digital tax credits in Canada

Financing Film, television and digital multimedia productionsin Canada is less of a challenge when you have access to interim capital to assist in completing projects and of course moving on to the next one!

There are a number of excellent new programs at government levels that allow you to monetize tax credits which in many cases now come in the form of a rebate - that rebate can now be monetized to recover a significant portion of expenses related to offerings in various media sectors .

Whether a Canadian business is manufacturing nails or shoes, or created digital content for the entertainment masses cash flow continues to be king. As Canada emerges from the worldwide liquidity debacle of 2008-2009 business seems to be getting better in all areas, and media and entertainment projects are again emerging and flourishing.

Accessing interim capital through strategies such as film tax credit financing allows your team to complete projects and access additional capital in the form of equity or gap financing as an example. We are the first to admit that most media and entertainment people quickly realize that in Canada there are certain limitations to chartered bank financing, term loans and subordinated debt for media and entertainment productions.

Recognizing this challenge , while at the same time seeing potential revenue and economic benefit from this industry, the government has stepped up to the table and developed programs to refund a healthy portion of production expenses back to the industry .

And to make matters even better, by working with an experienced , trusted, and credible advisor in this industry you can monetize, or lets call it ' cash flow ' these refunds into working capital and .

So how do you achieve that cash flow? You do that by simply ensuring that the proper costs associated with your production and the intellectual property are documented, certified, and approved under your project. The rebate or tax credit is then financed as a short term discounting or in effect a ' factoring' of the claim. There is only one bottom line, which is you get your funds now and can place them back into the project to both recoup costs and also of course to complete the project.

As various parts of government have committed millions of dollars to these rebate credits why would you not want to accelerate the benefits immediately?! If the government and the industry are breaking new ground in this area of financial assistance you want to be able to take advantage of it - that surely is for certain.

The interesting part of this whole scenario is that the credits now virtually cover all aspects of media, and now also include video-game development and interactive media. There is also a breakthrough in the new legislation which doesn't have the government entities in a position to choose between what projects might work and what projects might not be successful.

Most business people outside the industry often wonder why these rebates our offered, but more and more data is emerging that reflects the fact that the government and economy as a whole benefits ten times over from such investments . Ten times over is great R O I !

Speak to a trusted and credible film tax credit advisor to ensure you are able to access this great funding strategy.

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

Direct Line = 416 319 5769

Email = sprokop@7parkavenuefinancial.com

' Canadian Business Financing With The Intelligent Use Of Experience '

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Business Working Capital - Now !

Generating Cash Flow Through A/R Finance Solutions

Information on accounts receivable financing solutions as as Factoring and Confidential Receivable Finance solutions

As a Canadian business owner or financial manager you have heard of this type of financing but require more information in two areas:

- How does it work

- What does it cost

Naturally, even more important, is it right for your firm? Factoring in Canada is what we would call somewhat 'fragmented' as a business or industry. As a result many clients we meet either have entered into the wrong kind of factoring facilities, or simply don't know where to go when they want more information. Because of that we encourage business people to enlist the aid of a trusted and experienced financing advisor in this area.

Unbeknownst to many people there are even banks in Canada, including some in the big 6 that offer this type of financing. We would position that offering as probably the best one in the industry, however our overall financing volumes must be very large and typically a facility would be at least in the one to two million dollar range, so that does not work for everyone .

When we refer to factoring we can make the statement it is in the general category of
asset based financing – but it's very specific in that in deals only with your account receivable. The basics of the factoring finance offering are that your receivables are purchased, as soon as you issue them, (if you wish). Legal ownership of the receivables is not longer your firms, but you have the immediate cash flow and working capital by virtue of having sold those receivables.

In our opinion 95% of the factoring in Canada involves the factor firms role in the billing and collection of your accounts – we don't necessarily feel that is the best facility for the Canadian marketplace and encourage customers to initiate a facility whereby they get all the benefits of factoring from a financial perspective, but at the same time are able to bill and collect their own receivables. Most Canadian business owners are not looking for what we could call an 'intrusive 'financing facility that has their customers interacting with the factoring firm.

Canadian business probably does not realize that factoring, also otherwise known as invoice discounting, is used by thousands and thousands of firms in Canada. It has become more popular for a variety of reasons, one of them simply being that as it gets more difficult to obtain business credit in a challenging financial environment factoring itself offers total solutions to working capital and cash flow challenges. Another key point is that this type of financing has a broader appeal to companies that are either in start up phase, or growing very quickly and unable to access more traditional working capital.

A true feature of factoring is that it in effect provides you with unlimited working capital. By that we mean that if you have a traditional banking or term lending type facility it has caps and limits on it, including things such as covenants and other collateral. Since the underlying asset in factoring is just the account receivable, we can make the statement that if your receivables are continuing to grow you will always have the commensurate access to cash for all those receivables.

Most of the factoring in Canada is done on a recourse basis , so your firm ,or your factor partner, has to do some level of due diligence on your customers, although naturally every Canadian business should be doing that anyway . So if a receivable becomes uncollectible then you need to repay that amount that was advanced on that receivable.

In summary, if your Canadian firm is looking for a traditional factoring model and you don't have concerns about your customers being notified of your factoring facility , this type of financing will suit you.

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

Direct Line = 416 319 5769

Email = sprokop@7parkavenuefinancial.com

' Canadian Business Financing With The Intelligent Use Of Experience '

WELCOME !

Sunday, February 10, 2019

Looking for Debt Financing ? Don’t Ignore Working Capital Funding Sources

You’ve got Options for business financing in Canada

Information on sources of debt financing and working capital cash flow solutions for growing and operating your business in Canada

Thursday, February 7, 2019

Understanding Cash Flow For Business : Why Receivable Factoring Just Might Be The Solution