A vexing problem almost every business faces, large or small, is accounts receivable. How can you get payments from your customers in a quick and timely manner? Is there a way to get them to pay faster? And if not, is there a way to get around the 30- or 60-day lag from when your invoice goes out and their payment comes in?
The answer is yes! Through “invoice factoring,” you can sell your accounts receivable to a third party (known in the business world as a “factor”). The factoring company will pay you immediately and collect the money themselves down the road. This innovative financing concept provides businesses of all sizes with much-needed flexibility in obtaining capital. Factoring costs are directly related to the business cycle.
Want to make the most of invoice factoring? Here are a few helpful tips to get you started:
- Understand what invoice factoring is and what it isn’t – Invoice factoring and invoice financing are two types of accounts receivable financing. Invoice financing is similar to invoice factoring in that it’s a way for businesses to get paid quickly on an invoice, rather than having to wait weeks or months before payment is officially due. However, invoice financing doesn’t involve selling invoices. Factoring can certainly help your business improve its short-term cash flow and enable you to get almost immediate money from outstanding invoices. However, factoring cannot, and will not, solve ongoing issues such as customers with bad credit or clients who exceed their credit limit. Yes, a factoring company can aid with some of these, such as performing customer credit checks on your behalf, but ultimately, it’s up to you to determine who is creditworthy, how much credit you should extend, and the terms and conditions of that credit. If you insist on extending credit beyond the amount a factoring company recommends, you are increasing your risk.
- Organization, organization, organization – Before you can even start to take advantage of invoice factoring, you have to know who owes you, how much they owe you, and when that bill is due. After all, if you don’t know the answers, how can you expect a third party to know? If you haven’t done so already, get your customer account files into shape before you engage a factoring company. Make sure all customer files have every piece of correspondence between you and the client, as well as all invoices and payments. Once you’ve done this, you’ll better understand the relationship’s history and, more importantly, you’ll have a clearer picture of the outstanding invoices you can send to a third-party factoring company. Plus, you’ll have an organized accounts receivable system, which is always a good thing.
- Be open, accurate, and include all liabilities – It’s natural as a business owner to be leery of disclosing delicate company information to strangers. However, to get the most bang for your factoring dollar, it’s best to be upfront about all liabilities, including the extent of your company’s indebtedness. By being open and honest, the factoring company can get a more accurate picture of your situation and can better devise a strategy for accounts receivable factoring.
What are the benefits of invoice factoring?
By uncovering the benefits of invoice factoring, you’ll also learn how it can help grow your access to working capital without going into debt!
Invoice factoring is an alternative form of financing that is available to businesses that may not have an established banking record with a major lender. Banks and traditional lenders often operate on a line-based financing model based on what your business has already done and the assets you currently own. Invoice factoring, on the other hand, is an innovative way for your business to access the funds you have tied up in your accounts receivable.
Here are four major advantages of invoice financing:
1. Shift your cash flow into high gear
Applying for business loans or alternative financing options can take months to get approved. With invoicing factoring, your business can get much quicker access to cash if you have immediate financing needs.
2. Financial flexibility
If your business requires financial flexibility in terms of maintaining cash flow, then invoice factoring would be your best option. This way, invoices don’t have to be paid in full before there is money in the business account.
3. Higher probability of financial approval
When determining the chances of accessing funding – aspects such as your credit score, collateral, and financing history are often considered with traditional financing. However, these are not required for invoice factoring approvals. Your factoring partner is more focused on the payment history of the customer required to pay the invoice. This is important to understand the level of risk that would be taken in invoice factoring.
4. Save time and money – No collateral required
Normally, when a business applies for a loan or line of credit, the bank requires the business to have upfront collateral such as equipment, vehicles, buildings, inventory, or even intellectual property. However, with invoice factoring, a business doesn’t have to worry about showing that traditional collateral. This can save you enormous amounts of time and paperwork.
With these tips in hand, what can invoice factoring do for you? By employing a third-party factoring company, you’ll be able to now:
- Improve business cash flow
- Invest that money back into your business and into your staff
- Move resources away from collections into more useful and profitable positions, such as sales, marketing, or customer service
- With more reliable cash flow on your end, you’ll be current with your suppliers and may even be able to negotiate better terms.
Now that you have a few ideas on how to make the most from invoice factoring, how do you choose a factoring company? Here are a few questions to ask when considering employing an accounts receivable factoring company:
- How long have you been in business?
- What are your fees?
- Must I submit all invoices, or do I have a choice in which ones I send to you?
- Are you industry-specific? Do you have experience with companies like mine?
- May I see references?
Choosing an invoice factoring company is, like all business decisions, one that should be made only after careful consideration. It’s important that you find someone who understands your business and your unique situation. No two businesses are alike. Find a factoring company that not only understands you but one that can offer you a range of solutions to your cash flow problems. The future of your business could be riding on your choice, so be sure, as with any transaction, you arm yourself with the best information you can find in order to make an informed decision.
If you’re ready to grow your business by factoring your accounts receivables, Charter Capital can help. Establishing yourself and finding out your accounts receivable factoring rate is free, so you can get started on improving your cash flow right away. Request a complimentary invoice factoring rate quote now.
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