Need Turnaround Financing Or A Restructuring Loan ?

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Turnaround financing and business refinance solutions are often required when your company has been on the rise... and then, unfortunately, a fall situation. Turnaround finance typically requires restructuring loan, or loans, of some type, in combination with performance changes in your business. It's all about fixing a business! Let's dig in.

Well managed companies that have a proper business plan and cash flow forecasts are rarely caught totally off guard in a liquidity crisis ( pandemics excluded ! ) and often can reverse very negative financial results. If your management team is not seasoned your company has to get help on how to survive a potential insolvency crisis.

The ability to successfully complete your business turnaround via restructuring and turnaround financing will put your firm back on solid ground. Financial recovery is ' time-sensitive ' to say the least so our ability to select and work with the right firm is ' job 1 '! Every industry has unique financing needs and you need a firm with a track record of business financial success to deliver on restructuring loans that will work to your benefit.

Leading experts such as KPMG, world-renowned for turnaround advise that turnaround and restructuring is really a 3 step or 3 phased approach for the restructuring of a company - addressing the strategic crisis, addressing the sales and profit crisis, and then the fix on your liquidity crunch for funding a business.


Challenges in the turn around abound, especially since in a turn around .especially when it comes to SME COMMERCIAL FINANCE needs, new equity/owner capital is often difficult if not impossible to acquire. So that lack of money must come from operating assets and sales. The ability to maintain sales and increase profits is of course also key to your cash flow problems.



Safe to say that owners/mgrs have to recognize the issues that arose prior to a turnaround need - they include issues such as costs in the business, mgmt/employee performance, or lower sales. Naturally, those types of issues, combined with a poor asset and sales finance strategy are typically the key issues.



Key signs of a poor finance strategy being in place are your inability to buy new needed assets , inability to meet fixed cost commitments, and loan and lease default scenarios.

Typically owners and management will notice trends in costs and sales revenue that require some sort of corrective action. In many cases, timely attention to those areas will save any sort of formal insolvency steps being taken.

This is when a hard look at your business needs to taken, and quickly. That's a look at the overall structure of the company, and that typically involves your vendors, all owners, and any other stakeholders such as key employees and of course your current lenders. You are looking for ' the fix ' and may possibly need outside help.

A good management team can often take informal internal steps to save a good business, but as we have stated, outside help should probably be considered. The ability to have time to restructure your firm on your own is always less costly and allows you to have maximum flexibility in negotiation with third parties such as banks, etc.

Implementing a Restructuring Plan and a Corporate Restructuring 

 

During this time owners and financial managers must address all the operating issues within the business, such as accounting, administration, and the management of working capital. Never has the role of financial and administrative staff been so crucial as the ability to provide financial results and cash flow forecasts for owners and lenders.



There has never been a more critical time to accelerate collection of receivables and taking a hard look at inventory turns, and the overall value of inventory, which in many cases can be in various stages of production. This entire process in well run or financially distressed companies is called the ' cash conversion cycle ' and measures the travel of money as it flows through your firm. Solving cash flow problems and timing of asset conversion to cash is key.

If a company is managing the turnaround internally on its own outside lending has to be evaluated, either through existing lenders or new sources of business capital. One of the quickest methods to accelerate cash is considering an accounts receivable financing facility, sometimes known as factoring, although the word ' FACTORING' has many versions. At 7 Park Avenue Financial we recommend CONFIDENTIAL RECEIVABLE FINANCING, allow your firm to bill and collect your own receivables while generating immediate cash flow on all sales.

An internal focus on fixing the problem allows your company to avoid formal restructuring, especially when a bank has put your account into the ' special loans ' category, often requiring a forbearance agreement to give you the much needed time we have been talking about. Those formal proceedings such as CCAA, RECEIVERSHIP, PROPOSAL TO CREDITORS, DEBTOR IN POSSESSION, etc. all involve very costly and time-consuming measures. It goes without saying, but we will say it, that negotiating financing during formal types of insolvency is highly difficult!




In some cases companies that have made an investment in r&d capital should consider factoring their SR&ED claim. Another solid strategy we've implemented is the sale-leaseback finance process, allowing you to generate cash flow from owned assets while at the same time retaining the use of those assets. Cash conservation should be a key management focus, evaluating all possible options.



Many businesses get to the ' crisis ' situation without ever having prepared a proper business plan and cash flow plan. Suffice to say that now is the time to do that! That financial forecast and plan will determine where turnaround finance is needed and how it could be achieved. Those types of efforts will determine where cash will come from and how and when it will be used.



There is a great story around a fellow named Henry Frick - In 1871 he borrowed through good and bad times to acquire and grow businesses. His secret? It might well come from the actual bank notes from Thomas Mellon of Mellon bank - a bank U.S. money center bank. Those notes? They read ' land is good ... the ovens are well built, manager on the job all day... keeps books in the evening... knows his business’!



There often emerges a clear ' pecking order ' in who or what needs to be paid and addressed in a business refinancing. That list of key players is pretty short - government obligations, key suppliers, and utilities/rent!



For those customers with bank facilities in place, they are of course forced to address the turnaround when a demand loan is called. An asset loan is often the solution that ' takes out ' the bank and provides an interim financing solution. At the end of the day it's all about being able to leverage assets via asset based lending type solutions that will allow you to put an operating plan in place while still retaining some balance sheet strength.

Asset based lending facilities which typically come from non bank lenders allow your refinance assets and move to recovery. ABL financing works in all scenarios, whether a firm is restructuring or not , and provides your firm with maximum liquidity for all assets as well as the ability to monetize sales.

SUMMARY OF TURNAROUND FINANCING SOLUTIONS :

Turnaround finance Solutions that are available are diverse - They include:



Asset based bridge loan on assets



Asset-based revolving credit facility - combines A/R, inventory and equipment and real estate into one business credit line



Tax credit finance



A/R financing


Purchase Order Financing / Contract Finance



Sale leaseback lease/loan on unencumbered assets



Sales/Royalty finance

Restructuring Advisor Assistance

At 7 Park Avenue Financial, we focus on the turnaround task at hand, helping you plan and facilitate a restructuring that works for all vested parties. That might include cash flow planning and financing, negotiating with current senior lenders and other secured lenders, as well as vendors/suppliers. Raising business capital and funding through this process requires experience and the ability to move quickly when your firm needs it most. Many firms and industries have different needs and circumstances.

At the end of the day it's all about the preservation of the true value in your company and it's future, ensuring the company transformation process works. That comes from your work on implementing costs and sales analysis, as well as ensuring you have a financing partner in place to optimize cash flow and working capital. Your ability to take action in turnaround planning to address lower sales or cash flow generation is key to the turnaround.



If your business is facing operating losses and other issues requiring business refinancing seek out and speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor and restructuring consultant for help in asset loan and cash flow needs. Welcome to the turnaround plan !




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

Click Here For 7 PARK AVENUE FINANCIAL website !



7 Park Avenue Financial provides value-added financing consultation for small and medium-sized businesses in the areas of cash flow, working capital, and debt financing.



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. He is an experienced

business financing consultant

.

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 financing 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
7 Park Avenue Financial/Copyright/2020

Purchase Order Financing In Canada

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THE PURCHASE ORDER FINANCE SOLUTION :

Purchase Order financing, as well as inventory financing, is two relatively new alternative financing solutions in the Canadian business environment. These two solutions provide additional flexibility when combined with traditional financing sources provided by your Canadian chartered bank or independent finance firm. Think of P O Financing as a short term finance options, allowing you to access capital to pay vendors and suppliers when you have a verifiable purchase order or contract.

WHAT IS PURCHASE ORDER FINANCING

It's a unique source of capital without giving up  equity. In P O Finance its all about the transaction specifically, providing you with the liquidity to grow your company without taking on additional debt. New clients at 7 Park Avenue Financial have quickly found that their current banking and funding arrangements formula are well beyond what they need in immediate financing. Let’s dig in.



P O Financing works very well in work-out situations, where the borrower’s existing bank/s do not want to finance all the purchase of the inventory as it goes beyond the borrowing formula set by the bank.



Traditional business and bank lending in Canada typically is unable to meet the SME need for financing of large purchase orders and contracts, and most clients we meet can't satisfy the bank requirements of collateral, strong financial statements, external guarantees, etc. Industry experts say that a significant percentage of all businesses requiring SME COMMERCIAL FINANCE solutions are constantly worrying about their cash flow, let alone the cash flowing of large new orders. Enter the P O FINANCE solution.

Who Uses Purchase Order Lending Facilities?

Growing and smaller and medium-sized businesses that have access to revenues otherwise not financeable utilize PO Finance - Your firm might not be able to generate the cash flow investment in a/r and inventory that comes with larger orders and contracts. The types of firms that use P O FINANCE are manufacturers, and distributors, as well as those firms that have an import/export business model. Typical clients looking for this type of creative financing have large bulges in incoming orders or some seasonality attached to their business.


Traditional business financing in the context of working capital and cash flow revolves of course around the traditional current assets of receivable and inventory. Even if your firm is well-financed and has a traditional bank line of operating credit you may have challenges in fulfilling large orders and contracts. This challenge becomes equally daunting when you don’t have traditional financing, so the ability to generate cash to fulfill larger orders and contracts becomes seemingly impossible. Utilizing P O Finance allows you to take on larger orders without the commitment of a debt financing/loan solution.


Purchase order financing/purchase order loans can provide you with the capital to fill those large orders and contracts, and, if properly put in place; can be very complimentary to your current financing.


As we have noted the concept of purchase order financing, aka ‘P.O. Financing ‘is a relatively speaking, new phenomenon in Canada.

HOW DOES P O FINANCING WORK?

So how do P O Loans work? Simply speaking financing is put in place to cover your material costs and direct labour costs, which are of course a significant part of your order or contract. We can safely say in many businesses that is 60-70% of the total order or contract based on most gross margins in any industry.

The purchase order funding process begins on your acceptance of an order from a verifiable customer. In the majority of these cases, clients of 7 PARK AVENUE FINANCIAL require financing because our client's supplier requires payment in advance. The working capital cycle has now kicked in! Most clients know that full payment from their client won't be received for probably another 60-90  days. Business owners of course do not want to lose the order and are typically unable to obtain Canadian chartered bank financing based on whatever their current financial position is.

The verified purchase order represents opportunity and value though - it simply requires accelerated funding. So in the P O FINANCE process your supplier is paid either by direct cash or in some cases a letter of credit with conditions related to your purchase order re-delivery, amount, pricing, etc. Key to P O Finance approval is your ability to present your company and management experience. It's safe to say the complexity of this type of financing is why it is more costly - there are a number of moving parts: timeline around the order and delivery, credit risk, etc.




Purchase order lenders distinguish themselves by being experts in the area of alternative finance. They have the expertise and ability to look at the entire order cycle, including the creditworthiness and legitimacy of your supplier/suppliers.

What Does The P O FINANCE Company Look For In Your Transaction? Applying For Purchase Order Financing

As we have mentioned P O FINANCE is a more expensive form of financing so your firm must be able to sustain the gross profit margins that satisfy your profits and the financing cost in the transaction. You should be able to provide the following at the commencement of your purchase order finance financing request:

Supplier Invoicing

Your firm's sample invoice to the customer

General business information such as financials, legal name of your company, etc



Your firm, therefore, now has the working capital to finance your production and fund purchase orders. What’s left of course is essentially the profit on your P.O. or contract.


While it sounds relatively simple and easy we would point out some key critical issues that will allow the Canadian business owner and financial manager to determine if his or her firm qualifies for such financing. We can first of all say there has to be sufficient proof that your purchase order or contract is with a valid, creditworthy party. Naturally, if there is any doubt that your order might not get paid, or that the customer is not creditworthy that precludes the successful completion of any purchase order financing.


You should also not view the purchase order financing as a long term financing solution, it is not that. The funds are generally repaid immediately when you have completed your order/contract.

PURCHASE ORDER FINANCING VS. FACTORING

There are also some technical issues that need to be addressed if you have secured financing arrangements in place already. For example, if your firm has a bank line of credit they would be required to acknowledge the security that is taken in the Purchase order and resulting receivables that you create out of that order.


In our own experience Purchase order financing frankly works best when there is not a secured lender in place already, but that’s just our firm’s observation. Additionally, on occasion, certain other collateral or personal guarantees might be required. We would hasten to add that if you have already provided guarantees to the bank or other firms it would seem logical that you would provide them on the purchase order financing, which is somewhat of a riskier transaction for the lender.

Most clients at 7 Park Avenue Financial realize that purchase order finance companies are really providing a one-stop funding that takes you all the way from the order to the collection of the receivable. Note that P O loans that allow you to fund purchase orders is often very well received by suppliers who know they are going to be paid. Also government purchase order financing is also available.


Another very critical point is the whole issue of gross margin. The issues are that you need good gross margins to complete purchase order financing! A firm that is in low margin very commodity-oriented business is not a strong candidate for P.O. Financing, because the combination of cost of goods, labour, overhead costs, and financing costs of the financing leaves very little for the business owner. So categorically good gross margins make a much better P.O. Financing deal. Costs in P O FINANCE tend to be different for each transaction based on a number of factors including the cost of capital, time to complete the order, etc. International purchase order financing may also bring new complexities to your transaction regarding sovereign risk.

So for the business owner and financial manager looking at purchase order financing lenders it is important to weigh the costs and benefits of your transaction. In many cases larger P O 's and contracts are a key part of company growth plans so they are prepared to forgo some profit to achieve sales goals. In many cases traditional financing simply can't react quickly enough to satisfy the timelines of your order. So alternative finance solutions such as P O Finance, Inventory Financing and A/R financing solve your financing need.. quickly.


So why has this type of financing become popular – that’s fairly easy to understand. First of all the current Canadian business financing environment is challenging – therefore any alternative financing vehicle has a strong chance of being embraced and becoming more popular. After that it simply makes sense that p.o. financing can be very successful for your firm if it gives your company working capital you didn’t have, , it allows you to grow and profit at greater levels, and overall improves your competitive positioning within your industry.


We strongly recommend that if you consider Purchase order financing that you enlist the services of a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian Business Financing Advisor with a track record of business finance success who can assist in maximizing your cash flow and working capital with this unique innovative type of financing.






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

Click Here For 7 PARK AVENUE FINANCIAL website !



7 Park Avenue Financial provides value-added financing consultation for small and medium-sized businesses in the areas of cash flow, working capital, and debt financing.



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. He is an experienced

business financing consultant

.

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 financing 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
7 Park Avenue Financial/Copyright/2020

Funding For Lenders In Canada: The Lender Finance Solution

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Funding for lenders in Canada is all about the right finance solution for your firm. You're a specialty finance firm with the normal challenges of running a business in a good economy, much less a pandemic economy! Your funding requirements for growth are unique and your best bet is working with a firm that has special insights into your business. That ever-evolving capital need is why you want to work with 7 Park Avenue Financial.

Why Grow Your Business With Increased Lender Financing Capability?

 

 

The majority of specialty lenders in Canada who require additional lender financing tend to operate locally or at most in all of Canada. Dun and Bradstreet advise that bank lending to business has decreased in many areas and that decrease plus capital market volatility provides opportunities for those augmenting their lending needs.

The combination of responsiveness and flexibility in structuring capital transactions that work is a solid formula for success. Growing and expanding your lending power is JOB #1 at 7 Park Avenue Financial. Lending solutions to specialty finance firms covers many niche industries - You might be an asset based lender, a receivable financing/factoring firm or in smaller niches such as SR&ED loan financing.

Lender financing needs have grown dramatically with the rise of the internet - no secret there. Clients of 7 Park Avenue Financial typically have provincial or national operations but are always looking for areas to expand in. Specialty finance firms typically are non-deposit taking and not heavily regulated, allowing more freedom for growth.

Business has dramatically moved to nontraditional specialty lenders who operate outside of the mainstream of traditional bank. The concept of a faster approval turnaround, although coming with higher rates, has enabled many businesses to operate and grow outside traditional bank financing. That drives the demand for your lender financing needs.



Small businesses are increasingly turning to non-traditional lenders as mainstream financing is more difficult to secure. Payments giant PayPal has begun offering online merchants financing options that don't require credit checks and carry no periodic interest or miscellaneous fees. Applications for lease types of loans are usually handled online and offer quick turnarounds and higher interest rate

Lender finance is all about borrowing from the right financial firm or intermediary. The business model is fundamentally quite simple - borrow at a rate lower than what you earn on client loans, i.e. your yield!

Factors Affecting Lender Finance Interest Rates

The rates you will pay depends on a small number of key factors that boil down to overall credit risk, and regulatory risk, as well as the general level of competition in the lender finance market. Non-Prime lending comes with greater credit risk but offers opportunities for profit with solid infrastructure and well documented credit processes.

The opportunity, with increased financing capability to dominate your specialty niche or to take on an under-serviced area of business financing, coupled with taking advantage of the lower cost of capital now available to specialty finance firms is very appealing to CEO's and CFO's. Financing is available via term loans, revolving credit facilities, of other arrangements that might be syndicated.

What Drives The Need For Increased Financing?

Access to reasonable interest rates and overall business and consumer confidence drives the need for increased lending capital. Your firm's ability to originate business, write deals, and then service your portfolio will distinguish yourself from the pack. A smaller company will always be able to compete when they are a leader in their specialty niche, allowing them to compete with banks and very large firms who have unlimited access to capital. Dun & Bradstreet advises that in the specialty finance industry 75% of the total market is dominated by a small handful of very large players!

Also, the internet and ' online lending ' have allowed many firms to disrupt market positions held previously by larger financial corporations. That's what ' Fintech Lending ' is all about, alternative business financing that can compete effectively with traditional finance lenders. Here your business processes and the technological ability of your firm will differentiate you from the competition.


Safe to say that many other specialty finance niches are becoming more successful every day - including law firm funding, small business working capital loans, royalty finance, software financing, and numerous others.

Key Trends In The Specialty Finance Vertical

Nontradtional lenders in Canada are experiencing strong growth, hence the need for access to lender finance solutions. Business models that bypass Canadian chartered bank financing, coupled with intensive use of online marketing make for better ability to mine the potential client base. Firms that can minimize loan loss while taking advantage of the lower interest rate environment is a key to long term success in alternative financial services.


The actual needs of your firm might even be outside normal lending needs, such as the areas of acquisitions or startup. In some cases you might be a captive finance company looking to expand your parent company's growth. Unfortunately, not all companies in Canada have access to public or syndication type markets, especially if your firm is smaller. Your firm, therefore, prefers a credit solution that is more customized. Ensuring you have a strong business model and good fundamentals is key in access to lender finance solutions in good and less than good economic cycles.

The key to specialty lender is innovative and custom solutions for your client base - that is a recipe for allowing your firm to reach its financial objectives. Your goal is to access certainty in your future financing needs. It's about creating a balance between your credit facilities and your company goals around long term goals, which might even include a merger or acquisition.

Well run specialty finance firms can achieve profitability when many industries struggle in a difficult economic environment. There should never be a 100% direct correlation to everything else that is happening in the economy, pandemics included credit crises included! In fact when we talk to specialty finance firms new opportunities and new geographic opportunities abound. Your challenge is of course to be able to fund and capitalize on those opportunities.

Typically specialty finance firms seeking lender finance have solid in house credit staff and technology, as well as the ability to demonstrate they can source transactions. Naturally, everyone is always on the hunt for opportunistic acquisitions of growth opportunities.

At 7 Park Avenue Financial we're committed to originating the right financing based on our knowledge of the right lender finance solution. We're positioned to address your needs quickly and focus on the shortest closing time possible. Seek out and speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor who can assist you with 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

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com

Click Here For 7 PARK AVENUE FINANCIAL website !



7 Park Avenue Financial provides value-added financing consultation for small and medium-sized businesses in the areas of cash flow, working capital, and debt financing.



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. He is an experienced

business financing consultant

.

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 financing 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
7 Park Avenue Financial/Copyright/2020

Software Leasing And Software Financing Solutions: Saas Finance 101!

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Benefits of Lease Financing In Your Software Acquisition & Subscription Requirements

Software leasing and software finance solutions for your investments into applications also come with often a significant expense. Not only the cost of those solutions but the maintenance and support and updates around those products bring additional cost. The good news? Software can be leased and financed through the right software finance company. Discover why thousands of firms are financing software.

The reality is that many of the same similarities business owners recognize around equipment lease and finance come with the same benefits when you finance applications. The key? Using the right firm, as many firms are unfamiliar and therefore risk-averse to financing this business asset - an 'intangible'. A Leased software finance solution funds that intangible.



The irony? Simply that contrary to popular opinion software as an asset often has more value than a depreciating asset. Naturally, your business doesn't 'own' the applications you are financing and the financing is simply a mechanism to pay for your investment.


Did you know that purchasing business software and financing that purchase comes with options? The rise of a software subscription model with regular monthly payments has become a staple and an alternative to a one-time costly purchase. Leading experts such as THE GARTNER GROUP has predicted a massive rise for years now in subscription-based software purchases.

As for the financing of the software purchase consider this :

Bundling of associated services with your purchase can be costly - ie training, migrations, report design, etc and interest rates have never been lower

The multi-year discount option saves money and locks your company in from future price increases

Software financing is predictable cash flow management that avoids unnecessary surprise in the capital budget process - financing technology needs preserves bank and other business lines of credit


Other key points? The right to use the software comes with no right to the intellectual property surrounding the developer's rights in the code. A good example - Microsoft's Excel package. We use these spreadsheets at home or in the office but Microsoft of course owns it.


Industry statistics for equipment leasing in North America tell us that over 80% of companies in all industries utilize lease financing to acquire assets. But most business owners and financial managers think of lease finance as acquiring hard assets so they have not considered the option of lease application software, cloud software, etc.

New clients at 7 Park Avenue Financial can be forgiven for not considering leasing their software needs until we have explained the benefits! If you are looking for a financing partner with expertise in financing technology and software we have the solutions you require based on our multi-year experience. Financing software is the perfect trade-off versus a significant cash outlay, and in almost all cases bundling of additional maintenance, upgrades and training can also be included. That is true technology financing.


Solutions your firm requires in the software area might come from one or a variety of vendors. Depending on your specific financing needs those multiple solutions can come from 1, or several vendors either in Canada of the U.S. Typical terms for this ' niche financing' can be anywhere from 2-5 years. Typical requirements from your firm might be a detailed overview or quote from your vendor, and normal business application information, financial information, etc.

That allows for a speedy approval process. While larger established firms might not necessarily consider financing technology needs SME COMMERCIAL FINANCE needs typically revolve around preserving cash and not using daily operating cash for longer-term investments. The pro's call that ' matching', namely financing long term investments with financing that matches the ' useful life ' of your investment in such areas as r&d, technology infrastructure, etc.


In past times lenders struggled with how to collateralize and register security around the financing of the software - but that is now easily handled as lenders register a simply PPSA' under the Personal Property Security Act.

The heart of our financing issue here is the true value of the software to your business. You run your business on it - i.e. sales management programs, office software, manufacturing software, etc. Lease payments are made since these assets are indispensable to the value and ongoing concern of the business. Unless companies are liquidated in total bankruptcy most lessors and finance firms recover fully on their software leasing - Source - Journal of Equipment Leasing



Also key to the software financing issue is that many software firms offer maintenance, support, and updates around their product. This enhances the lender's asset as it is used for longer lengths of time, and often constantly upgraded. Quite frankly it becomes less obsolete than computer hardware!

Many software lessors and lenders also finance the service and maintenance contracts associated with their customer’s software acquisition. Your software finance needs can typically be easily bundled into your computer hardware financing acquisition.

Given that software providers prefer upfront payment, allowing them to more quickly recoup their development costs, there are cash flow advantages to bundling all your IT needs into one master agreement. That multi-year financing option can easily translate into higher discounts on your total software purchases- always a factor in multi-year prepayment scenarios.

SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE ( SAAS ) FINANCING - SAAS FINANCE 101!

As software had become an essential product/service in today's environment even low priced office solutions as well as larger enterprise offerings can now be financed in a manner to achieve better costs and preserve the working capital required to purchase your software needs.

Industry experts tell us that the enterprise business software market is growing substantially. Monthly payment options are more important than ever to maximize your ' IT ' ( ' information technology') budget. Although many purchasers view their software costs as a monthly expense the reality is that these solutions are often sold on a bundled one to three-year contract, which may often include maintenance and upgrades. Financing in advance can often achieve significant savings. Note that we are mostly talking about application software solutions, not customized development.

How Does Leasing Software and Financing a Saas Contract Aid In Cash Flow Preservation? Software as a Service Revenue Financing Explained!

It is important to consider large volume purchases of software versus the needs of smaller firms. A typical cost in a larger firm might be 100$ per ' seat ' the term commonly used in the industry for one unit. Some firms might also require a third party to implement the solution. Those costs add up and the concept of software contract financing can allow your firm to maintain technology costs within budget. The idea of a manageable monthly payment withing your capital budget versus a large cash flow outlay is appealing to any business owner or financial manager! The right SAAS Funder / SAAS Lender makes that happen.



In summary, software lease financing is available and should be considered by every business owner in the same context as a capital equipment finance transaction. The computer hardware industry has grown with leasing, and the software industry is doing that also.

The same considerations an owner gives to lease vs. buy apply to a software finance acquisition. Subscription software financing allows you to turn an annual expenditure into a manageable monthly payment. Other types of software that are commonly financed are ERP software and Human Resource management applications, legal law firm software, as well as the traditional accounting and payroll types of solutions.


Speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor with a track record of success who will help you ensure your software acquisitions can be adequately financed under the best rates, terms and structures that make sense for your company. We can make subscription-based software financing and all your technology funding requirements simple!



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

Click Here For 7 PARK AVENUE FINANCIAL website !



7 Park Avenue Financial provides value-added financing consultation for small and medium-sized businesses in the areas of cash flow, working capital, and debt financing.



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. He is an experienced

business financing consultant

.

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 financing 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
7 Park Avenue Financial/Copyright/2020

Guide To Acquisition Financing Via Commercial Business Loans In Canada

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What Is Acquisition Financing?

You or your company has made the decision to either merge or acquire another business. What are some of the key issues in successfully completing acquisition financing and business loans for commercial entities in Canada?

In certain circumstances, your business purchase might involve the taking over of a business already in family hands, versus the other end of the spectrum which would be a purchase of a competitor. Business owners/entrepreneurs are always focused on growth. It's critical that you establish a method to target the company you may wish to acquire.

The ability to be proactive in your search as well as to have a formal strategy is key to successful acquisition finance. The ability to buy and finance a business successfully is a proven way to grow clients and leverage the capacity of your business model - that translates into building your brand.



Business owners, we speak to at 7 Park Avenue Financial tell us they have found firms to buy in different ways. That candidate to buy might come from your own network of personal and professional contact; in some cases business brokers who know the market well are a strong source of deal flow. Accountants and lawyers are also good referral sources. It's important to establish some exclusivity around a transaction you are considering from a competitive viewpoint. That can be established via non-disclosure agreements, a letter of intent, or an agreement of purchase and sale based on certain conditions, one of which might be ... financing!



In many cases, acquisitions do not work out if the purchaser strays from his or her chosen industry. Staying in the industry you know provides a greater chance of success based on your industry experience, given that you have the ability to run a business in your particular industry. Therefore picking a company you know in an industry you know well typically leads to a higher probability of success. Naturally investigating thoroughly the true financial and business position of the firm is critical in the decision to buy process.



While that increase in revenue and profits can come from organic growth it makes sense to achieve scale more quickly by utilizing a business purchase model. That economy of scale can often be a faster growth in sales and profits. It's not always the case but many experts believe that a larger business enjoys numerous advantages, including more beneficial relationships with suppliers/pricing, etc.

Certain types of your clientele might prefer dealing with a larger firm, as well of course the obvious ability for a larger business to attract higher-skilled employees. Naturally, a larger firm has more capability to expand into new markets and services.

A good place to start is simply to ensure you’ve got the right reasons or goals around a merger or acquisition. In some cases you wish to diversify your company, more often than not though it’s simply a case of growing, both sales and profits of course

Is the term ‘opportunistic a negative one? We certainly don’t think so when it comes to legitimate business dealings, so in many cases, you simply have come across a firm or competitor that in your opinion is undervalued. The bottom line, it’s a bargain and you're focused on exploiting either undervalued assets or companies that are not performing well in certain market conditions. Almost always ' price ' becomes a key discussion point so experts caution when to know you have reached limits or criteria that would negate the sale.




On the other hand, just because a company is up for sale doesn’t mean the process will be any easier. Negotiations can break down, for instance, if the two parties disagree on the price. It is essential to set certain criteria and limits and be willing to walk away from the deal if certain conditions that are important to you are not met. Bottom line? Poor pricing on a good company is often a ' bad acquisition'.

How Does Acquisition Financing Work

Don't forget also that acquisition financing is all about some even more common sense scenarios as identified above. Its often a classic opportunity to lower your operating costs as overheads in the new firm can be cut and other efficiencies can be extracted from the combined mix.

Sources of Financing In Canada  / Acquisition Financing Lenders

Typically, but not always a term loan is the main source of financing and comes from the appropriate term lender / senior lender on your transaction. This might be a Canadian chartered bank, or it may be a specialized commercial finance company in the traditional or alternative lending space.

In some transactions, your purchase may be completed by a cash flow loan based on historical and projected cash flows of the target company. There is always the ' equity component' of the transaction, and this amount varies based on the overall credit quality and size of the purchase.

  Cash Flow Financing:  In many cases, a business might not have the asset base from a viewpoint of    ' tangible assets '. It is, therefore, necessary to demonstrate that cash flows have the ability to service your loan as well as covering off other fixed expenses. Good cash flow will allow you to obtain the most flexible terms possible for closing your transaction.


Seller financing can be a key aspect of your transaction and will sometimes ' make or break ' your deal. This financing, also known as vendor take-back / ' VTB ' can play a key role in business purchase success, especially if the seller is motivated and willing to participate.

A common form of acquisition finance for well-established target firms is mezzanine financing. It helps out the need to avoid additional owner equity, and while more expensive, it is based solely on the quality of cash flow of the firm you are purchasing. Rates are typically higher due to the lack of fixed assets backing the loan.



What are the types of acquisitions? We can summarize those into three areas, and in some cases, the type of acquisition you make will impact directly the type of financing and commercial business loans that you achieve.

Factors That Make Your Transaction Successful

  Purchase prices are always dependant on reasonable valuations. There are numerous ways to value a company based on multiples of sales, profits, cash flows, book value of assets, etc. The cash flow generation we have already mentioned is key, as it will ensure a proper understanding of the company's ability to hand debt and expand via new planned capital expenditures.

It's important to know that your senior lender will also look at the quality of management based on business and industry experience.



Back to our three merger scenarios - they are as follows: friendly, hostile, and leveraged or management buyout. Many smaller companies are of course happy and content to be taken over; they fully realize the potential synergies. However, in certain cases it gets somewhat ' ugly ' in that the management or owners of the firm you intend to buy or acquire simply are opposed to the idea.

Leveraged and management buyouts tend to be asset driven. The downside of a leveraged or management buyout is that if done improperly a large amount of debt can leverage your new firm negatively. There are numerous creative ways to finance acquisition financing in Canada.

What Are The Ways To Finance An Acquisition?

Financing methods include asset based lending, subordinate or mezzanine debt (i.e. unsecured loans based on historical and future cash flows) as well as a private equity component.
Valuation is an important aspect in the area of acquisition financing. Your valuation will have a direct impact on the business loans you enter into to complete the purchase.

In evaluating a final valuation or purchase price you will want to look at things like general financial operating activities - i.e. the financials. But don’t forget also that other factors such as new assets that might be required, working capital needs, etc also will drive that final valuation number.

Generally speaking businesses with hard assets are easier to finance - Those assets typically have value and are excellent collateral for business acquisition loans. This is particularly true of asset based lenders if your transaction requires alternative financing vs. traditional bank finance solutions such as a term loan.

Buying a smaller company, or even buying and financing a franchise can often be easily achieved by using the government of Canada's " Canada Small Business Financing Program '. This is a very flexible term loan with a maximum borrow amount of 1 Million dollars. The potential drawback to the loan is that the main collateral must be equipment, leaseholds, or real estate so borrowers should consult an experienced loan advisor familiar with the Gov't Guaranteed Loan. Under the program, the Canadian government shares the risk of the loan with the lender.

INDUSTRY STATISTIC - During the last 10 years, the government of Canada has underwritten almost 10 Billion dollars of small business loans, for over 63,000 companies!

Target acquisitions must be for companies with less than 5 Million dollars in revenue. The program does not cover farms of non-profit types of companies. The government sponsor of the program is Industry Canada.

Challenges In Business Acquisition

Buying a business is all about planning and ensuring you have a strategy. As well as the risk of overpayment and of obtaining a poor valuation  the purchaser will want to ensure he or she has a strategy of efficiently integrating the business to achieve maximum shareholder benefit.

Issues you want to address may include understanding the perceived or real weaknesses of the company in its chosen market. A business might have a wide variety of products and services so strategies must be implemented around pricing and service offerings. Your goal is of course to be a leader in your field and markets.

Business Valuation

Valuing your acquisition target is always a key challenge, and there are several different ways to come up with an acceptable value. Key factors such as what industry you are in, as well as the size of the company and typical profit ranges, will come into play. Companies also recognize sales revenues and profits in different ways. It is absolutely critical to come up with and understand what ' normalized ' financials will look like at the time of takeover/acquisition. Typically buyers will want to focus on the value of the company as ' going concern '. Buying distressed or turnaround situations is a whole different kettle of fish!

So in normalizing the financials you must look carefully at the core revenues and the assets that produce those revenues. You should be strongly focused on future income potential. One time events or expenses should always be discounted. For larger transactions, companies might choose professional business valuators.



At 7 Park Avenue Financial we want to be your key source for buying or selling your business - selling your company will often require either a valuation or business plan or probably both. Our goal is to ensure you have a financing structure that will allow for the proper sale, financing and growth of the business. Together with your accountant, lawyer, tax specialist etc, we focus on a smooth transition to a completed purchase.



In summary, when contemplating acquisition financing look at issues such as the proper mix of debt and equity, cash flow analysis, and various areas of operational risk and reward. If you want financial alternatives in financing your acquisition consider talking to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor who will assist you in this exciting area of Canadian business finance.







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

Click Here For 7 PARK AVENUE FINANCIAL website !



7 Park Avenue Financial provides value-added financing consultation for small and medium-sized businesses in the areas of cash flow, working capital, and debt financing.



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. He is an experienced

business financing consultant

.

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 financing 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
7 Park Avenue Financial/Copyright/2020