Alternative Financing Vs. Venture Capital: Which Option Is Best for Boosting Working Capital?

There are several potential financing options available to cash-strapped businesses that need a healthy dose of working capital. A bank loan or line of credit is often the first option that owners think of – and for businesses that qualify, this may be the best option.

In today’s uncertain business, economic and regulatory environment, qualifying for a bank loan can be difficult – especially for start-up companies and those that have experienced any type of financial difficulty. Sometimes, owners of businesses that don’t qualify for a bank loan decide that seeking venture capital or bringing on equity investors are other viable options.

But are they really? While there are some potential benefits to bringing venture capital and so-called “angel” investors into your business, there are drawbacks as well. Unfortunately, owners sometimes don’t think about these drawbacks until the ink has dried on a contract with a venture capitalist or angel investor – and it’s too late to back out of the deal.

Different Types of Financing

One problem with bringing in equity investors to help provide a working capital boost is that working capital and equity are really two different types of financing.

Working capital – or the money that is used to pay business expenses incurred during the time lag until cash from sales (or accounts receivable) is collected – is short-term in nature, so it should be financed via a short-term financing tool. Equity, however, should generally be used to finance rapid growth, business expansion, acquisitions or the purchase of long-term assets, which are defined as assets that are repaid over more than one 12-month business cycle.

But the biggest drawback to bringing equity investors into your business is a potential loss of control. When you sell equity (or shares) in your business to venture capitalists or angels, you are giving up a percentage of ownership in your business, and you may be doing so at an inopportune time. With this dilution of ownership most often comes a loss of control over some or all of the most important business decisions that must be made.

Sometimes, owners are enticed to sell equity by the fact that there is little (if any) out-of-pocket expense. Unlike debt financing, you don’t usually pay interest with equity financing. The equity investor gains its return via the ownership stake gained in your business. But the long-term “cost” of selling equity is always much higher than the short-term cost of debt, in terms of both actual cash cost as well as soft costs like the loss of control and stewardship of your company and the potential future value of the ownership shares that are sold.

Alternative Financing Solutions

But what if your business needs working capital and you don’t qualify for a bank loan or line of credit? Alternative financing solutions are often appropriate for injecting working capital into businesses in this situation. Three of the most common types of alternative financing used by such businesses are:

1. Full-Service Factoring – Businesses sell outstanding accounts receivable on an ongoing basis to a commercial finance (or factoring) company at a discount. The factoring company then manages the receivable until it is paid. Factoring is a well-established and accepted method of temporary alternative finance that is especially well-suited for rapidly growing companies and those with customer concentrations.

2. Accounts Receivable (A/R) Financing – A/R financing is an ideal solution for companies that are not yet bankable but have a stable financial condition and a more diverse customer base. Here, the business provides details on all accounts receivable and pledges those assets as collateral. The proceeds of those receivables are sent to a lockbox while the finance company calculates a borrowing base to determine the amount the company can borrow. When the borrower needs money, it makes an advance request and the finance company advances money using a percentage of the accounts receivable.

3. Asset-Based Lending (ABL) – This is a credit facility secured by all of a company’s assets, which may include A/R, equipment and inventory. Unlike with factoring, the business continues to manage and collect its own receivables and submits collateral reports on an ongoing basis to the finance company, which will review and periodically audit the reports.

In addition to providing working capital and enabling owners to maintain business control, alternative financing may provide other benefits as well:

It’s easy to determine the exact cost of financing and obtain an increase.
Professional collateral management can be included depending on the facility type and the lender.
Real-time, online interactive reporting is often available.
It may provide the business with access to more capital.
It’s flexible – financing ebbs and flows with the business’ needs.
It’s important to note that there are some circumstances in which equity is a viable and attractive financing solution. This is especially true in cases of business expansion and acquisition and new product launches – these are capital needs that are not generally well suited to debt financing. However, equity is not usually the appropriate financing solution to solve a working capital problem or help plug a cash-flow gap.

A Precious Commodity

Remember that business equity is a precious commodity that should only be considered under the right circumstances and at the right time. When equity financing is sought, ideally this should be done at a time when the company has good growth prospects and a significant cash need for this growth. Ideally, majority ownership (and thus, absolute control) should remain with the company founder(s).

Alternative financing solutions like factoring, A/R financing and ABL can provide the working capital boost many cash-strapped businesses that don’t qualify for bank financing need – without diluting ownership and possibly giving up business control at an inopportune time for the owner. If and when these companies become bankable later, it’s often an easy transition to a traditional bank line of credit. Your banker may be able to refer you to a commercial finance company that can offer the right type of alternative financing solution for your particular situation.

Taking the time to understand all the different financing options available to your business, and the pros and cons of each, is the best way to make sure you choose the best option for your business. The use of alternative financing can help your company grow without diluting your ownership. After all, it’s your business – shouldn’t you keep as much of it as possible?

S&P 500 Rallies As U.S. Dollar Pulls Back Towards Weekly Lows

Key Insights
The strong pullback in the U.S. dollar provided significant support to stocks.
Treasury yields have pulled back after touching new highs, which served as an additional positive catalyst for S&P 500.
A move above 3730 will push S&P 500 towards the resistance level at 3760.
Advertisement

Pfizer Rallies After Announcing A Huge Price Hike For Its COVID-19 Vaccines
S&P 500 is currently trying to settle above 3730 as traders’ appetite for risk is growing. The U.S. dollar has recently gained strong downside momentum as the BoJ intervened to stop the rally in USD/JPY. Weaker U.S. dollar is bullish for stocks as it increases profits of multinational companies and makes U.S. equities cheaper for foreign investors.

The leading oil services company Schlumberger is up by 9% after beating analyst estimates on both earnings and revenue. Schlumberger’s peers Baker Hughes and Halliburton have also enjoyed strong support today.

Vaccine makers Pfizer and Moderna gained strong upside momentum after Pfizer announced that it will raise the price of its coronavirus vaccine to $110 – $130 per shot.

Biggest losers today include Verizon and Twitter. Verizon is down by 5% despite beating analyst estimates on both earnings and revenue. Subscriber numbers missed estimates, and traders pushed the stock to multi-year lows.

Twitter stock moved towards the $50 level as the U.S. may conduct a security review of Musk’s purchase of the company.

From a big picture point of view, today’s rebound is broad, and most market segments are moving higher. Treasury yields have started to move lower after testing new highs, providing additional support to S&P 500. It looks that some traders are ready to bet that Fed will be less hawkish than previously expected.

S&P 500 Tests Resistance At 3730

S&P 500 has recently managed to get above the 20 EMA and is trying to settle above the resistance at 3730. RSI is in the moderate territory, and there is plenty of room to gain additional upside momentum in case the right catalysts emerge.

If S&P 500 manages to settle above 3730, it will head towards the next resistance level at 3760. A successful test of this level will push S&P 500 towards the next resistance at October highs at 3805. The 50 EMA is located in the nearby, so S&P 500 will likely face strong resistance above the 3800 level.

On the support side, the previous resistance at 3700 will likely serve as the first support level for S&P 500. In case S&P 500 declines below this level, it will move towards the next support level at 3675. A move below 3675 will push S&P 500 towards the support at 3640.

Mary Kay Cosmetics Makeup and Skin Care Product Use

Fascination with makeup occurred at a young age. But when we start experimenting, we don’t always use the best face, body and cosmetic products. This is truly because we can only afford the stuff from the five and dime.As we mature, we learn that our skin requires special attention. It takes a little time and effort to maintain good skin that is glowing and totally flawless. Sometimes, based upon your skin type, special care needs to be taken. Such as a customized products for acne. So you should care for your skin as it asks you to. It shows you what needs to be done to keep it healthy. Mary Kay Cosmetics Makeup and Skin Care Product use enhances and helps maintain good skin.There are five essential steps when using Mary Kay Skin Care Products for good skin results:1. Cleanse: Removes makeup, impurities, excess oil and environmental pollutants2. Exfoliate: Exfoliates dead surface cells to re-texture and refine the skin’s surface3. Freshen: Completes the cleansing process as it helps tone, soothe and re-hydrate the skin4. Moisturize: Increases skin’s ability to retain moisture and forms a protective shield to reduce moisture evaporation and improve skin’s resilience and elasticity5. Protect: Evens skin tone for a flawless finish and shields from the environmentNote: A Moisturizer with Sunscreen SPF 15 helps protect skin from premature aging due to incidental sun exposure.Your skin may also require customized skin care and color products. For instance, you may need to:Smooth and softens fine facial lines, Minimizes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, Reduce puffiness under the eyes or have sensitive skin. Mary Kay Cosmetics offers customized products to care for skin that needs additional support in keeping the skin clear.Sensitive skin is defined as skin easily irritated by topically applied products or environmental factors. Be sure that you use a customized skin care and color product that says “suitable for sensitive skin”. Mary Kay Skin Care Product are made for sensitive skin.Blemish-Prone Skin – Acne or blemish-prone skin is a remarkably common skin condition. While many adolescents may experience acne, this condition also can appear for the first time in adults in their 20s or 30s or even later in life. Generally, however, if you had acne as a teenager, you are more likely to have it again as an adult. Eighty to 100 percent of all teenagers have acne to some degree, and an increasing number of adult women also have some acne. It may require a dermatologist’s care.Most Mary Kay Cosmetics Makeup and Skin Care Products have customized skin care products fit the specific skin care needs of most people. It takes a little time to determine what is actually needed by use. Symptoms of extremes in skin types, such as acne, overly dry or oily, can be improved through proper skin care use. It’s very important to remember that skin care products and cosmetics will help the skin look and feel good, but will not cure skin disorders. That’s when dermatology care is worth investigating.Note: In addition, once acne is present, excessive scrubbing or frequent cleansing will not control it, and any rough manipulation of the skin may further irritate and inflame the lesions or even lead to the formation of new acne lesions.When choosing a color cosmetics always go for the latest trends. It’s usually refreshing and fun to make the change. This also ensures assures freshness of the products.Pamper and care for your skin all over. Use the very best in body care. Layer your body care products on the skin before applying the fragrance because it can extend the wear time of the fragrance.Find a fragrance is completely unique and one with “staying power”. Different ingredients come into play in the fragrance at various stages of the perfume’s life on the skin.Perfumers distinguish between the various parts of the fragrance in the following way: The first impression of the fragrance. It is the initial impact of the scent on the sense of smell. The heart of the fragrance unfolds and develops a few minutes after the perfume is applied to the skin. The final impression of the fragrance . It is the most lasting part and can last several hours after the fragrance is applied.That’s because each one can include up to 1,000 different ingredients, which vary not only in how they smell but also in their “staying power” on the skin. Different ingredients come into play in the fragrance at various stages of the perfume’s life on the skin.Remember that the whole body needs care. And remember to make yourself feel special everyday!