Thursday, 23rd December 2021 | Small business financing Canada

Pros and cons of merchant cash advance financing

Merchant Cash Advance financing has both pros and cons. Read our detailed blog to know if it's the right choice for your business.

What is a merchant cash advance?

The first thing to remember is that a Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) is not a loan. Unlike typical loans, MCA is a lump-sum payment made to a company in exchange for future sales. This is why Merchant Cash Advance financing is ideal for B2B transactions, as well as retail and restaurant establishments that predominantly accept debit and credit card payments. This is also why a Merchant Cash Advance is simpler to obtain than a loan because the applicant is assessed depending on the number of sales and cash flow generated in the previous few months rather than by their creditworthiness.

Pros of merchant cash advance financing

A merchant cash advance may be the appropriate solution for you if you are a small business owner looking for an alternative credit option for your company. However, before making the decision, study the pros and cons of Merchant Cash Advance financing. Here are a few of its merits:

Remittance depending on your company's credit card sales on a daily or weekly basis

The remittance structure is one of the most appealing aspects of obtaining a merchant cash advance. A classic business term loan requires a company to make a specified payment regardless of whether or not its customers have paid their invoices. This might place a hardship on a company that has slow-paying customers or a changing cash flow. As previously stated, a percentage of your company's credit card sales is utilized to pay your commitment with merchant cash advance financing. As a result, if you have a sluggish sales month, you will not be charged as much as during peak seasons.

The money is received shortly

The process of obtaining a company loan from a bank might take weeks or months to complete. If your company needs immediate operating cash, you can't afford to go through a lengthy financing procedure just to find out that you don't qualify for a loan. Funds are typically accessible in less than a week with a merchant cash advance, and many lenders can close agreements in less than 72 hours.

Payments are made automatically

With a merchant cash advance, payments are automatically deducted from your business's accepted credit transactions. This means you won't have to take time out of your day to make the payments, and you’re far less likely to incur late fees. If you have a habit of forgetting to pay your bills, knowing that your cash advance remittance is handled for you might be reassuring.

Cons of merchant cash advance financing

Although having access to quick cash with no strings attached seems appealing, there are certain drawbacks to getting a merchant cash advance that you should be aware of. Here are a few disadvantages to merchant cash advance financing:

Rates of interest can be quite high

The expense of merchant cash advances is one of the main reasons why businesses avoid them. While the fees charged by each lender differs, a merchant cash advance may cost you more in interest than other types of business financing. Merchant cash advance providers are exempt from numerous interest rate limitations and regulations since cash advances are deemed "short term" borrowing. As a result, their approvals are frequently linked to a high annual percentage rate (APR).

It might be difficult to succeed if you don't receive credit card sales

In many circumstances, companies accept a combination of credit cards, cash, and maybe even cheques as payment methods. While merchant cash advance providers normally do not have a problem with this, they do occasionally add a clause in their contracts that prohibits businesses from giving incentives for non-credit card payments.

There could be limitations

Another negative aspect to receiving a merchant cash advance is that there may be “fine print” that places limitations on your business while you are fulfilling your obligation. A common restriction to watch out for is wording that won’t allow the business to switch credit card processing companies. Other prohibited changes may include things like moving locations or revising hours of operation.

Why you should choose iCapital

When applying for merchant cash advance financing, the most important thing to remember is that while it can be a useful tool in certain situations, it also comes with risks. Make sure you understand all restrictions and expenses before deciding to pursue this financing option and don't be afraid to ask iCapital questions. After you've gathered all of the information, you can assess if your firm might benefit from a merchant cash advance. Contact iCapital at 1.877.251.7171 today for the best services in Canada.

 

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5 Strategies for Growing your Business

What can I do to start developing a plan for growth?

Deciding to grow your business is a big step, so take a moment to congratulate yourself. Now, let’s get to work. The first thing to do is to develop a plan, and these five strategies can help.

1. Take care of your cash flow

Just for everyday operations, businesses need to have a steady flow of capital coming in and going out, but the importance of your cash flow intensifies when you’re planning to expand. 

Survey your income and expense reports to determine your current cash flow, and identify trends so you can estimate how much you’ll have in the future. Don’t stop there. Make sure that you return to this information regularly to ensure you remain on the right path. 

Should you find yourself in a cash flow crunch, you can consider a business line of credit so you can continue to take care of your responsibilities. Alternatively, you can take out a small business loan. 

2. Invest in marketing and sales

It’s common for sales and marketing costs to fall to the bottom of a small business’ priority list, but they’re an absolutely crucial investment, especially if you’re expanding. Bear in mind that marketing and sales strategies and tactics can be tailored to your business’ unique needs, so you’ve got a variety of options to choose from–all with different budgets. Consider your audience, sales goals, and business forecast to build regular (think monthly) marketing efforts into your long-term plan. Marketing your business is an investment in its success. 

3. Attend to your core audience while attracting new customers 

Expansion often involves courting new customers, weather from different market segments or simply additional regions. It’s important that during the growth process resources and attention aren’t stolen from your core customers. They’re the ones who got you here, after all. 

One way to give everyone the attention they deserve is to break your audience (and marketing dollars) into distinct segments and sell each according to their wants. Be open to different configurations. For example, depending on the situation you might want to serve everyone under a single brand, or develop distinct brands for different segments. 

4. Confirm your supply

Few things can turn customers away faster than hearing you don’t have the products or services they need. Supply chain issues and slow delivery since the pandemic have put an increasing number of businesses in a precarious position when it comes to meeting customer demands, so your expansion plans should include the establishment of relationships with multiple reliable suppliers. Your efforts in advance demonstrate good business practices and respect for your customers. Plus, positive relationships with multiple suppliers can help you with your expansion goals. 

5. Ensure quality and consistency 

It should go without saying, but the last thing you want to happen when you expand is to have your quality or customer experience decline. Plan against this by establishing production, operations, and customer service standards. .

You have a better chance of expanding successfully if you plan carefully in advance. Attend to your finances, marketing, suppliers, and customers in advance to make sure you’re growing on a solid foundation. 

 

Speak to an iCapital advisor about small business loans or lines of credit to ensure steady cash flow during your expansion process. 

Marketing ,Accounting ,Management

What Is Working Capital and Why It’s Important In Your Business

 

What Is Working Capital?

When your company needs products or services in the short-term, you use working capital to pay for it. Unlike cash flow, which refers to money going in and out of the company, working capital is a snapshot of a company’s financial health. You can figure out what your company’s working capital is by looking at the value of your company’s assets minus your liabilities. This is the amount of money you have on hand to meet immediate expenses–in other words, your working capital.

 

Why is it important?

It’s obvious that a company should have the working capital it needs to pay its employees and purchase inventory, but your available working capital is also a good measure of your company’s overall financial picture. If you have access to sufficient or even plentiful working capital, you can rest assured that you have the resources to manage your upcoming expenses. If your working capital is low, you can run into problems.

Additionally, working capital is essential in helping businesses maintain and grow their operations in the future. With enough working capital, a business can cover its expenses even if there are outstanding payments from customers. In the best-case scenarios, businesses can use extra working capital to reinvest in their operations by buying additional inventory, launching marketing and promotions, and hiring additional staff. 

Every business should strive to have ample working capital, but this can be a challenge, particularly in times of economic downturn.

 

4 Tips To Improve Your Working Capital

1.Get a Cash Flow Forecast

It’s easier to get where you want to be if you have a clear picture of where you are. A cash flow forecast is a financial projection that shows how much money your company can expect to receive and when. Make sure you look at revenue, expenses, and net cash. With this information, you can make better, informed decisions about spending. 

2.Automate Business Processes

Your working capital relies on receiving payment, so it makes good business sense to streamline the invoicing process. Using an automatic invoicing system, particularly one that’s tied to the delivery of your product or service, will free up time and, importantly, ensure your invoicing isn’t delayed due to busy employees or time constraints. The ability to track your invoices can make your working capital more predictable, which will allow you to make educated decisions about spending.

3.Incentivize Receivables

If you run a small- or medium-sized business, you’ve experienced late payment, or even worse, no payment at all. Following up with outstanding invoices is time-consuming and frustrating, so it’s smart to bake in incentives for customers, suppliers, and vendors who meet their obligations. Incentives could be monetary or symbolic in nature. The idea is to encourage good business practices while fostering positive relationships.

4.Improve Inventory Management & Avoid Stockpiling

Inventory management is the process of matching your company’s inventory to expected sales. The trick is to make sure you have enough–but not too much. Stockpiling inventory is expensive, and money tied up in overstock can’t be spent on more immediate needs. Consider investing in a digital solution.

Access to sufficient working capital is a great indicator that your business is healthy, and a healthy business is one that’s positioned to grow and take on new opportunities. 



 

Accounting ,Management

Marketing ideas for your business in the new year

As the end of the year approaches, it’s time to revisit your marketing strategy to meet current consumer expectations. Forecasting trends is tricky, but what’s clear is that in 2023, customers value privacy, inclusivity, transparency, and overall authenticity, and it’s your job to show them how your business practices meet these ideals. Read on for six steps you take right now to market your business in 2023.

Understand your changing audience

The first thing you need to do is revisit your market. Review your sales and marketing data to make sure you have a realistic grasp on the size, demographics, and character of your target market. Pay close attention to any changes in your ideal customer and use this updated intel to seek out new opportunities. For example, if your business has grown or taken a new direction in recent years, it might be attracting a new audience. Make sure you’re communicating with the most appropriate market segment.

Update your website

Your website is one of your most valuable marketing assets so it’s crucial that it be in good shape. Review your site to make sure all the content is correct and up-to-date. Check to make sure that it loads quickly and displays correctly across desktop, tablet, and mobile platforms. You probably look at your site regularly so consider getting someone with “fresh eyes” to take a look. Ensure that your site works intuitively and offers a seamless customer experience. A site that’s pleasant to use will help you convert new visitors and retain returning ones. 

Maximize the potential of social media 

With more than 4.7 billion people using social media, your business cannot afford to ignore it. If you’re just starting out on social platforms, now is the time to claim your presence. Set up accounts for your business on top platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Investigate which sites your ideal customers might be using and ensure you’re on them too. Post relevant content, regularly, and make sure that you keep your profiles fresh and current. Try running contests or promotions to boost engagement, and take advantage of the built-in shopping capabilities available on many platforms. You can communicate a lot about your brand values by aligning yourself with other local small businesses through collaborations or sponsorships. 

Leverage video content and live streaming

Video content has been a rising trend for the past several years, and is well-suited to businesses who want to increase awareness, improve lead generation and sales, and reduce support calls. Consider how video content might work for your business, keeping in mind that consumers appreciate being entertained. Live streaming is popular and an effective way to connect with your audience in real time. Engage your audience with quality storytelling. Inform them with a clear and concise script. Be creative. 

Get interactive with your audience 

When was the last time you did an online quiz or game? How about worked with an online calculator or map? Interactive content is engaging, which is why audiences–and marketers–love it. It’s low-cost and can help you increase brand loyalty, generate leads, and drive sales. Think about ways your business can use interactive content to grab your customers’ attention. 

Respect consumer privacy

More than ever, consumers are concerned about privacy. Demonstrate respect for your customers’ privacy by compliance with standards like GDPR, by properly acquiring and using user data, and by continually informing your customers of exactly how you’re handling their information.
 

If you want to stay ahead of your competitors in 2023, now is the time to fine-tune your marketing efforts to communicate your business’ authentic brand and values. Take an inclusive, transparent, privacy-first approach, to reach your target audience.

 

Marketing

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