Accounts Receivable Financing as a Business Loan Alternative

Wondering whether you’ll be able to get a loan for your business? Getting a business loan is one of the toughest tasks to accomplish for a company owner. Although banks represent a very cost effective source of funds, they are very selective about the customers they take. This is especially true nowadays were commercial credit at banks is very tight. Most banks will only provide business loans to companies that have a solid track record and substantial assets. But, what if your company does not meet the banks criteria? What is you are a startup or if your company does not have traditional assets such as real estate? One business financing alternative that has been recently gaining traction could be the right solution for you. It’s called accounts receivable financing.

Accounts receivable financing, commonly called factoring, is a type of financing that helps companies that need to wait 30 to 60 days to get their invoices paid. It provides funds to pay employees and suppliers while you wait to get paid by your commercial clients. Accounts receivable factoring is different than a business loan because the factoring company does not lend you money. Rather, the factoring company advances you money based on your open invoices and gets paid once your customer pays.

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A typical transaction would work as follows. Once you deliver your product and send the invoice to the client, you submit a copy of the invoice for financing. Within one to two business days, the factoring company advances you about 80% of the invoice. Once your client submits the payment in full for the invoice, you get the remaining 20% less a small fee charged for the service. Costs are usually determined based on the size of the financing line and can go from 2% to 5% for 30 days depending on the specific details of the transaction.

One of the major benefits of receivables factoring is the flexibility that it provides. Your maximum financing line is determined by the invoices you submit and is tied directly to your monthly sales. This means that your financing line increases dynamically, as your business grows. This provides the liquidity you need to stay current on your obligations and enables you to maximize sales opportunities.

Another benefit of factoring invoices is that it’s relatively easy to obtain. The biggest requirement is that you do business with reliable companies (or government agencies) that pay in 30 to 60 days. This is critical because your invoice is the collateral, for lack of a better term, that the factoring company is financing. Aside from that, your business needs to be properly organized and well managed.

Invoice factoring has been around for quite a while and has been gaining traction in recent times as a flexible solution to finance business growth. Due to its structure it’s the ideal source of financing for startup and growing companies alike.

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Working Capital Strategies For Business Cash Advances

The current chaos in financial markets has changed how merchant cash advances should be evaluated. The use of credit card factoring and credit card processing to obtain working capital financing has recently become a more viable commercial funding strategy. Although this approach for securing business cash advances has been available, businesses historically seemed to prefer using other financing sources to get needed funds. While there are still other small business cash options which should be considered, the practical reality is that the choices available have changed dramatically for most business owners.

Recent changes in most commercial finance programs have resulted in many businesses scrambling to locate new sources for working capital and commercial loans. What has changed to make business cash advances a more feasible option for small business financing? Here are four of the primary reasons for a changing environment where business loans are involved.

First, the availability of unsecured lines of credit has all but disappeared for most small businesses. This was a favored method of business financing for years and will be sorely missed by many.

Second, in the recent past many business owners have probably used home equity credit lines to obtain needed cash quickly and simply. Most banks have reduced or eliminated these home equity loans in response to a nationwide residential funding crisis during the past year or so.

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Third, banks are increasingly insisting on more collateral for their working capital loans and other commercial loans. For many business owners, providing additional collateral is not a feasible alternative.

Fourth, a growing number of local and regional banks are exiting the commercial lending business. In some cases, the business lending focus has shifted to larger businesses with long-term ties to a bank. This has produced an immediate and negative impact on relatively new and small businesses which especially need more working capital help in a challenging economic environment.

The four significant business financing trends noted above have resulted in a practical need for most business owners to now look much more actively at business cash advance programs. With such financing, businesses can obtain working capital cash based upon their credit card processing activity during the past six to twelve months.

Are there problems or pitfalls with this approach to obtaining small business cash? There are definitely problems to avoid with this specialized version of working capital financing. In fact I have prepared a number of special reports on this specific issue.

One major pitfall of business cash advances is the presence of a growing number of seemingly predatory lenders. These lending groups typically have one or more distinguishing negative characteristics.

One of these negative attributes is the apparent urgency by the lender to change the credit card processor used by a business. While there will always be legitimate reasons to consider changing the credit card processing arrangement, it should never be the first priority in a business cash advance program. If there is a rush to do so by the lender, it is probably due to a misguided attempt to obtain processing fees even if they are unable to provide a working capital advance.

Another negative characteristic is misrepresentation about how quickly business cash advances will be provided. While legitimate funding can typically be obtained in a month or less, business owners should be skeptical of agents who suggest that financing is routinely available in a week or less.

How can these seemingly predatory commercial lenders be avoided? Perhaps the most pragmatic solution for avoiding entanglements with one of these questionable lending sources is to have a lengthy conversation with a prospective lender prior to taking any action. Certainly it is especially unwise for a business owner to submit an online working capital cash application without having such a detailed discussion.