What is Accounts Receivable Financing?
Accounts receivable financing, or AR financing, is a way for businesses to get money quickly based on the money they’re owed from customers. It’s a type of asset-based lending, where the lender looks at the company’s Accounts Receivable (AR) as collateral. There are three main types of accounts receivable financing: factoring, asset-backed securities, and accounts receivable loans. In this blog post, we’ll explain what each one is and how you can use it to get the money you need for your business.
Some Background
What Are Accounts Receivable?
Accounts receivable are amounts of money that customers owe a business. They are for products or services that have been delivered but not yet paid for. On the balance sheet, they are recorded as a current asset since they are usually due within 30-90 days.
What Is Accounts Receivable Financing?
Accounts receivable financing, or AR financing, is a way for businesses to get money quickly based on the money they’re owed from customers. It’s a type of asset-based lending, where the lender looks at the company’s Accounts Receivable (AR) as collateral.
What Does It Mean To Me?
If you’re a business owner, Accounts Receivable Financing can be a way to get the cash you need to grow your company. You can use it for anything from expanding your operations to buying new equipment to hiring new employees. The key is to find the right financing option for your needs.
Types Of Accounts Receivable Financing
There are three main types of Accounts Receivable Financing: factoring, asset-backed securities, and accounts receivable loans.
1) Factoring
With factoring, the company sells its Accounts Receivable to a third party (called a factor). The factor then pays the company an advance based on the AR amount and collects the money from the customers. The advance is usually about 80-90% of the total AR amount.
The main benefit of factoring is that it’s quick, and the company doesn’t have to worry about collecting. The downside is that the interest rates are usually higher than other types of Accounts Receivable Financing.
2) Asset-Backed Securities
Asset-backed securities are a type of security that’s backed by assets, such as mortgages, loans, or Accounts Receivable. They are sold to investors and provide a way for businesses to get financing without having to sell their Accounts Receivable outright.
The main benefit of asset-backed securities is that the company can get financing without giving up control of its Accounts Receivable. The downside is that these are complex instruments and are usually only available to larger companies.
3) Accounts Receivable Loans
Accounts receivable loans are simply loans that are secured by Accounts Receivable. The company can get a loan for up to 80-90% of the total AR amount.
The main benefit of Accounts Receivable Loans is that they are the simplest type of Accounts Receivable Financing. The downside is that your company needs a strong credit profile and a great collections process since the loan is secured by your accounts.
Proceed With Caution
While financing with AR can bring in cash quickly, there are a few things you need to understand. First, these types of loans can be expensive. Factoring can cost upwards of 20% of the value of your receivables. If your cost of goods sold is less than 20%, you will quickly lose money.
Second, it is critical that your AR is either stable or growing to use this type of financing. If your AR starts to decline, you won’t have enough money in the bank to keep the bills paid.
Lastly, remember that you have to keep financing continuously to maintain the cash bump. You aren’t generating new cash, you are just pulling the cash forward a month or two. If you don’t keep pulling money forward, you will lose the extra cash. That’s why it’s best to use this when your business is growing since you will (hopefully) bring in more cash and wind down your AR financing.
Let’s Recap
AR financing is a way for businesses to get money quickly based on the money they’re owed from customers. There are three main types of AR financing: factoring, asset-backed securities, and accounts receivable loans. In this blog post, we explained what each one is and how you can use it to get the money you need for your business.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Account Receiveable Factoring And How Is It Different From A Loan?
Accounts receivable factoring is the sale of Accounts Receivable to a third party at a discount. With a loan, the company borrows money from a lender and pays it back over time with interest.
When Should I Use Accounts Receivable Financing?
Accounts receivable financing is a good option for businesses that have Accounts Receivable but don’t have other collateral to get money quickly. It’s also a good option for companies that don’t have the best credit. For companies to be successful with this type of financing, they need to either be growing or have very stable, recurring sales.
Can I Get Financing With Bad Credit?
It depends on the lender. Some lenders will work with companies that have bad credit, while others will not. It’s important to shop around and find the right lender for your company. Overall, companies with bad credit are most likely to be approved for factoring (since you are selling the receivable) and least likely to be approved for a loan on the accounts.
What Are The Benefits Of Accounts Receivable Financing?
This type of financing can provide businesses with the money they need to grow and expand. It’s a quick and easy way to get cash, and there are multiple ways to put your accounts to work. They are also more flexible for newer businesses or businesses with weak credit.
How Can I Monitor Accounts Receivable?
The best way to monitor accounts receivable is using the accounts receivable to sales ratio. The Accounts Receivable to Sales Ratio measures how much a company’s sales occur on credit. When a company has a more significant percentage of its sales happening on credit, it may run into short-term liquidity problems. The Accounts Receivable to Sales Ratio is calculated by dividing the company’s sales for a given accounting period by its accounts receivables for the same period.
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