As a small business owner, it’s crucial to understand your options in regards to receiving funds that are due. We’ll discuss what invoice factoring is, how it works, and why it’s an important concept to familiarize yourself with.
Definition and Examples of Invoice Factoring
Invoice factoring is a type of financing in which a business sells its unpaid invoices to a specialized factoring company and receives most of the money—typically 80% to 90%—upfront. The factoring company is then responsible for collecting the invoice payment from the client. Upon full payment of the invoice, the factoring company gives the business the remainder of the amount due, keeping a portion of the funds as a fee for the transaction.
Alternate name: Accounts receivable factoring
For example, a floral shop might want to turn to invoice factoring to bill you if you have a large unpaid invoice for your wedding flowers. As the client (or debtor) in this case, you would have 30 days (or Net 30) to fulfill your payment, but the business’s payroll must be completed before then. The business can sell the unpaid invoice to an invoice factoring company and receive cash for most of the invoice upfront. The factoring company is then responsible for collecting the payment from you. After the invoice is paid, the factoring company would give the business the remainder of the invoice balance, minus the fee for the service.
How Invoice Factoring Works
Businesses often turn to invoice factoring to increase cash flow or outsource the time commitment of following up with clients about payments. Invoice factoring companies usually pay around 80% to 90% of the invoice upfront and charge a fee of 1% to 5% of the full invoice amount. Factoring prices can vary depending on the following criteria:
Nature of the industry Average amount of receivables Creditworthiness and reliability of the client Days outstanding to receive payment Number of clients that need factoring
Recourse vs. Non-Recourse Factoring
Perhaps the most common type of invoice factoring is recourse factoring. This is an agreement that the business has to buy back any invoices the factoring company is unable to collect payment for. However, while the business—not the client/debtor—bears the risk in recourse factoring, using this method is typically less expensive than non-recourse factoring, which is when the factoring company assumes all risk associated with the invoice.
Benefits of Invoice Factoring
When it comes to short-term financing, invoice factoring is one of the most cost-effective methods available. Businesses such as startups that might not qualify for traditional business loans and need to secure cash flow quickly can opt for this method. It’s usually fairly easy to get approved for factoring as the funds are essentially being secured by the invoice—approval depends more on your client’s reliability, credit, and payment history. Let’s say a small startup business doesn’t have the resources to track down unpaid invoices and decides to turn to an invoice factoring company for help. It sells the factoring company an invoice for $2,000 and receives $1,700 upfront, which is 85% of the total invoice. The factoring company then receives the full invoice payment from the client and pays the startup an additional $200. This is the remainder of the invoice minus $100 for fees, which is 5% of the total invoice. For a fee of $100, the startup both improved its cash flow and eliminated the time commitment of following up with the client for payment. Make sure the invoice factoring company you’re working with has good customer service. Its interactions with your clients are a reflection of your business, so you want it to be a positive experience.
