Factoring Company Guide
First Step: Filling Out the Application
Hey there! Ready to kickstart your financial revolution? It all begins with our no-nonsense application. Just the basics: your company's name, what you do, and a bit about your customers. This isn't just paperwork; it's the first step to unlocking a treasure trove of cash flow.
Got some financial docs lying around, like an accounts receivable report? You'll need those too. We're digging deep to understand your customers' real ability to pay up, not just their history with you. We're talking big picture here.
This is where it gets juicy. We'll talk numbers - how many invoices you're playing with, the cash you need at your fingertips, and how fast you can get it. All this depends on how solid your customers are, what you're selling, and how risky your business dance is.
Remember, size matters in factoring. The more invoices you throw into the mix, the sweeter the deal gets for you.
Once you hand us your application, we'll weigh the risks and rewards like financial pros and see if factoring is your golden ticket. After you're in, get ready to haggle over the nitty-gritty of the deal. Bigger numbers, better terms - that's the name of the game.
In these negotiations, we'll lay it all out – every cost, clear as day. Then, once we shake hands on it, we're off to the races: checking your customers' credit, making sure your invoices are legit, and getting you that cash advance pronto.
Factoring Company Benefits
Benefits of Invoice Factoring:
- Spend less time worrying about money and more time growing your business.
- Forget about the stress of regular loan repayments. You could have the money in just a few days.
- You keep complete control over your business operations.
- Reduce or even eliminate the costs and effort of chasing clients for payment.
- You decide which invoices to sell and when, giving you better control of your cash flow.
- Overcome the problem of clients who are slow to pay.
- Increase your production and sales volume.
- Benefit from professional help with collecting debts and checking credit.
- Meet your payroll commitments with ease.
- Pay your payroll taxes without any hassle.
- Get discounts for cash payments for your supplies.
- Boost your purchasing power, allowing you to take advantage of bulk purchase or early payment discounts.
- Improve your credit rating because you always have cash available to pay bills on time.
- Have ready cash to expand your business.
- Have funds available for your marketing campaigns.
- Improve the look of your financial statements.
- Get comprehensive and detailed reports on your accounts receivable.
Is Factoring For You
The Importance of Factoring
"Only when the payment is made, is a sale truly complete." This adage rings true, especially if you find yourself playing the role of a banker for your clients. Time for a financial health check.
Scrutinize your accounts receivable. Those overdue accounts? They signify interest-free credit you're extending. This is likely a detour from your original business objectives.
Think about it: your customers would incur interest charges on a bank loan. In your case, not only are you not earning interest, but you're also missing out on vital capital utilization. The opportunity cost here is significant.
By allowing extended payment terms, you're inadvertently financing your customers' businesses. It's essential to recognize the financial implications and adopt a more efficient approach to managing your accounts receivable.
Factoring History
Factoring: Empowering Businesses for Success
Welcome to the world of factoring, where businesses find the financial support they need to thrive. Whether you're a business owner, an aspiring entrepreneur, or seeking innovative financial solutions for your employer, factoring can play a crucial role in helping you achieve your financial goals.
It's interesting to note that factoring has often been overlooked and remains relatively unknown in the business world. Despite this, it serves as the backbone for many successful American businesses, unlocking billions of dollars each year and enabling thousands of enterprises to grow and prosper.
So, what exactly is factoring? Simply put, it involves purchasing commercial accounts receivable (invoices) from businesses at a discounted rate. In today's competitive landscape, offering credit terms to customers is often necessary to secure business. However, this can create cash flow challenges, particularly for new or struggling companies that rely on steady and timely payments.
Factoring, with its long and rich history, traces back 4,000 years to the time of Hammurabi, the king of Mesopotamia, often considered the birthplace of civilization. Mesopotamians were pioneers in developing writing, establishing business codes, and introducing the concept of factoring.
Over time, factoring gained traction in various civilizations. The Romans, for instance, were early adopters, introducing the sale of promissory notes at discounted rates. In the American colonies, factoring played a crucial role before the revolution. Merchant bankers in London and Europe provided funds in advance for goods such as cotton, furs, and timber, allowing colonists to continue their operations without being hindered by delayed payments from European customers.
It's important to highlight that these historical arrangements differ from modern banking relationships. In fact, modern banks would have caused delays, waiting to collect payments from European buyers before disbursing funds to the colonists. This impractical process led to the emergence of factors in colonial times who provided advances against accounts receivable, enabling clients to maintain their operations while awaiting payment.
As the Industrial Revolution unfolded, factoring adapted to address credit concerns while maintaining its core principles. Factors began assisting clients in assessing customer creditworthiness, establishing credit limits, and guaranteeing payment for approved customers. Today, this approach, known as non-recourse factoring, is commonly practiced in the business world.
Before the 1930s, factoring primarily served the textile and garment industries, which inherited the practice from the colonial economy. However, after the war years, factors recognized the potential to expand factoring to other industries reliant on invoicing, leading to its broader adoption.
In the present day, factors come in various shapes and sizes. Some operate as divisions within large financial institutions, while many others are independently owned entrepreneurial endeavors. The popularity of privately owned factors surged in the 1960s and 1970s when high-interest rates made traditional bank financing less accessible. This trend continued in the 1980s, driven by increasing interest rates and changes in the banking industry. As banks became more expensive and inflexible due to regulatory constraints, small business owners sought alternative financing options. Factoring emerged as an increasingly popular choice.
Each year, thousands of businesses leverage factoring to sell billions of dollars in accounts receivable. By doing so, they unlock cash flow, achieve profitability, drive growth, and, in some cases, secure their very survival. Factoring empowers businesses by providing them with the financial support they need to thrive in today's competitive market.
Credit Risk
Unlocking Quick and Continuous Cash: Yes, It's Possible!
Not only do we provide you with quick and continuous cash flow, but we also offer our credit risk expertise at no additional cost. Accurately assessing credit risk is a vital part of our factoring business, and few clients can perform this function as objectively as we can.
As part of our service, we act as your credit department for both new and existing customers, giving you a significant advantage over in-house credit performance. Consider a scenario where a salesperson is eager to secure a new account with the potential for large purchases. In their zeal for business, they may overlook red flags associated with credit difficulties. They might even bypass your internal credit checking procedures to circumvent established controls. While this may result in making the sale, it won't guarantee payment. After all, without money, there is no sale.
With us, this won't be the case. We make credit decisions with full knowledge of the new customer's credit situation. We refuse to buy the invoices of poorly-rated customers and risk nonpayment. However, please don't view our involvement as a tightening of credit to the extent that it negatively affects your business beyond your control.
If you have a new customer with questionable creditworthiness, the decision to do business with them is ultimately yours. (Although, we reserve the right to say, "I told you so!")
While we may not purchase invoices from such customers, you are still free to extend credit terms as you see fit. You remain in control. Whatever decisions you make, rest assured that our participation ensures you have access to more complete, objective, and higher-quality information than ever before.
We conduct thorough research on new clients and regularly check the credit ratings of your existing customers. This sets us apart from most businesses, where routine credit updates on the established customer base are seldom performed—an approach that can lead to potentially significant mistakes.
By opting for a credit check, businesses often discover issues when it's already too late and the problem has spiraled out of control. In contrast, we promptly inform you if there is a change in the credit status of any of your existing customers.
In addition to providing specific customer credit information, we offer comprehensive and detailed reports on your accounts receivables as a whole. Through this process, you gain access to accounting details, transactional information, aging reports, and financial management reports. These resources empower you to incorporate the data into your sales tracking, account history, and in-depth analysis.
With over 70 years of successful experience in cash flow and credit management, we're excited to put our expertise to work for you.
How To Change Factoring Companies
Changing Your Invoice Finance Provider
If you're contemplating a switch in your invoice finance provider, this guide is tailored for you. We’ll walk you through understanding UCCs, the transition process, and vital questions to ensure you make an informed decision about your new financial partner.
Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) Explained
UCCs play a crucial role in invoice financing. They're like a mortgage for your invoices, securing the financier's interest. Key aspects of UCCs include:
- Asset right tracking.
- Notification to other lenders of current agreements.
- Ensuring primary rights to your invoices for your financier.
Transitioning Between Providers
Moving to a new provider is similar to refinancing. Your new financier takes care of settling accounts with your previous one, through a Buyout Agreement, simplifying your transition.
Calculating the Buyout Amount
The buyout sum typically includes your outstanding invoices minus reserves, along with any additional fees. A clear breakdown from your old financier is essential for understanding any extra costs or early termination fees, helping you decide if the new agreement is more advantageous.
Cost Implications of a Buyout
Transitioning can be cost-neutral by using new invoices for your new financier. Be cautious about re-submitting previously financed invoices, as it could lead to double fees. Some financiers offer discounts, but always communicate timely with your previous provider to avoid unnecessary charges.
Time Considerations
Switching may slightly prolong the usual process due to the buyout computations and necessary approvals. An experienced company can make this transition smoother for you.
Complex Scenarios
In certain scenarios, both your old and new financiers might temporarily share rights to your invoices. However, this arrangement is typically not standard practice.
Questions to Ponder Before Committing
- Is it possible to engage with multiple invoice finance companies at the same time?
- What are the conditions for changing providers, including any penalties?
- What is the payment processing time frame with the new provider?
- Who are your primary contacts at the finance company?
- Are there any additional postage costs for sending invoices?
- Does the provider charge extra for credit checks or new customer setups?
- When does the provider start holding back reserves?
