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Freelancers and SMBs Find Flexible Funding

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The year is drawing to a close and signaling forward-thinking Freelancers and small business owners that it’s time to consider goals and strategies that have the potential to advance your entity in 2025 and beyond. Your business goals will be shaped by the plans implemented earlier this year, and previously, but topics that may capture your attention could include workflow automation tools to optimize operational efficiency and a Customer Relations Management platform, to upgrade the performance of your inbound marketing funnel and also improve the customer experience and relationship-building activities your company presents.

Face2Face networking may also become a renewed priority in 2025, prompting you to pay attention to notices of local business association meetings and industry conferences. Creating and nurturing relationships, obtaining actionable information and continually honing your skill set make all the difference for B2B professionals.

It won’t take long to realize that the business building actions you’d like to take come with a price tag; the prospect of financing your SMART goals may be worrisome. If your budget estimate indicates that you could come up short of cash, you’re certain to feel discouraged. You may feel too uncomfortable to ask family or friends to lend money that will allow you to proceed with plans you are so excited to carry out. You may likewise feel uncomfortable, maybe even frightened, by the prospect of using credit cards to finance your business upgrades. Applying for a business loan is an obvious possible solution to a cash-crunch, but you’ve read depressing articles in business publications during the year and the message was clear—banks have pulled back on business lending and tightened eligibility requirements. It takes money to make money and being stuck in financial quicksand is not a condition you care to accept. So, what can you do to move forward?

It takes money to make money

Freelance professionals, SMB owners and start-up entrepreneurs are susceptible to challenges when in need of business capital; unfortunately, many lack the credit rating and other requirements that lending institutions demand, or they cannot rely on family, friends, or personal savings to become their funding source. More than half of SMBs in the US do not have a readily available source of funding to survive a cash flow crisis. A shortage of cash, whether the problem is an unexpected cash-flow glitch or an insufficient financial reserve fund, is a serious impediment to building and sustaining a successful business venture. In fact, almost 62% of businesses with annual revenues below $150,000 lack ready access to financing; a UK study found that 31% of SMBs have had to stop or pause an area of their business due to lack of financing.

Banks, the traditional source of loans for several centuries, continue their control of business funding decisions, when ever they approve or decline a loan application. In 2023, Forbes Magazine Advisor confirmed that banks remain a go-to source of funding, with 27 % of entrepreneurs surveyed citing that business loans are their primary source of financing. Still, it will come as no surprise to even casual observers of the start-up world that financial privilege—affluence—is another enabler of funding access. The 2023 Forbes Magazine Advisor survey also found that 20% of new businesses are funded by borrowing from family and/or friends and 17% are backed by the founder’s personal savings.

So how can modestly funded aspiring entrepreneurs pull themselves up by their bootstraps, as is so often recommended in America, and finance their entrepreneurial plan? As it turns out, exciting new options have arrived by way of fintech start-ups whose mission is to provide business funding solutions. These fintech entities are called neobanks and they proclaim to have greater lending capacities than traditional banks; several have been set up specifically with SMB loans in mind.

Rise of the neobank

A disruptive new presence in the banking and financial services sector is the neobank, a fintech company that provides financial services through a mobile app or website, including checking and savings accounts, budgeting tools and cash advances. Because neobanks don’t carry the costs associated with maintaining branch offices, they can offer lower fees and higher interest rates on savings accounts.

Those looking to do business with neobanks must realize is that fintech lenders are not actually banks and they are not chartered by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. In order to provide certain of their products and services, perhaps most importantly guaranteeing that customer deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the neobanks must partner with chartered banks.

Found, a U.S neobank launched in 2019, partners with Piermont Bank to offer FDIC-insured business checking accounts that provide services that are attractive to Freelancers, including automatic expense categorization, built-in invoicing and tax calculation, plus the ability to auto-save and set aside money to pay taxes. When Freelancers hire subcontractors, Found enables you to manage their tax forms and pay them with no fees. Chime is the leading fintech neobank and partners with The Bancorp Bank and Stride Bank to provide bank and credit accounts. Chime markets itself as a (mostly) no-fee option for customers—no minimum balance requirement or monthly maintenance fees, no overdraft fees and there’s free ATM access – customers can access over 60,000 in-network ATMs for no fee, which you can locate through the Chime app.

As neo-banks expand their penetration in the under-served and hungry SMB market, their success has encouraged other, much larger, players to enter the fray and now, some of the largest online marketplaces in the world have begun to offer financing to their merchants. Shopify Capital, Shopify’s financing service for its merchants, has lent more than $5 billion to small businesses. Loans have ranged from the low hundreds to $5 million. The Amazon Lending platform for sellers invites US sellers can apply for a loan up to $750,000, while UK merchants can apply for anywhere up to £2 million (around $2.6 million). While Amazon stopped underwriting its own loans in the US and UK earlier this year, it’s outsourced the process to third parties.

Overall, new ways of financing are increasing accessible, with neobanks and other fintech creative financing leading the way to support SMB owners, Freelancers and other small players who need an alternative financing approach to business lending. It is expected that as more Freelancers and other business owners become increasingly comfortable with emerging technologies, spurred on by the need for business capital whose access requirements are less stringent, will be willing to consider and eventually trust start the alternative neobank solutions as their primary business funding source.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: © courtneyk | Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

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On Avoiding A Cash-Flow Crisis

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On any given day, a Freelancer or small business owner might find him/herself in the suffocating grip of a possibly game-changing marketplace challenge. Anything from flood-producing rains to a wily competitor can cause customers to vanish and profit margins to shrink. It’s a nightmare scenario and, obviously, you must do whatever possible to avoid the problem. Stepping up your marketing with a clever campaign and catchy message, to nurture customer relationships and promote your brand, may be an effective response but be aware that money has a role that goes beyond the well known advantage of being a defense against disaster. 

An effective defensive strategy is about more than simply having enough money to outrun your problem. The key to handling money is to treat it as an asset and take steps to manage your cash by following its flow through your business. Do that by studying your sales revenues and accounts receivables, that is, money that flows into your business and also your accounts payable, meaning, the money spent on business expenses such as rent, utilities, payroll and inventory. 

The benefits of vigilant cash-flow management practices are not to be underestimated. According to 2023 data produced by Minneapolis, MN based U.S. Bank, poor cash management and insufficient cash-flow are implicated in 82% of business failures. Poor cash-flow shows its teeth in several ways, including:

  • Cash-flow gaps A cash-flow gap is a frightening emergency that occurs when a business pays expenses, for example, inventory or supplies, but does not receive the expected inflow of money within a reasonable time-frame. A shortfall is a warning that the business needs more cash, in a hurry. Maybe you’re waiting for a customer or two to pay invoices? Consistently expanding cash-flow gaps undermine working capital that can leave your business strapped financially, potentially putting it in a dangerous position if not addressed.
  • Managing seasonal revenue fluctuations  Seasonal businesses frequently face significant cash-flow challenges. A typical example is that of restaurants that operate in summer resort locations. During the peak season of Memorial Day (last week in May) through Labor Day (first week in September), these restaurants welcome an endless stream of customers, who pack the premises and overwhelm staff. Revenues are robust while the peak season lasts but in the off-season, greatly diminished revenues can trigger cash-flow gaps that cause the business struggle to maintain financial stability.
  • Opportunities beyond reach Expecting the unexpected, being agile and ready to act, is among the most valuable leadership qualities of a business owner, whether it’s the owner of a neighborhood dry cleaner to the CEO of a multi-national conglomerate. A business needs to be in a strong financial position to take advantage of interesting opportunities as they arise, whether that’s buying out a competitor, opening a new location, or launching a new product—the ability to act quickly usually makes all the difference. Without sufficient available cash, your growth and expansion plans will be hobbled, causing you to miss the boat on potentially lucrative opportunities.

Loans and credit cards are not the only options

When looking to resolve a cash shortfall, many business owners think of contacting their bank to discuss options for a business loan or credit card. Your business banker is there to support you in many ways but finding a solution to your cash crunch might more logically begin with your bookkeeper or accountant. S/he may not warm to the idea of you taking on debt associated with a loan or an increased line of credit; s/he may be more inclined to recommend that you become more vigilant about your entity’s cash management and make a modest investment in a cash management software package instead.

The power of cash management: cash-flow and forecasting

The purpose of cash management is to ensure that your business is able to pay expenses (accounts payable). Cash-flow management tracks how much money enters the business bank account—e.g., through sales revenue, accounts receivable payments, interest from investments—and leaves the business bank account for accounts payable. Cash management procedures position your business to both monitor expenses (and minimize or eliminate unnecessary expenses), make prudent financial decisions and, hallelujah, create and maintain a healthy cash reserve that will insulate your business from the financial instability. You’ll get your financial house in order and attain the means to pursue business opportunities that can further enhance financial stability.

Cash management software works by shining a light on money problems so that you can take corrective action in a hurry. Cash management software enables the user (you and/or your bookkeeper) to quickly and accurately monitor, analyze and pinpoint cash-flow problems. So, persistently late payments of customer invoices that cripple business cash-flow will be brought to your attention and signal that steps to speed up accounts receivables should be taken. Other cash-flow optimization benefits will likewise be made clear from the data that emerges from your cash management software, including the ability to accurately determine the amount of cash needed to cover accounts payable obligations and create a reasonable forecast of your entity’s future financial health.

Good cash management software will also have cash-flow forecasting capabilities to help you manage cash in the future, by creating “what-if” scenarios that let you evaluate various potential outcomes simultaneously. You’ll also be able to calculate expenses and ensure there is enough incoming cash to pay up. The best cash-flow management software will also have cash-flow forecasting capabilities to help you manage cash in the future and make the future of your business entity bright. Click link to learn how you can get started. https://www.trustradius.com/cash-flow-management

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: Mother Counting Money, by Johann Georg Mayer von Bremen (Germany, 1813-1886)

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7 Kinds of Business Financing

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Is 2020 your year to launch a business, or is growth and expansion of your existing venture on this year’s must-do list? If so, congratulations and best of luck to you! I’m sure you’ve thought of the most advantageous way to obtain the required financing for your plans and we’ll look at some good options right now.

A study conducted by the National Small Business Association found that 19% of small business owners cite a lack of available capital as the biggest challenge to plans for future growth and 82% of businesses outright fail because of cash flow management issues. In preparation for borrowing, I remind you that financial institutions will evaluate your credit score, so make paying off bills and boosting your savings immediate priorities.

According to the 2018 Small Business Lending Index, big (national) banks approve 25% of loan applications made by small business owners and smaller (community and regional) banks approve nearly 50% of loan applications made by small business owners. So whether it’s your food supply or your money supply, keeping it local is a good thing, am I right? https://www.biz2credit.com/small-business-lending-index/january-2018

Line of credit

A business line of credit functions like a credit card and it’s available to borrowers with either good or less than perfect credit. Borrowers can be approved for a potentially generous amount of funding that can be accessed immediately. The application process to obtain a line of credit is usually quick, and many businesses receive approval in a day or two. Interest rates range from 7% – 25% and repayment terms are usually between six months and one year, (meaning that one cannot run a balance ad infinitum) depending on the business’ revenue and credit score.

Short-term loan

Pursue this type of loan to, for example, bridge cash flow gaps, stock up on inventory that is available at an attractive price, or take advantage of a lucrative business opportunity. Surprisingly, borrowers often don’t need a great credit score to be approved for a short-term loan and that can be an advantage. In fact, the borrower could use the loan to pay off higher-interest debt and improve the credit score. Furthermore, short-term loans tend to involve less paperwork and processing is usually fast, making funds available quickly.

Short-term loans must be repaid in rather a short amount of time, often in just one year, and payments are usually due weekly, not monthly. They also generally come with a relatively high interest rate when compared to other types of loans and loan amounts are usually capped.

Secured loan

Secured business loans require a specific piece of collateral, such as a business vehicle or commercial property, that the lender can claim if the borrower fails to repay the loan. Unsecured loans, on the other hand, are not attached to collateral. Personal loans, student loans and credit cards are common examples of unsecured loans. Unsecured loans have higher interest rates and stringent approval requirements, to ensure that lenders gets their money back. Secured loans are often easier to obtain and may also have a lower interest rate, because the lender has a guaranteed way to recoup money lost to default by selling the borrower’s collateral.

Because of the increased risk an unsecured loan represents to the lender, borrowers may be asked to sign a personal guarantee in order to receive approval. If the borrower defaults on the loan, s/he will then be personally liable for repaying it. While a creditor can’t seize business property under a personal guarantee they can legally claim the borrower’s personal assets, including bank accounts, cars and real estate, until the loan is repaid.

Another common method used by institutions to mitigate the risk associated with secured loans is by reserving the right to file a blanket lien against the borrower’s business assets. Most business loan terms include a blanket lien clause that allows the lender to claim and resell business assets to collect the debt.

Term loan

Term loans, also known as long-term loans, are best for business owners with great credit and who are requesting a big loan. They may not be a good option for those who are launching a new business, however, since lenders usually want to see a track record of success (evidenced by 3- 5 years of business financials) before taking on the risk. 

The term loan application process is lengthy. If the application is accepted, borrowers must pay a principal amount plus interest each month until the debt is paid in full. Term loans are most often used to buy real estate, acquire another business, remodel or renovate a commercial space, or support long-term business expansion.

Equipment loan

Owners of businesses large and small often need to purchase, replace, repair, or upgrade various kinds of equipment to process, manufacture, or produce their products and equipment loans are essential to this process. These loans can be a great option for start-ups as well as established businesses, and they can be used to finance nearly every type of business equipment, including company vehicles. Owners of new businesses can take advantage of an equipment loan because the equipment secures the loan, regardless of the success or failure of the company. Interest rates are often reasonable and will reflect the individual’s or business’ credit rating and financial picture.

Be aware that excellent credit is required for most equipment loans. In general, borrowers will be able to finance 80% of the total purchase price of the equipment. A down payment of about 20% is typically required for most small business equipment loans.

Borrowers with less than stellar credit should investigate the terms of leasing the desired equipment. Leasing typically does not require a down payment and that especially benefits businesses that have little or no available working capital. When a down payment is required, it is typically relatively small compared to what a traditional loan down payment would be.

Purchase order financing

To qualify for purchase order financing, the company must sell finished goods (not raw materials or product components) to B2B or B2G customers with profit margins of at least 15%. Start-ups can qualify for PO financing because approval is based primarily on the creditworthiness of, and borrower history with, those customers and suppliers. The chances of being approved are even greater if customers and suppliers are well-established, reputable companies.

PO financing can present a great opportunity for start-ups that receive lots of orders but don’t have the cash to fulfill them. In these cases, similar to invoice financing, the purchase order secures the loan. Once the business receives a purchase order from a customer, the lender directly pays the supplier to manufacture and deliver the product to the customer. Once delivery is accepted, the customer pays the lender. The lender then deducts their fees from this amount and pays the remainder to the borrower, which can be counted as profits. 

PO financing is a great way to help your business grow without taking on bank debt or selling equity in your company. If sales outpace your incoming cash flow, then purchase order financing might be a good strategy to fulfill big orders.

Invoice financing

Also known as accounts receivable financing or factoring, this loan allows Freelance consultants to survive slow-paying clients. Small and medium- sized businesses will be able to manage the increasingly common practice of “net 90” receivables payment that large companies impose on smaller organizations, in exchange for big orders.

With invoice financing, lenders advance to borrowers the value of accounts receivable, less a fee of perhaps 15%. The borrower will pay a weekly fee while waiting for the customer to pay up. Invoice financing helps businesses improve cash flow, meet the employee payroll, pay vendors and suppliers and reinvest in operations and growth earlier than they could if they had to wait for clients and customers to pay their balances in full.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: Money Lenders (1784) an etching by Thomas Rowland. The aspiring borrower (L) is George, Prince of Wales (George IV 1820 -1830).

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Only Those Who Have Money Can Borrow Money

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Here is a typical story: A passionate would-be entrepreneur launches a venture, often with the romantic and exciting intention of bootstrapping the finances.  But realistically, bootstrapping is not the correct description of the financial plan.  The term that applies here is under-capitalized.  The idea may have been realistic,  but before our intrepid entrepreneur could get traction with the concept, the money ran out.  The only thing remaining was debt.

Our hero would like to start over, since valuable lessons were learned and baked into business plan and model 2.0.  However, start-up capital that was not requested in the first go-round must be sought now, because the realization that there will be no success without adequate funding is now apparent.  What can be done to give our story a happy ending in a world where it takes money to make money? Let’s take a look at some possible funding options, some common and others less so.

Friends and family financing

Besides your own bank account, the most obvious place to look for start-up capital is with friends and family, that is, if you have a very good idea of whom you can do business with and those relatives or frenemies who must be avoided.  Many business ventures are funded in this way.

If you choose to borrow from family and friends, put into writing the loan amount, terms and repayment schedule and agree only to what you are certain you can uphold.  According to CircleLending’s Business Private Loan Index, the average current interest rate on business loans made by family members and friends is 7.6%.  Do everything possible to preserve relationships and not let money divide you.  The last thing you want are tense holidays (there are more than enough ways for that to occur as it is).

Micro-lenders and web-based lenders

There are several non-bank lenders found only online that offer micro-loans to small entrepreneurs.  The loan amounts are usually between $5000 – $25,000 and these outfits can be excellent sources of start-up and expansion capital for entrepreneurs with debt and /or limited resources.  There is sometimes a potentially very useful credit repair feature available through certain of these lenders when loan repayments are reported to credit bureaus.  On-time payments will raise your credit score, improve your credit rating and lower your future interest rates.

Here are sites to visit, including the Small Business Association’s Micro-loan Program:  http://prosper.com   http://www.zopa.com   http://www.accion.com https://www.sba.gov/loans-grants/see-what-sba-offers/sba-loan-programs/microloan-program

There may as well be small not-for-profit organizations that are micro-lenders in your state, but they may not be found online.  To obtain contact information on these loan source possibilities, please visit  www.microenterpriseworks.org

CircleLending data demonstrated clearly that comparison shopping is a must-do.  The loan interest rate at Accion was 12%, while the rate at Prosper was more than 20%, for those with poor credit.

In 2016, the National Small Business Association found that 73% of small businesses used some type of funding to launch a venture, expand a business, purchase inventory or equipment, or strengthen the company’s financial foundation.  The 2012 U.S. Census Bureau Survey of Business Owners found that 57% of start-ups launched the venture with personal savings; 8 % used personal credit cards; 6% used other personal assets (retirement account?); and 3% used a home equity loan. Only 8% used a bank loan.

While it is possible for individuals who are in tight financial constraints to obtain bank loan financing and business credit cards as noted above, interest rates are high.  More than that, even those who might qualify for bank loans are not going there.  You want to put your money not into interest payments, but rather into building your venture into a successful enterprise and paying off debts, in that way positioning yourself to save and invest capital and build for yourself a strong financial future.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Triple Dollar Signs, Andy Warhol (1982)   Christie’s Images, Ltd.