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By Stephen Bush
Small business owners will quickly realize when they review working capital management and business loan basics that the most effective commercial financing sources have changed during the past few years. Commercial borrowers might need to be alerted that there are both “new basics” and “old basics” for most business financing situations, primarily because the active role that banks have traditionally played in providing both working capital loans as well other forms of commercial loans has been quietly stopped or significantly reduced. The entire process of reviewing “working capital basics” will help businesses realize how other commercial finance options are likely to be more effective in resolving their predicament than a traditional bank solution of taking on more business debt to resolve financial problems.
Because of declining sales occurring simultaneously with decreased availability of bank financing, ensuring adequate business cash flow has become a higher priority for most businesses. In one common occurrence, borrowers are likely to attempt to juggle the timing of expenses whenever possible in an effort to match receipt of business income. Business owners will realistically be forced to “get back to working capital financing basics” because this is not an ideal solution under any circumstances.
Looking at whether it is feasible to decrease overall bank financing is certainly a potential cost reduction that should not be overlooked. Many banks are increasing their fees for almost all commercial finance services. Businesses should increasingly try to reduce their business debt levels to avoid some of the bank fees altogether. The option of firing a current bank and replacing them with a new bank charging more reasonable fees will need to be emphasized when this is not practical.
Another primary alternative for any business to explore in their efforts to deal with a mismatch of income and costs is business expense reduction, and credit card processing is always a significant cost to evaluate. This is frequently an expense area that is overlooked because the credit card processing provider was chosen for convenience or perhaps because they were recommended by a banking or other professional relationship. Analyzing alternative providers in conjunction with obtaining a merchant cash advance is one of the most practical methods for reducing this cost. By combining efforts to obtain additional working capital (via a business cash advance) with a change of processing services, two cash flow benefits can be achieved by receiving commercial financing while simultaneously reducing a major cost. Certainly there will be those who say that this is easier said than done, and it is appropriate to emphasize that this process should involve the close involvement of a business financing expert who is familiar with all aspects.
Because of the recent ineffectiveness that prevails with commercial banking, business financing can no longer be taken for granted by any business owner. Some common advice for many complicated problems is often a variation of “it is time to get back to the basics”, and working capital loans represent an ongoing illustration of this wisdom for small businesses. Working capital management is the science and art of short term business cash management, and improvements in this area should always be welcomed by commercial borrowers.
About the Author: Steve Bush has delivered candid
working capital management
and small business loan advice to business owners for over 25 years. He provides
small business financing
options throughout the United States. Stephen is the Founder of AEX Commercial Financing Group which offers commercial real estate financing, business cash advances and commercial loan programs.
Source:
isnare.com
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