Purchasing Order Financing Overview
Knowing the ins and outs of purchase order financing is an asset
to almost any small or medium sized business owner. In the
sections below you will learn just exactly what purchase order
financing is, the benefits, drawbacks, who can benefit the most
from it, and would be likely to qualify for it.
What is purchase order financing?
purchase order financing is another way to get a loan for the
capital you need to finance the supplies, production, and
shipping of a product after you have received a purchase order
from a buyer. Once you produce the finished goods and are paid,
you can then pay off your invoice to the company who provided
you with funding.
This is a perfect solution for small start-up businesses who
have orders coming in but don't have the finances required to
order supplies, pay their workers, and ship the finished goods.
This would also be a great opportunity for a small to medium
sized businesses who have found themselves with a sudden large
customer jump or are graced with a very large order.
Who can benefit from purchase order financing?
- Purchase order financing is great for small to medium sized
businesses who usually do not have the funds for large orders
that could sky rocket their sales and turn their product into a
household name. Image pitching your product to a major retailer,
receiving an order from them, and then not being able to produce
the goods needed because you are short on funds. purchase order
financing could save you from this heart-breaking, and
business-breaking, blow.
- A company who has received an order so large that they would
need a six-digit loan. A purchase order financing company is not
there to finance every single order so that a business does not
have to spend any money up-front, it is merely a means for
businesses to get the funds they need for an order that would
otherwise be out of their reach financially.
- Only those who are reselling an already made product that they
have to purchase in order to send to the buyer, such as drop
shippers, or are producing a product to sell may be eligible to
receive purchase order financing. For example, if you are
selling a service, you would not qualify to receive purchase
order financing. Although it may take capital you do not have to
hire employees to perform the service, it would still not
qualify under most company guidelines.
What are the drawbacks of purchase order financing?
There are few drawbacks to receiving purchase order financing,
however, there is one major qualification that could potentially
stand in your way. When a company grants you funding, they
assume they will be paid after your customer receives the
finished product and pays you. Because of this, many funding
companies will check the credit of your buyer(s) to be sure that
you will not get ripped off and be left without the money to pay
your invoice. Purchase order financing companies are not only
taking a chance on you, they are taking a chance on your
customers as well. They are the ones with the real risk if the
deal goes sour. Knowing that your customer is credit worthy
gives the company the peace of mind to lend to you.
What to look for in a purchase order financing company
You should find a company that is right for you. These
guidelines may help you better understand what type of company
you should apply with:
- Find out what their minimum and maximum funding guidelines are
to ensure that they meet your financial need. If a company only
funds loans that are in excess of what you are looking for or
has restrictions that are less than what you need then you are
best moving on to another company.
- Find out what other eligibility requirements they have to
ensure that you do qualify under their guidelines before you
waste any time applying for their loan.
- Find out what length of time you have to repay the loan and
check to see if it meets with you production and billing
schedules to ensure that you will have the funds in time.
- Once you have found a company that works for you, make sure
that they have a fee or interest rate that your company can both
afford and be comfortable with.
In the world of loans and financing, purchase order financing
may be a small business's best ally. They will usually have
repayment terms that allow time for production of a product and
it is the fastest way to receive financing without losing any
investment in your business. Also, since they will check into
the credit worthiness of your buyers, they may save you from
producing a product for a deadbeat buyer. All in all, purchase
order financing is a way to finance a large order that may get
your product into the hands of a top notch retailer.