BUSINESS AND FINANCE

Building a company in a tough credit environment is not an easy task. And many companies run into financial problems not necessarily because they lack opportunity – but rather because they lack business credit.

Obtaining any form of business financing during troubled times, especially a business loan is very difficult. During hard times, most institutions tend to tighten their credit standards making business loans inaccessible to all but the most credit worthy businesses. And in part, that is how many medium and smaller sized businesses run into trouble. Without easy access to financing, they become vulnerable.

There are some forms of business financing that are available to businesses – even businesses that have problems. For example, let’s examine a recurring situation in commercial transactions. Commonly, companies extend business credit to their clients and wait around 45 days after the sales to get paid for their products/services. By doing this, you are providing your client with a short term loan. Unfortunately, you don’t have an alternative. Most clients demand payment terms as a cost of doing business with them. This is a problem because few companies can afford to wait 45 days to get paid on their invoices.

There is a solution to this issue, which may work better that a business loan. It’s called invoice factoring. A factoring arrangement provides you with an advance, secured by your invoice. Basically you get about 80% of its face value as a first installment, which enables provides liquidity to cover business expenses. The remainder 20%, less a service fee, is given to your company as soon as the invoice is paid for.

Most companies use factoring to cover cash flow shortfalls, at least initially. However, factoring’s potential comes from how it can help your firm grow. It’s a simple proposition. If you had clients that could pay their invoices in two days, how many would you take? Most owners would take as many as they can get. And that – quick payments – is what factoring financing really delivers.

The cost of invoice factoring varies based on how much funding you need, for how long, and the payment quality of your clients. Generally speaking fees can range from 1.5% to 3.5% for 30 days, but they vary broadly based on many parameters.

Factoring does not work for everyone though – it only works for commercial sales. Specifically, it works for companies that sell on terms to other businesses and who can’t afford to wait to get paid.

A lot of theories have been propounded and even studies have been advanced on the subject of business expansion. But one that is worth taking note of is the study of Dr Ichak Adizes. In most of his research, he brings out the fact that every association has its evolution and it builds up starting from a normal formation stage and progresses into a mature stage. At every phase of its existence, the association will have to experience upheavals. In most cases, success in business will only have to be experienced by those business owners who have all the resources, the expertise as well as the experienced required in sailing through financial difficulties. The following lines will identify the various ways through which a business can be financed as soon as it is set up and even right up to when it is fully established in the market:

The Formative Phase of the Business

This is one of those very delicate stages in which every entrepreneur will want to take all measures not only in making sure that the business takes off smoothly, but to ensure that the business has come to stay for good. What every type of business will need at this phase as identified by Adizes is a running capital and an appropriate administration to take care of that capital. What should be observed at this phase of business is that so many unforeseen circumstances may come up. It is for this reason that enough capital should be hoarded to take care of any unforeseeable risk. What the entrepreneur has individually gathered may not be enough. Therefore, it is good that a resort to angel financing, venture capital, corporate venture capital and loans is opted for. Keep in mind that once a business is at this starting phase, it will need a lot of finance to surmount the odds often posed b market forces or even from competitors. This is necessary for a continuous operation.

The Business Flow Phase

This is phase where the business is already running and it is at least expected that the inflow of money is certain. This is also a phase at which the entrepreneur starts to develop some form of confidence that the business will thrive amidst the odds. Although the entrepreneur will have some measure of satisfaction, there is a need to obtain some form of security for the future of the business. This is the main reason why much of what is received in the form of profits should either be ploughed back into the business or should be used to acquire some fixed capital that the business can rely on in the future. The business can also use this to employ more qualified staff.

The Youthful Phase

This is a phase in which the business will experience a lot of unpredictable circumstances. It should be noted that growth in the business will still be experienced, but this will not be stable. It is certain that at this phase, the business will already have made some significant amount of savings. It must also have gained some standing within the business environment and can conveniently surmount any hurdle within the business environment. The money that has been saved should therefore be taken to counter any shortcoming. But the entrepreneur should also make sure that the business can first of all rely on what it has kept in stock rather than seek for external help.

The Mature Phase

This is a phase in which almost everything is certain. Every objective must have been put in place and every priority must have been identified. Growth or expansion at this stage should be maintained to remain stable. The business should also seek for means of spreading out its risk by opening up to possible investors. Also remember that this is the stage in which financing becomes much easier to obtain. This is because the business must have developed some credit worthiness.

An understanding and appreciation of all the phases that your business goes through is important if you have to maintain its growth or develop ways to compete within the business environment.

Do you want to start your own business, but just holding back because of the financial constraints? Or, do you need to pour some fresh investment in your business? Don’t worry, because starting and running a business was never as easier. With unsecured business loans you get the right initiative, your business requires. Adequate finance and the ease to pay the loan back may fulfill the dream you have been savoring for long.

Delving into the details of these loans

As the name itself is self explanatory, unsecured business loans intend to finance you for your business. Whatever ends you may be pushing your finances through to start a new business or finance your already running business, unsecured business loans can afford for that. Either to buy the machines, to register your business or for the construction of the plant, these loans help you to afford all these.

These loans are unsecured types of loans and hence you don’t need to mortgage collateral against it.

Statistics

Interest rates may end up being the deciding factor for you opting for the loan or not. With unsecured business loans, you have the ball in your court. You do not have to mortgage any collateral against unsecured business loans and hence you are free from the tension of repossession of your property. But, because of the risk involved at the moneylender’s end, these loans come at high interest rates which normally are around 10% to 22%.

With new business loans you may be credited anything from £15,000 to £ 250,000, depending on the evaluation the collateral you are mortgaging.

Searching these loans

Unsecured business loans are provided by many banks, financial institution or lending organizations. The best thing is that, you can easily search for these loans online and even apply for these. However you must thoroughly search the data available and seek for every detail for the terms and conditions.

General conception about iPhone is that it is a fun device made for entertainment. But this does not hold true. It has great features to be a useful device for business and finance like fields. You will find plenty of Apps in Apple store for business and finance but all are not useful at some extent. Here I have sorted some Apps for business and finance categories which may prove helpful you personally and in business as well.

Mobile Banking

Banking that you need everyday and at anytime therefore, Bank of America has developed this App for their clienteles. So it is useful for those who are members of the Bank. It is optimized version of their website’s online banking with easy to use user interface. It allows you to check your account balance at anytime and anywhere basis. You can pay your bills, transfer funds, etc right from your iPhone. You can save a lot of time and energy to visit nearby branches of the bank. There are other banks in queue to make such application for their patrons on iPhone and iPad.

PayPal

World’s biggest money transfer network is offering its services for mobile users by creating App for iPhone. It nearly has made obsolete our wallet and accumulated all its great services in a touch screen. You can access your PayPal account from anywhere using the PIN and password. This App supports 16 different currencies so you can pay bills in any country in the world. It lets you to check your balance and transfer funds to your friends and family.

Loan Shark

Loan Shark is an App that lets you calculate and compare loans taken from different vendors. It can analyze any component of a loan to determine payments, interest rates, amortization tables etc. You can find out the effect of making higher or lower payments and can do basically everything to assure that you are going to make a good deal. It also helps you to find nearby bank.

Lower Your Tax Guide

This application helps you to understand IRS tax guide in simple English. It helps you to lower your taxes and cover popular tax breaks. It covers following topics:

Tax basic
Filling station
Dependants
Investing and taxes
Popular tax breaks

You Need A Budget

If you believe in financial discipline and need extra motivation, this App will help you. It also helps iPhone users in:

Quick enters financial transaction on go
Check your category balance before purchase
View all historical transactions for every account
Sync with desktop
Stay aware of your spending
Never worry to go over budget!

Business Browser

With this app you will have quick access of best and useful financial websites and financial resources. You can add/delete bookmark, bookmark can be read offline, memorization of last visited page, etc.

Stock and Share Calculator

It is difficult to figure right moment to purchase and sell the shares and stock. This app assists you to do that. It make easier to add number of shares, count purchase prices, compute commission fees, etc. with just a touch of button. App deliver essential figure to deal.