Entrepreneurialism Information

By Marco Terry

If you ask the owner of a successful re-seller or importer company to identify their biggest challenge, their common answer will be: lack of working capital. Working capital is the lifeblood of all resellers and importers, enabling them to pay suppliers and allowing them to grow their businesses. Many times, their ability to grow is directly linked to their access to working capital.

So, where do re-sellers that wish to take their businesses to the next level go to get working capital? The bank? Unlikely, as banks are tough sources of business financing. To qualify for a business loan you'll usually need to provide reports showing three years worth of profitable operations - and - the owner will need to have a spotless credit record. Oh, and if you are a startup, don't bother. Few banks will provide working capital to startups.

Are there any alternate options? Fortunately, the answer is yes. Purchase order financing (commonly known as po funding) is a great source of financing for startups and growing companies that have exhausted their bank financing options. However, you won't find PO Funding at your local bank, you'll find it at your local factoring company.

PO funding is an ideal source of financing for resellers, wholesalers, importers, or just about any business that buys goods from third parties and resells them. PO financing covers up to 100% of your supplier expenses, enabling you to close big sales and deliver on them. As opposed to traditional financing, purchase order financing uses your purchase order as the actual collateral. There are no set maximum limits, and you can finance as many orders as you want, provided that they come from commercially credit worthy businesses or the government, and have profit margins of 15% or more.

Purchase order funding works as follows:

1. You get a purchase order from a client. You place an order with your supplier

2. The purchase order finance company pays your suppler using a letter of credit

3. Your supplier delivers the product and your client acknowledges receipt

4. Your client pays for the goods and the transaction between the parties is settled

Purchase order financing can be an affordable financing option that allows you to expand your business when your bank financing options have been exhausted. It can truly enable you to close very large orders, with confidence, and take your business to the next level.