Factoring as an Option

It doesn't seem all that long ago that factoring was considered a horrible, last ditch option for funding and that the impression customers got of it was that your company was six feet from six feet under.

With the credit markets still artificially tight due to the Fed paying on reserves and Washington DC too captured to prosecute or hold accountable the greedy who caused the mess we are in, alternative sources of business funding are coming to the fore and are being accepted and promoted as valuable methods of financing in a very challenging environment.

It is often a concern of business owners: What will my customers think if they were to find out I factor my receivables?

While this is something that should be considered (and discussed with a potential factoring partner - how is the customer interaction really handled?) it is essentially a reflection of the business owner's own worry about perceptions relating to their business and their abilities, not so much an issue for the customer base.  Psychologically, we as humans do not want to show weakness.  This is particularly true of those of us who are incapable of bearing children due to...shall we say, the lack of necessary equipment for doing so.

Factoring is not necessarily a sign of weakness - granted, there are situations where a company might be in such a predicament that factoring may be considered, but if the company's going concern status is questionable, most factors will pass on funding the deal (DIP funding is an altogether different topic, but can be done also).  Actually, factoring your receivables can and should be viewed as a strength.  You are using other people's money to provide terms to customers, take advantage of early pay discounts with vendors, smooth out cashflow, cover payroll and expenses, grow your company, capitalize on new opportunities for growth, utilizing the credit decision support and invoice collection expertise of a specialized firm, and on and on.

Most companies that I work with have customers that range from small mom and pop stores to huge multi-nationals.  What we are finding lately is that many of the larger customers are well aware of factoring and how it fits into SME financing, and that the smaller mom and pop companies are finding out about it as well.  Interestingly, as of a few years ago there was a report that about 75% of small to medium sized business owners did not know about factoring and how it could be used to fund their business. More importantly, the idea of a vendor using factoring as a means to fund their business is becoming more widely accepted as "normal".

Take for instance the June 2011 issue of The Costco Connection.  A little background:  The Costco Connection is a magazine sent out to all Costco Members. It is the fourth largest magazine by readership in the US (8.3 million monthly subscribers as of December 2010, they print about 96 million copies of the magazine annually) and the second largest among households earning $250k or more per year (it lost out to People Magazine, why readers are interested in the comings and goings of overpaid celebrities is still beyond me...surprisingly it beat out National Geographic who was third on the list). 18% of The Costco Connection readers are millionaires, and 55% own their own businesses.  Not bad for a magazine printed by a retailer/wholesaler.

In the June issue, there is an article on page 21 that discusses the cashflow crunch and how to deal with slow paying customers.  Factoring is referenced as a means to solve the issue. 

In the August 23rd edition of Business Week's Today's Tip, factoring is listed second (behind asset based financing, which can be almost as challenging to obtain as traditional bank financing in some instances) as a good option for financing a business.

As we head towards a still uncertain future with the economy and the markets weakened and staggering, factoring is a valuable alternative to fund your business.  Whether your bank is restricting availability, politely asking you to find other sources of funding, not funding on your export sales or purchase orders, or you might have a new business unable to secure traditional facilities, I would encourage you to look into factoring (and PO funding) as a means to achieve your goals.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or if you would like a quote.

Why Do Factoring Companies Need To See So Much Paperwork???

Many people considering PO and/or AR funding have wondered why factoring companies need to review detailed transaction documentation. I have heard, "Well, the banks don't need to see that." It can be frustrating to have to submit so much paperwork, but the way a factoring company funds is based upon the transactions of a business, not solely on its financial statements.

The details of what is listed on customer POs, POs to suppliers, proforma and commercial invoices from suppliers, shipping documents and invoices to customers are of great importance in making sure that your transactions are done properly and that if anything should go wrong the documents can stand up in court. Items that may appear to be of no great importance generally are (Incoterms, shipping dates, cancel dates, payment terms, bill to and ship to addresses, etc.) and can be the difference between a transaction running smoothly with well established relationships and a distaster and damaged relationships. As in the rest of life it is the little things that really count.

Whereas a bank is mainly focused on cash flow and profitability, PO funders and factors are more interested in the credit quality of your customers and the performance capacity of your suppliers. When funding invoices and POs the key to the kingdom is solid paperwork.

Below is a testimonial from one of our clients which upon first reading is quite funny, but once you read it a second time you can see that by focusing on the documentation and flow of goods your funding company can actually help improve your successes and business processes. You can find it on our website here.

Working with Bibby Financial Services – what was it like? Well, it was sort of like hell.

Our company sells Tasers and police training to the Brazilian government. I had a two-week deadline to complete a transaction that involved multiple currencies, different time zones, multiple parties and numerous legal and governmental hurdles. And what did Bibby do? They held my feet to the fire. They made me jump through hoop after hoop. Each day, there was one more thing to do and then another and then another. They made sure every step in the process was completed on time and in excellent order. The result was a perfect transaction. So now we are doing it again.

Remember, nobody else could do this deal. Bank after bank denied my transaction because they wouldn’t do purchase order finance. Then, speed was everything because we only had two weeks, start to finish, to get the product to Brazil. And finally, this deal mattered to our company. A lot. Because this one sale was larger than all our sales for the previous year.

Here’s how the deal worked:

Our company won a contract to deliver $4 million in Tasers to Brazil. The first step was for the government to issue to us a non-transferable letter of credit through the government-owned Banco do Brasil, stating the firm two-week deadline. Because the size of the deal was so large, our company needed cash to pay the manufacturer ahead of time. Bibby stepped in at this point. First, Bibby insured that the bid process in Brazil and subsequent agreement were properly executed. The letter of credit was assigned to Bibby, who then sent third-party inspectors to the manufacturer to make sure the product complied with standards set by the Brazilian government. Bibby paid the manufacturer based on that report. Bibby also coordinated with the manufacturer, trucking company and freight forwarder to insure that the goods would arrive in Brazil on time so they could collect from the LC. The goods were shipped to Brazil by air and the Brazilian government paid the letter of credit via the Banco do Brasil, sending the funds directly to Bibby.

What was it like working with Bibby? All of the things that needed to be done were done. Bibby knew the process to keep things moving forward. Bibby has my respect – they came through when others wouldn’t. It was very special in a common way, but they did it in a very special and uncommon way.

What was it like working with Bibby? Fun.