All too often small businesses get carried away with securing that 'next big order' without considering if they've got the cash to meet it.
That's understandable and the thrill of landing 'a biggie' can tempt us all. But how are you going to buy the parts you need, if you don't get paid until you deliver or are still waiting to be paid for your last job. Factoring won't completely solve the problem, but it'll get pretty close. For businesses high on ambition but low on capital, factoring can work wonders.
Factoring is a flexible form of loan, which advances money to a company as it issues new invoices. This is different to overdrafts or more formal loans, which are usually for a fixed amount.
There are two major advantages of factoring compared to overdrafts or other loans. Firstly, factoring is flexible in that the amount a company can borrow grows with sales. This is often essential to enable companies to fund that growth, since they must usually pay for supplies before they receive payment from customers. The second advantage factoring offers is that no other assets are needed to secure the funding.
How does it work?
When you enter into a contract with a factoring company, the factor agrees to control of your invoices, in return for a small fee.
When the factor assumes control of an invoice, they will advance you a percentage of its total value - usually between 70 and 90% of the invoice. They will then take responsibility for ensuring the invoice gets paid; once the money's in, they'll pay you the balance due, less their fees and charges.
If you decide to take on a factor, you must notify all your customers of the new arrangement. Often at the start of a new factoring relationship, the factor will take on existing debtors, so you may have to make a very substantial payment right at the start.
Setting up a factoring deal can be done far more quickly than most other forms of finance. The staff at factoring companies are often more commercial than at some other lending institutions, and will work hard to help find a solution for potential client companies.
What about bad debts?
Even though some factors technically buy the invoices from a company, their contracts are very specific that if an invoice is not paid within a certain time period (usually 120 days from the date the invoice is first issued, or 90 days from the original due date) the factor will reclaim any advances it has made against the invoice.
However most factors will offer a credit insurance service where the debts are covered. This costs quite a bit extra but can be worthwhile. Typically insurance will cover 85% of a debt rather than the whole thing, but when a customer goes bust, getting 85% feels far better than getting nothing at all!
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