the future of hybrid work

Here to stay: The benefits of a hybrid workplace

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For companies to get the most out of the benefits of a hybrid workplace, leaders and managers need to ensure their teams are properly supported. 

the future of hybrid work

While the virtual office was a lifesaver for many companies during the pandemic, it’s clear that it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon — with many employees and business leaders readily embracing the advantages of a more flexible approach to work.

For many businesses, remote work has become part of a hybrid model, as both employees and management favour some face-to-face time while still being able to take advantage of the flexible hours and lack of commute that a partially offsite schedule can provide.

After polling more than 140,000 U.S. employees over the course of the pandemic, Gallup found that nine in 10 remote-capable employees now favour some type of remote-work flexibility, with six in 10 specifically preferring a hybrid work arrangement. 

When asked earlier this year what their employer’s plans were for long-term work arrangements, 53% expected a hybrid model, compared with only 32% in 2019.

As McKinsey & Company notes, nine out of 10 employees who temporarily left the workforce and later returned said having control of where work could be done (regardless of whether they were in-person, remote or hybrid) was important to them.

The evolution of hybrid work

But while the upsides of a hybrid work arrangement are significant – think greater choice in terms of where and when employees can do their work, leading to more work-life balance — in theory, it isn’t without its potential downsides.

Left unchecked, employees working remotely might feel disconnected from the team. They may also end up working longer hours as they’re connected to the office 24/7. This can cause overwhelm or professional burnout if steps aren’t taken to address these issues.

For leaders, as the Harvard Business Review (HBR) explains, maintaining strong ties with your employees remotely is critical – but building and keeping your team connected and aligned on a shared vision is more challenging in a hybrid environment. With the ability to measure their output easier now with new digital tools, the traditional management approach of “command and control” is also counterproductive for a hybrid workforce.

Here’s how to help your team thrive in this new hybrid working world:

Allow for choice and flexibility 

Within your hybrid workforce, employees will likely have different plans, with some favouring more in-person work, and others opting for as much remote as possible. 

Having a hybrid model with set days in the office provides a false sense of flexibility – in reality, it’s crucial for leaders to give employees control of where they work as not all elements of their job likely need to be done in person.

 

Amazon decided against a one-size-fits-all approach to hybrid working for its corporate roles, where, instead of setting out how many or which days employees need to be in the office, this was left up to individual teams with the idea that any approach chosen would eventually be evaluated by customers.

 

Foster strong and clear communication

As Gallup notes, in a hybrid environment, there is a risk of isolation, neglect of remote workers and ‘culture erosion’ – so managers need to double down on clear and strong communication and team-building.

With flexibility increasing, leaders need to be more proactive about clearly communicating with employees about their priorities and progress. Having designated checks-in regularly ensures remote workers feel like part of the team. 

Giving employees a compelling reason to come to the office occasionally can help you strengthen team-building efforts. Activities such as having a monthly professional development day, guest speakers or in-house childcare can entice employees to work from the office. Looking at ways to reduce the barriers for employees to come into office can also help, such as offering a transportation allowance.

Foster strong and clear communication

Move away from the old model

Hybrid workplaces should move away from simply reproducing how things are done in-person – for example, holding endless virtual meetings — towards a new approach that uses technology to involve all team members in the discussion.

When one retail bank was designing its hybrid work arrangement, it quickly realized the model had retained too many traditional meetings. When the bank eliminated some of these meetings and made others asynchronous, it helped to boost productivity.

More flexible tech tools and workshop rooms that allow for collaboration from both in-person and remote employees can replace traditional white-boarding. Meanwhile breakaway rooms can help all team members participate in problem solving and innovation and help stave off isolation and ‘Zoom fatigue’.

Set the parameters

Flexibility can be a double-edged sword for some – while employees can work when they want, removing the idea of a traditional 9-5 can blur the lines between work and home life. 

To help employees avoid this, some organizations, have established rules of engagement around hybrid work such as mandating ‘no-meeting zones’ at certain times of the day. This allows employees blocks in their calendar for other activities, like exercise or ideation time. Others have put email disclaimers in place, setting the expectations around responding to emails only during business hours.

 

Along with letting employees decide how, when and where they work, Salesforce’s hybrid work strategy allows individual teams choose how they communicate, with some implementing ‘no meeting Fridays,’ for example and holding an “Async Week” where employees cancel routine meetings to allow for more focused work.

 

Success takes commitment

A successful hybrid approach doesn’t just mean logging on from outside the office a few days a week – for teams to ace this strategy, it takes a change in leadership style, a focus on communication and tech tools aimed at bringing everyone together. 

In practice, as Gartner explains, companies benefit from the inclusive options offered by the hybrid approach, no matter where employees are working.

At the same time, it’s important to limit synchronous work to certain blocks and let employees take charge of their work schedules. By taking a flexible approach that shifts away from the traditional office model, you can help your hybrid work team succeed – whether they’re in the office or not.

Up next: Lead better with these top podcasts for entrepreneurs

 

Alternative-business-funders-are-fueling-entrepreneurism

Alternative business funders are fueling entrepreneurism — and the economy

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During unstable market conditions, alternative lenders are here to keep fueling entrepreneurism.

Alternative-business-funders-are-fueling-entrepreneurism

Most entrepreneurs have a certain level of risk tolerance baked into their DNA. It takes courage to have a dream, come up with a solid business plan, and make the leap towards realizing it, but sometimes you need a bit of outside help…particularly when finances get a little tight. 

And let’s face it — with recent changes in the economy — rising interest rates, contraction, supply-chain issues — it’s not getting any easier to sleep well at night.

That’s where alternative business funders come in. 

They can help you accelerate cash flow quickly — often faster than you would with traditional banks. This is particularly helpful when you need to jump on business opportunities as they happen. 

Plus, the application process is often easier, with fewer hoops to jump through compared to banks. This makes alternative working capital providers an attractive option when you’re dealing with a lack of cash flow due to late payments from your customers.

Banks are great – when you meet their criteria

When you try to access financing through a bank, you’ll typically need to meet a lot of eligibility requirements first: things like showing a substantial annual revenue, having a high credit score, exhibiting consistent cash flow, and proving you hold a strong debt-to-income ratio. After all, the bank wants to minimize their risk of loss. 

These requirements are not a problem for larger, more established companies. But a start-up or smaller business often won’t meet these criteria. This—maybe unfortunately for you—means many prospective small business borrowers get turned away by the big banks at a time when they’re counting on a cash infusion to keep them going. Scary times for an entrepreneur.

Agile and ready

There is another option. Alternative working capital providers have grown in popularity, mostly due to their accessibility, flexibility, and speed (compared to old-school, bricks-and-mortar banks). This makes alternative funders like Liquid Capital a great fit for entrepreneurs. 

In fact, statistics show that as a small business owner, you’re more likely to get approved for a loan through an alternative funder than a traditional bank or credit union.

How does alternative funding work?

Instead of complicated applications and strict eligibility requirements, alternative funding companies make it easier for entrepreneurs to get the cash flow you need, when you really need it, thanks to:

  • Lower credit score requirements: Alternative funders will often approve loans for new or small businesses that may not have the kind of credit score traditional banks require.
  • Faster approval: Banks can take weeks or longer to approve a loan, but alternative funders can often get the funds you need into your hands in as little as a week.
  • Easier qualification: Trying to get a loan with traditional financial institutions is often a complicated lending process which doesn’t favor entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Partnership: A good funding partner will take the time to truly understand your business challenges, goals and opportunities, propose a strategy that maximizes value for your business, and will remain an accessible and trusted partner throughout the process.

Creative financing solutions made for entrepreneurs

Alternative funders like Liquid Capital specialize in thinking the way entrepreneurs think. We know you need to be nimble with your financing, and often don’t have a long history of past performance to show to qualify for the funds you need. So we find other ways to get you the financing you need, such as Invoice Factoring and Asset-Based Lending.

Creative-financing-solutions-made-for-entrepreneurs

Invoice factoring: your go-to working capital resource

Invoice factoring is one of the ways you can quickly inject your small business with cash. It’s simple: you sell your credit-worthy invoices to a funder like Liquid Capital, and you’ll get paid out a percentage of their value right away (usually 80% or more). It’s an advance on payments – not a loan. In essence, you’re transforming money you’re owed into money you can use to help float your business.

This kind of alternative financing is perfect for entrepreneurs, because it’s much easier to qualify for since your invoices act as security for the funding. If outstanding invoices are affecting your cash flow, invoice factoring could be the right solution for you.

Factoring-How-It-Works

Get ahead of the game with alternative lending

In today’s world, it’s easy for entrepreneurs to fall prey to the whims of an ever-changing economy. Having the right network of investors in your corner can make the need for unexpected financing a lot less stressful. Taking a creative approach to funding with an established and collaborative alternative funding provider can be the right move to help ensure your business dreams stay aloft. 

Are you or your client looking to accelerate cash flow? Contact us today to learn more about how invoice factoring can help.

 

Robert Thompson-So

Liquid Capital mourns the loss of Robert Thompson-So

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With great sadness, we announce Robert Thompson-So passed away suddenly on Thursday, October 13th at the age of 50.

Robert, or RTS as he was affectionally known, has been our friend, colleague, mentor and esteemed leader with the Garrington and Liquid Capital teams since 2013 and will be missed by all.

Robert’s legacy within the Garrington Group of Companies will be long-lasting. We will continue to strive to live up to his principles of what our organization’s culture and our communications with each other can and should be.

Robert is survived by his loving partner and our own COO, Melissa Huot, and by his daughter, parents, brothers and their respective extended families. Our thoughts and condolences go out to them and to Robert’s many friends and colleagues in the wider community.

A visitation for Robert will be held Friday, October 21st, 2022 from 5:00pm to 8:00pm (ET) at Kane-Jerrett Funeral Home, 8088 Yonge Street, Thornhill, ON, L4J 1W3. A Celebration of Life Service will occur Saturday, October 22nd, 2022 from 2:00pm to 3:00pm (ET) followed by a reception from 3:00pm to 4:30pm (ET), both at Kane-Jerrett Funeral Home at the same address. More information can be obtained here including the Livestream link for the Celebration of Life Service.

As many of you know, Robert was a passionate dog lover. For those who wish, donations may be made to the Toronto Humane Society or to your own local animal welfare service.

Invoice factoring mythbusters

Invoice Factoring Mythbusters: Part 1

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Alternative funding options are often overlooked sources of financing, but they can help businesses grow exponentially. Here’s what you need to know about invoice factoring.

Invoice factoring mythbusters

Invoice factoring is probably the most unique — and misunderstood — of financing options available to businesses. It’s not a loan or a line of credit, and it’s one of the oldest funding solutions around. 

Invoice factoring (also known as factoring or accounts receivable factoring) is an efficient way for companies to accelerate their cash flow. Most businesses have regular expenses they need to pay while working capital is tied up in outstanding invoices. When you leverage invoice factoring services, you can convert those invoices into immediate cash, rather than having to wait several months to receive the money. 

So what’s true and what’s not?

We examine 5 common myths about invoice factoring and the truth behind this unique financing option.

1. The paperwork required can be time-consuming and overwhelming

This can be the case for some business loans, but invoice factoring is quite straightforward and easy to set up. Also, you could choose to only factor certain clients’ invoices, to make the process even more streamlined (such as only factoring your top 10 customers’ invoices).

 

“With financing, it’s important to shop around, do your research and make sure you understand the product. The solution must be transparent and deliver on its promise, and we honestly didn’t see anything that was as easy to understand as what Liquid Capital offered. There’s so much confusing—sometimes misleading—information out there; when you come across a company that’s telling the truth with no hidden items, it’s such a big help. It really gave us a comfort level we didn’t have with other providers.”– Ken Fincher, President, Defense Product Services Group USA Inc.

 

2. Start-ups don’t qualify for invoice factoring

Many start-ups struggle to qualify for regular financing options, such as loans or lines of credit, and so might think they wouldn’t qualify for invoice factoring. However, because this financing option is an advance on outstanding invoices, rather than a loan, many start-ups can indeed qualify for it.

These are the qualifying factors that we focus on:

  • You sell products or services to other businesses, not consumers.
  • Your customers have good credit and consistently pay on time.
  • Your invoices have payment terms (such as net 30, 60 or 90 days).
  • Invoices are within specified credit terms and credit limits.

3. My customers might think my business is in financial trouble

While factoring can be helpful for companies with cash flow issues, it’s also a useful financial strategy used by many large and growing companies that want speedier cash flow so they can expand faster. 

Many B2B companies are now used to paying their invoices through a factoring company, especially in certain industries. They won’t think twice about it and certainly won’t assume you’re in financial trouble.

customer success

4. Invoice factoring is only for large companies

Smaller companies and start-ups may be under the misconception that factoring is only for big businesses with huge numbers of invoices, but this is simply not the case. In fact, Liquid Capital deals predominantly with small and medium-sized B2B companies. 

5. The advanced money can only be used for specific expenses

This can often be the case for term loans: banks will only lend for specific reasons, such as for buying equipment or machinery. Invoice factoring is not a loan, however, so it doesn’t come with restrictions on how the money can be used. You can use the money to make payroll, pay monthly expenses or finance expansion — anything you choose, in fact.

Selecting the right funding partner

When using alternative financing options such as invoice factoring, it’s  important that you select the right funding partner for your business (or your client’s business).

While there are many invoice factoring companies, not all of them are cut from the same cloth. It’s important that you and your funding partner share common values and a desire to work towards the same goal – accelerating your cash flow and keeping your business growing.

Contact us to find out more about how you can improve your cash flow by turning your invoices into immediate cash, with Liquid Capital’s invoice factoring.

 

Liquid Capital October 2022 Recent Fundings - Spanish

Financiamientos recientes – Octubre 2022

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October 2022 Liquid Capital Recent Fundings - Spanish

values based partnership

The importance of shared values in referral partnerships

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When it comes to an ecosystem of funding referral partnerships, what determines whether a relationship is likely to last or be successful? Hint: it all comes down to sharing your values.

values based partnership

Whether you’re a business development officer, finance professional, accountant or agent, the seeds you plant will determine what comes to fruition down the way.

While speed and responsiveness are key to relationship building, they will always be trumped by trust—and trust is determined by offering reliable counsel. That means putting people first and seeing relationships as the ultimate drivers of business growth.

Business professionals play an important role in driving economic growth for the businesses they help. Indeed, 92 per cent of respondents in a Nielsen report say they trust recommendations from people in their professional network more than any other source. And 88 per cent of B2B decision-makers rely on word-of-mouth (both online and offline) for “information and advice,” according to Capterra.

Building a relationship-based business

Perhaps a client has reached out, but you’re unable to help with their specific business challenge. Maybe they need help outside your area of expertise. Or maybe they don’t yet meet the minimum requirements to access traditional funding options. However, you still want to help your client and maintain a good relationship.

If you help businesses deal with cash flow challenges, you could be working with a variety of funding partners—and you may be looking for (or already using) a referral partner that specializes in alternative business funding. But without a values alignment, you may not be in the same position to service your clients with the advice they need.

Building a relationship based business

Working with a referral partner who specializes in alternative business funding can help you grow your business, while helping your clients. But you want to make sure that any partner you work with will act as an extension of your brand—and maintain your reputation as a trusted advisor.\

 

Why do you need a referral partner?

There are a lot of reasons to consider this type of strategic partnership. First off, you’re putting your client first and helping them meet their needs, even if you can’t help them directly. Creating a great experience for your clients will increase the likelihood they’ll return to you in future and recommend you to their network.

And, if you build a strong relationship with your referral partner, they’ll also be more likely to send their clients your way. And you may even receive a referral bonus if your client’s financing request is approved by your referral partner.

But recommending a client (or potential client) to another business partner can be daunting. After all, you don’t want to risk your reputation. Before entering into a partnership, take the time to research your potential referral partner. You’ll want to find out what kind of funding solutions they offer, their terms and rates, and how long they’ve been in business.

Questions to ask:

It’s also important to ask questions to help ascertain whether they’ll be a good fit for your business—which goes beyond their stated capability to fund deals.

  • Are your goals, values, missions and business needs aligned?
  • Are they a thought leader in their field?
  • In which ways are they at the forefront of their industry?
  • Have they demonstrated a willingness to go deeper to find a solution with other clients?
  • Most importantly, will they uphold your reputation if you send them clients?

Taking a people-first approach

Taking a people-first approach

Taking a people-first approach turns a transactional relationship—one that focuses on providing a service or fulfilling an order—into a dimensional partnership. That means focusing on building a relationship, not completing a transaction, even if it means referring business elsewhere.

For example, when Claudia Serna started her trucking business in San Marcos, Texas, she had just one truck. Over the years, she expanded her fleet and built up a highly successful business. But, like many other business owners, she struggled with delays between receiving payments from her customers and paying her subcontractors.

So she turned to her business advisor at the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, who in turn suggested she seek assistance from his connection at Liquid Capital. After getting to know Claudia’s business needs and challenges, the Principal at Liquid Capital in Austin helped her set up invoice factoring so she could immediately pay her subcontractors—and significantly improve her cash flow, growing the company by 20 per cent.

 

Read the full story here: Serna’s Trucking: Driving results within the construction industry

 

This was good for business, but also built trust with her advisor at the Chamber of Commerce. Serna’s Trucking—which sees consistent year-over-year growth—is now a strong contributor to the local economy, and Claudia uses her success to make donations and give back to the community, including assisting teen sports programs at local schools.

Relationships are everything

Working with a referral partner who shares your values will help your clients in a way that will deepen your relationships and expand opportunities for your business. Finding the right strategic partnerships not only helps to build your reputation, but can also take your business to the next level in unexpected ways.

Liquid Capital has been funding businesses for more than 20 years, deploying over $3 billion in working capital in more than 35 industries. Find out more about the Liquid Capital Referral Program here.