The Ins and Outs of Purchase Order Factoring

Some asset based lending companies have a wider definition of what kind of assets can be used as collateral. Most lending companies consider the small business owner’s home as a viable collateral, while others may also accept expensive equipment as security. Some even offer financing based on a company’s purchase orders and accounts receivable, and that’s where purchase order factoring comes in.

Using the Purchase Order

The entire process starts with a purchase order from a customer. Your business may not have enough working capital to fulfill the order which will force you to turn down the opportunity. But you don’t have to do that because some asset based lending companies can help.

What they can do is provide you with extra capital based on the value of the purchase order. You need to demonstrate that the purchase order offers a wide margin of profit, so that the lending company can take its share without hurting your business. You also have to prove that you have the means to fulfill the terms of the purchase order.

Usually, you’ll be provided with a line of credit so that you can pay your suppliers in order to fulfill the purchase order. Your progress towards completing the project will be monitored closely.

Factoring

Once you have succeeded in fulfilling the order, the next step comes in. Usually, your customer is another business, and you allow it to pay you in full in 30 or even 60 days. Since you’re obviously in need of working capital immediately, that wait may not be good for your business. So again the lender steps in and helps.

They advance you the money based on the value of the payment coming to you. You get an advance that may be worth about 70 to 80 percent of the value of the contract. You can then use that money to cover essential expenses, or even to fulfill other purchase orders so you won’t need the help of the lending company again.

When your client pays in full within the agreed upon time period, you can then get the rest of the money. This is after the lending company gets the money they advanced to you.

Benefits

The benefit of this entire process is twofold. First, you get the money to fulfill your purchase order. Without it, you don’t get to benefit from the business opportunity. You may also tarnish your reputation because you don’t have the capability to fulfill orders.

The other benefit is that you get your payment in advance. This allows you to take advantage of other business opportunities that will come your way. You don’t have to wait to get your own money anymore, and you can use it to make your operations more efficient.

With purchase order factoring, you get your profits, your lender gets their fees, and your customer gets their order. Everybody wins.

Purchase Order Financing as a Solution to Cash-Strapped Businesses

A lot of people are getting confused with the difference between purchase order financing and accounts receivable financing. Both can be quick sources of funds to keep your business going but of course, both are running on different terms.

fast Purchase order financing
Purchase order financing is also sometimes referred to as pre-delivery financing. It is meant to be a short term way of allotting funds to your inventory that are required to complete an entire sales transaction.

 

Take this as an example; if you’re a business owner and you just have landed a deal with a huge corporation or a government agency, but you don’t have enough funds to cover the manufacturing and delivery. What will you do?  The recourse is to find a quick source of cash; otherwise, you stand losing the order and possibly create a dent on customer relationship, too.

In situations like this, business owners are looking into alternative lending solutions that have the capacity to provide them a loan in such a quick turnaround; and that’s where purchase order financing comes into play.

What is Purchase Order Financing?

Purchase order financing is also sometimes referred to as pre-delivery financing. It is meant to be a short term way of allotting funds to your inventory that are required to complete an entire sales transaction. PO financing is designed for growing businesses that have very little access to working capital or those that are suffering from cash flow issues. Mostly, the types of businesses that are qualified to take out a purchase order financing are producers, wholesalers, distributors, or resellers of manufacturing products.

 

Purchase Order Financing for Businesses with No Credit History

 

In a purchase order financing deal, the lenders will evaluate the credit history and ratings of your clients, not your company. So even if your business does not have a credit history to boast of, many lenders are still going to work with you on the deal. If your client has a solid track record in terms of payments, credits and such, then there’s a good chance that a lending company may be willing to finance your sales transaction.

 

PO Financing: How Does It Work?

 

A typical purchase order finance deal looks like this:

 

  • You scored a large business deal with a reputable client, but you don’t have enough funds to cover all the costs necessary to complete the entire sales transaction.
  • You go to a lender and apply for a PO loan. Lender checks your customer credit rating and if it passes, they’ll agree to finance your transaction.
  • PO lender issues the funds, you complete the transaction and deliver the goods to your client.
  • Once the client pays up, the PO lender collects the money, gets its share of the pie and gives back to you the remaining proceeds of the sale.

 

Yes, a chunk of the profit will have to be sacrificed, but if you really want your business to survive and honor your commitments with your clients, then opting for a purchase order financing is worth a shot.

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