As technology gets more advanced, so do cyber crimes; so how do you protect your factoring company from becoming the next victim? In today’s world, doing business with customers Nationwide has become much easier, thanks to the Internet. With the advancement of technology, comes new threats. As more business is done online, the less face to face encounters you will have with prospective customers. If you are a factoring company, operating in one office on the East Coast, it’s not very likely that you will be flying to the West Coast to meet a new potential customer. It’s more likely that most/all communications will be through, emails, web forms, text messages, chats, phone calls and a host of other online methods of contact. With that … [Read more...]
What Now? Moving Forward in the Factoring Business After Being Defrauded
Behind every successful entrepreneur there are A LOT of failures, especially in the world of factoring. Being defrauded is a part of the factoring industry and it’s only a matter of time until it happens to you on some level. However, there’s a difference between coming out on top and going under. Here are some ideas on how to deal with being deceived and what to do when you find yourself asking, “What now?” (This article is a follow up to Protecting Yourself From Liars in the Factoring Industry - Part 1) Add it to your business plan We know—this sounds a little crazy. But calculating losses into your expenses before they even happen is a smart idea. Think of this as your ‘rainy-day’ fund: just like you wouldn’t go into retirement … [Read more...]
Protecting Yourself from Liars in the Factoring Industry
It’s no surprise to anyone in the factoring world that fraud is always a risk. If you ask any factoring company owner, it’s not even a matter of “if,” but, “when.” As much as we want to believe that all of our clients are honest and full of integrity, the truth is: some just aren’t. While most factoring companies go through very thorough measures in order to protect themselves, no business is completely immune. When there are hundreds and thousands of dollars at stake, what’s the solution? Unfortunately, there isn’t one—unless you want all of your potential and current clients to take lie detector tests—which probably won’t be great for future business. However, if you know what to listen and look for, it’s possible to avoid being scammed … [Read more...]
Bending But Not Breaking In Factoring?
The factoring industry is unique. If we had to write a mission statement for what we do it would read something like – “To provide cash flow to businesses to sustain and expand their operations”. The cash flow that factoring companies provide is through the purchase of clients receivables at a discount which allows the client to utilize the capital for expansion, take advantage of vendor discounts or any other reason they may have to keep their business an on-going concern. Over the past several years many new factors have entered into the asset based industry, as traditional lenders constricted credit to new and existing businesses. The aftershocks of the great recession had a rippling effect that was felt from Wall Street all the … [Read more...]
Red Flags of Factoring: When to Walk (or Run) Away From a Deal
“Time is money” is a cliché, but also a reality of the factoring industry. Unfortunately, all too often we waste time – and money – chasing prospects and shopping deals to any number of funders without identifying the fundamental issues that will doom a deal before you make the first pitch. Before you invest in any deal you must ask: will any rational funder make this work? Without delving into funder preferences and gray areas, there are five red flags you should look for in any factoring lead you come across: Medical deals with very low dollar amounts Medical factoring in particular is very time and effort intensive. While some medical factoring companies will at least take a look at very small deals, the majority will determine that … [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...]