Until now stand alone asset refinance has only been available from specialist  and traditional more expensive finance companies.  However, a prime funder has now entered the market offering to refinance plant machinery and tangible assets providing it is for the right reason. Funds might be required for expansion, deposit on a new machine, an MBO or an MBI.

The balance sheet of the business must be reasonable and the business must have been trading for more than three years. Providing there is a strong rationale for the refinance and the equipment has good value we have a very good chance of obtaining some funding. Businesses which are struggling and need to refinance kit because they  and are struggling to pay creditors may still be able to obtain funding but it will be via a very different type of lender.

Normally it is possible to provide an indication of what is available within 24 hours. All we need to get the ball rolling is a list of plant and machinery to include age make and model. We can then get a value of the kit for refinancing purposes which enables a quick assessment of the viability of the refinance. XL Business Finance is one of the Uks leading funders in asset finance and refinance and we have 15 years experience in doing such deals.

Sale and lease back involves the refinancing of plant and machinery to enable a business to raise cash for any puropse. XL Business Finance is undertaking a number of these projects for a variety of different reasons. At the moment we have 4 deals going through this week however the interesting point is that we are using 3 different fiannce companies. All finance companies have a niche or a comfort zone with a particular sort of customer, sector or type of equipment. Which one is best for your business depends upon your own personal circumstances.

Valuations for refinancing of plant and machinery can vary vastly from customers own valuations  and expectations. This is why.  Refinance of assets is provided primarily by asset based lenders. Their primary concern is with the value of the kit and their exit route. They are not balance sheet lenders and whilst they will require evidence of serviceability the strength of your accounts is not their main concern.

In the event of the finance company having to take the equipment back they want to know that they can quickly sell the equipment within a relatively short time frame of usually 3 months. And what someone will pay for machinery in a forced sale situation can be a million miles apart as to what you may have to pay for the same piece of kit from a supplier. Unfortunately some directors suffer from owneritus being the condition of thinking their equipment is worth far more than it actually is

For the right customer it may now be possible to obtain asset refinancing via a high street finance company. Asset refinance has been a very specialist market up until now. But are things about to change?

Probably not but if you have a very very strong balance sheet and you are looking to refinance for positive reasons then it just may be possible. The flood gates are certainly not going to open but it is certainly worth knowing about.

Asset refinance has always been a specialist area because there are so many pitfalls from the funders perspective compared with just taking an invoice direct from a supplier. With a traditional hire purchase or finance lease transaction it is so so more complicated and an area that the high street have traditionally shyed away from.

The biggest hurdle that a finance company must overcome is obtaining an accurate  value for refinancing purposes. This must be a realistic value and should the plant or machinery come back to the finance company in a forced sale this value would need to be achieved in a realistic time frame for the benefit of all concerned.

The finance company must ensure that they get good title to the equipment by ensuring that they have the necessary debenture waivers and ensuring the business can prove that the kit isn’t already on finance.  Documentation is also slightly different as there is the possibility of doing the deal on sale and hire purchase back, sale and lease back or loan and chattel mortgage. Which is the best depends on the circumstances around the asset refinance and each deal can be different

Any business involved in heavy manufacturing maybe able to release cash from the value of their plant and machinery. Providing there is value within the machinery cash can be released just about for any purpose. It could be to provide additional working capital, it could be for a one off project or the cash can be used to pay the tax man. Refinancing of existing plant and machinery is a facility which is often overlooked as it is is one that is not traditionally provided by the high street banks and finance companies

XL Business Finance has been helping businesses for over 10 years refinance plant and machinery. In the current economic  climate it is perceived that the high street banks are not supporting businesses with their funding requirements.Many business are therefore looking at alternative ways to provide additional working capital or cash for one off projects.

Banks however are not traditionally risk takers and do not have the expertise to provide asset refinance in its purest form. Refinancing plant and machinery is a very specialist area in which there a few funders that have the expertise to do the job properly. There are 3 ways that assets can be refinanced. Loan and chattel mortgage, sale and hire purchase back or sale and lease back. Which facility is best or you depends upon the type of equipment, and the written down value of the kit in your books.

Chad Monsirrims continues to look for a serial number following a refinance package and provision of a new factoring facility for a Manchester based print company

A Manchester print finance company needed to restructure their finances following an accumulation of VAT and PAYE arrears totalling approx £35k. Their existing Komri printing press had only 18 months to go with their existing funder. XL Business finance was able to refinance the machine and provide enough money to repay the existing leasing company , pay the VAT and PAYE arrears and also provide a surplus for additional working capital. Happy days.

In addition the business switched to a more flexible factoring company to provide additional working capital. The printers existing bank were severely restricting cash flow due to a difficult trading period, hence the crown arrears. A change in factoring company and the refinance of the existing press gave the business a new lease of life.

At one point the company was considering injecting personal cash secured against the press. Whilst this seems a good idea , obtaining title in a refinance situation can present many pitfalls. If the documentation was not completed correctly it may be possible that they could be accused of selling the press under preferential terms resulting in the transaction being null and void. It would also been imperititive that the customer got the right supporting documentation. If you do not get debenture waivers , proof of title etc it may be possible that a transaction be deemed null and void in the event of an insolvency. A specialist refinance company ensures that all this is correctly boxed off and that there can be no repercussions down the line.

XL Business Finance associate Chad Monsirrims checks a serial number following another successful refinance

During January our biggest type of of enquiry was for businesses looking for machinery refinance. I suppose that you can look at this from two angles. A business may need to refinance because they are struggling, running out of cash and need to find some funds from somewhere to keep the business afloat. Or they need to refinance machinery because they are doing well, need some additional working capital because the banks are unwilling or unable to help

Most business owners will say it is the latter however in a small number of cases it may genuinely be because a business is struggling. Any asset based finance company will always be willing to lend against the value of an asset providing they are doing so for a positive reason. On the other hand if a business is struggling they may insist that you take advice from a specialist accountant or insolvency practitioner.

It maybe that it it is better to fund a business following a pre packed administration particularly if there is a lot of creditor pressure and crown arrears. Many business owners think that it is not possible to obtain funding following a pre packed administration. In reality, asset based lenders would probably prefer to fund such a arrangement because the new business going forward will be leaner and meaner. It is true that a bank may not wish to assist with the funding however in reality this should not cause any major problem going forward. An independent invoice finance company will be happy to provide a factoring facility and as such there should be no need of a bank except for clearing cheques.

XL Business Finance has just recently completed the refinancing of a UK based Engineering Company.  Managing Director Mark Redman can be seen checking ( or trying )  serial numbers on the customer’s equipment. See below for further details

XL Business Finance was approached at the beginning of the new year by the companies accountant to help a UK based Engineering company purchase new equipment for an existing project. At the same time the business wanted to future proof their cash flow and refinance their existing equipment to reduce their monthly outgoings. Although the new equipment was only £30k a refinance package including the funding of the new kit reduced their monthly repayments from £3500 per month to £2800 providing a monthly saving of £700.

XL Business Finance is one of the UK’s leading independent finance companies with over 10 years experience in the asset and asset refinance market. As with any financial market products and availability of funds vary from month to month with the various funders.  The company accountant for this particular engineering company realised the added value a specialist finance company would add to their their client. XL Business Finance was able to source the right level of funding at the most competitive rates and at the same time ensure the finance company completed all the paperwork in a timely and professional manner.

In light of the newly released quarterly trading performance we are in no doubt in line for another rocky 12 months . Refinance of existing plant and machinery may just give many businesses a life line to provide enough working capital to survive until the next upturn

Are you looking to raise cash quickly? It is now possible to organise a short term business  loan offering your car as security.

If you have a luxury car which is free of finance , you can release the money or equity tied up in your car on a short term basis. This is different from a traditional refinance agreement that provides funding on a hire purchase agreement over a number of years. The finance company will take your car as security which will be stored in a secure facility.

Whilst this kind of offering will not be an option to everyone there are plenty of business owners out there that may have a second luxury toy or car. As you can imagine APRs wont be the cheapest however they never are when it comes to bespoke and creative funding. It does however provide a quick fix alternative to the bank funding which in the current climate isn’t available to everyone.

How it works. A trade value of the car is obtained from the finance company. A percentage of this trade value is  is provided on a short term loan. There are no monthly repayments. Interest accrues on a monthly basis and the finance is repaid at the end of the loan agreement typically 3-6 months. This kind of lending is ideal for customers that maybe have a guaranteed lump of cashing coming to them but need something to keep them ticking over