Any person in business comprehends there can be a significant gap between the day a bargain is closed and the moment the capital is obtained, especially when it comes to buyers who demand the most loyal payment terms and transfer currency in the last hours. One variant to refine your cash flow is to take out a loan against the price of the payment documents you handed to purchasers. Let’s talk more about invoice financing and the profits and downsides of such a loan product.
The definition of invoicing financing
Invoice financing is a technique of borrowing funds for an enterprise against the sums it will get from buyers. This economical service allows firms to perfect cash flow, pay staff salaries, eliminate debts to suppliers, and invest funds in expansion and development earlier than they would if they were waiting to receive client capital.
Firms pay a percentage of the bills to the lender as a reward for borrowing financial resources. Invoice financing (or receivables financing) solves the problems associated with long waiting times for funds from buyers and eliminates the difficulties associated with obtaining other categories of business loans.
Main stages of receivables financing
Three market players are involved in an invoice financing agreement: the firm that sent the bill to the buyer, the purchaser that obtained the commercial paper, and the economic institution. To feel the significant profit from cooperation, the enterprise must agree on terms with the financial institution and expect the buyer to transfer the money by the moment indicated on the bill. Consider the fundamental phases of receivables financing:
- Invoicing: your enterprise provides commodities or services to the shopper and sends payment documents containing all the necessary data, including a description of the terms and conditions.
- Sending insights about the bills: you give the financial institution basic bill information, including trade size, buyer details, and commercial terms.
- Advance payment: the economic service provider examines the commercial document and, if approved, passes the advance payment to the enterprise as a percentage of the bill sum. This rate often varies from 80 to 90 percent, depending on the lender and the industry.
- Payment form the buyer: your purchaser pays for commodities and services according to prearranged details. In factoring, the shopper sends currency directly to the lender. If you select an invoice discount, the buyer sends dollars to a trust account or transfers the financing to you, depending on the arrangements.
- Fee deduction: once the buyer funds are in the account, the economic service provider hands over the remaining capital to you. At the same time, you must pay all fees, including factor fees, interest, etc.
You can continue to send new bills to the factoring firm as they arise to open a revolving line of credit. It will give your firm a stable cash flow and the ability to utilize working capital anytime.
Who may count on financing bills?
If problems with bill payments can lead to negative cash flow, bill financing can improve things because you get working capital before buyers settle their obligations. Such a service is available in various areas, but there are some requirements that the organization must meet, let’s look at the most common of them:
- The business must trade and bill to other firms (B2B) and not to end consumers (B2C).
- The organization is required to meet minimum annual turnover requirements.
- The firm must be registered as a sole trader or limited company.
- The enterprise should offer customers standard industry credit terms,
- The counterparty must send several invoices monthly or provide payment documents for the specified amount or more.
Not all companies offering loan capital set such strict rules, and the rates and procedures for obtaining credit can vary greatly. You may utilize the services of an economic agent to simplify the process. On your behalf, such a specialist will compare the conditions of various lenders to select an optimal variant.
Primary categories of invoice finances
You should carefully analyze whether your organization meets the criteria set by credit service providers and choose the most suitable financing algorithm. Let’s discuss which options users choose most often:
- The bill discount means the entrepreneur, not the lender, monitors the sales ledger and collects customer funds. It allows you to keep the contract secret and not spoil customer relations, but this cooperation takes longer.
- Invoice factoring allows the transfer of the right to collect bills to a financial provider. It means your clients will know the contract as the factoring firm will negotiate with them directly to get money.
- Spot factoring (selective financing) provides maximum flexibility. It provides for a one-time sale of unpaid invoices to a factoring organization. Such a technique gives small business owners maximum freedom to decide which payment papers to employ to generate working capital.
It is vital to know factoring can also be with or without the right of recourse. In the first case, your firm is liable for buyers’ debts. If the lender does not receive dollars, the enterprise is required to refund the down payment. Factoring without recourse means that the credit institution assumes all the risks associated with non-payment of customer debts.
How much does bill financing cost?
There are some fees to remember if you plan to utilize bill financing. They will be distinct depending on whether you prefer an invoice discount or a factoring procedure. The cost of such loan capital also depends on other factors, including the volume of the business, the field in which you operate, and the creditworthiness of your purchaser base. Let’s analyze the fundamental categories of fees:
- Original commission: the organization charges a fee to process a request for money; most often, it is estimated as a percentage of the bill sum.
- Credit control charges: before issuing advances, lenders examine the creditworthiness of your buyers to comprehend the likelihood of default. You may have to pay the expenditures of such a check.
- Factor fee: when you implement a bill, a factor rate is applied to its cost (most often, it varies from 1 to 5%); this amount is a factor charge.
- Interest: they are charged on loans obtained.
- Service fee: it is the fee for managing borrowed capital.
- Late commission: factoring firms may charge a fee if you don’t pay on time.
It is one of the most affordable financial instruments since you get in debt what you are already owed. However, before choosing such a method of raising capital, it is worth considering the possibility of bridging the cash gap in other ways, e.g., changing the billing algorithm.
Main advantages of invoicing financing
As discussed above, bill financing provides businesses instant access to needed funds and eliminates lengthy waiting periods leading to cash flow troubles. Consider other profits of receivables financing:
- No need to use fixed assets: you don’t have to offer property as collateral for credit. It is helpful if we speak about firms that own a small number of equipment and other physical assets.
- These dollars are simpler to get than other groups of loans: the financial service provider may verify your credit history, but the main focus will be on the creditworthiness of your purchasers and the price of bills.
- Easily scalable: as your enterprise grows in turnover, you can access more currency and continue to perfect your cash flow.
The bill financing service is of great value when force majeure occurs. Natural catastrophes that damage reserves, disrupt supplies, or degrade key buyers’ economic position can threaten a firm’s survival. If an organization faces such a negative position and has limited funds in the accounts, quickly raising capital through receivables financing can save the business.
Some risks of invoicing finance
You should not forget the essence of receivables financing: even if it is sometimes positioned as a down payment, it is still a category of loan, and you should prevent high leverage. Other negative points include:
- Unpredictable value: when you sign a treaty, you won’t comprehend the last price, as it often depends on how quickly the purchaser performs the remittance.
- Negative effect on shopper perception: buyers will realize that you collaborate with a factoring firm, so they may decide your firm is on the verge of bankruptcy.
In most cases, receivables financing is a short-term solution since agreements are concluded for 1-2 years. Therefore, organizations should reasonably restructure their financial sector during this time so that cash flow does not become a problem at the end of the contract.
Final thoughts
Many B2B firms face a lack of regular cash flow, especially when interacting with customers who are slow to pay for goods and services or when implementing advanced payment systems. Firms that find themselves in this position experience a shortage of working capital. If you do not have access to standard bank loans or lines of credit, we recommend using the bill financing service. Such a loan category is a firm that needs working capital and utilizes its bills as collateral to get money from an enterprise that offers short-term credits.
If your firm is facing negative cash flow and you need help solving this problem, we advise that you seek the assistance of professional bookkeepers from BooksTime. Our experts will help you optimize the inflow and outflow of capital and tell you which types of loans are optimal in your situation.
