Bay View Funding Blog

From Initial Contact to Commitment – Invoice Factoring in 5 Simple Steps

The invoice factoring promise of an injection of money now for invoices due to be paid by your customer later could be just what your company needs to succeed. However, rather like applying for a mortgage, or filling out your tax return, the process may initially seem intimidating.

Any application that involves filling out paperwork, and a request for detailed documentation, certainly requires a level of commitment. Once you have investigated invoice factoring as an option, consider the complete invoice factoring cycle to help you decide if factoring really would be a great fit for your company.

The steps are simple, but it pays to be prepared:

Trucking companies often run into funding problems that limit their growth. The problem isn't the business; it's the nature of the business. There is a major disconnect between services rendered and payment for those services. It can take up to 90 days to get paid for services you provided upfront.

We get it. You need your funds now. You need to keep your business

Cash flow should be simple, and there are many ways to go about finding a viable answer to your cash flow needs. We have discussed the many benefits of invoice factoring. Let’s take a look at another option that focuses on a specific financing requirement.

Have you heard of installment contract financing? It is a way of providing your customers with more options for payment so you can increase sales. If you can offer customers more ways to pay, chances are they are more likely to choose you as their business partner. Convenient monthly payment plans mean an easier way for your customers to pay, which leads to increased revenue for you, but how does this work?

Are you able to respond quickly to a change in demand? How about a major disruption to the distribution or manufacturing process?

On an operational level, how quickly can your company react to problems or opportunities in the short term, such as a late delivery, a customer needing extra items on a large order, or items that were due to be delivered by ground now need to get there overnight. On a larger scale, your company wants to start selling on the web, or a product is changing design or certain components, and therefore disrupting the production process. What would it take to change the direction of your supply chain?

A successful business is able to quickly respond to sudden alterations in demand. The need to be able to adapt to sudden change is vital in today’s rapidly advancing world. This has become harder in an economy that demands efficiency. The recession witnessed a drop in demand, which saw many companies trimming inventory and cutting costs in supply chain operations. However, a company with a weakened supply chain struggles to keep pace with economic recovery.

Are you already factoring some of your invoices? Have you thought about how factoring more of your accounts receivables could help grow your business?

Generally speaking, the rates you receive from an invoice factoring company will vary according to a selection of criteria, which will alter slightly from factor to factor:

• Anticipated monthly invoice factoring volume
• Customer credit worthiness
• Number of factored customers
• Number of invoices sent to customers
• Average invoice amount
• Accounts receivable turnover (average paying time)