“I am not in the office today, my boss has advised that I requested money today and I haven’t. I want to get this cleared up as soon as possible.”
It was a normal Wednesday afternoon, one of our Managers had just finished funding for the day and turned their attention to an unusual email.
A warehouse without stock, a bank account without cash, a big December quarter BAS and January PAYG - all due at the same time.
Christmas is only weeks away and the retailers are in full swing trying to stimulate spending earlier.
Businesses in the transport and logistics sector face many challenges trying to manage and maintain consistent cashflow having to juggle fluctuating fuel prices, tight margins, reducing numbers of skilled drivers, and ever-increasing regulation and safety obligations.
Seasonal demand can fluctuate throughout the year, which can make it difficult to maintain cashflow for any business.
Not being in control of your business’ finance can be a frightening thought. Working on credit, trying to meet payroll and tax commitments plus trying to invest back into the business to grow, creates an uncomfortable situation.
Over the past two or more years the biggest challenge for small to medium businesses is getting enough cash to effectively run the business. It’s not uncommon for a profitable business to have cashflow problems, and this is especially true when new growth and sales opportunities come up.
Customer invoice finance and bank overdrafts both provide cash to help businesses fund their day to day operating expenses, however there are some major differences. Here is an explanation on how they vary to help you decide what is best for you.
Financing a business through its receivable invoices is not a new concept. In fact, its roots can be traced to over 4,000 years ago when the foundations were laid in Ancient Mesopotamia.