Smarter & Faster Canadian Business Financing - Why Asset Based Lending Credit Facilities Work!

Simplify Business Credit With An ABL asset based line of credit !





Information on asset based lending as a business financing ‘simplifier’ for your operating credit needs in Canada .





We recently did an internet search for the term ' business financing ' in Canada. Last month in Canada 18,100 searches were performed for that term. WOW! We're quite sure that asset based lending could satisfy a lot of those Canadian business owners and financial mangers looking for business credit facilities that comes ' smarter and faster '. How? Let’s take a look.



Asset based lending is business to business lending , providing cash flow and revolving credit facilities for firms of all size in Canada . In truth the facilities work for firms requiring a monthly business credit line in excess of 250k, and ranging upward to tens of millions of dollars. We're quite sure that covers many of those 18,100 queries made on the internet.



Asset based lending uses your receivables and inventory by the way to provide you with a lending facility against those two assets. Because of the manner in which these types of credit lines are calculated you can be sure that 99.99% per of the time you are going to have access to more cash flow. And that's what business financing is about, right?



ABL ( asset based lending) business financing is business credit that can be used to grow your business, acquire another business, or simply speaking, fix a lot of the financial challenges that you are experiencing, almost immediately .



A key benefit often overlooked in the approval process is the fact that your firm is now in a position to negotiate better terms and prices for your products and services that you need. Why / because you have ' business buying power ' Vis a Vis your new found access to more business credit.



So when we look at those 18,100 firms that searched for business financing last month in Canada why didn’t these companies simply call you know who... Canada's chartered banks?



The quick answer to that is that they probably have tried to arrange additional or new financing with their chartered bank or credit union, but have exhausted all attempts at approval simply because they can’t meet more rigorous bank qualifications. And , unfortunately, in some cases they have even been asked to leave the bank or find themselves in the ' special loans' portfolio of the bank - we hasten to always commiserate with them that we know that’s not a ' special ' feeling you want to have in business.



In many cases the banks or other private equity type firms will suggest or request that the business owners put up additional personal equity into the business to justify new financing. Asset based lending does not require you to consider that option , simply because you already have the one thing that ABL financing needs to work smart and fast .. Assets!



So how does the ABL lender do it differently then. The short answer is that they place a lot of emphasis on understanding your business, getting regular bi weekly or monthly reports from yourselves on the basics , such as a/r, a/p, inventories, etc. This business financing expertise allows asset based lending to work in pretty well every industry in Canada - its real world working capital finance



If you want your company to be on the growth trail again , without taking on extra debt ( ABL business credit financing is cash flowing your assets, not adding debt to your balance sheet ) speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor - let ' smarter and faster' work for your credit needs.. Today.







Stan Prokop - founder of 7 Park Avenue Financial -





http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com



Originating business financing for Canadian companies , specializing in working capital, cash flow, asset based financing . In business 7 years - has completed in excess of 80 Million $$ of financing for Canadian corporations . Core competancies include receivables financing, asset based lending, working capital, equipment finance, franchise finance and tax credit financing .Info re: Canadian business financing & contact details :





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

Heavyweight Canadian Invoice Finance Funding – C I D Credit Financing & Factoring For Your Firm

Thousands of small and medium sized businesses in Canada have gravitated to invoice finance funding as a solid alternative to their needs for working capital credit and financing. But what if, just if you had access to a facility that was a notch above those thousands of firms who use traditional factoring?

Conceptually factoring credit and financing is immediately attractive to Canadian business owners and financial managers. It provides an immediate line of credit based solely on a percentage of your receivables. Solid facilities will usually advance 90% of the total of your receivable based... most business owners are aware that banks advance against a 75% under 90 day formula .

Reporting and qualifying for your draws on receivables couldn’t be much easier - it involves simply submitting an aged A/R listing which allows for your drawdown and credit financing availability.

Since the majority , ( about 99% ) of companies and firms providing invoice finance funding are not banks clients are always asking us how facilities work, if its not a bank arrangement . It's actually quite simple. Your funds and draws against your receivables are deposited by your funding and factoring firm into your regular bank account. Payments received by your firm, from your clients, are put into a separate account in the name of your finance partner. These funds, when received from your clients, reduce the amount you have drawn/borrowed on a daily basis. The bottom line, it’s your revolving business line of credit.

Now, let's get into C I D. That's the term we use to demonstrate how you can be a winner in one of the key issues around factoring and receivables credit financing in Canada. This is the practice surrounding the key issue in standard (dare we say ' old school') invoice finance funding that came to Canada with a wave of U.S. and U.K. firms that dominate the industry.

If your competitors or peers in your industry are using this traditional method here’s what happens... your end user cusotmer is notified that you have entered in a factoring arrangment - this allows the finance firm to somehow feel safer they will get paid we guess, which is understandable .

But our choice or recommended solution for firms such as yours considering this type of financing is C I D - confidential invoice discounting. Your clients aren’t notified of your financing arrangement and there is no extra charge for this method of financing.

There are of course other key issues around understanding this type of financing - the advance rate on your receivables ( i.e. how much you get .. 80-90% is standard) , actual discount fee of financing charge on your entire facility, and our desire to ensure you understand how any miscellaneous items are charged .


So whets our bottom line then? Simply that there are some true ' heavyweight' alternatives that give you both advantage and comfort when you're considering invoice finance funding and credit financing for your receivables . Speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor in this niche area of working capital finance.




7 PARK AVENUE FINANCIAL
CANADIAN BUSINESS FINANCING !

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

At Last ! Solid Info On Canadian Accounts Receivables Loans & Financing – A Business Credit Alternative

Nothing is more important to a Canadian business owner or financial manager than being well informed - in business living in the past generally leads to failure in today’s competitive environment

So when it comes to business financing and credit knowing the advantages and costs of accounts receivables loans becomes valuable.

Many Canadian businesses still feel they are somewhat of a captive prisoner in the difficult business credit environment. While interests are low in Canada and the stock markets seem to be doing fairly ok its clear that access to business credit and financing is still very difficult.

It’s kind of like a slow thawing out, with the freezer of course being Canadian chartered banks. Many surveys suggest that a good percentage of Canadian business that applies for working capital and cash flow facilities do not get all of the financing they need, if in fact they are approved at all.

This forces you, the business owner or manager, to take a second look at what is available out there to keep your operating capital adequate. We're definitely not putting blame on the banks (we love Canadian banks) but could there be a better way for small and medium sized businesses to access credit...well we think so .

Isn’t the saying that ' necessity is the mother of invention '? In our case independent finance firms, both U.S. owned and Canadian have stepped up to the bar, providing accounts receivable loans for your financing needs. We hasten to point out that the word ' loan ' is a misnomer here... our clients use the term also but we caution them that the good news is that these facilities arent loans, they are just the moneitzation of your largest current asset - your a/r.

Accounts receivables loans in Canada go by many different terms, some you have heard of, some you may not have. They include invoice discounting, factoring, receivable financing, and our favorite, confidential invoice discounting or factoring. In effect you are maximizing your cash flow from operations by monetizing your assets, i.e. the receivables.

Accounts receivable loans are your answer to being stuck in the middle - at one end of the spectrum is your investment in accounts receivables and providing terms to your own clients, while at the other end it’s a questions of not being able to access traditional business credit to finance that same investment.

So, do you know a good solution when you see one? Receivable financing would appear to be that solution. Turning your company into a cash flow machine via receivable finance is a solid strategy being adopted by thousands of Canadian firms.

The process is simple, as you generate sales invoices are immediately sold, i.e. converted into cash, at a discount. In Canada the rates of business factoring range widely - anywhere from 9% per annum to 1-3% per month.

Business owners accept this pricing when they realize they have decent gross margins to absorb this cost, while at the same time using the new found cash to take discounts with suppliers and sell more and generate more profits. In some cases 50-100%of the financing cost can be offset in the manner in which you use your new found cash flow.

Canadian business owners would prefer that their clients and suppliers didn’t know they were financing their A/R via accounts receivable loans. That’s whey they investigate C I D, confidential invoice discounting, allowing them to bill and collect their own receivables as they wish. (Traditional factoring via the U.S. and U.K. model requires your clients be notified.

In summary, thousands of firms in Canada are moving to this type of financing. Speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor who can review costs, procedures and benefits, allowing you to win the cash flow and working capital battle!





Stan Prokop - founder of 7 Park Avenue Financial -

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com

Originating business financing for Canadian companies , specializing in working capital, cash flow, asset based financing . In business 7 years - has completed in excess of 80 Million $$ of financing for Canadian corporations .Info re: Canadian business financing & contact details :

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

How To Finance Working Capital – Imagine Your Canadian Company had the Credit & Financing It Needed

It almost seems like a pipe dream, does it not? Actually having the cash flow and financing you need. And yes, don’t take it personally; even the big guys have that same challenge. Let’s examine how your company can assess and address methods to finance working capital, accessing credit and financing in a manner that works.

A good way to look at things is both externally and internally. From the internal perspective it’s a question of knowing the amount of working capital you need - as well as managing your day to day current assets (primarily A/R and inventory) in a way which optimizes cash flow.

And from the external perspective it’s about assessing solutions, but more importantly, solutions that work. It's those inflows and outflows that count. Probably the simple way to look at it is simply knowing your operating costs, while at the same time collecting sales, i.e. your A/R, efficiently as possible.

When clients tell us they have made mistakes in their decision to finance working capital we can almost guess what happened. They have mis-matched funds, meaning that cash flow and working capital from operations may in fact have been used to pay for fixed assets.

It's easier said than done, but the ' normal ' way to finance your business is short term lines of credit, typically through your bank. But credit and financing is difficult for small and medium sized firms that can’t meet all the criteria required by a chartered bank.

One solid option is injecting what we can call permanent working capital into the business. In effect it’s a cash flow loan, payable in fixed monthly installments. This type of transaction is typically available through Canada's government owned business bank, and you have to have a solid proof of historical cash flow to show you can repay the term loan, which is typically unsecured!

We spoke of matching funds, properly. That’s important. So if you are considering asset purchases utilize lease financing, minimizing your cash outflow of course, and allowing your company to structure a long term lease payment that matches the useful life of the asset you're purchasing.

Smaller and medium sized business, mostly smaller, tend to mix the personal finances of the owner with the business. That has positive and negative effects. In the last few years the merchant cash advance loan has become popular for many smaller businesses, retail in particular. It allows you to monetize, or ' cash flow ' today, future sales.

When address the need to finance working capital it’s recommended you have a handle on the assessment tools. It's not as complicated as you might think. Calculate your days sales outstanding, as well as a similar calculation for inventory. Those two calcs will show the total time it takes for a dollar to flow through your company. You have to bridge that gap now with cash flow financing.

General rules of thumb indicated that you need to have 2 dollars of receivables and inventory for one dollar of payables. That’s never been our favorite calculation because it simply reflects the build up of those current assets. We're more concerned about turnover,

So how do Canadian firms assess working capital solutions? In many cases it all comes down to two issues, the size of your cash flow need, and your firms overall credit quality. Simply speaking larger firms with solid financials can access bank credit.

Smaller and medium size firms have numerous options, some are short term in nature, and many times they come with a higher cost, but, and its a big but , it allows you generate all the cash flow you need to grow your business .

So what are those solutions? They are receivable financing, inventory financing, purchase order financing, tax credit financing, and asset based lending. Some, or a combination of these solutions will allow you to finance working capital properly and access credit you need to grow and profit.

Speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor on how these solutions work, what they cost, and how they can, either singularly, or grouped, solved the Canadian working capital and credit enigma.



Stan Prokop - founder of 7 Park Avenue Financial -

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com

Originating business financing for Canadian companies , specializing in working capital, cash flow, asset based financing . In business 7 years - has completed in excess of 80 Million $$ of financing for Canadian corporations .Info re: Canadian business financing & contact details :

http://www.parkavenuefinancial.com/finance_working_capital_company_credit_financing.html

Working Capital Finance Loan Advice – What Business Credit Is Available For Your Firm

Have you checked the patient recently for oxygen and blood status? We're talking of course about your business, i.e. working capital finance which is a true key measure of business credit health. Does a working capital loan need seem like a necessity as your business grows? Let's examine the why and more importantly the ' how ' of cash flow financing in Canada.

It is not hard to determine why there is such a focus on working capital finance in Canadian business - its simply because your ability to both manage, and access cash flow alternatives become the ultimate measure of short term financial health . We say short term because your overall capital structure and debt / equity relationship are of course the other piece of the business finance puzzle. Today we're focusing on short term health!

You know you are in good shape from a business cash flow perspective when you are in a position to meet your short term obligations - typically those are payables and any loan payments becoming due on a monthly basis within the year. If your cash on hand, receivables and inventory turnover are unable to meet those obligations consistently ... well ... its clear you need a working capital solution.

The reality of course is that cash flow fluctuates, and there are times when you have what is known to bankers as a bulge requirement - it is those times you need that access to working capital we spoke of.

So how do you determine what type of business credit financing you need, and, as importantly, how much. Sophisticated larger firms use the capital budgeting process to determine asset needs and why type of investment is required. It’s essentially the mix in the financing of your company - i.e. owner equity, debt, and financing of current assets, which is our focus - ' working capital'!

The good news about working capital finance is that if it is done properly it doesn’t incur debt, or reduce your owner equity - it just increases cash flow and business credit access. To some extent the term ' loan ' in working capital actually reflects a line of credit scenario, not taking more debt on to your balance sheet.

It is possible though in Canada to get a working capital term loan, for larger and medium size companies this is known as sub debt. Payments are fixed and in general the loan is unsecured and based on your cash flow ability to repay, both historically and projected.

If that is not the solution for your firm, what is then? The other solutions are a true bank operating facility, if, and sometimes that’s a big if, you meet bank criteria for lending. Other real world and more probable solutions for working capital finance business credit are asset based lines of credit, working capital facilities of a non bank nature around your inventory and receivables, or simple receivable financing via an invoice discounting facility.

In summary, working capital cash flow financing is not necessarily a ' loan ' per se, but there are options available for business credit financing in Canada. As we have shown you need to determine when you need that capital and why it’s important to have stand by facilities available. Speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor on sourcing your proper working capital and cash flow needs.
--


Stan Prokop - founder of 7 Park Avenue Financial -
http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com

Originating business financing for Canadian companies , specializing in working capital, cash flow, asset based financing . In business 7 years - has completed in excess of 50 Million $$ of financing for Canadian corporations .Info re: Canadian business financing & contact details :

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

The 5 C's of Lending

Although this blog is not about lending, let me borrow a page from their playbook. Lenders always talk about the 5 C's of lending. They are:

1. Capacity


2. Credit


3. Collateral


4. Conditions


5. Character

Today we will talk about Character. Now that the economy has been in shambles for a while, many companies are starting to become desperate for any kind of business financing. It's a survival thing, and it's understandable. But credit crisis or not - the 5 C's still rule. Now, more than ever. Character - and this refers to the owners and managers - is critical. What is character?

Well, it varies by firm. In my little world of purchase order financing, for us, Character involves having prospects that either:

1. Have a complete clean slate. That is, they have good/reasonable credit and not blemishes such as bankruptcies/etc.

-or-

2. Have a blemished slate - that is explainable and reasonable. And also - be upfront about it. Don't wait for our underwriting team to find it.

You read #2 right. Don't hide it. Rather bring it upfront early and have sensible explanations for what happened. Even if you made a "dumb mistake", be upfront. That may not guarantee approval, but will almost certainly trigger respect. And respect helps you get approved.

Let me tell you a story about a prospect that I had years ago. They ran a successful start up that sold products to the government. They had not been able to get a business loan so they approached us for some financing. In their application they marked that none of the owners had ever been involved in a bankruptcy.

Our search indicated that they had a prior Chapter 7. When confronted, the owner explained that there had been a medical problem - coupled with a nasty divorce - that led to the bankruptcy. If they had explained this situation upfront they would have been approved. But they hid it and lied on their application. Unfortunately, we declined them.

This may sound harsh. But think about it this way. Problems will happen during a financing relationship. It's just how it is. We understand it. But we also only want to work with people that will own up to them and face them, not with people that will hide them until the problems blow up.

---
Looking for information on purchase order financing? Read the purchase order finance blog to learn about business loan financing in wyoming