Factoring: how can it help your business overcome late payments?
Insolvency body, R3, have recently revealed that as many as 1 in 5 corporate insolvencies in the last year were brought about as a failure to overcome late payments or insolvency of another company. Many businesses are experiencing late payments from businesses or individuals they supply to, but for some small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) this can significantly hurt them financially.
How factoring works
If you are running a business experiencing these difficulties, then this is where factoring could help you as a short term solution to cash flow struggles brought about by late payments. Factoring is a type of invoice finance and can benefit your business if you find yourself frequently short of cash, or unable to provide/control credit given to your customers.
Lenders provide factoring to businesses to generate quick funding which is secured against the book debts (value of outstanding invoices) of that business. It is, therefore, the perfect solution for businesses who regularly have slow paying customers. It will help improve cash-flow and give you the opportunity to carry on trading without worrying about unpaid invoices.
Where factoring differs from other business loans is that cash will only be provided from factoring companies, for a percentage value of outstanding invoices.
The process
If your business is struggling or unable to manage money as efficiently as it did, due to a failure to overcome late payments by your customers, factoring may be the answer. Factoring does have a cost and invoice factoring rates are similar to the interest you would typically pay on a bank loan. However, longer term, often invoice finance is a cheaper option.
- Once approved your lender will take over the responsibility for the collection of the debt until payment is received.
- You issue an invoice to your customer instructing them to make payment to the factoring company.
- The lender will release a pre-agreed percentage of the invoice value to you, usually within 24 hours.
- Your business’ customer will pay the invoice in full directly to your lender. You will not receive the money from your customer for the value of the invoice; this will be stated in the invoice sent out to the customer.
- You will then receive the remaining value of the invoice from your factoring company, minus their fees.
How can this benefit your business?
If you are a B2B business, factoring can be extremely beneficial for you for a number of reasons.
These include:
- Providing an instant cash injection.
- No longer having to chase the debt yourself – the responsibility for collecting the debt will pass over to your lender.
- Helping you to pay day to day bills – this ensures you can keep down business costs and avoid cash flow problems.
- Factoring can help you to expand your business.
- It is easy to set up – your business’ finances are not examined in as much detail as they would be for a bank loan. This is because factoring companies are more interested in your customer base. As a result, there is a better chance of approval.
- Money from your lender will usually be paid within 24 hours – up to the pre-agreed percentage of the invoice.
- The facility grows with your business – the more invoices you issue, the more money available to you from your factoring company.
- No need to negotiate as you grow – the facility grows with you.
- They are a good option for start-up businesses – some factoring companies will take a chance on a start-up in order to help them grow and develop.
What can we do for you?
If you’re worried about unpaid invoices, or constant late-paying clients, invoice factoring could provide you with the perfect facility to help move your business forward. It can give your business that injection of cash, as well as taking the responsibility of collecting late invoices, off your hands.
With our experience and expertise in the industry, we are brilliantly placed to help secure an excellent factoring facility for you. We work closely with 50 of the top blue-chip funders, gaining access to exclusive rates and deals. If you’re curious about what we can offer you, we work nationwide and provide a free consultation, with a no-obligation quote
Some of the partners we work with...
Why Choose Us?
WF Financial Solutions is an independent broker of invoice, asset and trade financing solutions with links to lenders of all sizes and specialties. WF Financial Solutions has helped many clients through the range of lenders and their varying services and are proud to offer advisory and introductory services to finance providers that suit your needs.