Specialist invoice finance companies use their own QS’s to asses work and provide funding that traditionally isn’t available via the high street banks. Whilst prepayments might not be as high as traditional invoice finance and factoring facilities the ability to get 50 or 60% of outstanding payments provides vital working capital for many businesses. As with any form of business finance the finance companies in question are all very different animals and provide slightly different forms of funding. XL Business Finance with over 12 years of experience can help you with speaking to the right funder.

In addition to trying to win new business, companies are equally concerned about whether their existing customers can pay, and on what terms.  Businesses often rely on loans and overdrafts to provide the capital they need; in recent years however, a variety of invoice finance options, such as factoring have helped SMEs to ease their funding gaps.

Not only do these arrangements have more flexibility than bank loans, but they are quicker and tailored to a company’s specific requirements. In both good and challenging markets, invoice finance can provide the flexibility and access to capital that a business needs to thrive and grow. The annual cost of a factoring facility starts as low as 1% of sales so it is a very cost effective option for business owners.

ABL lenders look at things in a slightly different perspective. Whilst it is important that they buy into the business and are comfortable with its trading performance they are mainly concerned with the available level of security. An invoice discounting facility will provide funding of circa 85% of the unpaid debtors. They will also consider providing additional working capital secured against plant and machinery. They will lend anything up to 80% of its value depending on the circumstances around the deal. A true revolving stocking facility may also be appropriate and potentially commercial mortgage funding is also available. In addition an ABL lender is not necessarily after the clearing banking and as such you will be able to leave your clearing with your existing high street. This potentially makes for an easy transition to potentially more flexible and supportive funding arrangements.

Often a small business must undertake a large capital equipment investment in order to grow. The balance sheet of the business is often not strong enough to justify a Hire Purchase or Finance Lease facility.

Without capital investment the business can not grow and become more profitable. A chicken and egg scenario.

Small Business Finance is an area in which XL Business Finance has a great deal of expertise. As an independent finance broker we understand the problems of small business finance, arranging equipment leasing and machinery finance for example.

At XL Business Finance we can provide small business finance for investments from as little as £1000. This could be useful for providing tax efficient leasing for office furniture, computer equipment and telephone systems for instance.

Do not think of us as a company who provides you with a one off service to get you up and running then disappears into the night. We work along side many clients for many years providing finance solutions such as factoring, debt factoring or factoring invoice discounting facility.

As an independent factoring broker XL Business Finance can provide you with the best Business finance to meet your specific requirements.

Unlike asset finance specialists where commission is added into the deal, the factoring broker is paid by the factoring or invoice discounting company from the income they would normally charge.

There are some important factors that need to be taken into account when choosing the right finance company. The biggest factor is to identify whether your business requires factoring or invoice discounting. Not all funders are equally specialised in factoring and invoice discounting. In fact some may just concentrate on one aspect of funding. The size and length your business has been trading needs also to be taken into consideration. High street banks are not always the most appropriate funder.

XL Business finance is one of the North of England’s premier independent finance companies with established links to many of the UK’s leading finance houses. Call us today, we are happy to discuss your specific situation.

We all know there are the high street banks providing invoice discounting facilities. There are providers that are owned by lessor known banks foreign banks which tend to havce their own atonomy. And then there are the independents that are not owned by the banks but  are privately owned. Which funder is best for you depends upon your own particulkar circumstances and  a good invoice discounting broker will certainly be able to add value in the process.

Often the bolt on products provided by banks and high street factoring and invoice discounting companies can be expensive and provide inferior cover. An independent can often provided greater levels of cover for the same customers , at a lower cost and with more protection. As far as we are aware there is only one or two high street finance companies that provide bad debt protection in the event of a protracted claim. Most high street funders only pay out in the event of insolvency which is in contrast to most independent insurance companies that as a matter of course provide cover in the event of a protracted dispute. Worth comparing then

In a time when it is very difficult to obtain funding via more tradition banking facilities we go the extra mile to help you find the right funding solution. Whether you are a blue chip company requiring the best interest market or a or a company requiring funding out of an administration we provide by far and away so many options than a high street bank. Give us a call today to see how we can the XL Factor into your business!

There are two main charges to an invoice discounting facility. The interest rate for the money borrowed and the service fee. The interest rate is usually a percentage over base rate and is comparable to a bank overdraft rate. Some finance companies charge a min base rate and some link to LIBOR. Bank base rate is not always the same so it is always worth taking into consideration.

The service fee is a percentage of annual turnover however beware some invoice discounting companies charge a refactoring charge. This can be as much as 1% of any invoices that go over 90 days. Whilst this will not be a problem if your debt turn is good it is worth noting because if your customers take longer to pay it will increase the cost of the facility.

An invoice discounting will also charge a take on fee which can be anything from a few hundred quid to a percentage of the arranged facility.