Factoring Company Guide
First Step: Filling Out the Application
Initiate your journey towards financial improvement with our straightforward application. Provide us with basic details about your company and its operations. This step is crucial in optimizing your cash flow management.
Be prepared to share financial documents, such as accounts receivable reports. This information is vital for us to understand the financial status of your customers beyond your direct interactions with them.
During this stage, you will outline your financial needs. How much are you planning to factor? What advance rate are you looking for? These terms are influenced by your industry, the history of your business, and the risk profile of your customers.
The scale of your factoring is an important consideration. In general, a higher volume of factoring leads to more beneficial terms for your business.
Your application helps us to determine if factoring is a viable option for your business. After approval, we proceed to negotiate the terms, with the scale of your factoring influencing the agreement. Larger amounts usually result in better terms.
We ensure that all costs are clearly communicated during the negotiation. Once the terms are set, we begin the funding process, efficiently and swiftly providing your business with the necessary cash advance.
Factoring Company Benefits
Perks of Factoring: The Inside Scoop
Is Factoring For You
The Importance of Factoring
Completing a sale goes beyond just making the transaction. It's about collecting the money that is owed to you. Imagine being a part-time banker for your customers, providing them with interest-free financing.
Take a moment to examine your accounts receivable aging schedule. How many accounts are overdue by more than 30 days? By not receiving timely payment, you're effectively extending credit to these customers. This may not align with your original business intentions.
Consider this: If your customers approached a bank for the same amount of money, they would expect to pay a significant amount of interest. Yet, you're not earning any interest on the money you've extended to them.
What's more, you're missing out on the opportunity to utilize that capital while waiting for customers to settle their debts. The cost of not having this money readily available can be significant. Essentially, your customers are asking you to finance their business by granting them extended payment terms.
Have you thought about the expenses incurred due to missed opportunities when your funds are tied up in accounts receivable? It's time to take a closer look at the impact on your business and explore the benefits of factoring.
Factoring History
Factoring: Empowering Businesses to Thrive
Welcome to the world of factoring, where businesses find the power to thrive and succeed. Whether you're a seasoned business owner, an aspiring entrepreneur, or someone seeking innovative financing options, factoring can be the game-changer you've been searching for.
Surprisingly, factoring often remains under the radar and unknown to many in the business landscape. Yet, it holds the key to unlocking success for countless businesses, fueling their growth and providing them with the financial support they need.
But what exactly is factoring? At its core, factoring involves selling your accounts receivable (invoices) at a discount to a specialized financial institution. In today's competitive market, offering credit terms to customers is essential for business success. However, delayed payments can create cash flow challenges, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Factoring has a rich history that dates back centuries. Its roots can be traced to ancient civilizations that recognized the value of turning unpaid invoices into immediate cash flow. Over time, factoring evolved to meet the changing needs of businesses, becoming a vital financial tool in modern times.
Today, factoring serves as a catalyst for business growth and prosperity. By leveraging factoring, businesses gain quick access to funds that would otherwise be tied up in unpaid invoices. This infusion of cash provides the flexibility to cover operational expenses, invest in new opportunities, expand marketing efforts, and strengthen overall financial stability.
Factoring is not limited to specific industries or business sizes. It benefits a wide range of businesses, from manufacturers and distributors to service providers and contractors. Whether you're a startup, a growing company, or an established enterprise, factoring can be tailored to your unique needs, fueling your growth journey.
Working with a factor brings additional advantages. Factors offer valuable expertise in credit analysis, collections, and risk management. They assume the responsibility of collecting payments from customers, allowing businesses to focus on their core operations. This collaborative partnership ensures a smoother cash flow cycle and minimizes the risks associated with late or non-payment.
Embracing factoring means breaking free from the limitations of traditional financing options. It offers a flexible and accessible alternative, empowering businesses to take control of their finances and capitalize on growth opportunities. With factoring, you can transform the way you do business, unlock your full potential, and achieve long-term success.
Join the ranks of businesses that have harnessed the power of factoring and experience the difference it can make. Discover the freedom to thrive, fuel your growth ambitions, and navigate the ever-changing business landscape with confidence. Factoring is the key that unlocks the door to your business's brighter future.
Credit Risk
Quick Continuous Cash: Get Expert Credit Risk Assessment at No Extra Cost!
Accurately evaluating credit risk is a crucial aspect of our factoring business. Very few, if any, clients can perform this function as objectively as we can.
At no additional fee, we act as your dedicated credit department for both new and existing customers. This gives you a significant advantage over handling these functions in-house.
Imagine a scenario where a salesperson is pursuing a new account with the potential for substantial purchases. The salesperson may be so focused on winning the business that they overlook warning signs related to credit difficulties. They might even bypass your internal credit checks to expedite the process. While this may secure the sale, it won't guarantee payment, and without payment, there is no sale.
With us, this situation won't occur. We make credit decisions based on a comprehensive understanding of the new customer's credit situation. We won't purchase the invoices of customers with poor credit ratings, minimizing the risk of nonpayment. However, please don't view our involvement as a tightening of credit to the extent that it negatively impacts your business beyond your control.
If you have a new customer with questionable creditworthiness, the ultimate decision to do business with them remains yours. (Nevertheless, we reserve the right to say, ""I told you so!"")
While we may not purchase those invoices, you still retain the freedom to extend credit terms as you see fit. You remain in control. Regardless of the decisions you make, thanks to our participation, you can be confident that you'll have access to more comprehensive, objective, and high-quality information for informed credit decisions compared to your past practices.
We thoroughly research new clients and, equally importantly, regularly monitor the credit ratings of your existing customers. This is in stark contrast to most businesses where routine credit updates on the established customer base are rare. Such neglect can be a grave mistake.
Typically, businesses only conduct a credit check when it's too late and the problem has already spiraled out of control. On the other hand, we will promptly inform you if there are any changes in the credit status of your existing customers.
In addition to providing specific customer credit information, you'll also enjoy the benefits of comprehensive, detailed reports on your accounts receivables as a whole. As part of our process, you'll receive accounting details, transactional insights, aging reports, and financial management reports. This data empowers you to incorporate it into your sales tracking, account history, and in-depth analysis.
With over 70 years of successful cash flow and credit management experience, we are eager to leverage our expertise for your benefit. Let us put our knowledge to work for you and help you achieve your financial goals.
How To Change Factoring Companies
Changing Your Invoice Factoring Service Provider
Need-to-know info about switching invoice factoring firms.
Are you considering a different invoice factoring firm?
Are you dissatisfied with your current one?
Planning on ditching your current factoring firm?
What should I know before I switch factoring companies?
Here's a guide answering all these queries and more:
Understanding UCC and its role in switching factoring firms:
Usually, factoring companies file a general Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) to secure their claim over the invoices they've funded.
The UCC helps factoring companies, banks, and lenders know who's lent money on which assets. As invoices change daily, factoring companies need to file a 'blanket' UCC that secures all your receivables, even if you're only factoring a part of your sales. This 'blanket' UCC acts as a signal to other lenders, showing a Security Agreement exists between you and the factoring company.
Your specific factoring details, like rates and which accounts are factored, are laid out in the Security Agreement, which is not publicly accessible. Essentially, a UCC works like a first mortgage on your business.
The Process of Switching Companies
The lender with the earliest UCC filing gets 'First Position' on the promised collateral. For instance, a factoring firm has first rights to collect payments on your invoices.
To switch factoring firms, the new factoring firm has to pay off the old one. At the same time, the old factoring company's claim is released, and the new company's claim is filed, similar to refinancing a house.
A 'buyout' is when the new factoring firm pays off the old one using funds from your first financing.
The Buyout Agreement details the transition process and is signed by the old factoring firm, new factoring firm, and your company. In this agreement, you agree to the 'buyout figure' provided by the old factoring company.
How is the Buyout Figure Determined:
The buyout figure is usually the total outstanding receivables minus any reserves and then plus any fees owed to the old factoring firm. It's a good idea to ask for a detailed breakdown of your figure to ensure you understand if there are any early termination fees or additional charges.
What does the buyout cost?
If you can provide new invoices to the new factoring company, which they can use to pay off the outstanding invoices at your old firm, then you wouldn't incur additional costs for the switch. However, most companies need to resubmit some of the invoices already factored with the old company to the new one. In this case, the 'overlap' invoices will incur fees from both factoring firms.
How long does a buyout take?
When you're switching factoring firms, plan for the first funding to take two to three more days than the normal setup process. The extra days will be used to verify the invoices and calculate buyout figures for your approval.
What if my situation is more complex?
Although it's not usual, the old and new factoring firms can collaborate via an Intercreditor or Subordination Agreement until the old firm is paid off. Depending on the situation, factoring firms have managed to 'draw a line in the sand,' where the old firm has rights to invoices up to a certain date, and the new firm has rights to all invoices after that date.
Questions you should have asked before signing up with your current factoring firm:
- Can I use multiple factoring firms at once? The universal answer is one, according to the Uniform Commercial Code/UCC.
- If I decide to switch factoring firms, how much notice do I need to give?
- What is the penalty for leaving without giving the required notice and can you provide an example of how the fees are calculated? Beware of 13-month contracts that require a certain monthly factoring volume.
For example, a 13-month contract where you've agreed to factor $100,000 per month at a rate of 3% means you promise to pay them $3,000 per month in factoring fees or $34,000 in total over the next year. If you want to leave after 6 months, they will charge you the fees for the remaining 6 months, which equals $13,000. This can be too expensive for most companies, especially those with low profit margins. You're stuck!
