Factoring Company Guide
First Step: Filling Out the Application
Begin your journey to financial stability with a simple, no-nonsense application. Provide basic details about your business – its name, operations, and customer information. This is the first practical step in enhancing your business’s cash flow.
Be prepared to present financial documents like an accounts receivable aging report. This helps us assess the payment potential of your customers, giving us a comprehensive view of their financial health.
In this initial phase, you’ll outline your financial requirements. How many invoices do you plan to factor? What are the anticipated rates? These decisions depend on your industry, your company's history, and the creditworthiness of your customers.
Factoring volume is crucial. Generally, higher invoice volumes lead to more favorable terms, making this a key consideration for your business.
We use your application to determine if factoring is suitable for your business needs. If approved, we negotiate the terms, considering the scale of your factoring. Larger amounts typically yield better deals.
During negotiations, all costs are explained clearly. After agreement on terms, we initiate the funding by verifying your customers' credit and ensuring the legitimacy of your invoices, leading to a swift cash advance.
Factoring Company Benefits
Factoring Benefits: Fuel Your Business Efficiency
- Focus on business growth, liberated from cash flow concerns.
- Relieve the pressure of loan repayments with quick cash access.
- Enjoy full control and autonomy in your business operations.
- Minimize the costs involved in chasing overdue payments.
- Optimize your cash flow by selecting specific invoices for sale.
- Counteract the impact of slow-paying customers.
- Elevate your production and sales with consistent cash flow.
- Utilize professional services for efficient payment collection and credit analysis.
- Guarantee timely payroll management every time.
- Ensure sufficient funds are available for payroll taxes.
- Secure discounts for bulk material purchases.
- Enhance your purchasing power, leading to significant savings.
- Boost your credit rating through punctual bill payments.
- Allocate necessary funds for expanding your business footprint.
- Direct funds towards strategic marketing efforts.
- Witness a marked improvement in your financial statements.
- Receive detailed reports for better understanding of your receivables.
Is Factoring For You
The Benefits of Factoring
Have you ever considered the advantages of factoring?
Factoring can provide numerous benefits for your business. Let's explore them:
Improved Cash Flow: Factoring allows you to access immediate cash by selling your accounts receivable to a factoring company. Instead of waiting for your customers to pay, you can receive a significant portion of the invoice value upfront. This infusion of funds can help you meet your financial obligations, pay your suppliers on time, and seize new business opportunities.
Elimination of Bad Debt: When you factor your receivables, the responsibility for collecting payment shifts to the factoring company. They assume the risk of non-payment, reducing your exposure to bad debts. This protects your business from the financial consequences of customers who fail to pay or become insolvent.
Focus on Core Operations: By outsourcing the accounts receivable management to a factoring company, you can free up valuable time and resources. Instead of chasing late payments, you can concentrate on core business activities, such as sales, production, and growth strategies.
Credit Risk Assessment: Factoring companies often conduct credit checks on your customers before purchasing your invoices. This assessment provides valuable insights into the creditworthiness of your clients, helping you make informed decisions about extending credit and minimizing potential risks.
Professional Collections: Factoring companies have expertise in collections and can employ professional strategies to ensure timely payment from your customers. Their dedicated teams will handle the collection process, allowing you to maintain a positive business relationship with your clients.
Flexible Financing: Factoring provides a flexible financing solution that grows with your business. As your sales increase, so does the amount of funding available to you. This scalability allows you to access the working capital you need to support your expanding operations.
Quick and Easy Process: Factoring is typically a streamlined and efficient process. Unlike traditional bank loans, factoring does not require extensive paperwork, collateral, or a lengthy approval process. The focus is primarily on the creditworthiness of your customers, making it a quicker and more accessible financing option.
Consider factoring as a strategic tool to optimize your cash flow, reduce risk, and focus on the growth and success of your business.
Factoring History
Factoring History
Step into the world of factoring, the secret ingredient to business success in America. This is for every business owner and entrepreneur who's ever dreamed of financial breakthroughs and transformative growth.
Oddly enough, this powerhouse of business finance is barely mentioned in academia. Yet, it’s the silent force behind billions of dollars in business liquidity, enabling companies to reach new heights.
But what is factoring? It's a timeless financial strategy, originating from the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia. This practice of buying invoices at a discount has shaped the course of business history.
Throughout the ages, from the Romans to the early American economy, factoring was the ace in the hole. In an era of sluggish banking, it was the swift solution for urgent financial needs.
In today’s fast-paced business environment, factoring stands as a critical tool for growth. Across industries, it’s the bridge turning receivables into billions of dollars of success. Factoring isn't just finance; it's your business's future, reimagined.
Credit Risk
Quick Continuous Cash: No-Extra-Cost Expert Credit Risk Assessment
Mastering credit risk assessment is essential in factoring, and we offer unparalleled expertise in this field without any added fees. We function as your comprehensive credit department, providing insights for new and existing customers.
Consider the potential risk when sales targets overshadow credit assessments. This could lead to sales that fail to materialize into payments. With our service, such risks are effectively mitigated.
Our objective credit assessments guide your transactions, but the ultimate decision remains yours. We equip you with detailed, factual credit information for more strategic business decisions.
Unlike many businesses, we regularly monitor the credit ratings of your existing customers, maintaining constant vigilance to prevent financial issues.
In addition, we provide detailed financial reports on your accounts receivable, giving you a comprehensive view of your financial standing and aiding strategic planning.
With over 70 years in cash flow and credit management, our goal is to bolster your financial position. Let our expertise be a driving force in achieving your financial objectives.
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!
