In dealing with various businesses and lenders as an invoice finance broker the biggest frustration is when a lender takes a long time to say ‘no’.

In my position as a broker I always aim to manage any clients expectations in terms of what can be reallistically achieved in the market given their particular circumstances. In dealing with any lender I try and highlight any issues upfront so that our energies can be focussed on mitigating the risks associated with those issues. My aim in doing this is to be honest and maintain a solid reputation but also to avoid any last minute issues. If a lender discovers the deal they have been looking at for the last 6 weeks is not what they thought because of some ‘skeleton in the closet’ then it will come as no suprise that they may change or retract their original offer.

The flip side of this is when a lender is provided full information on day one and the risks have clearly being highlighted to them. Yet after 2 months of visits and negotiations they say ‘no’ and the reason given is what was flagged into them in the first instance. This is frustrating for the broker such as myself but for the business concerned can be catostrophic.

In the most recent instance of this kind I had a client who had breached a facility with the invoice finance arm of a major bank. There had been a number of fairly minor breaches over a 5 month period and as such the lender had given the client 3 months notice to find an alternaitive funder. I approached an independent lender and flagged in the issues asking at the end of my email, “Given these breaches could you assist?”. The lender assured me they still had an appetite to assist and that their credit team were on board. They went to various meeting and chased the prospect for a decision until he finally accepted their terms. A full pre lend survey was done a month into this process and the feedback was that the survey had gone well. However another month further down the line and only when I phoned for an update was I told the facility had been declined. ‘Why?’, I asked. ‘The client has breached his facility with the existing provider’, was the response. In instances like that you have to laugh or you would cry. However, the implication for the client was that in less than a month the existing provider would be looking for full repayment and as such his business was at risk. The lender concerned made apologies and moved on to tell another broker how their ‘national, local and personal’ presence is best for their clients. I have to say I disagree. This has only happened to me twice this year and both times, despite having the assurances of senior people, this same lender have dropped out at the last minute after a protracted process and have declined the deal based on something they were aware of on day one. The lender concerned will not be dealing with any introductions from me going forward having shown it is not an issue with individuals or regions but a company wide problem.

I am writing this to share an experience so that clients don’t make the same mistake. So how do you ensure this doesn’t happen to you? In time critical situations like the one I have described I think it is important to run at least 2 invoice finance companies in tandem through the application process. Be totally upfront with them from the outset and highlight any risks to them. This way they can look to structure a facility that meets your needs but also mitigates their concerns over risks. The time in working with 2 lenders until you have credit backed offers will be repaid in peace of mind and in ensuring you are not back at square one should a lender decide they no longer have an appetite to assist you.