Alternative Financing Vs. Venture Capital: Which Option Is Best for Boosting Working Capital?

There are several potential financing options available to cash-strapped businesses that need a healthy dose of working capital. A bank loan or line of credit is often the first option that owners think of – and for businesses that qualify, this may be the best option.

In today’s uncertain business, economic and regulatory environment, qualifying for a bank loan can be difficult – especially for start-up companies and those that have experienced any type of financial difficulty. Sometimes, owners of businesses that don’t qualify for a bank loan decide that seeking venture capital or bringing on equity investors are other viable options.

But are they really? While there are some potential benefits to bringing venture capital and so-called “angel” investors into your business, there are drawbacks as well. Unfortunately, owners sometimes don’t think about these drawbacks until the ink has dried on a contract with a venture capitalist or angel investor – and it’s too late to back out of the deal.

Different Types of Financing

One problem with bringing in equity investors to help provide a working capital boost is that working capital and equity are really two different types of financing.

Working capital – or the money that is used to pay business expenses incurred during the time lag until cash from sales (or accounts receivable) is collected – is short-term in nature, so it should be financed via a short-term financing tool. Equity, however, should generally be used to finance rapid growth, business expansion, acquisitions or the purchase of long-term assets, which are defined as assets that are repaid over more than one 12-month business cycle.

But the biggest drawback to bringing equity investors into your business is a potential loss of control. When you sell equity (or shares) in your business to venture capitalists or angels, you are giving up a percentage of ownership in your business, and you may be doing so at an inopportune time. With this dilution of ownership most often comes a loss of control over some or all of the most important business decisions that must be made.

Sometimes, owners are enticed to sell equity by the fact that there is little (if any) out-of-pocket expense. Unlike debt financing, you don’t usually pay interest with equity financing. The equity investor gains its return via the ownership stake gained in your business. But the long-term “cost” of selling equity is always much higher than the short-term cost of debt, in terms of both actual cash cost as well as soft costs like the loss of control and stewardship of your company and the potential future value of the ownership shares that are sold.

Alternative Financing Solutions

But what if your business needs working capital and you don’t qualify for a bank loan or line of credit? Alternative financing solutions are often appropriate for injecting working capital into businesses in this situation. Three of the most common types of alternative financing used by such businesses are:

1. Full-Service Factoring – Businesses sell outstanding accounts receivable on an ongoing basis to a commercial finance (or factoring) company at a discount. The factoring company then manages the receivable until it is paid. Factoring is a well-established and accepted method of temporary alternative finance that is especially well-suited for rapidly growing companies and those with customer concentrations.

2. Accounts Receivable (A/R) Financing – A/R financing is an ideal solution for companies that are not yet bankable but have a stable financial condition and a more diverse customer base. Here, the business provides details on all accounts receivable and pledges those assets as collateral. The proceeds of those receivables are sent to a lockbox while the finance company calculates a borrowing base to determine the amount the company can borrow. When the borrower needs money, it makes an advance request and the finance company advances money using a percentage of the accounts receivable.

3. Asset-Based Lending (ABL) – This is a credit facility secured by all of a company’s assets, which may include A/R, equipment and inventory. Unlike with factoring, the business continues to manage and collect its own receivables and submits collateral reports on an ongoing basis to the finance company, which will review and periodically audit the reports.

In addition to providing working capital and enabling owners to maintain business control, alternative financing may provide other benefits as well:

It’s easy to determine the exact cost of financing and obtain an increase.
Professional collateral management can be included depending on the facility type and the lender.
Real-time, online interactive reporting is often available.
It may provide the business with access to more capital.
It’s flexible – financing ebbs and flows with the business’ needs.
It’s important to note that there are some circumstances in which equity is a viable and attractive financing solution. This is especially true in cases of business expansion and acquisition and new product launches – these are capital needs that are not generally well suited to debt financing. However, equity is not usually the appropriate financing solution to solve a working capital problem or help plug a cash-flow gap.

A Precious Commodity

Remember that business equity is a precious commodity that should only be considered under the right circumstances and at the right time. When equity financing is sought, ideally this should be done at a time when the company has good growth prospects and a significant cash need for this growth. Ideally, majority ownership (and thus, absolute control) should remain with the company founder(s).

Alternative financing solutions like factoring, A/R financing and ABL can provide the working capital boost many cash-strapped businesses that don’t qualify for bank financing need – without diluting ownership and possibly giving up business control at an inopportune time for the owner. If and when these companies become bankable later, it’s often an easy transition to a traditional bank line of credit. Your banker may be able to refer you to a commercial finance company that can offer the right type of alternative financing solution for your particular situation.

Taking the time to understand all the different financing options available to your business, and the pros and cons of each, is the best way to make sure you choose the best option for your business. The use of alternative financing can help your company grow without diluting your ownership. After all, it’s your business – shouldn’t you keep as much of it as possible?

How To Start Your Own Online Business And Find Fullfilment

It is quite easy to start your own online business today. This is because social media sites have provided a platform for online businesses to thrive.Online businesses are virtual stores that allow business owners to conduct their businesses via the web. These virtual stores help business owners to market their goods and services to the entire world.You can start your own online business without necessarily having a big office, shop, employees or even products. The internet has brought a revolution to the world of business in such a way that anyone who is willing to learn and apply the right techniques can make a fortune.Most of the richest people in the world have an internet based businesses. You should start your own internet business today, so that you can begin to work towards achieving your financial goals.Why Should You Start Your Own Online Business?If you want to know why you should start your own web-based business, here are a few of those reasons.It’s a great opportunityThe internet has opened a great door of opportunity for anyone who is interested in making money online. You do not need to have any special skill to start your own business on the internet. A passion to succeed and a willingness to learn is all you need to thrive in this area of business.The World has ChangedBusiness owners need to realize that the world has changed. Things are no longer done the way they used to be done. The internet has greatly influenced every activity including business.No matter how small or large your business is, if you want to make any headway in this new age of business, you need an internet presence. Any business owner who fails to establish an online presence will miss out on a great opportunity.Increase your Financial PotentialYou can increase your financial power exponentially if you start your own online business. If you have a day job, it is very difficult or almost impossible for you to increase your financial earnings.Regardless of no how many certificates you have, there is so little your employer or the system can offer you. However if you start your own business on the internet, your financial potential is limitless.How to StartYou should consider the online business opportunities available and choose the ones that you can do with the time you have at your disposal. You should consider your skills and training before you start your own web-based business.Below is a brief summary of the steps you should take to start your own business that’s based online.Choose the Type of Online Business you LikeThere are so many online business options to choose from. You can take time out to do some research to determine which ones are suitable for you. Affiliate marketing, blogging and network marketing are the popular businesses available today that can be started on the internet.Start ImmediatelyOnce you have chosen the business you like, you should learn as much as you can about it. It is important that you start immediately irrespective of the hurdles you might be facing. The earlier you start your own online business, the faster you can start paving your path to financial freedom.

Comparison Shopping For Your Car Finance Loan

Shopping around for a car is easy, but you need to also consider the car finance loan. Many people think they must take the car financing options that the dealership has to offer. Before you go shopping for a car to start with, people should always make a habit of shopping around their local car financing or car loan companies and check out what options they can get to help the consumer to save as much money as they possibly can. However, do not just stop with your local finance companies; go on the internet, to find some great deals that will save you money. You want to shop around and get as many quotes and as many different options as you can.Shopping around gives you the opportunity to make a list of who has the cheapest rates, and who has the best financing terms. Some will have penalties, especially for early payments or early payoff, and some will not. You should try to avoid any car finance company that will have any type of penalties. If you purchase a car from a car lot or dealership rather than from an individual, you usually always have to have full coverage insurance; buying it from an individual as long as both parties agree and you are the only driver, you may be able to buy a low type of No-Fault insurance.Many companies offer car finance loans with bad credit, and help you build your credit back up. Not all companies charge you an outrageous price for doing this as each car finance loan company is different and has many different options, however they can save you money in the long run. Some of these online car finance loan companies guarantee a 100% loan with no obligations, and it is free to apply. They even offer car finance loans for bad credit and no credit, or any type of credit problems such as bankruptcy, are ok, and they claim to provide the lowest rates in all 50 states.When you find the right car that you are looking for, a car finance loan representative will want to know how far you will be driving back and forth to work, and whether or not you are going to use the car on the job. These questions usually make a big difference in how much money you will have to put down and how much your payments will be. If you have had any traffic tickets, and if you have been involved in any recent accidents can also play a role. They will also want to know if you have ever been caught driving with out a license, or if you have ever been caught driving under the influence.There are a few car finance loan companies that do sell their own cars with low rates, and zero money down, on their used and new cars and trucks. A few of these offer instant credit approvals and immediate cash in a few minutes, which makes car finance loan companies sound as though they are too good to be true. Keep in mind that most of the time if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is; be very wary of websites such as these, and research them as much as possible in order to keep from being scammed and cause you severe stress in the future.