Supply chain finance is a type of financing that allows you to use the inventory in your supply chain as collateral for a loan. The idea behind this approach is that if you sell an item, the buyer will pay for it before they receive it — and then, once they receive it, they will pay off the loan. As long as there are enough buyers who are willing to do this, you can use supply chain financing to unlock capital without having to sell any assets (such as equipment or property) or take out any other form of debt.
2. Introduction
Supply chain finance is a type of financing that allows you to use the
inventory in your supply chain as collateral for a loan. The idea
behind this approach is that if you sell an item, the buyer will pay for
it before they receive it — and then, once they receive it, they will
pay off the loan. As long as there are enough buyers who are willing
to do this, you can use supply chain financing to unlock capital
without having to sell any assets (such as equipment or property) or
take out any other form of debt.
3. What is Supply Chain Finance?
Supply-chain finance is a type of financing that allows companies to pay
for their purchases of raw materials, parts, and other inventory items over
time.
Supply-chain finance is often referred to as factoring or invoice
financing.
Factoring and invoice financing allows a company to get paid
immediately for the work it does. This provides businesses with cash
flow that they can use for other purposes, such as purchasing new
inventory or paying employees.
4. Who Can Get Supply Chain Financing?
Supply chain financing is available to almost any company. This
is because the factors required for a company to receive supply
chain financing are often related to the overall health of that
business, not just its size or industry.
Supply chain finance is intended for businesses that need
working capital, which can include companies that have a strong
credit rating and strong cash flow. It's also available to smaller
companies with less experience in accessing traditional forms of
financing.
5. How Does It Work?
Supply chain finance is a type of financing that helps businesses to
buy more inventory and make more sales. It's used by companies that
are in the middle of the supply chain, like distributors or retailers.
These firms often need additional working capital to purchase large
amounts of products from manufacturers, but they don't have enough
cash on hand to do so. Supply chain finance allows them to raise funds
from banks and other lenders using their customers' payments as
collateral (i.e., if you're buying lots of inventory from Acme Industries
and paying them every month, Acme can use those payments as
collateral when they borrow money).
6. What Are the Benefits of Supply Chain Finance?
Supply chain finance offers a number of benefits for
companies, including:
Reducing your working capital requirements, improving
your cash-flow and reducing the risk of bad debt.
Access to capital that you might not otherwise have.
It can help you to grow your business, which will increase
your profits. Equity finance is often used by start-up
companies.
7. How to Get Started With Supply Chain Finance
Supply chain finance is an increasingly common type of financing, but it can be
difficult to understand. The following are some basic tips for getting started:
• Understand the benefits of supply chain finance. This includes increasing cash flow
and lowering working capital requirements, as well as reducing risk and improving
transparency in your organization's supply chain.
• Understand the risks associated with supply chain finance, such as counterparty
default risk (i.e., this company may not pay back what they owe), liquidity risk (i.e.,
not having enough money at a given time), or market volatility (i.e., rising interest
rates).
• Understand how the process works for obtaining a credit facility—that is, what
paperwork does one need on hand before applying? Is there any sort of security
required? How will payments be made? What happens if something goes wrong?
What are typical timelines involved in each step? Does this entity also offer other
types of loans or lines of credit? Are there any special clauses that affect me if I sign
up now versus later down the road when things might be different from how they are
today—such as higher interest rates due to political uncertainty about Brexit--or
when those clauses expire without renewal?"
8. Conclusion
We’ve covered the basics of supply chain finance.
Now it’s your turn to make it happen! If you want to
learn more about how this financing solution can
work for your business, or if you already have a good
idea but need help with the details, contact our
experts today.