The business had secured new contracts and the next 12 months forecasts suggested an increase in turnover to £3m up from £2m. Due to the highly contractual nature of the debt the business could not go to their bank for an increase in overdraft and they were also told factoring or invoice discounting was not an option. Currently there are at least 5 independent factoring companies providing contract finance and all provide a slightly different take on the facility.
XL Business Finance understands this market inside out and for any business requiring finance against applications rather than invoices we can help. Contact us today Manchester, 0161 980 0577, London 020 3301 4540
Need working capital but dont want your customers knowing that you are factoring? Confidential factoring provides the best of both worlds. For businesses which are not eligible for full undisclosed invoice discounting but need some form of credit control confidential factoring could provide the perfect funding solution. The finance company will provide a dedicated credit controller phoning in your company name. This provides the funder more comfort and control and will enable them to provide the confidential facility that you require that otherwise may not have been available. XL Business Finance has been providing factoring advise and solutions for over 10 years. Call Mark Redman on 07748 635206 to find out how we can help your business.
BACS, the payment company states that UK SMEs are were owed £3bn in late payments which is a record since records began and 10% up from last year. Invoice finance and in particular factoring maybe a valuable tool in helping combat late payers. Not only will a full factoring service provide cash against up paid invoices but it will also provide a full credit control facility leaving you free to go and run your business.
Small firms are owed an average of £39k and have to wait two months to be paid. The worst payers are large firms responsible for 48% of all late payments and the best payers are the government and not for profit organisations. If you feel that late payers are restricting your business factoring could be the perfect solution
Invoice factoring is the immediate injection of cash against value of outstanding invoices. Also known as account receivable factoring, invoices are raised up to 90% of the invoice value is released within 24 hours, the remaining 10% is paid, less a small service fee, once invoice factoring payment is received from the customer.
A factoring facility provided by the most appropriate finance company will leave you free to unlock the true potential of your business rather than spend your time juggling bills and chasing customers for outstanding invoices.
Choose the wrong finance company however, and it could have disastrous consequences on your business.
The factoring company which will best suit your business depends on a number of differing factors.
Geographic location – independents can be regionalised rather than nationalised.
Turnover – Some Factoring companies specialise in a certain turnover level.
Length of time trading.
Credit rating – Banks will only fund businesses with reasonable credit.
Number and quality of invoices.
Concentration levels – Some funders may exclude you if you have only one or two customers.
Any foreign invoices? – Some factoring companies have an international presence.
Is part of your business contractual? – There are only two factoring companies that can provide a facility.
Do you need credit insurance? – Banks and independents provide very different types of credit insurance.
Do you need an overpayment? – Certain factoring companies can provide a top up via an EFG loan.
Do you have any other borrowing facilities with your bank? – This may or may not work in your favour depending on the circumstance.
We advise;
Always see two and a maximum of three – any more and the factoring companies won’t take you seriously.
Make sure you understand the charging structure – rmember the headline rates do not always show the full picture.
Make sure you are comfortable with the individuals involved in the business.
Make sure you know the credit limits of your top ten customers.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions and arrange a visit to their premises.
For more information please do not hesitate to call us.
It is now possible for business owners and managers to select which customers/transactions they would like to fund, collect or insure against potential bad debt!
Selective factoring offers customers the independence and flexibility that traditional factoring does not. The major benefit to businesses is that Selective factoring looks at individual transactions rather than the whole balance sheet allowing new start businesses to flourish and grow. For larger businesses it allows them to factor individual invoices, where whole factoring is not wanted or needed. XL Business Finance has been helping businesses for over 10 years find the most appropriate business finance solutions.
Your goods are pre sold but you don’t have the working capital to purchase your goods in advance. XL Business Finance has over 10 years experience helping businesses with trade finance facilities and has a number of alternative solutions.
For one reason and another many businesses are struggling to obtain financial support from existing high street banks. This is never more true for businesses looking to import goods and products from abroad. The problem is that you have an order in the UK, your goods have been pre sold, however you don’t have the working capital to purchase the goods in advance. Whilst banks do a certain amount of trade finance it is usually for existing and well established customers with very strong and profitable balance sheets. Banks generally will not support businesses trading for less than 3 years and very rarely will help businesses with marginal credit.
The good news is that there are a number of independent trade finance companies that may be able to assist. It will certainly be easier if your goods have been pre sold as not only will the stand alone trade finance companies potentially help but also there are a number of factoring companies that also offer trade finance solutions. This is the preferred option for many businesses as a complete financial solution is provided form start to finish. A trade facility is provided for the business to import the goods and once an invoice has been raised in the UK upon delivery the trade finance facility is repaid via a factoring or invoice discounting facility. This factoring facility is repaid when the customer pays the invoice at a agreed future date, ie 30,60 or 90 days hence.
The Bank of England’s recent Credit Conditions Survey found that default rates on loans in Q2 increased for small businesses. By acting now, an invoice finance provider can help your business to avoid becoming part of these statistics.
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.
We are still living in tough times financially throughout the UK with the emphasis falling on the small business. Finance can be hard to come by for the small business owner.
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.
Selective factoring enables business owners and managers the opportunity to select which customers or transactions they would like to fund, collect and insure against a potential bad debt.
Selective factoring looks at the individual transaction rather than the whole balalnce sheet and debtor book. For smaller or new start business it enables a business to factor selective debts without the need to be tied into a 1 or 2 year contract. In difficult times this obviously helps keep costs down. For larger more established business selective factoring enables factoring of individual invoices where whole turnover factoring isnt needed or wanted.
Obvioulsy there are a number of financial institutions that offer selective factoring. We are able to find the best solution for your needs. Contact us today.
Trade finance provides the ability for business to purchase goods and stock from within or ouside the UK. The goods can either be pre sold or unsold. Funding is available for just about any scenario however it does depend on a businesses actual circumstances. Just because a business has been declined by a high street bank it doesnt mean funding wont be available from an independent or specialist trade finance company.
For obvious reasons it is far easier to obtain funding for goods that have been pre sold and in certain circumstances 100% funding can be arranged. XL Business finance can help you obtain the appropriate funding.