Sunday, January 18, 2009

How to Use Debt Factoring and Survive the Recession

By Phillip Evans

There is no avoiding the issue the UK Economy is in recession and if you are a business owner you must have a plan to survive this economic slump or you will most certainly fail.

A record number of companies and shops went into administration over the Christmas period caused by the really awful trading conditions.

Retailers and Businesses that have already been bore the brunt of the recession and have had to go bankrupt are MFI the furniture retailer, Whittard of Chelsea, the specialist tea and coffee retailer. and Savvi the music retailer formerly Virgin Megastore.

Possible one of the most high profile causalities of the economic collapse has been woolworths that went into administration in December 2007 and finally closed all retail outlets in January which has put 27,000 out of work.

A business owner should be thinking how can I survive this economic slump? The Turnaround Management Association says that for a business to achieve a successful turnaround it needs four things; a credible management team, a viable business core, a valid business plan and appropriate funding.

The credit crunch and lack of liquidity within the financial money markets has restricted traditional forms of lending from Banks into Businesses to very dangerous levels. This limitation of funding has implemented a Cash Flow Squeeze on British Business.

As an economy enters into recession one of the first thing a business should start consistently doing is keeping a tight rain upon costs. A firm hand upon expenses can save a business. Look at shipping costs, promotion and marketing, business premises and even the simplest things such as turning off the office heating at the end of the working day.

Cash is King and Company Directors looking to avoid the pain caused by an economic downturn should seek out alternative sources of funding such as debt factoring, which is increasingly popular for small to medium businesses. While not suitable for all businesses, the huge benefit of debt factoring is that rather than have money tied up in invoices that are yet to be paid, you can receive an initial payment up front, typically 80% - 85% of the gross value, and the remainder when the customer pays the invoices to an invoice finance provider, less the service fee which has been negotiated with them. However, if the customer defaults on payment, then the factoring company will recover the money provided to you initially from any further invoices which are factored. This can lead to unpredictable working capital if customers are poor payers or they go into administration.

About the Author:

No comments:

Post a Comment