Business Loans In Canada: Financing Solutions Via Alternative Finance & Traditional Funding

Business loans and finance for a business just may have gotten good again? The pursuit of credit and funding of cash flow solutions for your business often seems like an eternal challenge, even in the best of times, let alone any industry or economic crisis. Let’s dig in.

Since the 2008 financial crisis there’s been a lot of change in finance options from lenders for corporate loans. Canadian business owners and financial managers have excess from everything from peer-to-peer company loans, varied alternative finance solutions, as well of course as the traditional financing offered by Canadian chartered banks.

Those online business loans referenced above are popular and arose out of the merchant cash advance programs in the United States. Loans are based on a percentage of your annual sales, typically in the 15-20% range. The loans are certainly expensive but are viewed as easy to obtain by many small businesses, including retailers who sell on a cash or credit card basis.

Depending on your firm’s circumstances and your ability to truly understand the different choices available to firms searching for SME COMMERCIAL FINANCE options. Those small to medium sized companies ( the definition of ‘ small business ‘ certainly varies as to what is small – often defined as businesses with less than 500 employees! )

How then do we create our road map for external financing techniques and solutions? A simpler way to look at it is to categorize these different financing options under:

Debt / Loans

Asset Based Financing

Alternative Hybrid type solutions

Many top experts maintain that the alternative financing solutions currently available to your firm, in fact are on par with Canadian chartered bank financing when it comes to a full spectrum of funding. The alternative lender is typically a private commercial finance company with a niche in one of the various asset finance areas

If there is one significant trend that’s ‘ sticking ‘it’s Asset Based Finance. The ability of firms to obtain funding via assets such as accounts receivable, inventory and fixed assets with no major emphasis on balance sheet structure and profits and cash flow ( those three elements drive bank financing approval in no small measure ) is the key to success in ABL ( Asset Based Lending ).

Factoring, aka ‘ Receivable Finance ‘ is the other huge driver in trade finance in Canada. In some cases, it’s the only way for firms to be able to sell and finance clients in other geographies/countries.

The rise of ‘ online finance ‘ also can’t be diminished. Whether it’s accessing ‘ crowdfunding’ or sourcing working capital term loans, the technological pace continues at what seems a feverish pace. One only has to read a business daily such as the Globe & Mail or Financial Post to understand the challenge of small business accessing business capital.

Business owners/financial mgrs often find their company at a ‘ turning point ‘ in their history – that time when financing is needed or opportunities and risks can’t be taken. While putting or getting new equity in the business is often impossible, the reality is that the majority of businesses with SME commercial finance needs aren’t, shall we say, ‘ suited’ to this type of funding and capital raising. Business loan interest rates vary with non-traditional financing but offer more flexibility and ease of access to capital.

We’re also the first to remind clients that they should not forget govt solutions in business capital. Two of the best programs are the GovernmentSmall Business Loan Canada (maximum availability = $ 1,000,000.00) as well as the SR&ED program which allows business owners to recapture R&D capital costs. Sred credits can also be financed once they are filed.

Those latter two finance alternatives are often very well suited to business start up loans. We should not forget that asset finance, often called ‘ ABL ‘ by those Bay Street guys, can even be used as a loan to buy a business.

If you’re looking to get the right balance of liquidity and risk coupled with the flexibility to grow your business seek out and speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor with a track record of business finance success who can assist you with your funding needs.

Buying a Home When You Can’t Qualify For Bank Financing

If you’ve previously suffered from financial problems, you may believe there’s little chance to become a homeowner. Prior to the current mortgage industry melt down, an individual who filed bankruptcy could qualify for a home loan in just over a year. But today’s lending climate has made it nearly impossible to qualify for a loan with poor credit.Lenders naturally prefer borrowers with high credit scores. If you have bad credit, don’t give up hope. If you’re willing to expend some effort and time into reestablishing good credit, the good news is you can qualify to buy the home you desire. Plan to set aside six months to two years to reestablish your credit history.If you can convince a potential lender your financial dilemma was due to reasons beyond your control (such as divorce, business failure, medical bills, unemployment) or provide evidence you’ve become financially responsible, you might convince the lender to give you a second chance. But you need to be aware trying to restore your credit requires long-term planning, preparation, and hard effort.On the other hand, if you haven’t filed a bankruptcy or suffered financial problems, but still have other issues affecting your credit such as self employment or a new job less than two years, expect to face an uphill battle trying to qualify for a home loan. Because the mortgage industry is constantly changing, you should speak to a knowledgeable mortgage broker or representative about your available options.Another alternative to traditional financing is to consider owner-will-carry (OWC) financing. If you have no established credit, minimal savings, and a low paying job, this strategy can help you get your foot into the real estate market. Try locating mature homeowners who are fed up with managing their rental properties, but still desired the monthly income a rental property brings. These homeowners make great participants for owner-will-carry financing.By disposing the property to another party, these landlords eliminate the headaches of troublesome tenants, clogged toilets, and malfunctioning air conditioners. They simultaneously earn interest on their seller financed loans which will bring them significantly higher returns than a bank savings account or certificate of deposit.The wonderful aspect about owner or seller financing is the flexibility of lending to anyone the seller desires to, so long as the terms are mutually agreeable. If you can’t qualify for a loan from a regular bank, check out the option of OWC financing as a first choice. Numerous real estate investors and homeowners utilize this alternative without worrying about the hassles of qualifying with a regular lender.

Digital Marketing, Search Engine Optimization and Marketing

Digital marketing or online marketing as it is popularly known is a tool to carry on marketing for our product online.Direct email marketing, search engine optimization and search engine marketing are few of the tools which come under this category. They are becoming more and more common in the online world. It is a very popular form of advertising,Media is important now because we have access to a large number of data and more and more people are having access to this large data. They often view and review the data pertaining to customers tastes, ever changing choices, etc.Other forms of marketing include text messaging, mobile apps, electronic billboards, digital television and radio messages. All are powerful tools to enhance our visibility to the customers.Digital marketing is an umbrella term for all of your online marketing efforts. Businesses leverage digital channels such as Google search, social media, email, and their websites to connect with their current and prospective customers.From your website itself to your online branding assets — digital advertising, email marketing, online brochures, and beyond — there’s a huge spectrum of tactics and assets that fall under the umbrella of digital marketing. And the best digital marketers have a clear picture of how each asset or tactic supports their overarching goals.So What Exactly is Digital Marketing?
It is an umbrella term for all of your online marketing efforts. Businesses leverage digital channels such as Google search, social media, email, and their websites to connect with their current and prospective customers.From your website itself to your online branding assets — digital advertising, email marketing, online brochures, and beyond — there’s a huge spectrum of tactics and assets that fall under the umbrella of digital marketing. And the best digital marketers have a clear picture of how each asset or tactic supports their overarching goals.Here’s a quick rundown of some of the most common assets and tactics:AssetsYour website
Blog posts
eBooks and whitepapers
Infographics
Interactive tools
Social media channels (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, etc.)
Earned online coverage (PR, social media, and reviews)
Online brochures and lookbooks
Branding assets (logos, fonts, etc.)
TacticsSearch Engine Optimization (SEO)The process of optimizing your website to ‘rank’ higher in search engine results pages, therefore increasing the amount of organic (or free) traffic that your website receives. (Read this post to teach yourself SEO in 30 days.)Content MarketingThe creation and promotion of content assets for the purpose of generating brand awareness, traffic growth, lead generation, or customers. (Learn what goes into a modern content marketing strategy here.)Inbound MarketingInbound marketing refers to the ‘full-funnel’ approach to attracting, converting, closing, and delighting customers using online content.Social Media MarketingThe practice of promoting your brand and your content on social media channels to increase brand awareness, drive traffic, and generate leads for your business. (Discover 41 resources for learning how to leverage social media marketing here.)Pay-Per-Click (PPC)A method of driving traffic to your website by paying a publisher every time your ad is clicked. One of the most common types of PPC is Google AdWords.Affiliate MarketingA type of performance-based advertising where you receive commission for promoting someone else’s products or services on your website.Native AdvertisingNative advertising refers to advertisements that are primarily content-led and featured on a platform alongside other, non-paid content. BuzzFeed sponsored posts are a good example, but many people also consider social media advertising to be ‘native’ — for example, Facebook and Instagram advertising.Marketing AutomationMarketing automation refers to the software that exists with the goal of automating marketing actions. Many marketing departments have to automate repetitive tasks such as emails, social media, and other website actions.Email MarketingCompanies use email marketing as a way of communicating with their audiences. Email is often used to promote content, discounts and events, as well as to direct people towards the business’ website. (Check out these 15 successful email marketing campaigns for inspiration.)Online PROnline PR is the practice of securing earned online coverage with digital publications, blogs, and other content-based websites. It’s much like traditional PR, but in the online space.What’s the Difference Between Digital Marketing and Inbound Marketing?
On the surface, the two seem similar: Both occur primarily online, and both focus on creating digital content for people to consume. So what’s the difference?The term ‘digital marketing’ doesn’t differentiate between push and pull marketing tactics (or what we might now refer to as ‘inbound’ and ‘outbound’ methods). Both can still fall under the umbrella of digital marketing.Digital outbound tactics aim to put a marketing message directly in front of as many people as possible in the online space — regardless of whether it’s relevant or welcomed. For example, the garish banner ads you see at the top of many websites try to push a product or promotion onto people who aren’t necessarily ready to receive it.On the other hand, marketers who employ digital inbound tactics use online content to attract their target customers onto their websites by providing assets that are helpful to them. One of the simplest yet most powerful inbound digital marketing assets is a blog, which allows your website to capitalize on the terms which your ideal customers are searching for.Ultimately, inbound marketing is a methodology that uses digital marketing assets to attract, convert, close, and delight customers online. Digital marketing, on the other hand, is simply an umbrella term to describe online marketing tactics of any kind, regardless of whether they’re considered inbound or outbound.Does Digital Marketing Work for All Businesses? B2B and B2C?
Digital marketing can work for any business in any industry. Regardless of what your company sells, digital marketing still involves building out buyer personas to identify your audience’s needs, and creating valuable online content. However, that’s not to say that all businesses should implement a digital marketing strategy in the same way.