Article: Business Loan Financing Alternatives
Applying for a small business loan can be a frustrating process for a business owner. Most institutions have grown a bit wary of small businesses and require extensive paperwork before making a business loan. For example, most will require 3 years worth of audited financial reports showing a profit, extensive applications and background searches and substantial collateral. From a banks perspective, collateral is a synonym for machinery or real estate.
However, few small businesses have hard assets as collateral. What they do have is growing orders from quality customers. And for many, these growing orders are the source of the problem. Why, because commercial and government clients always pay their invoices in 30 to 60 days.
Waiting 30 to 60 days to get paid can be a challenge for growing businesses because few can afford to wait. Few have the working capital to pay suppliers, employees and rent while waiting to get paid. At the same time, they know their invoices are almost as good as cash. Almost as good, but not quite.
But what if your clients paid their invoices in a couple of days? Would that strengthen your business and allow you to take on more customers? Would you still need business loan financing? Would you still worry about having to pay employees and suppliers? You can achieve that using invoice financing.
Invoice factoring is a little known business financing tool that has been gaining considerable traction in the USA and in Canada. Basically, a finance company (called a factoring company) advances you funds using your invoices as collateral. This provides your company with the working capital it needs to pay employees, suppliers and cover growing orders.
Invoice financing has a number of advantages over more conventional business financing options. First, invoice financing is easier to obtain that conventional business loans. The biggest requirements are that your business be free of problems and have good clients. But the biggest advantage comes from its flexibility – the size of your financing is determined by your sales volume to credit worthy clients. This means that your financing grows dynamically with your business.
Although accounts receivable financing is a flexible alternative, it’s not well suited for every business. For example, invoice financing is not a good solution for companies that need funds to buy real estate or plant equipment. However, invoice financing is very well suited for companies that need working capital to cover operating expenses.
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