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Factoring vs Line of Credit: Which is Right for My Business?
I know how you might be feeling. As entrepreneurs, we often face the unique frustration of having a thriving business on paper – glowing financial statements, a strong accounts receivable, and yet, struggling with cash flow. More often than not, this is due to slow-paying customers or long invoice payment terms. If you’re resonating with this, you’ve probably considered multiple solutions, such as securing a line of credit, factoring invoices, or even a traditional bank loan.
When it comes to evaluating your funding options, let me address a common question: Should you secure a line of credit for your business?
Yes!
Absolutely. As a former investment banker now in the business world, I can say this: if you qualify for a line of credit or credit facility from your bank, grab it. Among various forms of financing, it often stands out as the cheapest and most flexible funding source. It’s versatile, easy to draw upon on a business day when you need an influx of cash, and just as simple to leave untouched when you don’t. And if you’re grappling with unpaid invoices, the factoring process is another avenue worth considering.
But let’s delve deeper and compare invoice factoring vs. lines of credit. While a line of credit operates much like a credit card for your business, factoring invoices can be a swift solution to get cash in hand without waiting for those slow-paying customers. But, like all types of financing, both come with their pros and cons.
Invoice Factoring: What It Is and How It Works
When it comes to B2B transactions, especially when dealing with slow-paying customers or extended payment terms, invoice factoring stands out as a key solution. At its core, it’s a process where a business offloads its unpaid invoices or accounts receivable to a factoring company. Instead of struggling for months waiting for clients to settle their bills, businesses receive an immediate cash flow boost (less a fee). This is distinctly different from invoice financing, where businesses secure funds based on their unpaid invoices but are still tasked with the collection of payments themselves.
It’s important to know that invoice factoring isn’t the same thing as securing a bank loan or tapping into a line of credit. There’s no debt to shoulder or financial statements to deal with. It’s not a type of financing where you’re on the hook for repayments. Instead, your customer settles their dues with the factoring company, not you. And while many might believe factoring is a last resort for struggling businesses, the reality is quite the opposite. Businesses often factor invoices because they’re succeeding, not because they’re financially weak. Growing businesses often factor invoices so they can take on a big opportunity.
Pros and Cons of Invoice Factoring
Pros:
- No New Debt: It’s all about getting your own money faster, not borrowing someone else’s.
- Quick funding: You can funded in days.
- Simple application process: No need to complete a pile of paperwork and wait months for a decision.
- Easy to qualify for: Factoring qualification depends more on your customer’s creditworthiness than your own.
- Choose Which Invoices You Factor: Many factoring companies (like FundThrough!) let you decide which invoices to factor.
- Let Someone Else Handle Collections: Factoring companies take on the job of getting payment from your clients, saving you the stress and time. See how we work with your customers
- No Minimums: Lots of factoring companies don’t require a minimum annual income or minimum amount you have to fund every month, making it flexible.
Cons:
- Interacting with Clients: The factoring company will be in touch with your clients about their invoices. (See how we work to maintain your relationships with customers if this worries you.)
- Bookkeeping Can Get Tricky: Adding factoring to the mix can make your accounts a bit more complex, but definitely not impossible. Read on to learn how to account for factored invoices.
- Hidden Fees: Some companies might sneak in unexpected charges, so always read the fine print.
In a nutshell, invoice factoring can be a game-changer for businesses needing to get paid faster. Whether it’s to cover payroll, buy new equipment, or just make things run smoother, it offers a straightforward financial option.
Ready to see if invoice factoring is right for you?
Line of Credit: What It Is and How It Works
A line of credit is different from a traditional business loan, and offers a flexible source of funds for organizations in a wide range of industries. Consider it similar to a specialized bank account from which you can draw money, as and when needed, up to a specified limit. Unlike other types of financing, where interest can accrue on the entire amount you’re approved for, here, you only pay interest on the amount you actually use.
The application process might demand a fair amount of documentation – especially for businesses in their early stages or those without an extended financial track record – but once obtained, it can give you considerable flexibility. Not only does a line of credit often come with lower interest rates, but it also gives you a buffer against late payment challenges and unpredictable payment cycles, boosting your business’s credit worthiness. Securing a line of credit, however, does require a period of time, sometimes stretching into months. But given its adaptability and potential positive impact on profit margins, it stands out as an ideal choice for companies dealing with the intricacies of credit risk.
Pros and Cons of Line of Credit
Pros:
- Flexibility: Draw money whenever needed up to your credit limit.
- Low-Interest Rates: Typically offers lower interest rates than other forms of credit.
- Only Pay For What You Use: Interest is only on the amount drawn, not the total available credit.
- Potential for High Credit Limits: Established businesses might get access to significant capital.
Cons:
- Lengthy Approval Process: Can take months and requires substantial documentation.
- Possibility of Rejection: Especially for new or small businesses without strong credit ratings or lacking collateral.
- Fees: Some lines of credit come with annual fees, renewal fees, or other associated costs.
- Potential for Debt Accumulation: If not managed wisely, businesses can find themselves in debt due to the ease of drawing money.
When exploring cash flow options, a line of credit really does stand out as a solid choice. It’s not your everyday bank loan or credit card, (just about everyone with a credit card is familiar with sky-high interest rates, right?). While selling your invoices comes with its own expenses, like the factoring fee, a line of credit offers flexibility. However, it’s essential to use it wisely. I always recommend weighing it against other financial solutions like traditional loans to determine the best fit for your business.
Factoring vs Line of Credit: What are the differences?
When weighing “invoice factoring vs line of credit,” it’s not about which is universally better, but which matches your business’s current needs and future aspirations. Both can be great options; the key lies in figuring out which one complements your unique needs. Let’s get into it.
Basic Mechanics:
Invoice Factoring (IF): Invoice factoring operates on the principle of selling your unpaid invoices in exchange for immediate cash. It’s a transaction, not a loan.
Line of Credit (LOC): A Line of Credit offers businesses a predetermined credit limit, allowing you to draw funds as needed. It’s a more traditional form of borrowing.
Speed of Approval Process:
IF: Invoice factoring often has a more streamlined approval process, focusing on the quality of your invoices rather than your credit history.
LOC: Lines of Credit require a thorough evaluation, including your business credit rating, collateral, and financial history. It can take months.
Collateral Requirements:
IF: With invoice factoring, your invoices stand as the collateral. This means the emphasis is on your clients’ ability to pay.
LOC: A Line of Credit can require tangible collateral or assets, ensuring the borrowed amount is backed by substantial value.
Cost Implications:
IF: Factoring costs are upfront and are often a percentage of the invoice value. Hidden fees possible. (No hidden fees with FundThrough. See our pricing page for more info.)
LOC: While Lines of Credit may offer competitive interest rates, it’s crucial to be aware of potential fees, such as renewal or annual charges.
Repayment & Collections:
IF: In invoice factoring, the factor (companies like FundThrough) assumes responsibility for collecting from your client. This transfers the administrative duty away from you.
LOC: With a Line of Credit, repayments are structured, often monthly, based on the amount you’ve drawn and the interest accrued.
Suitability based on your type of business:
IF: If you’re a growing company and your biggest challenge is slow-paying clients and you’re seeking swift cash flow solutions, invoice factoring might be your answer.
LOC: If you’re an established organization seeking a more traditional, flexible safety net for varied business needs and are prepared for the initial setup, a Line of Credit could be the best choice.
Are you a visual learner? Comparing factoring to line of credit financing is somewhat complex, so for a quick look at how the two stack up against each other, check out this useful infographic which makes it extremely simple to digest.
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How Invoice Factoring and Lines of Credit Drive Growth Together
I’ll give you an example of a situation I’ve seen happen over and over. Say you’re a business owner facing a common cash flow challenge: cash is slow to come in from outstanding invoices, and what is coming in has to be spent on operating expenses. Then an opportunity for a major project comes up, or an existing customer wants to deepen their relationship with you, which requires you to buy materials or hire contractors with cash you don’t have. It would be a shame to have to turn down the opportunity to grow. I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention that poor cash flow situations like this are highly stressful for business owners. However, by finding and using complementary financing options like receivable financing, you can easily solve this problem.
In this case, you could use your line of credit on normal expenditures like inventory, payroll, and marketing. Simultaneously, as payment cycles get longer and as late payment issues from clients start piling up, you could turn to invoice factoring to fund more purchase orders. By having options for fast, flexible financing, you can get the cash to fund new work so you can grow without going into debt – or have more options ready in case your line of credit application doesn’t get approved due to a fluctuating credit score.
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How Can I Prepare to Get a Line of Credit?
There are plenty of resources about how to get a line of credit and what you need to do so. What’s not as available is how to plan and prepare for the application. There are a few factors to be mindful of if you decide you want to apply. Be prepared for these conditions:
- It takes time. From application to approval it could be a three to six month process. That’s not counting the time it takes to prepare and gather all the materials, bringing us to the next point.
- You have to be profitable. Your profit-and-loss and balance sheet will need to reflect that. You typically need to have three years of financial statements with either recent profitability or a very clear path to profitability for a bank to consider your application.
- You’ll need to provide a personal guarantee. You’ll also need to provide a personal net worth statement listing out all your personal assets and liabilities. (This is pretty standard and is likely also required for any alternative finance options you might consider.)
- You’ll need professionally prepared documents. Your CPA or accountant will need to prepare three years worth of financials. Determining the limit on your line of credit is done on historical financials, not forecasted growth.
One special note on that last point. The limit is set based on historical financials, so if you are growing quickly it won’t take long until that line of credit can no longer keep up. Asking for a higher limit is an option but it will take time for the bank to consider it so it’s also a good idea to make sure you have other sources of funding available to you.
The main point of this post is that there are many ways to fund your business out there and they are not mutually exclusive. You can – and should – have multiple sources of funding that complement each other well. If you and your accountant or bookkeeper can determine your financial needs and goals together, you’ll be well on your way to finding that ideal mix.
Why Banks Deny Business Lines of Credit
Even though business lines of credit have a 73 percent approval rate, there’s always the possibility of banks denying a line of credit. That approval rate is a bit misleading because it doesn’t consider what percentage of the money requested is actually approved. If you request $500,000 but only get approved for $10,000, is that really helpful? It’s an unfortunate (and again, stressful) situation, but by maturing and growing your business and taking advantage of different financing options, you can still get funded. Below are some of the common reasons this happens. Any one of these by itself could cause an entrepreneur to get denied:
- Too new. There’s not enough of a track record yet to make a decision.
- Not profitable. Your financial statements show the business has only been breaking even or losing money. Perhaps you hit a speed bump after years of profitability. Now you have to start over to prove the business’ ability to generate profits.
- Lack of assets. No “hard” collateral for a secured line of credit. An example of this is a consulting company or any company where your assets are people and not equipment or vehicles.
- Too small. It’s the same amount of work for a banker to process a large loan as a small loan but they make more money on the large loan so they would prefer that. If you’re not big enough to be meaningful to them the bank will likely push for you to use your personal line instead of applying for a business line of credit.
Actions to Take Next
If you’re considering a financial institution for a line of credit, don’t wait to get started. After you’ve submitted all the necessary documentation and completed your application, there’s usually a waiting period. During this time, you can explore other funding sources, like invoice factoring or receivable financing.
Notably, invoice factoring doesn’t focus on your business’s credit score but on your customers’ creditworthiness. So, if your business credit is still developing, factoring can still be a viable option. It’s different from lines of credit or traditional business loans, as there’s no debt created. Instead, the fee is deducted from the invoice amount, and the hassle of managing accounts receivable gets transferred to the factoring company.
In essence, while lines of credit are a flexible, low-interest financial tool, they’re not the only game in town. There’s a world of financing options out there, so take the time to find the right mix that aligns with your short and long-term business goals.
Explore All Your Funding Options
Get started by creating a free FundThrough account, or connecting your QuickBooks or Enverus account to start funding an invoice. Or contact us today if you have questions about invoice funding for your business.