Factoring account receivables is helping businesses through these tough economic conditions opening the door to earning opportunities for cash flow consultants.
FactoringInvestor (FI) caught up with Howard Chernin (HC) to fill us in on the accounts receivable funding business. Howard is the Sr. Vice President of Quantum Corporate Funding, LTD in Fort Lee, New Jersey and heads up the New Business Development division.
FI: What transactions will your company consider funding?
HC: Since 1991 Quantum has been factoring all types of receivables, except medical. We continue to target transactions ranging from $25,000 to $5 million plus. We will still buy a single invoice rather than requiring a company to sign up for a long-term contract.
We are well known for factoring construction receivables, however we will consider all types of invoices. Right now we are seeing quite a bit of manufacturing, staffing, and construction.
We are considering deals all across the country. In fact Tobi in our office moved to Arizona and is developing business in that part of the country. The first step is to send us some basics on the transaction, including debtor information and aging reports, to gauge our interest level.
FI: How did you get your start in the factoring business?
HC: I worked in the corporate world for several Fortune 500 companies. I wanted to do something completely different and started a fire sprinkler company in the construction field. That led to my involvement in the factoring business with Quantum in 1993.
FI: What unique benefits does your company provide?
HC: ME! I’m the biggest benefit in helping consultants work with our company to factor receivables for their clients.
FI: How do you handle commissions to brokers or consultants?
HC: Our standard commission is to pay 10% of whatever Quantum makes for the lifetime of the account.
FI: What do you consider the best methods for finding deals?
HC: In today’s market it is all about referrals. Talk to people and tell them what you do. Think about your sphere of influence. Everyone knows 250 people and they in turn know at least one person. So now you have at least 500 people you are connected to on some level. You must constantly use your own referral base to build your business.
FI: What advice would you give to new professionals just starting out in the industry?
HC: The first and most important thing is to get on that phone and be able to take rejection. If you can overcome rejection you can succeed.
Initially a consultant needs to be able to make 250 calls per day and learn from each call. Out of those 250 calls you might get 15 leads to follow up on. Then follow the lead from the starting point to the ending point. Understand what the factor likes and their requirements then participate in the funder/client conference calls and just follow the whole process.
FI: What is the most common business mistake you see people make?
HC: Consultants often get hung up on that one deal and just won’t let loose of it. It is the old adage that you have to throw enough deals against the wall and have enough leads working in order to make something happen.
FI: Given the current economy, have you made any changes in the way you transact business?
HC: One of the most challenging aspects of being in the factoring business now is evaluating credit. A company’s credit can change on a daily basis.
For example someone called me up this morning on a $500,000 receivable owed by a well-known company. Now I need to double check on how that company is fairing in the current market. It is a very challenging economy and nothing is a given anymore. We must double-check everything.
Where can people contact you to obtain more information? Our website is a great place to start for factoring information and transaction guidelines. You can also contact me at hchernin@Quantumfunding.com or by phone at 201-799-4342. Tobi Wilkins, VP of Sales and Marketing, is also available at tobi.wilkins@quantumfunding.com or 201-799-4348.
FI: Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?
HC: We encourage the consultant to participate in our conference call with the client. This is such an important part of the process. The factor and client can both understand what is needed from each other. It also keeps the consultant in the loop and they know first hand what it takes to get the deal done.
There are two key words in our business; partnering and collaborating. You must be able to partner and collaborate with other people to succeed.
FI Summary: Helping businesses raise cash through factoring account receivables is one of many cash flow categories where consultants can earn commissions by referring transactions to funding sources.
im working on this! =)