After paying several thousands of dollars on the root canals on my upper teeth, my dentist told me that they had to be pulled. He told me that the dentist that did the work didn't do it properly and that all of the teeth were infected. After I collected myself, we started discussing the cost of the extraction procedure and the cost of the dentures. I knew I couldn't pay for all of that out of my pocket and he explained the dangers of allowing dental infections to fester. I quickly learned about financing dental procedures. If you are in a similar situation, go to my site to learn about your options of financing dental work.
As an owner-operator or trucking business owner, one of the most time-consuming things that you're likely to encounter is chasing down payments from outstanding accounts. One of the easiest ways to avoid this problem is by working with a factoring company for trucking payment settlements. If you aren't familiar with factoring, it's a process of selling your accounts receivable for immediate cash, often at a discount from face value of the invoice. To ensure that you receive the service you are expecting, here are a few things you should ask as you choose your factoring company.
1. Is Your Factoring Service Recourse or Non-Recourse?
A non-recourse factoring company will purchase your receivables with the understanding that they take full responsibility for recovering the payment from the customer. The company assumes all of the necessary risk that the customer may not pay. Recourse factoring companies, on the other hand, will buy your receivables with a caveat that they can hold you financially responsible for reimbursing them if the customer fails to pay the invoice.
2. Are Your Factoring Agreements Perpetual or One-Time Contracts?
Some factoring companies will require a contract permitting them to invoice your customer for all of your future loads once you've sold one payable balance for that customer. While this can be beneficial if you're looking to maintain consistent cash flow going forward, it can be problematic if you're just looking to settle an immediate cash flow issue before returning to your normal operations.
If you're just looking for an opportunity to resolve cash flow emergencies, look for a factoring company that will allow you to sell your balances on an invoice-by-invoice type of basis. On the other hand, if you're looking for a more long-term arrangement, you can find a factoring company that will even handle all of your invoicing for you. All you'll have to do is provide the details of every shipping load, including the customer, address and the cost. Once the invoice is generated and sent to your customer, you'll receive a check or deposit from the factoring company to cover the balance owed by your customer.
3. How Much Is Your Fee?
Be prepared to receive only a portion of the invoice amount. Most factoring companies pay a certain percentage of the amount, taking the discount as their profit in exchange for offering you immediate cash. If you're working with a factoring company with a perpetual agreement and direct billing service, ask about any fees you might have to pay for the billing service.
The more you understand about factoring and your trucking business, the easier it will be for you to preserve your cash flow. Now that you know some of the things you should ask before you jump into a factoring agreement, you'll be better prepared to find the right company.
Share2 January 2016
