How to Make Money with Accounts Receivable Factoring
It may seem counter intuitive that a service that costs you money will actually make you more money, but it is true. As the old saying goes "it takes money to make money", and this is true when it comes to accounts receivable factoring as well. There are actually a handful of ways that factoring can help your bottom line, and some may not be so obvious.
Comparing Factoring Rates
The first thing you need to look at is the cost of factoring. If you currently take credit cards for payment, factoring fees are very similar to the fees that the credit card companies charge you, and possibly even less than Discover and AmEx. As a result, you will already have the factoring fee built into your pricing. However, it is important to make sure that your factoring company is charging you a flat rate fee, otherwise if your customers pay late you may wind up paying two or three times a credit card fee in interest. DSA Factors offers low flat rate fees, so you know exactly how much it will cost to factor an invoice.
Factoring Leads to Larger Orders
Often times your customers may have the same cash flow crunch that you have. They may not be able to pay for an order until the merchandise in the store sells. That is why it is important for them to be given 30 days to pay for the merchandise that they buy. However, while the credit card companies allow you to pay each month, if you don't pay the credit card bill by the due date on come the late fees and interest charges. So when a customer pays by credit card, they need to be absolutely sure that they will have the money to pay for it when that bill arrives in the mail. As a result, they may be hesitant to place a large order out of fear they won't be able to pay for it on time. When you offer terms to your customers, this isn't an issue. It is generally accepted that if you pay for an invoice with terms a little bit late, you won't be hit with late fees or interest charges. As a result you can sell more merchandise to your existing customers, as well as pick up major retailers, such as Walmart, TJX, Costco, or Amazon, who will only buy merchandise on terms.
Benefit from Increased Cash Flow
If you currently offer terms to your customers and aren't factoring your invoices, you can also benefit from the increased cash flow factoring will provide you with. You can use that improved cash flow to pay your suppliers faster, which in return will allow you to increase the volume of business that you do. After all, if you can get a container onto a ship thirty days earlier, you will be able to fulfill more orders faster, which will also lead to quicker reorders.
Outsource your accounts receivable
Furthermore, you can save money is on salary. By outsourcing your A/R department to a factoring company. You don't need to have employees making collection calls and sending out account statements, your factoring company will handle this for you. As a result, your employees can focus on things like making sales, marketing, or product development which will translate directly into higher sales volume.
Credit Checking and Insurance
Finally, you will save money on the cost of doing business. Since your factoring company will do all of the credit checking for you, you no longer need to subscribe to expensive credit agencies. If your factoring company offers non-recourse factoring, as DSA Factors does, then you will also eliminate bad debt as your factoring company assumes responsibility for customers who do not pay their bills.
Grow Your Business with Accounts Receivable Factoring
As you can see, accounts receivable factoring can be a great way for your business to increase its revenues while eliminating expenses. If your business can benefit from increased cash flow, then factoring may be the best way to make money and grow your business.
