January 2011 - XL Business Finance XL Business Finance

Archive for January, 2011

Machinery Refinancing

Monday, January 31st, 2011

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.

Tags: invoice finance, machinery refinancing
Posted in Invoice Finance, refinancing | No Comments »

Equipment finance in 2011

Thursday, January 27th, 2011

The hire purchase and leasing market in 20011 is predicted to remain fairly tight and restrictive. There are still a few high street banks offering decent rates and there are still a few independents offering prime rates also. The fact remains that are still fewer finance companies than there were before the credit crunch.

Although there are a few finance companies entering the market. Aldermore at the beginning of 2010 and much later in the year Conniston came across the water from Isle of Man. with any new finance comapnies entering the market this is great news however there is always a bedding in period as they find their place within the market.

Asset based lending remains strong although there a fewer options than there used to be, The most obvious company being Davenham which ceased trading at the back end of 2010.

As per usual if you have a very strong balance sheet it can be relatively easy to obtain funding for asset and equipment finance. It is also relatively easy to obtain funding if you have plenty of value within your equipment. The problem arises is if you have a weak balance sheet and you need to purchase or refinance assets with very little residual value. Caught between a rock and a hard stone comes to mind.

XL Business finance has helped many businesses with their capital expenditure plans. We provide an honest and straight forward approach and always have the businesses best ineterst at mind. Give us a call today to find out how we can help you.

Tags: equipment finance
Posted in Asset Finance | No Comments »

Refinancing Engineering Company

Wednesday, January 26th, 2011

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

Tags: business finance, refinance of existing plant and machinery
Posted in Asset Finance, refinancing | No Comments »

Is Invoice Discounting Better than a Bank Overdraft?

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011

We think so but then again why wouldn’t we ! As an independent business finance specialist we are firm believers that borrowings should be spread across as many financial institutions as possible. We also believe that any form of invoice discounting is better than a bank overdraft.

The problem with a bank overdraft means that you are at the beck and call of the bank. An overdraft is repayable on demand and at the first sign of trouble it can be withdrawn at a moments notice. No one ever thinks this will happen but believe you me, we have seen it happen and the consequences are not pretty. Another problem with bank overdrafts is that the amount you can borrow is determined by the strength of your balance sheet or the level of security available. Bank overdrafts of any significant amount are normally secured against bricks and mortar.

Invoice discounting couldn’t be different. A facility is secured against your unpaid invoices and within reason as your business expands so does the size of the facility available. Providing you are looking for standard trading terms borrowings of 80% of debtor book are the norm without the need to provide additional security.

Directors warranties are the normal comfort obtained from the invoice discounting company which provides an indemnity against any fraudulent activity. Fair enough one thinks

XL Business Finance has been helping the SME market for over 10 years sourcing the right kind of funding for a business’s particular needs. Give us a call today to see how we can help you

Tags: independent business finance specialist, invoice discounting
Posted in invoice discounting, Invoice Finance, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Repossessed Range Rover

Thursday, January 20th, 2011

Interior of a delightful reposssessed Range Rover.
1998 Range Rover 2.5 DSE Auto 195,000 miles part service history

Posted in Repossesssions | No Comments »

Release cash against unpaid invoices with debt factoring

Wednesday, January 19th, 2011

Following the traditional quiet period over Christmas many businesses may find themselves short of cash over the next few months. The good news is that it maybe possible to release cash against unpaid invoices using debt factoring or invoice discounting.

Factoring is available for just about any type of business that provides goods or services on credit terms. Factoring is available for new start businesses, businesses that have had trading difficulties as well as any blue chip companies. This kind of debtor finance is very useful for businesses that have maybe approached their own bank but for one reason or another haven’t been able to obtain funding.

Invoice discounting is traditionally provided in a confidential facility and as such your business has to be stronger and more established to be eligible. Again invoice discounting can release cash against unpaid invoices and provides a very useful working capital facility.

Both factoring and invoice discounting are provided by banks and independent lenders. In our opinion independent lenders are far better at providing factoring because credit control that is provided with factoring is a very important aspect of the service. Independents that specialise in factoring tend to provide a much more comprehensive service and as such the cheaper banks isn’t always the best option

Tags: debt factoring, Factoring
Posted in Factoring | No Comments »

Attention all Car owners

Friday, January 14th, 2011

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

Tags: car finance, hire purchase, refinancing
Posted in Asset Finance, refinancing | No Comments »

Cashflow problems?

Thursday, January 13th, 2011

Just over a week into the new year we have already had several enquiries from businesses having cash flow difficulties following the Christmas break. The first enquiry was for a printing business looking to refinance existing machinery in order to reduce the monthly payment.

In addition the business was applying to its bank for EFG funding of £40k. In our opinion a business that has had some trading difficulties is unlikely to be eligible for bank support even with the banking of the EFG scheme. However the customer didn’t realise that not only could we reschedule the repayments on his main press but we can also release any additional equity. And guess what based on the current trade valuation we can refinance the press, release an additional £50k and provide a monthly repayment no more than he is paying at the moment. Happy days. Well until the cash runs out.

The second enquiry we had was for a timber business importing wood from Eastern Europe. The business until recent years had been fully supported by a high street bank providing a small overdraft and an import finance facility. The business being under pressure from the bank to reduce its exposure came to us for alternative funding arrangements. We were able to introduce the business to an independent trade finance company and as yet we are still awaiting the outcome. Whilst alternative funding is never a guarantee there are alternatives to the banks and it is just a case of knowing who does what!

Tags: cashflow finance, import finance, refinance existing machinery
Posted in international trade finance, refinancing | No Comments »

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