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Factoring or invoice discounting has a bad reputation among some business owners looking for finance. It is not surprising when you look at the terms imposed on companies by funders, such as the long list of types of fees and charges, and the demand for security and the commitment to sell all invoices. Cash for Invoices Limited's single invoice finance service has none of these onerous terms and so is a refreshing change: no security no commitment, no long list of fees, no recourse, and just one. Factoring is actually an effective tool for cash management because it liquidises illiquid assets i.e., it converts debtors into cash. The cash realised can be reinvested by the company in profitable projects or used to pay back expensive debt. Offsetting this income is the cost of factoring which as we have seen has historically been prohibitive. Cash for Invoices Limited's single invoice finance service enables a company to exercise good cash management without paying a raft of prohibitive fees and experiencing onerous terms. Some might argue that on an annual basis, the cost of single invoice finance is very high, but single invoice finance is used occasionally - for the odd occasions when additional cash is needed: such as fulfilling a large order, or paying an unexpected bill (such as VAT). In contrast to a term loan, single invoice finance is not used continuously and so an annual comparison (with a loan rate) is comparing apples and oranges. Even though the interest rate on a loan might look relatively attractive, the cost of arranging and using that loan must also be factored in, such as the arrangement, commitment , and non-utilisation fees. There will also be legal costs for documentation. A company should prefer having cash to debtors so to factor one's debts should be viewed positively not negatively. What is an invoice? Invoices are a form of trade receivable, i.e., they are an asset on a company's balance sheet representing money to be received by that company at some future date - at the time the debtor pays the invoice. At that time, the debtor (payer of the invoice) will no longer appear on the company's balance sheet and instead it will be replaced by an equal amount of cash (which is also an asset). There is no net increase or decrease in assets, merely conversion from one to another. Bad debt? If that debtor does not pay, then the asset will be written off as a bad debt (a cost in the profit & loss account) and assets will then reduce (no cash came in). Granting time (credit) to buyers to pay for their purchases is therefore an example of credit risk for the company giving time. If later - perhaps through credit collection procedures - the debtor pays the invoice, then the bad debt is added to the p&l as a profit (income) and cash increased by the amount received. The assets increase and are offset by an increase in profit (equity on the balance sheet). All is well again. Selling an invoice to Cash for Invoices Limited Before the debtor defaults, the company can sell the invoice to a company such as Cash for Invoices Limited that will offer to buy just one invoice when the company wants to sell. There is no commitment for the company to sell, and no commitment for Cash for Invoices Limited to buy. The company wants to exchange an invoice for cash - perhaps it needs the cash sooner than the invoice payment date. Cash for Invoices Limited will make an offer after conducting due diligence on the selling company and on the debtor especially. The debtor is a key concern for Cash for Invoices Limited because if there is a subsequent default then Cash for Invoices Limited will not require the seller to buyback the invoice. The sale is therefore non-recourse and Cash for Invoices Limited has to suffer the consequences of a default. It will commence steps to recover the debt. These can include issuing letters for payment, appointing a solicitor, making a court claim, or making a claim under a credit insurance policy. Retention to mitigate credit risk To mitigate the potential costs of trying to recover payment on an invoice that Cash for Invoices Limited purchased but which goes into default, Cash for Invoices Limited will retain up to 10% of the value of that invoice from the purchase price. If there is no default (the debtor pays the invoice on time and in full) then Cash for Invoices Limited will pay the retention to the seller when the debtor pays the invoice. Features of single invoice finance offered by Cash for Invoices Limited In addition to being non-recourse, Cash for Invoices Limited does not require a commitment from the seller to sell all its invoices, nor will Cash for Invoices Limited charge an arrangement fee for a purchase. Cash for Invoices Limited will not ask for ongoing fees because there is no facility between the seller and Cash for Invoices Limited. The transaction is entered into whenever the company needs cash and Cash for Invoices Limited agrees to purchase the single invoice or multiple invoices. Compared to bank factoring facilities, Cash for Invoices Limited's single invoice finance service is far more simple and has no tie-ins and far fewer fees, just one. Supplier invoice finance offered by Cash for Invoices Limited Cash for Invoices Limited also helps companies who need more time. Why do they need more time? Because suppliers who have sent them an invoices are demanding payment but the company needs more time to pay. In such situations, Cash for Invoices Limited can offer to buy the supplier single invoice for cash. That cash is paid to the supplier not to the company Cash for Invoices Limited is helping. Having got the supplier off the company's back, Cash for Invoices Limited allows the company the extra time it needs to get cash and then to use that cash to pay Cash for Invoices Limited for the supplier invoice Cash for Invoices Limited purchased. Cash for Invoices Limited's single invoice finance service therefore helps companies (sole traders and SMEs) who either need cash or who need more time. To find out more about Cash for Invoices Limited's single invoice finance service contact Cash for Invoices Limited. Comments are closed.
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