10 ADVANTAGES OF FACTORING
Immediate Cash Without Consideration of a Business’s Credit Rating. Businesses get immediate cash (from 70-90% of the face value of the invoices) within 24-48 hours for approved customers, which only means they can accelerate their cash flow by speeding up payment of their receivables. Your clients will have an immediate source of funds for operating expenses and future growth. Clients will be able to use their own, hard earned cash without having to wait 30, 60, 90, or 120 days to collect from their customers. Additionally, since only receivables are used for collateral for the money, other assets (such as real estate and equipment) can be used for other borrowing.
Continuous Source of Operating Cash. By factoring their accounts receivable, a business is assured of continuous cash flow. New receivables usually replace those that are paid, so a business always has a chunk of its assets outstanding. Factoring provides a continuous, long-term source of funds on a short-term basis. It is like a revolving door of cash. If a business borrows money, it has to be repaid at a specific time and there is no guarantee the loan will be refinanced by the lender. Factoring provides a major financing alternative by helping businesses that need cash but can’t get traditional (or conventional) financing. This gives the business a source of cash for as long as the company performs well or provides services and sells its receivables to the factor.
No Long-Term Contracts. No long-term contracts offer flexibility. The business can sell only those receivables they want to, when they want to. Even though there are not long-term contracts, factors do look to establish an ongoing relationship with their clients.
Factoring Provides Company With Credit Collection Services. Factoring eliminates a majority of collection activities and problems, such as credit investigation, slow pays, bad debts, monthly statements, and collection phone calls, which are always unpleasant to make. In addition, a factor can very often identify a client’s poor credit risks thus decreasing potential bad debt losses. Since the factor is the one responsible for analyzing credit and doing the actual collections, the relationship between the business and its customers is not jeopardized, thus enhancing client/customer relationships.
Reduces Overhead - Helps Business Downsize. Corporate America is downsizing, trying to get leaner and meaner. Smart small businesses are doing the same. Downsizing eliminates activities that don’t result in a profit. A factoring relationship can help a business downsize and become more profitable, by taking over activities such as credit checking, credit management, etc. Factoring provides saving in salaries and the management and bookkeeping time involved in collections and credit investigation, thus eliminating the danger that clients will not have the financial capability to fulfill their customers’ orders. Clients also save money on postage, telephone, stationery, and space.
Greater Operation Efficiency. Management is free from credit and collection activities, leaving more time to devote to increasing the sales (and profits!) of their business. Staff can spend more time producing income rather than chasing after it. A factoring relationship means no more monthly statements, no more collection phone calls, no more postage sending out bills and statements, etc.
Increase Cash Flow. Cash flow is probably the most important element in the success of a business. Accounts receivable may be the biggest asset on a company’s balance sheet. They also represent the business’ best source of operating capital, albeit tied up capital, that is in permanent disuse. Factoring improves cash flow - a business can use cash currently tied up in receivables to increase sales and take advantage of supplier discounts. If it were available, the extra cash could be used for the company’s growth. Waiting for it (the cash) decreases the company’s operating cash and may force the company to borrow, which will cost additional money in interest and fees. Factoring accelerates cash flow by eliminating the time lag between the delivery of goods or the performance of a service and the payment for it. Most businesses have to pay their expenses before they can collect their receivables, disrupting cash flow. Increasing cash flow provides a company with the capital to support additional sales so they can grow at a faster rate. They may be able to offer better terms of sale, take advantage of trade discounts, take advantage of unexpected opportunities, or modernize their operations.
Off Balance Sheet Financing. Since factoring is not reflected on the Balance Sheet, a stronger cash position is shown and the business may be able to get additional bank financing, credit protection and better credit rating, all of which are important elements to a business’s financial success. Factoring gives the small- and medium-size business the ability to grow without incurring additional debt or diluting their equity. Also by increasing cash flow, a company has more money to pay their own bills, increase their inventory and maintain a greater daily cash balance, all of which improve their credit rating.
The “Time Value” of Money. Money today is worth more than it will be tomorrow.
Retain Control of the Business. A company can finance business cycles with its own assets rather than liquidating equity to raise cash.
As Always, Helping Entrepreneurs Get In The Zone.