We’ve often said that no one type of business financing in Canada has the ability to meet pretty well all of your growth and survival needs. That might not be true all the time in the context of an asset based line of credit loan facility.
ABL facilities are somewhat of a hybrid type of facility, and for that reason this type of commercial business finance lending actually does, in many cases, suit all of your financing needs. Let’s examine how.
Part of the appeal of ABL asset based lines of credit is simply that unlike many forms of commercial business financing it is accessible by smaller firms, large corporations, start ups, and firms who sometimes find themselves in serious financial difficulties. We think we’ve covered the bases on that one!
Typical considerations for entering into an ABL facility revolve around being unable to qualify for what many dub as ‘ traditional lending ‘… In Canada that traditional lending comes via our chartered banking system.
So just exactly how does your firm move forward in considering an asset based line of credit loan financing? And, ready for a positive surprise? Asset based lending has total flexibi8lity around structure, term, pricing, and 99% of the time comes with less covenants and ratio restrictions required by our chartered banking system.
Is there a typical profile of a Canadian business looking for an alternative to a business line of credit? The immediate thought that comes to mind is simply your firm’s current inability to achieve the financing you need from a bank. Typically this means your profits and losses have fluctuated, or there are some balance sheet issues that simply have for firm temporarily under water, so to speak, re: the ability to qualify for a commercial bank business line of credit.
We also meet with many clients who have secured favorable credit facilities from a bank or commercial credit union, but they are unable to tap into, or leverage assets anymore than current limits prescribed by the bank. Typical working capital advances for receivables by a bank are 75% …while ABL lending more often than not comes in at 90%… so right away you are up 15% in over all liquidity.
And we haven’t even started, because many firms who find the inventory component of their business difficult to finance are often surprised that inventory advances in an ABL facility can run from 30-70%… sometimes more, sometimes less.
So why can an ABL lender offer this type of financing when bank sometimes cannot? It’s a good question many clients ask right out of the gate. ABL lenders tend to be unregulated institutions; therefore simply speaking heir capital comes from different places and different pricing. They re not bound by capital and conservative lending practices that our Canadian banks are so well known form.
While our banks are some of the strongest and well run on the planet the other side of the coin in this statement suggest a more prudent lending to commercial borrowers. That’s where the ABL advantage comes in. Asset lender turns your day to day assets, i.e. A/R, equpment, and inventory into a revolving line of credit that significantly leverages up your ability to borrow.
Simply speaking, it’s all about the assets, not the ratios! Another way we explain it to clients is simply that the bank in general is looking more at your financials… an asset based line of credit loan financing is looking more at your assets .
Pricing for this type of financing varies significantly. The simple explanation on pricing is that the size of your facility, the quality of your assets, and the type of firm you are dealing with dictate ultimate pricing. In many cases pricing is equivalent to the bank, however more often than not its more expensive, but, and its a key point… you have more liquidity and working capital on an ongoing basis, growing lock step with your needs.
Speak to a trusted credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor who, seriously! can demonstrate to you the benefits of an ABL facility for your Canadian company.