In the spirit of the season, it’s time to file your taxes. Your tax returns verify your previous income level and are proof of the tax obligations you have fulfilled – both filing and payment. It is recommended to turn to a creditable tax agent to ensure everything is done correctly. For better understanding of your invoice factoring terms of agreement, reach out to your factoring company. There is a lot to be determined when determining if the receivables you factored are taxable. How a company treats its accounts receivable depends on what accounting method the company takes. If it uses the accrual method, then the company records revenue as soon as it makes a sale, which means accounts receivable get counted as income. The general … [Read more...]
The Sales vs. Underwriting Factoring Dilemma
I’ve written a bunch of articles about what to look for when funding a new client. Whether it’s proper notification or having an ironclad factoring agreement, you should always have a consistent set of due diligence procedures that adequately protects your company in every factoring transaction. With any new deal there will regularly be nuances that are unique and test the funder. In many cases getting past these roadblocks can make or break a deal. With any factoring company, one the biggest challenges is to scale the company for growth while keeping the proper safeguards in place. The friction caused by this dilemma is usually felt by the sales and underwriting divisions within a company. Salespeople complain that the underwriters … [Read more...]
How to Set Yourself Apart from Other Factors and Brokers
As far as I can tell, every factoring broker and every factoring company claims to have exceptional customer service, that they can fund clients quickly, and that their prices are the most competitive in the market. Everybody says and focuses on that almost exclusively. Because of this, factoring companies look the same from the outside. It’s easy for prospects to see how brokers market themselves and conclude that all factoring companies are the same – basically a dime a dozen. Is factoring a commodity? Let’s look at the other side of things. Most brokers and factors complain that prospects often don’t treat them well: prospects negotiate harshly, shop incessantly for better terms, and threaten to leave for a competitor at the … [Read more...]
The Factoring Company Waiting Game
Whether you’re in line at your local grocery store, sitting in a doctor’s office or just looking to grab a bite at your favorite restaurant, we all have to wait. In our modern world of instant text messaging, mega fast downloads and next day deliveries we’ve become a society that expects everything when we want it and the faster the better. The same is true in the factoring industry. How many websites (including yours truly) boast phrases like “Same Day Funding” or “Approvals in 24 Hours or Less”? Let’s face it, with almost any service provider, speed is king. The first question we usually get from new prospects is how long will it take for them to get funded. In most cases they expect to be funded in a few days or less. Brokers … [Read more...]
How to Finance a Demolition Company With Construction Factoring
Getting financing for a company in the construction industry is very difficult. In general, lending institutions are not comfortable providing business financing to small or midsized construction subcontractors. Demolition companies often have additional problems getting funded because many institutional lenders view them as riskier - due to the perception that they are often the first ones to do work on a site, but the last ones to get paid. The biggest cash flow problem Demolition companies, like most subcontractors, don’t get paid as soon as they complete their work. Rather, their contracts demand that the provide payment terms to the general contractor. These terms often give the GC up to 60 days to pay. Many general contractors, who … [Read more...]
5 Traits of Highly Effective Factoring Salespeople
Anyone can get on the phone and talk to potential customers, but it takes a special person to excel at closing deals. Sales are a vital part of the factoring industry—without sales there would be no new customers, and therefore no growth. No factoring company wants to remain stagnant, so finding and cultivating highly effective salespeople is important. Using firsthand experience and the knowledge of experts, we have identified 5 traits to look for when hiring sales representatives for your factoring business. 1. Goal Orientation Success comes to those who want it most. Because sales are relatively objective and therefore easy to measure in the factoring industry, setting clear goals is a simple way to measure achievement. The best … [Read more...]
Fast Pay Factoring For Digital Media Receivables
Working with digital media receivables? It helps to know a factoring company that specializes in online deliverables. Meet Jed Simon, CEO of FastPay, in this recent Factoring Investor interview. What receivables will your factoring company consider funding? Jed Simon, CEO: FastPay primarily funds digital media receivables. We’ll advance on invoices signifying completed work including, but not limited to, ad campaigns, creative campaigns and delivered impressions. How did you get your start in the business? While I was responsible for digital media at DreamWorks, I recognized a universal pain point in the digital media industry - many big brands and agencies have onerous payment cycles (Net 90+) that hamper the growth of smaller digital … [Read more...]
A Factoring Thank You For 2012
What makes the factoring business enjoyable? Don D'Ambrosio shares his answer in this year end thank you. Wow, time flies and we are looking at closing out another year. Many articles this time of year tend to focus on reflection, comparing estimates to actual results and anticipating the New Year. This year I would like to take a slightly different approach. … [Read more...]
IRS Issues Do Not Kill All Factoring Transactions
Factors rely on the accounts receivable for collateral against their funding activities. That is a non-negotiable item for most of us and will NEVER be compromised. So, what does that mean? Very clearly, the receivables must be free of any lien, levy, or claim by any financial institution, court or individual resulting in the factor’s not being able to … [Read more...]
How to Identify a Fraudulent Factoring Deal
Discover the 3 red flags a factoring broker or company should watch for that can be early warning signs of a fraudulent deal. Some of the specific due diligence procedures factoring firms perform on new factoring candidates are cumbersome and/or costly. Because of this, it’s very rare that a factoring firm would ask a cash flow professional to conduct a thorough analysis as part of an early pre-qualification process. Furthermore, a factoring company won’t even do an in-depth investigation on a prospect until after … [Read more...]