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Invoice Finance

Cheap factoring is available from a variety of providers however everything is of course relative. When looking for an invoice finance facility it is important to remember that in some cases the most expensive provider can be 3 times more expensive than the cheapest provider.

It is also important to remember that good deals become available from lenders from time to time and as such the cheapest lender will depend on when you are looking. It is also important to remember that the cheapest factoring provider will also depend on the unique characteristics of your business and it’s factoring requirements.

Smart factoring quotes understand the market and monitor it’s changes. On that basis we can save you time doing research and can also save you money by ensuring the most competitive factoring lenders are introduced to you.

Invoice Factoring – Newcastle

Invoice Factoring is available throughout the UK but which invoice factoring companies have a true presence in Newcastle? Smart Factoring Quotes have an office in Newcastle.

Newcastle was an industrial heartland of heavy industry within the UK but today it is not dominated by large industrial employers. It thrives on the back of local entrepeneurs who have started successful SME’s.

These SME’s require funding and for businesses that sell or provide a service to other businesses invoice factoring or invoice discounting can be an ideal solution.

Newcastle is actively covered by several players. These include Bibby Financial Services, Aldermore Invoice Finance, Lloyds TSB Commercial Finance, Close Invoice Finance and Skipton Business Finance. There are also another dozen or so lenders who are very happy to assist businesses in and around Newcastle.

Smart Factoring Quotes also have an office in Newcastle and a real desire to help local SME’s. If you are an SME in Newcastle looking for a factoring facility it is worth understanding which lender and which product is best suited to your business. Smart Factoring Quotes can help you find both the right lender and the right product – simply contact us on 0845 863 0738 or visit or website. We can assess all the local offerings and also draw on contacts across the UK to find the best solution for the requirements of your business.

Each lender has very different criteria and capabilities. They are each suited to different types of businesses and it is imperative that you select the right lender for your business. Entering into what is typically a 15 -0 18 month contract with a lender that can’t really provide what you are looking for can be very detrimental to you business. It can also be very time consuming and costly.

If you have been declined for an invoice finance facility what can you do? Well I guess to provide an accurate and short answer I would need to understand why a facility had been declined however we can look at some general advice:

  • If it is because you operate in a particular sector such as construction it is worth looking for a specialised lender.
  • If it is because your business is too large or too small for the lender you approached use the market place and look for an alternative that actively targets businesses of your size.
  • if it is because of adverse credit history of the business or the directors look at alternative lenders but it is wise to be totally upfront and honest. Explain what happened, why it happened and why it won’t happen again.
  • if it is because of financial performance look at other lenders. Not all lenders are concerned with financial performance.
  • If you have looked for invoice discounting but have been declined perhaps you would qualify for another type of facility such as CHOC’s or factoring.
  • You could always consider asking for a reduced prepayment level.
  • Consider asking a lender to cap your facility to limit their risk.
  • Can you offer additional security to show the lender you have confidence in the business?

It is important to remember that all lenders have different criteria so it is worth shopping around. Smart Factoring Quotes would be happy to undertake a market review and advise you of your options.

The site is still under development but it will compliment our existing site Smart Factoring Quotes.

The site is aimed at providing business owners with a free online resource that will ultimately help them select both the most suitable invoice finance product for their business and the most suitable invoice finance provider.

It is important to consider that whether you select a factoring of invoice discounting product the way it operates and performs will differ from lender to lender. This is based on the simple mechanics of how lenders operate but also on less obvious things such as a lenders reputation for communication. Some lenders will simply not return calls which can prove very frustrating while others have excellent reputations for customer service levels.

With our knowledge of the market we can help you navigate your way to the lender best placed to meet your needs.

Invoice Finance is the generic terms that describes both the industry and the product that provide finance against invoices that a business raises to other businesses.

Under the umbrella of invoice finance there are various products including:

Invoice Discounting – this is where a finance company will provide finance against the invoices raised by a business but the responsibility of collecting the debts in remains with the business itself. This type of facility can be either disclosed or confidential.

Factoring – this is where an invoice finance company purchases the debt from a business and not only provides finance but also provides the credit control function – i.e. they chase the debts. Disclosed factoring is by far the most common form of finance however confidential factoring can be sourced.

CHOCS – this stands for ‘clients handles own collections’ and operates in the same way as a factoring facility. However, the  factoring company allows the client to do their own credit control.

Beyond this there can be recourse and non-recourse facilities for all these types of facilities.

When choosing your facility it is important to consider what you require from the facility and then it is worth speaking with an invoice finance broker to see what facilities will best meet your needs. It is important to remember that each lender has it’s own criteria and capabilities.

Recently I have seen quite a few confidential invoice discounting clients looking for flat service fees. The most recent being a recruitment business with a turnover of £56m. I asked why the flat fee was attractive and was told it “impacted less on margins.” Who am I to argue with someone who has a built up such a large recruitment business and has been a user of invoice discounting for over a decade. I did however feel that it warranted a comment on the forum.

So what are the benefits of a flat monthly fee? Well I guess it is easier to budget and potentially cheaper for a company with a rising turnover but in reality the costs should not differ dramatically to a percentage based fee. The way the flat fee or percentage based fee is calculated will be the same for any lender anyway. Most lenders will arrive at a monetary service fee and then convert it to a percentage of gross turnover anyway.

There is obviously a requirement for flat fees though as one of the ‘new kids on the block’ Gener8 Finance use this as their USP.

Personally I can’t see the advantages but I guess it provides certainty and in times such as these something has to be said for that.

I would however welcome anyones thoughts on this……

Factoring in Ireland has become increasingly difficult in recent years as the economy and banking industry in particular has been hit hard.

Arguably when companies require cash flow facilities the most the Irish banks have not been in a position to help except in the most straight forward of cases.

There are however, several invoice factoring companies in Ireland who have stepped in to fill this void. As such Smart Factoring Quotes Ireland was set up to help Irish businesses find the lender best suited to meet their needs.

Construction Factoring is challenging for invoice factoring companies for a number of reasons.

Any invoice factoring company wants to know that the value of any invoice that they have funded against is secure. In the event of business failure they want to be able to approach the clients customer and request that the invoices they have taken good title to are paid in order to recover their position.

With this in mind if you consider how the construction industry operates you will see how this can cause issues for invoice finance companies.

In the first instance most contractors within the construction industry raise ‘applications for payment’ rather than invoices. As such invoice factoring companies cannot take good title to the applications in the traditional manner.

The work done is usually measured weekly, monthly or against specific milestones and as such applications or invoices are raised for a part completed project. Should the contractor fail to complete the project then liquidated damages can come into effect which render the outstanding invoices worthless. As such any invoice factoring company would not recover their position against these invoices.

Retentions at the end of the contract can also cause issues for invoice finance companies but these effect the prepayment level rather than the ability to provide funding.

Bad news for the construction contractor looking for a flexible working capital facility? Well, it is not all bad news. Smart Factoring Quotes have lenders who can provide invoice finance facilities to construction contractors. Get in touch today.