Author: Charter Capital

With economic signals sending mixed messages, staffing firms are closely examining their overhead to remain agile in an unpredictable market.

June 17, 2025, Houston, TX — Leading invoice funding company Charter Capital reports that demand fluctuations, rising costs, and external pressures are prompting staffing firms to reevaluate their overhead strategies. Additional insights are shared in “Top 5 Tips for Managing Staffing Company Overhead,” now available at CharCap.com.

The release comes on the heels of Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) reports, which indicate sluggish overall growth in the staffing industry. While verticals such as warehousing and logistics continue to perform well, other sectors show signs of softening demand. Combined with persistent talent shortages and increased client investment in automation, the result is a highly unpredictable operating environment for staffing agencies.

“When growth slows and costs rise, refining overhead becomes essential to sustaining financial health and meeting client demand,” explains Gregory Brown, Co-founder and Executive Manager at Charter Capital.

He notes that a typical staffing firm has always had thin profit margins, but the current climate is creating even greater strain for many. Applying general overhead management strategies may be effective, but following them exclusively can cause staffing firms to overlook variable overhead expenses that are unique to the industry, such as ongoing costs for job boards and advertising. Finding better ways to align expenses with revenue can also help staffing companies weather the challenges of today.

Brown says that making small changes, like deferring bonuses or commissions until a client pays when performance-based pay is provided, helps keep cash in the business longer and aligns incentives with healthy cash flow.

“For many staffing firms, invoice factoring is also part of that equation,” Brown adds. “It accelerates cash flow from invoices, making it easier to keep up with expenses like payroll and recruiting even when payments are delayed.”

He finds that the firms applying for staffing factoring today are often leveraging it selectively, either to fill gaps while waiting on client payments or to help them ramp up as demand increases. Unlike traditional financing, factoring offers flexibility without added debt, making it well-suited to the fast-paced, margin-sensitive nature of staffing operations.

Those interested in learning more about staffing factoring or who would like to request a complimentary quote may do so by calling 1-877-960-1818 or visiting charcap.com.

About Charter Capital

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Charter Capital has been a leading provider of flexible funding solutions for the B2B sector for more than 20 years. Competitive rates, a fast approval process, and same-day funding help businesses across various industries secure the working capital necessary to manage daily needs and grow. To learn more, visit charcap.com or call 1-877-960-1818.

As uncertainty grows across industries, small and midsized businesses embrace continuous improvement to stay competitive.

May 20, 2025, Houston, TX — Leading invoice funding company Charter Capital says that as customer expectations shift and economic pressure mounts, more businesses are adopting cultures of continuous improvement. Additional details are available in “5 Surefire Ways to Develop a Continuous Improvement Culture,” which can be read at charcap.com.

Developing a culture of continuous improvement is tied to a variety of beneficial outcomes, such as boosts in operational efficiency, customer experience, employee engagement, and profit margins, the new report notes. These traits make it indispensable as disruption and uncertainty grow across industries.

“More businesses are asking how they can maintain momentum through changing conditions,” explains Joel Rosenthal, Co-founder and Executive Manager at Charter Capital. “A culture of continuous improvement empowers teams to take ownership of progress, which is critical in today’s climate.”

He says business leaders often assume major process overhauls are necessary and tend to shy away from them during periods of uncertainty or disruption but notes even seemingly minor shifts can have a major impact on company culture.

For instance, simply pausing to appreciate an employee’s suggestion shows that the initiative itself has value and that feedback is respected, Rosenthal notes. This encourages team members to speak up more often, which can lead to improvements across a wide range of areas, such as business processes, customer experience, and team dynamics.

“When businesses are growing or evolving, inefficiencies and bottlenecks tend to scale with them,” Rosenthal adds. “Getting the team involved in identifying issues and developing potential solutions is a win for everyone because it makes the business stronger and keeps employees invested and engaged.”

He believes that developing a culture of continuous improvement requires a top-down approach, with leadership modeling and rewarding the behaviors they want to see. Providing time and investment in opportunities to test ideas is also important. He says that many small and midsized businesses are turning to invoice factoring to fund this, as it provides immediate working capital without adding debt to the balance sheet. Those who would like to learn more about factoring or request a complimentary quote may do so by calling 1-877-960-1818 or visiting charcap.com.

About Charter Capital
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Charter Capital has been a leading provider of flexible funding solutions for the B2B sector for more than 20 years. Competitive rates, a fast approval process, and same-day funding help businesses across various industries secure the working capital necessary to manage daily needs and grow. To learn more, visit charcap.com or call 1-877-960-1818.

As economic uncertainty grows, businesses must prepare for disruptions to cash flow and operations.

April 15, 2025, Houston, TX — Leading invoice funding company Charter Capital says now is the time to shore up business continuity planning. Additional details are available in “How Factoring Supports Business Continuity Plans,” which can be read at charcap.com.

Just a quarter of small businesses are prepared for disasters, the new report shows. Even a short period of instability can take a business months to recover, with a quarter needing a year or more to find their footing after an event. Meanwhile, one in five service firms and two in five manufacturers say supply chain disruptions have recently impeded their business activities, a challenge that may grow due to a mix of trade uncertainty and tightening credit.

“Business continuity planning has always been important,” explains Gregory Brown, Co-founder and Executive Manager at Charter Capital. “However, the level of uncertainty businesses face today necessitates swift action.”

Brown says many businesses focus on the operational aspects of continuity planning. For instance, they ensure customers can be taken care of and that systems stay online. Yet, they don’t always recognize that cash flow is the underpinning force behind continuity or implement measures to ensure financial stability.

He believes this approach is one of the primary reasons businesses struggle during and after disruptions, as the lack of formal planning often forces leaders into tough decisions, such as choosing between a loan with high interest or delaying payroll and vendor payments.

“Businesses must be prepared and have a backup funding source to fill cash flow gaps and procure supplies from alternate vendors,” Brown adds. “Getting established with a funding partner before assistance is needed improves agility and helps ensure continuity. It puts time on the business’s side when the unexpected happens.”

He says that invoice factoring is a good fit for these situations because the business can set up an account and then not leverage it until funds are needed. Moreover, it doesn’t create debt, so it often speeds up recovery after an incident. Those who would like to learn more about factoring or request a complimentary quote may do so by calling 1-877-960-1818 or visiting charcap.com.

About Charter Capital
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Charter Capital has been a leading provider of flexible funding solutions for the B2B sector for more than 20 years. Competitive rates, a fast approval process, and same-day funding help businesses across various industries secure the working capital necessary to manage daily needs and grow. To learn more, visit charcap.com or call 1-877-960-1818.

Worried about the cost of AI solutions, small businesses delay implementation, incurring greater costs and shortchanging growth.

January 21, 2025, Houston, TX — Leading invoice funding company Charter Capital says small businesses are paying the price for delaying artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. Additional details are available in “Can My Small Business Afford AI Solutions?” which can be read at charcap.com.

Recent surveys reveal that nine in ten small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) leveraging AI tools report revenue growth. Yet, one-third of small businesses have yet to implement any AI tools.

“AI adoption rates are even lower for businesses with less revenue. This creates a catch-22 situation,” explains Joel Rosenthal, Co-founder and Executive Manager at Charter Capital. “Implementation is put on hold due to perceived cost, yet growth and profitability are shortchanged as a result.”

Rosenthal notes that AI tools can save small business owners 13 hours per week, freeing time for strategy and high-value tasks. “Clearing that time off your plate is transformative,” Rosenthal adds. “It allows leaders to guide their businesses more effectively.”

AI can also deliver significant savings. Around a quarter save more than $20,000 per year through AI as well, although a little over $7,000 in annual savings is more typical. Just implementing one or two tools in key areas can provide measurable benefits, he adds. For instance, some types of accounting software have built-in AI features that simplify cash flow management and cost about the same as a tank of gas each month. Marketing and sales tools that use AI to streamline processes and develop stronger relationships with prospects and customers are often a great option, too, as they allow businesses to scale more affordably.

He recommends starting with an ROI analysis that considers time savings, increased revenue, cost reduction, and other benefits of implementing a specific tool, then weighing it against the cost. Oftentimes, AI comes out the clear winner.

Despite the benefits and the affordability of AI, however, Rosenthal says the upfront cost of implementing AI solutions can be a barrier, especially when slow customer payments challenge cash flow. He notes that invoice factoring can help by unlocking the cash tied up in unpaid invoices. Those who would like to learn more about factoring or request a complimentary quote may do so by calling 1-877-960-1818 or visiting charcap.com.

About Charter Capital
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Charter Capital has been a leading provider of flexible funding solutions for the B2B sector for more than 20 years. Competitive rates, a fast approval process, and same-day funding help businesses across various industries secure the working capital necessary to manage daily needs and grow. To learn more, visit charcap.com or call 1-877-960-1818.

With AI-driven cyberattacks on the rise, cybersecurity insurance proves indispensable for small businesses.

December 26, 2024, Houston, TX — Leading invoice funding company Charter Capital says cybersecurity insurance has become a necessity for small businesses across the country as cybercrime continues to increase, fueled by a surge in AI-driven attacks. Additional details are available in “Cybersecurity Insurance for Small Business: Is it Worth It?” which can be accessed at charcap.com.

Recently, major firms such as NTT, Google, and McAffee have voiced concerns about increasing cyber threats. AI-driven cyberattacks are a recurring theme due to their exponential growth—a trend expected to continue throughout 2025. For instance, 40 percent of business email compromise (BEC) attacks, a specific type of phishing in which criminals trick people into sharing access to their business accounts or sending money, are now AI-generated. BEC is up 20 percent in just 12 months, Vipre reports. Criminals are targeting industries they believe have reduced protections in place. Manufacturing ranks high, receiving 25 percent of all email attacks.

“Small businesses often assume that their size makes them less desirable targets,” explains Gregory Brown, Co-founder and Executive Manager at Charter Capital. “However, criminals specifically target them for this reason, as smaller companies are less likely to invest in cybersecurity measures.”

He says that businesses should work with a cybersecurity professional to protect their systems and provide team training to help employees spot sophisticated phishing schemes. Still, he notes that these things don’t eliminate the risk entirely.
“It only takes one employee to open an email and click a link,” Brown warns. “Even your best employee can miss subtle signs and unintentionally let a hacker in.”

With a typical ransomware payout now topping $1.5 million, and even minor incidents wracking havoc on business operations and reputations, these split-second decisions people make countless times each day can have significant consequences. Because of this, he says companies would be prudent to treat cybersecurity insurance like they do liability insurance. If a business can’t afford a significant financial loss or a data breach would cause it to close its doors, cyber insurance is indispensable.

Brown notes that businesses wanting to invest in cybersecurity or that want to cover cyber liability premiums but don’t have capital can receive advances on their unpaid B2B invoices through invoice factoring. Those interested in learning more about factoring or who would like to request a complimentary quote may do so by calling 1-877-960-1818 or visiting charcap.com.

About Charter Capital
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Charter Capital has been a leading provider of flexible funding solutions for the B2B sector for more than 20 years. Competitive rates, a fast approval process, and same-day funding help businesses across various industries secure the working capital necessary to manage daily needs and grow. To learn more, visit charcap.com or call 1-877-960-1818.

On average, just 20 percent of recommended disaster preparedness tactics are completed, placing small businesses at risk of instability and closure.

November 19, 2024, Houston, TX — Leading invoice funding company Charter Capital says most small businesses are unprepared for disasters such as hurricanes, civil unrest, and cybercrime. Full coverage of the topic is available in “How to Create an Airtight Business Disaster Preparedness Plan,” which is now available on charcap.com.

The report highlights common planning activities and explores alarming discrepancies between business owners’ beliefs and common disaster outcomes. Whereas most feel they’re prepared, a typical business completes just 20 percent of the recommended disaster preparedness planning steps. Furthermore, eight in ten business leaders believe disaster recovery would be minor or moderate. However, four in ten do not reopen after a disaster, and an additional three in ten close within two years of a disaster.

“Most business leaders say they’d invest more in disaster planning if they had the capital to do so,” explains Joel Rosenthal, Co-founder and Executive Manager at Charter Capital. “It’s understandably challenging to plan for all the what-ifs of tomorrow when cash flow makes it difficult to get through today.”

Still, he believes that many disaster planning activities can be carried out without making a major capital investment. For instance, businesses can perform risk assessments internally to determine the likelihood of certain disasters. Assessments should include technological incidents, such as power outages and fires, as well as weather-related incidents, like hurricanes and wildfires, and human-caused incidents, such as cybercrime and vandalism. Following this, the business can determine how much each type of incident would likely impact the business and prioritize preparing for the most likely and costliest scenarios.

From there, the business can develop emergency response plans that relate to protecting people and preventing harm if an incident occurs, followed by a continuity of operations plan to prevent and minimize downtime.

“Investing in continuity planning is crucial to long-term survival and success,” Rosenthal notes. “But, it’s also where many businesses veer off track with their disaster planning because it often involves making decisions about risk and capital outlays.”

He says that invoice factoring is an essential disaster preparedness tool for small businesses, as it can provide the necessary capital when planning and serve as backup funding in the event of an emergency.

Those interested in learning more about invoice factoring or who would like to request a complimentary quote may do so by calling 1-877-960-1818 or visiting charcap.com.

About Charter Capital

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Charter Capital has been a leading provider of flexible funding solutions for the B2B sector for more than 20 years. Competitive rates, a fast approval process, and same-day funding help businesses across various industries secure the working capital necessary to manage daily needs and grow. To learn more, visit charcap.com or call 1-877-960-1818.