How to Use Accounts Receivable to Generate Cash Flow

Factoring is a financial service in which the business entity sells its bill receivables to a third party at a discount in order to raise funds. It differs from invoice discounting. The concept of invoice discounting involves, getting the invoice discounted at a certain rate to get the funds, whereas the concept of factoring is broader. Factoring involves the selling of all the accounts receivable to an outside agency. Such an agency is called a factor.

“Factoring is a financial service in which the business entity sells its bill receivables to a third party at a discount in order to raise funds.” 

CONCEPT OF FACTORING

The seller makes the sale of goods or services and generates invoices for the same. The business then sells all its invoices to a third party called the factor. The factor pays the seller, after deducting some discount on the invoice value. The rate of discount in factoring ranges from 2 to 6 percent. However, the factor does not make the payment of all invoices immediately to the seller. Rather, it pays only up to 75 to 80 percent of invoice value after deducting the discount. The remaining 20 to 25 percent of the invoice value is paid after the factor receives the payments from the seller’s customers. It is called factor reserve.

FACTORING PROCESS

The following steps are involved in the process of factoring:

• The seller sells the goods to the buyer and raises the invoice on customer.
• The seller then submits the invoice to the factor for funding. The factor verifies the invoice.
• After verification, the factor pays 75 to 80 percent to the client/seller.
• The factor then waits for the customer to make the payment to him.
• On receiving the payment from the customer, the factor pays the remaining amount to the client.
• Fees charged by factor or interest charged by factor may be upfront i.e. in advance or it may be in arrears. It depends upon the type of factoring agreement.
• In case of non – recourse factoring services factor bears the risk of bad debt so in that case factoring commission rate would be comparatively higher.
• The rate of factoring commission, factor reserve, the rate of interest, all of them are negotiable. These are decided depending upon the financial situation of the client.

ADVANTAGES OF FACTORING

The following are the advantages:

• It reduces the credit risk of the seller.
• The working capital cycle runs smoothly as the factor immediately provides funds on the invoice.
• Sales ledger maintenance by the factor leads to a reduction of cost.
• Improves liquidity and cash flow in the organization.
• It leads to improvement of cash in hand. This helps the business to pay its creditors in a timely manner which helps in negotiating better discount terms.
• It reduces the need for the introduction of new capital in the business.
• There is a saving of administration or collection cost.

DISADVANTAGES OF FACTORING

The following are the disadvantages:

• Factor collecting the money on behalf of the company can lead to stress in the company and the client relationships.
• The cost of factoring is very high.
• Bad behavior of factor with the debtors can hamper the goodwill of the company.
• Factors often avoid taking responsibility for risky debtors. So the burden of managing such debtor is always in the company.
• The company needs to show all details about company customers and sales to factor.

USES

• Meet payroll and other immediate cash flow requirements
• Spend more time on business operations and less time on reporting requirements
• Obtain customer credit risk protection
• Buy inventory for increased sales
• Have an alternative to bank financing or equity financing
• Supplement or reduce the amount of equity being raised
• Take advantage of vendor discounts and opportunistic purchases
• Bring taxes current
• Acquire equipment necessary to reduce costs
• Reorganize, whether in or out of bankruptcy
• Make strategic acquisitions
• Manage seasonal sales fluctuations