Posted on March 11th, 2010 in Capital finance | Comments Off
Commercial financing has changed dramatically during the past few months. The net result has been a reduction in commercial lenders as well as stricter standards for acquiring commercial loans and commercial mortgages. Unfortunately there has also been no shortage of misinformation about the availability of commercial funding, so an important change issue is to realize that for commercial lending there are both apparent changes and real changes.
As is often the case with financial changes, it remains to be seen how many will be temporary or permanent. But from a practical perspective, commercial borrowers are left with no choice but to adapt to the changing commercial finance environment. Regardless of how long the changes might be kept in place, small business owners must be prepared to operate within a more complicated climate for commercial real estate loans and business financing.
Perhaps the most dramatic change has been a significant reduction in business lending activity overall. This has been due to several events occurring almost simultaneously. Several major commercial lenders have gone out of business altogether. Many banks have stopped business finance lending while continuing consumer lending. Numerous business lenders have enacted stricter standards for the commercial financing transactions they are still willing to consider.
What should commercial borrowers do about this? A primary option that business owners should explore involves looking beyond their local market area for help with commercial real estate financing and other commercial loans. To accomplish this, it should be helpful to contact a working capital financing expert operating throughout the United States.
In addition to fewer business lenders to choose from, there are two other significant changes which must be anticipated by small business owners before seeking new business financing. First, most lenders have cancelled or are about to eliminate unsecured lines of credit for many businesses. Second, commercial lenders are increasingly demanding more collateral for virtually all commercial finance funding.
One effective commercial financing strategy for overcoming the combined obstacles of fewer lenders, more collateral and fewer unsecured credit lines is to consider a business cash advance program based on future credit card processing activity. This is proving to be one of the few sources of commercial funding that has not been adversely impacted by recent events. To learn more, it will be advisable to discuss the potential with a small business financing expert who can provide advice about business cash advances as well as other business finance solutions.
Another key change issue for commercial mortgage loans and working capital loans is simply the likelihood that more changes will be forthcoming in the near future. It is increasingly obvious that many banks will continue to modify their business lending programs in response to changing conditions as they occur.
To adequately prepare for future commercial finance changes that might (or might not) occur is a daunting task for a business owner. A commercial financing expert familiar with Plan B contingency financing for commercial loans will prove to be a valuable resource for any borrower wanting to seriously deal with both current and future changes impacting the financial health of their business.
Posted on February 17th, 2010 in Capital finance | Comments Off
Most businesses which accept credit cards can obtain a business cash advance by using their future credit card processing activity. This strategy is also referred to as credit card financing and credit card receivables factoring. However, there are a number of critical business financing problems to avoid when using this strategy, and a merchant cash advance is not the only source to consider for additional working capital.
Business cash advance and credit card processing management is frequently one of the most overlooked sources of working capital for a business. This article will provide a concise and practical introduction to what a business needs to know about using this business finance strategy and how to obtain a merchant cash advance.
Businesses should not overlook the substantial working capital business loan benefits which will accrue to their business by effectively coordinating merchant cash advance and credit card processing programs. Key results from successfully coordinating these business financing services will include reduced costs and improved cash flow. Perhaps most importantly, a business cash advance based on credit card processing is one of the few viable options for reliably obtaining short-term commercial financing for many service and retail businesses.
Before we begin, there are two key points to keep in mind. First, business cash advance programs can be a source of confusion and problems, and proper anticipation of these potential difficulties is essential for a business owner considering this working capital strategy. Second, some additional descriptions for business cash advance programs are credit card receivables factoring, merchant cash advances and credit card financing.
Although this is a sound and viable strategy, there are pitfalls to anticipate and avoid. Below you will find our suggestions for simultaneously obtaining business cash advances and improving credit card processing.
Realize that the business cash advance strategy is not readily available until a business has been operational for at least one year. A further limitation is that the business must have been using credit cards as a form of payment by customers. It would be wise for new business owners to review this strategy in order to be better prepared for future business finance options needed in the future.
Determine how much additional working capital your business needs. In general a business cash advance is typically possible for amounts varying from $5000 to $300,000 and the amount will depend on the monthly credit card processing volume for a business.
Review your monthly credit card volume as well as cash receipts from your customers during the past six months. It is not unusual for a business to experience cyclical variations in their monthly receipts, and these fluctuations are generally acceptable in calculating the potential for a business cash advance.
Avoid business finance sites which request that a business owner submit an online application for a business cash advance. To illustrate the problems associated with an online business financing application, we have prepared a separate business loan report entitled How and Why to Avoid the Online Business Loan Application Trap.
An experienced business cash advance advisor should be consulted. High-pressure representatives making unrealistic promises about the speed of the credit card financing process should always be avoided. A realistic expectation is that a merchant cash advance can be finalized in a period of two to four weeks. A knowledgeable working capital financing advisor will be able to provide an initial assessment of potential working capital advance options based on information referred to above.
Explore additional resources that will facilitate a better understanding of complex credit card factoring issues. You should look for sources which will provide relevant strategies and solutions for any business owner contemplating a future business cash advance.
Complete an initial business cash advance application once you are satisfied that you have identified a suitable advisor and provider for coordinating the credit card processing and credit card receivables factoring. Please remember our advice to avoid the online versions for this step. Faxing or emailing a completed application directly to the advisor-provider is the preferred method for submitting initial documentation. Please note that there should not be any up-front fees or closing costs to obtain a working capital advance.
Any business, big or small, requires a continuous hoard of organized finance in order to keep functioning and grow in future. Risks and speculations are integral parts of any business and successful entrepreneurs often require funds to back up their strategies to undertake these risks and speculations. In order to obtain state of the art gears and infrastructure, forecasting a future market trend, relocating or growing beyond stipulated boundaries, running successful promotional campaigns or simply for paying off debts, working capital financing provides the ultimate fluid to business.
In present times, keeping up with the latest technology might often become the key to a successful business. Acquiring hi-tech means for business would definitely increase productivity and work flow and as a result provide an edge over competition. However, incorporating these advanced technical features for a business would require a considerable amount of investment for their installation and knowledge base. It would become impossible to acquire them without a capital boost.
Office environment plays a very important role in the productivity of a business. A nicely planned office space would help employees to have a psychological advantage and thus increase productivity. Moreover, relocation and growth prospects often call for businesses to set up new bases at different places. This would ideally mean a complete new setup and would definitely need some amount of capital boost. Without a sturdy capital, this can never take place.
Advertisements and other promotional campaigns are a must for any business that aims to create a long-term impact on the minds of its consumers. It is often said that consumer memory is short and hence even though any particular business might have been afloat for quite some time, it still requires extensive promotional campaigns. These campaigns are often very expensive, as they require to be continued over a long period of time.
Debts come as a part and parcel of every business. Be it a startup or an established business, debts are bound to occur at some point of time. These debts require to be paid off at regular intervals in order to maintain goodwill and avoid getting over burdened. And this would ideally require an inflow of cash to meet these demands.
Working capital financing proves handy when it comes to meeting these essential business needs. There are several benefits that working capital financing offers to entrepreneurs. These finances are easily available and cash is generally disbursed within 72hrs of application. It does not require any application fee. Unlike other forms of capital finances, working capital finance does not require any personal guarantee or collateral. But most importantly, the best part of working capital financing is its repayment procedure. Or should we say, no procedure at all. Well, it does not have any fixed repayment schedule or time frame. Only when a sale is made, a percentage automatically gets deducted from the sales amount towards the repayment of the capital. Moreover, loyal customers are often rewarded with incentives and special programs. Any fund acquired through working capital financing can be used for any business purpose.
Thus pondering working capital financing is an admirable decision when in need of spry financing for business wants, as itβs the easiest to get and best to repay.