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Five UCC and PPSA Myths That May Be Costing Your Business

11 de marzo de 2026/en Consejos de negocios, Sin categorizar/por Liquid Capital

You’re reviewing your business’s credit report before applying for a loan when you spot it: a UCC filing. You did not put it there. You do not know what it means. Within the hour you have called your accountant, Google’d «does a UCC filing hurt my credit score,» and convinced yourself something has gone terribly wrong.

A UCC filing — short for Uniform Commercial Code — is a public notice that a lender has a security interest in a business asset, typically filed when a company takes on financing in the United States. In Canada, the equivalent is a PPSA registration, which stands for Personal Property Security Act. Both serve the same basic purpose: they document a lending relationship and identify what collateral is involved.

That’s an anxious moment but most likely nothing has gone wrong. The filing is almost certainly a routine notation from an equipment loan or a financing agreement you entered years ago. But the fear it triggered is real, and it is far more common than most business owners realize.

In January, we explored how UCC filings (in the US) and PPSA registrations (in Canada) work, what they mean for your financing, and why running a lien search before entering contracts is worth the effort. This article takes that consideration a step further. It addresses the five most common and damaging myths business owners carry about these filings… myths that often prevent them from securing the working capital for which they genuinely qualify.

Misunderstanding UCC and PPSA filings does not just cause stress. It causes real financial consequences: businesses avoid beneficial financing, carry unnecessary liens for years, and walk away from invoice factoring arrangements that could have solved their cash flow problems. Here is what the record actually shows.

Myth 1: A UCC or PPSA Filing Will Damage My Credit Score

This is the most-searched misconception in the category, and it is not even close. Queries like “does a UCC filing hurt my credit” generate a lot of search volume across Google, Reddit, and small business forums every month. The anxiety behind those searches is understandable. The assumption, however, is wrong.

UCC filings do not directly affect business credit scores. They appear on business credit reports from agencies such as Dun & Bradstreet and Experian Business as informational notations, but they carry no inherent negative weight. As NerdWallet confirms, UCC liens themselves do not impact your business credit score. They also do not appear on personal credit reports unless a borrower defaults and a collection action tied to a personal guarantee follows.

In Canada, the situation is pretty much the same. PPSA registrations are maintained in provincial registries that are entirely separate from the credit reporting systems operated by Equifax and TransUnion. As Ontario Business Central notes, a PPSA search does not reveal a person’s credit score, and the two systems do not communicate.

For businesses considering invoice factoring, this distinction matters directly. Factoring creates no new debt on the balance sheet. The factoring company’s UCC or PPSA filing on your accounts receivable is a standard documentation step. And the improved cash flow that comes from factoring often helps businesses pay suppliers and obligations on time, which does strengthen credit over time.

Myth 2: A UCC Filing Means My Business Is in Financial Trouble

This myth operates at an emotional level that the credit score myth does not. Business owners who discover an unexpected UCC filing often worry not just about their finances but about how the filing will look to customers, suppliers, and potential partners. One business forum captured the feeling well: a landscaping company owner wrote that he was “losing sleep” over whether customers would see the filing and assume his company was struggling.

The reality is the opposite. A UCC filing indicates that a business was approved for financing. It is a consensual agreement between a borrower and a lender, not an enforcement action. Having a UCC on file is closer to having a mortgage on a property than to receiving a collection notice. It signals that a lender evaluated your business and extended credit.

This distinction is critical: UCC liens are consensual. Tax liens and court judgment liens are involuntary. As one expert explains, a UCC lien is consensual because a party agrees to a creditor placing a claim, while tax liens and judgment liens are non-consensual actions taken against a business. Seeing a UCC on a credit report is not a red flag. Seeing a tax lien or judgment lien is.

When a factoring company files a UCC or PPSA on your accounts receivable, it is completing a standard step that protects both parties. It is not a sign of financial distress. It is documentation of a working capital partnership.

Myth 3: The Lender Now Owns My Assets

The language of liens doesn’t help here. Words like “claim,” “security interest,” and “encumbrance” suggest that something has been taken from you. In practice, a UCC or PPSA filing establishes a conditional interest, not an ownership transfer.

As long as you meet your obligations, you retain full ownership and operational control of your assets. The lender’s interest is exercisable only upon default. NerdWallet states it plainly: as long as you repay your lender, your assets will remain safe. One Canadian legal expert describes a PPSA registration as similar to a mortgage but registered against personal property rather than land. The bank does not own your house because it holds a mortgage. A lender does not own your equipment because it filed a UCC.

For businesses considering factoring, this distinction is especially important to understand. In a factoring arrangement, Liquid Capital purchases specific invoices. But as a full-recourse factoring company, we file an all-asset UCC or PPSA. This secures our interest across your assets, not just your receivables.

That said, retaining operational control of your business remains unchanged. The filing is a conditional interest, not a transfer of ownership — exercisable only in the event of default. And if you have an equipment or inventory lender in the picture, we’re able to carve out those specific assets so your other financing relationships aren’t disrupted.

The bottom line: understanding what a UCC or PPSA filing actually means — and doesn’t mean — helps business owners make confident, informed decisions about factoring as a long-term cash flow tool.

Myth 4: I Cannot Get Additional Financing If There Is Already a UCC on My Business

This myth costs businesses the most. Companies that most need working capital, those already carrying bank loans, SBA financing, or equipment leases, often assume active liens make them ineligible for factoring. They self-select out of conversations that could solve their cash flow problems.

An existing UCC does not automatically block additional financing. It is absolutely possible to obtain financing with an active UCC lien in place. The tools available include subordination agreements (where an existing lender agrees to step aside on specific collateral), intercreditor agreements, and collateral carve-outs that free specific assets for additional financing.

SBA subordination requests, for example, are described as routine by most factoring firms and are typically processed within two weeks. A business with an SBA loan covering general assets can often work with a factoring company whose UCC covers only accounts receivable, because the collateral categories do not overlap.

The businesses that benefit most from factoring are often those that have already maxed out conventional credit lines. Working with an experienced factoring partner who understands multi-lender lien arrangements can open financing options that a business owner did not know were available.

Myth 5: UCC Filings Are Permanent

In the US, UCC filings have a standard five-year term and automatically lapse if the creditor does not file a continuation statement before that deadline. Upon paying off a loan, a borrower can demand a UCC-3 termination statement in writing. Under UCC Section 9-513, the lender must comply within 20 days or face a $500 statutory penalty plus liability for any damages caused by the delay.

In Canada, PPSA registrations do not expire automatically upon repayment. The creditor must file an active discharge. If a creditor refuses, Section 56(2) of most provincial PPSA statutes gives the debtor legal recourse to demand removal.

The real problem is not that filings are permanent. It is that lenders frequently fail to file timely terminations, creating what practitioners call “zombie liens”: stale filings from paid-off loans that linger for years and block future financing. You may pay off a loan, assume the record has been cleared, and then discover much later during a new financing application that the old lien is still there.

This is precisely the situation our January article on hidden liens addressed in detail. The takeaway remains the same: business owners have both the right and the legal tools to demand removal. Knowing that right exists, and acting on it, is the difference between a clean lien record and one that silently blocks growth financing for years. Factoring companies can also use their knowledge and connections to get those liens terminated.

From Myth to Clarity: What This Means for Your Financing

The business owners who use working capital most effectively are not the ones with perfect credit histories or zero financing complexity. They are the ones who understand the system they are operating in.

A UCC or PPSA filing is not an alarm. It is not evidence of distress, a transfer of ownership, a permanent mark, or a barrier to future financing. It is a documented security interest: routine, conditional, and manageable. Understanding that distinction changes how a business owner approaches every financing conversation that follows.

Invoice factoring, in particular, benefits from this clarity. When a business owner understands that a factoring, creates no new debt, and carries no credit score penalty, the entire proposition becomes more accessible. And when that same business owner knows how to audit their existing lien records, demand removal of stale filings, and navigate multi-lender arrangements, they are in a genuinely stronger position.

This article is the third installment in our 2026 Risk & Compliance Series. If you found this information valuable, explore the full series for a comprehensive look at how proactive risk management protects your business:

January 2026: The Hidden Liens That Can Quietly Kill Your Next Deal
February 2026: 5 Financial Housekeeping Problems That Block Business Loans

Visit the Liquid Capital Learning Center for a library of helpful articles and manuals.

5 tips for accelerating business growth

11 de mayo de 2022/en Consejos de negocios, Sin categorizar, Crecimiento empresarial, Flujo de fondos, Factoraje/por Sarah Schoepfer

Accelerating business growth doesn’t need to remain out of reach. With these top tips, you or your clients can get the boost needed to reach the next level. As the world rapidly changes, customer behavior is influenced by and can lead to new expectations placed on your business. If you can meet those expectations (maybe even before the customer starts searching), you’ll beat your competition to the punch. Satisfying this consumer desire is the name of the game. Today’s customer wants a personalized experience instead of irrelevant ads and offers. They want products and services designed specifically for them. Fortunately, companies can create personalized experiences through effective targeting and audience segmentation. Here are some ways to keep things personal and start accelerating business growth:

Stay in touch…with the times

Customers will continue to change as the world changes, and staying out-of-touch with reality can deteriorate your market share over time. Just as Kodak refused to adapt to digital photography, not wanting to take a short-term hit in exchange for long-term sustainability, today’s businesses will also fail if they refuse to adapt. Trends will force change in every industry, so your organization will need to stay up-to-date with the latest innovations and customer demands. Look for these trends in industry publications, research reports and competitive activities — then adjust your strategy as needed. If your business needs extra funds to hire people, run new campaigns, increase manufacturing levels, change inventory or perform other essential functions to adjust, your cash flow will be critical. Leaders and CFOs will need to keep an eye on this working capital and ensure they have enough ready to make those changes.

Create systems

Internal systems can improve any part of your business. For example, you can increase employee productivity with time tracking and project management tools, just as you can improve profits with suitable financial systems in place. Establish workflows for your team and ask them for suggestions. Everyone in the organization should have valuable input, since even some front-line workers know more about the day-to-day operations than executives who might be more focused on higher-level strategy. These employees can tell you about glaring problems and present systems or ideas to tackle issues. Systems ensure operations run smoother in your business so that everyone knows when to perform specific tasks and how to do them. This synergy will lead to strong teams.

Analyze customer data to fuel business growth

Customers remain the focal point of accelerating business growth, and data helps us track how they engage with our brands and offers. It’s no wonder every scaling business analyzes data to make better decisions. You can analyze traffic growth and trends, but nothing beats customer data. Check your conversion rates across ads, landing pages and other assets. An opt-in page with a 20% conversion rate does more for your business than one with just 10%, since you’ll be building more business contacts and a larger funnel of opportunity. If the data tells you to spend more time promoting the most successful page, then do it. The data is almost always right. Overall, providing customers with more of what they want will make them loyal and lead to higher conversion rates.

Study your competition

Your competitors also want to grow, and they will implement strategies they believe will lead to more growth. Since your growth initiatives will have some overlap with competitors, learn from what they’re doing. For example, you might both use Facebook Ads or actively seek out specific skills, but each business has its differences and you can stand out compared to the other companies in your market. Look for nuances in your competitor’s strategies that differ from yours, which can reveal new opportunities to gain attention from your target market. For example, a top competitor may focus their efforts on large events. Similarly, but different, you can experiment with smaller local events and gain traction in that more niche market, not saturated by a flood of competition. Your competition also provides many business growth ideas. Subscribe to their email lists and follow them on social media. See how they interact with their audiences and which strategies they use often. Is a competitor running their 10th giveaway of the year? That level of consistency means giveaways work for your competitor. You can also abandon strategies that your competitors leave alone. Learn from their mistakes, so you avoid them for your company. Or fine-tune your approach to improve upon things that didn’t quite work in the past.

Double down on social media

While billions of people use social media to interact with their friends and brands, exploring clever hacks, fun videos and finding great product recommendations, most social networks don’t lead to direct sales. After all, few followers will see your Instagram post and feel compelled to immediately buy your product. For many brands, social media is about establishing a presence, gaining awareness, earning valuable touchpoints with your audience and growing credibility. Social media’s primary role isn’t to get direct sales. Instead, its purpose is building trust. People buy from you after they gain trust in your brand. A social media strategy helps you build relationships and show up more often, so the more often they see your brand, the more they recognize it and feel compelled to learn more. Companies seeking rapid growth should double down on their social media efforts. Marketers should review data to determine the most engaging posts, which in turn will help businesses produce content that generates high engagement. However, instead of becoming active on every social network, you should focus on your strengths, and let the data reveal the truth. The data may suggest you get most of your business from LinkedIn instead of Twitter, in which case you might consider doubling down on your LinkedIn model. Remember, you don’t have to create an account for every social network. Focus on your top platforms and optimize them for better results.

Get your copy of The beginner’s guide to sales prospecting in the relationship economy

Ready to take your business to the next level?

Rapid business growth takes time to build and maintain, and you’ll need enough working capital to fund your company’s initiatives. Luckily, there’s a smart funding solution for businesses feeling strapped for cash. Some businesses get extra proceeds through invoice factoring, which helps you collect the majority of the invoice amount right away, giving you more predictability in your cash flow. Instead of waiting a few months for the customer to finally pay the invoice, your invoice factoring partner provides the majority of the funds up front, then will work to collect payment at the agreed upon terms. That frees you up to move forward in your business. Liquid Capital is your trusted invoice factoring partner. We’ll provide the funds so you don’t have to wait months for customers to pay up. Learn about our invoice factoring services today.

Up next: 4 ways to invest in people for rapid business growth

4 ways to invest in people for rapid business growth

29 de abril de 2022/en Consejos de negocios, Sin categorizar, Crecimiento empresarial, Flujo de fondos, Factoraje/por Mark Glucki

Expanding your business creates new opportunities to invest in the right people to support rapid growth. Learn where to focus your efforts.

You can help more customers, increase sales revenues and improve people’s lives when you invest in the right team members. It can also escalate into more rapid business growth and help you zoom past your income goals — since your people will be invested in the success of your business.

After all, as a business owner, you don’t want to settle for mediocrity. You want to grow not because you have to, but because you desire to move forward. That’s what makes every entrepreneurial-minded person special.

And for those who aren’t running a business directly, but working with business owners every day as your clients, colleagues, vendors and partners, you likely also want to see them achieve their growth goals.

Here are four ways that you and those around you can help build your business and support rapid scaling efforts:

1. Build new relationships

Relationships introduce you to new opportunities and should be a top priority for business owners. Everyone knows a group of people you don’t — which is why business networking can help you find partners who will stick with you for years.

New relationships also make it easier to hire great talent and can snowball into expansive networks over time. When you post a job opening, for example, some colleagues will share referrals for people they think can help scale your operations.

Accelerate your networking further by participating in local events, social media groups and other places where both top talent and your customers gather.

2. Hire the right people

Successfully scaling a business depends on a wider team. As you likely know, executives can only achieve so much on their own. Savvy business owners hire people to help with specific responsibilities that support growth, but you must do so carefully.

Hiring the wrong people can actually slow down production and have a negative consequence on your most trustworthy employees. Their lack of productivity can frustrate hard workers and turn them into babysitters.

Keep in mind that businesses only benefit from great hires by retaining top talent. Hardworking employees help your business grow and you should do what you can to keep them.

Further, many people are dropping out of the workforce during the Great Resignation. Woo your top talents, so they stick around for the long-term. Give them a great workplace with some perks such as….to compete with other top employers.

When it comes to employee referrals, consider the referrer before accepting a new candidate, and understand how they know each other, the history of their experience and how that matches your organization. While you’ll naturally assess every referral as part of your hiring process, keep in mind that hardworking people often recommend other hardworking people — and the same principle holds for unproductive workers.

3. Invest in yourself

During rapid growth mode, business owners invest in their companies. They hire more people, buy new equipment and purchase other assets. You can also invest in education to learn more about your industry trends, new technology and other innovations to keep current.

Investing in yourself stretches to areas outside of your business. For example, exercise increases productivity and happiness, and some business owners that understand these benefits will even hire personal trainers to help keep them on schedule.

Improving yourself puts you in a better position to improve your company.

4. Host events in your area

Events bring people together, and when you’re the host, it puts your brand in the spotlight and offers benefits such as:

Company executives can present new products and gather customer feedback in real-time.
Your team can chat with colleagues and peers in other companies to learn about the latest and greatest in the industry.
You get to talk with customers face-to-face and understand their pain points.

These touchpoints build trust, provide insights and strengthen your credibility.

When people in the community hear about your event, they will hopefully also spread the word and tell their business acquaintances, growing your company’s local footprint.

Some business owners do several pop-up events across multiple cities, then analyze results from each event to decide which cities to revisit next year. With each new event you host, that reach should expand. This is particularly beneficial when you do business across a wider territory, or if you have multiple offices or salespeople spread out remotely.

Businesses can also scale their impact with virtual events. Since these events don’t have the full in-person experience and location isn’t an issue, they can attract attendees who are short on time, budget for travel, or who are located further away.

You can also book more speakers for a virtual event. It costs them less to speak at the event, and some may even consider waiving their fee for the chance to promote their own company. In some cases, speakers may treat virtual stages like podcast appearances, so it’s a win-win.

Expand your cash flow to reach the next level

Rapid business growth doesn’t always mean you’ll earn higher margins, especially when sacrificing profits for development.

You may actually choose to reduce profit in the short term to achieve growth goals. For example, spending money on Google Ads can significantly cut into current earnings, but if it leads to prospects discovering your business and eventually becoming a customer, that long-term plan can pay off. While an advertising budget often represents a healthy trade-off of expenses vs. ROI, there are other expenses that can be more problematic to a healthy level of ongoing working capital.

Review your business and look for opportunities to improve your cash flow. Keep a list of expenses and trim them down when necessary. Assess the ongoing sustainability of the financials, as unprofitable companies don’t stay in business for long.

When comparing year-over-year profit margins, you will then see the trajectory of your cash flow over time. Higher or stable profit margins combined with expansion indicate a healthy business. If your cash flow isn’t at the right level, get ahead of the problem as quickly as possible.

One funding solution that can provide the working capital for your growing needs is invoice factoring. For businesses who don’t qualify for traditional financing, or need to complement their current financing, this solution has proven to be helpful for many businesses.

Read some of our Success Stories:

Global Aviation: Above and Beyond

Rayzor Edge Tree Services invoice factoring

Rayzor Edge: Clearing the way for reliable cash flow

Best Broadcast boosts sales with invoice factoring

Best Broadcast: AV company booms by adding invoice factoring

Finding leads and qualified prospects in the relationship economy

23 de marzo de 2022/en Consejos de negocios, Sin categorizar/por Mark Glucki

Finding qualified leads starts with having reliable sources. Here’s where to start looking!

There are lots of online directories, tools and resources that can help provide insightful prospect data. But with so many options available, it may be hard to know where to start. For busy business owners, it can be particularly important to maximize the time spent finding leads.

Here are five places you can source qualified prospects for your pipeline.

1. LinkedIn Sales Navigator

LinkedIn Sales Navigator uses the power of its 500-million-member network to help sales professionals find and build relationships with prospects and clients.

They have advanced search tools like job title, industry, location, and more to help your team find and connect with ideal prospects through social selling. Best of all, Sales Navigator can be connected with many CRMS (such as HubSpot) giving you an extra layer of insights into your existing customers and potential leads.

2. Dedicated prospecting platforms

There are plenty of paid prospecting tools that can help you secure decision-makers’ email addresses, phone numbers, job titles and so much more. Tools like VoilaNorbert and ZoomInfo can help your sales reps get accurate contact info and reach your potential prospects quicker.

The great thing about these prospecting tools is that they’re designed to support your sales reps in the relationship economy. They usually have features to help start conversations, schedule follow-ups, track conversions and more.

3. Twitter

Did you know that a report by Statista showed that 67% of B2B businesses use Twitter as a digital marketing tool?

Beyond being a helpful ticker for industry news, Twitter has an excellent advanced search feature.

It allows you to search for keywords, exact phrases or exclude certain words from your search. You can also search for high-intent hashtags that might reflect interest in your company’s area of expertise, such as #productnames, #manufacturinggoods, #events and #geographiclocations. (Naturally, replace these words with hashtags that match your business opportunities.)

4. Job boards

When a company is recruiting for a new role, it might signal that they’re investing in that general area or department. For example, a company looking for a new Head of Accounting may be searching for funding, grants or loans.

By searching job boards, your team can look for listings that match your buyer persona job titles. From there, you can reach out to the role’s hiring manager, who is likely a decision-maker.

5. Industry publications, networks and associations

Niche trade events and industry associations may be filled with members that fit your ideal client profile. These organizations often list their members, partners, affiliates and other stakeholders on their website. These directories are a quick way to find potential prospects.

To find these memberships and associations, run a quick Google search such as «best [industry] membership.» You’ll likely get results for nationwide associations, events and organizations.

No matter where you turn to for leads, the most important part of finding great leads is to have a solid sales prospecting process in place.

Up next: Updating your sales prospecting process for the relationship economy

Reduce business debt today! Let Liquid Capital show you how!

5 tips to reduce business debt

20 de febrero de 2022/en Consejos de negocios, Sin categorizar/por Lucy Reed, Guest Author

Nothing puts a stop faster to business growth than a company in poor financial standings. If you (or your client) need to reduce business debt, start with these top tips.

Growing businesses need to have ample access to working capital, but carrying debt is a problem that holds many companies back. According to USA Today, the average business owner carries around $195,000 in debt, which can tie up much-needed funds.

If you’re spending sleepless nights worrying about your company’s debt load (or your client’s debts), these five tips can help make a difference:

1. Create a cash flow budget

Creating and maintaining a cash flow budget helps you understand how your business is performing, where your money is going and coming from, and how much you will need to pay for future operational expenses. Despite this vital step, as many as 61% of SMBs operate without a budget.

To avoid becoming part of the statistic, you can create a budget with these seven main steps:

Use a transaction API to gather data on the last 24 months of expenses.
Calculate your income from all sources.
List variable costs.
Add up fixed expenses.
Estimate additional spending.
Analyze cash flow.
Set spending goals.

Of course, the budgeting process will require time and effort, so it may be worth your while to hire an accountant or, at the very least, outsource your accounting needs to a financial professional.

2. Cut back on expenses

Aside from creating and adhering to a strict budget, cutting back on business expenses is one of the most effective ways to reduce business debt. Review your budget to see where you’re spending money unnecessarily and to identify costs you can potentially lower.

For example, do you need to rent an office building or can staff work remotely? How much could you save by going paperless?

Think outside of the box and get creative with where you could save money. But remember that cutting too much too fast can also have detrimental effects on your company’s overall performance.

3. Boost your revenue

Another great way to reduce your debt is to increase your revenue. Some easy ways to do this are by increasing your pricing, promoting value add-ons and upgrades, and reaping more value from your operational assets.

4. Consolidate your debt

In many cases, debt becomes burdensome because of high-interest rates. You can reduce your business debt and what you pay in interest, fees and maintenance costs, by consolidating business debt.

5. Seek alternative financing options

If you need to increase your cash flow, consider invoice factoring. This allows you access to working capital by selling your invoices to a factor like Liquid Capital.

Grow your business by reducing your business debt

Business debt can eventually feel paralyzing and hold you back from growing your company. Don’t let it overwhelm you. Take these steps today to get out of debt quickly.

If you (or your client) need access to extra working capital to help you overcome your cash flow challenges, reach out to a Liquid Capital Principal today.

Up next: Improve your access to timely business financing, read the “How to become lender-friendly” guide

Liquid Capital presents the "Beginner's Guide to sales prospecting in the relationship economy"

Build meaningful relationships to fuel long-term business growth

18 de febrero de 2022/en Consejos de negocios, Sin categorizar/por Sarah Schoepfer

When you and your team consistently create meaningful relationships with clients, it can lead to long-term business growth.

With 92% of consumers worldwide stating that they trust recommendations from friends and family above all other forms of advertising, your current clients are an important lead generation source. Especially with the evolution of the relationship economy.

Here are four ways that your happy clients can contribute to your long-term business growth and success in the relationship economy:

1. Word of mouth marketing

According to a Statista report, nearly 19% of purchase decisions for financial services were impacted by word-of-mouth marketing. By having great relationships with your clients (and other business contacts), you’re more likely to benefit from word-of-mouth marketing and attract new business.

2. Brand loyalty

Brand loyalty is driven by dependability, quality and excellent client experience. If you master these, you’ll enjoy the benefits of seeing higher lifetime value, which can lead to long-term business growth.

Get your copy of The beginner’s guide to sales prospecting in the relationship economy

3. Referrals and access to new networks

When you create a great impression in someone’s network, they may introduce you to new potential leads and prospects. Having strong, mutually-beneficial relationships can help accelerate rapport and shorten the sales cycle – making it faster to connect with new prospects and increase sales.

4. Testimonials and case studies

Building strong client relationships mean they’ll be more likely to volunteer to share a positive review or testimonial. You can also follow up to interview them for a case study. These kinds of social proof can help you attract additional prospects and support business growth.

“84% of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation.”

— Inc.

Enjoy the benefits of boosting your reputation

With 84% of people trusting online reviews as much as their friends, providing a great experience at every step along your buyer’s journey can boost your reputation and attract new clients to your business.

Remember, your current clients are your best cheerleaders, they can help generate sales and reduce the amount of time, money and effort it takes to generate new ones.

Need to access additional funding on your quest to build better relationships? Consider an alternative funding solution, such as invoice factoring.

Digital networking strategies to reach new clients

10 de febrero de 2022/en Consejos de negocios, Sin categorizar/por Sarah Schoepfer

Looking to leverage digital networking strategies to fuel your prospecting efforts? Get started with these top strategies!

Prospecting in the digital world is all about delivering value, building rapport and increasing visibility so you can start conversations on a mass scale. But if you’re busy running your business, it can be daunting to know where to start.

Here are some digital networking strategies to connect with prospects in the relationship economy:

Digital Networking Strategy #1: Use social media to expand your network

LinkedIn is often described as THE professional social media network. It’s a great place to do research and leverage your network for connections. Using LinkedIn’s Sales Navigator and search engine, you can search for prospects who meet your ideal client criteria.

LinkedIn groups are also a great place to spark conversations and build rapport with potential prospects. For example, if someone makes a post related to your business, your rep can chime in with a helpful answer and follow up personally with relevant resources.

Like LinkedIn, Facebook has a variety of ways to reach potential prospects. Have your team join active groups that discuss topics that relate to your products and services. From there, they can contribute to the conversation and follow up directly with potential prospects.

Note that your team will need to adhere to the group rules to ensure they’re not removed. Many groups object to direct promotion of products and services.

Remember, before your team starts using LinkedIn, Facebook or any other social media platform, make sure their profiles are clean, clear and consistent across your company for added credibility.

Digital Networking Strategy #2: Host and attend webinars

Hosting informational webinars can attract and engage potential prospects. Although they take preparation and expertise to run effectively, they can be an excellent tool for engaging prospects and showcasing your solution.

The webinar should be valuable and relevant for the prospect by providing educational info on a common challenge or question. Presentation formats that can help convert prospects into leads include product demos, content marketing or training on a specific topic.

Webinars also provide valuable data about the prospects who attend, such as how engaged or attentive they were during the training. This can help your sales reps prioritize who to follow up with and continue to nurture the prospect.

Digital Networking Strategy #3: Leverage email marketing tactics

If you thought that email marketing was no longer relevant, think again! With marketing emails generating $42 for every $1 spent and providing an ROI of 4,200%, it’s still one of the most cost-effective tactics that you can use.

Using a CRM that supports email marketing will allow you to personalize and track your communications — and some can even allow you to build automated workflows that will send out the right message, to the right person, at the right time. This can free up precious time for business owners who have a small team (or are running the business solo).

Are traditional prospecting strategies still relevant?

While modern prospecting offers new opportunities to connect with others, traditional prospecting still has its place in your sales process. And when you combine digital networking with traditional sales prospecting strategies, it gives you and your team even more chances to network, prospect and build long-term relationships.

Up next: Learn how to combine digital and traditional prospecting strategies and help you grow your business.

Connect with prospects in the digital 2.0 world

3 de febrero de 2022/en Consejos de negocios, Sin categorizar/por Sarah Schoepfer

In the relationship economy, successful business owners and sales teams connect with prospects in new ways. Are you?

Thanks to digital media, there are many ways to engage with potential prospects in the digital world. Here are three of the top ways to leverage digital marketing to connect with prospects in the relationship economy.

1. Social media

This is a gold mine for finding people already talking about products, services or topics related to your business. Join the conversation that’s already happening and be a helpful and valuable presence. From there, sales reps can build relationships and follow up with potential prospects

2. Content marketing

Whether it’s writing a blog or hosting an informational event, there are plenty of ways to get in front of warm audiences who may be interested in your business. Content marketing examples include creating white papers, informational webinars, eBooks, newsletters and other types of written, video-based or graphical resources. Sales reps can track who engages with this content and follow up.

3. Email marketing

Even in a crowded world, email marketing can keep your business top of mind. Reaching out via email is a great way to deliver valuable information, build relationships and stay connected to prospects. Your sales reps can make one-to-one contact or make use of automation, segmented lists and Sales nurture drip sequences to deliver valuable ongoing content. This email marketing strategy can create brand touchpoints within your prospects’ inboxes on a regular basis.

Can your cash flow support new tactics?

If you or your client are looking for new ways to turn prospects into customers, using digital tactics can help you to connect with a large number of prospects in an efficient amount of time. And thanks to the valuable data they provide, digital tactics are useful for improving prospecting strategies and streamlining your team’s efforts.

However, implementing new tactics and launching strategic campaigns can also mean a need for increased cash flow. Leveraging the power of alternative business funding can give you a much-needed cash flow injection without adding debt to your book of business.

Want to learn more about how invoice factoring and alternative funding solutions from Liquid Capital can help? Contact one of our Principals today.

How to improve your team’s sales prospecting skills

28 de enero de 2022/en Consejos de negocios, Sin categorizar/por Mark Glucki

Even the most seasoned sales teams can benefit from brushing up on their sales prospecting skills. These top tips can help you get started!

Without the right skills in place, sales prospecting in the relationship economy can take a lot of time, money and effort.

Two of the most important areas for improving your team’s sales prospecting skills are making sure they know how to prioritize their prospects and how to connect with prospects in the digital world.

Prioritizing Prospects

Knowing how to prioritize prospects can help ensure your team is spending their time where they’re most likely to see a return on their efforts.

Here are three ways for your sales team to prioritize their prospect list:

1. Prioritize reconnecting with existing or previous customers

If a customer is, or already has, engaged with your company, it’s far simpler to upsell or cross-sell them on a new offer than a cold prospect. They already know, like and trust you – so it’s easier for them to commit to working with you again.

With a customer relationship data platform, you can send a personalized message to the prospect that offers a next step and how you can help.

2. Prioritize businesses that meet the ideal client profile

Make sure your team takes into account characteristics like industry, job title, location and other factors to ensure they’re spending time on prospects that are likely to convert.

They can further prioritize based on prospects who match the characteristics of customers who tend to bring ongoing or repeat business.

3. Prioritize industries and businesses that are on the rise

A company that has received investment funding or is growing each quarter is more likely to work with you than the one taking losses or still in its early stages.

Invest in tools or software so your sales team can do their due diligence and prioritize prospects based on their growth. They can also compare past annual reports to see changes in revenue and general trends.

In addition to these three areas to focus on, sales reps should factor in global trends and events. Your sales reps should be sure to keep up with business news and trends to make sure they’re focusing on industries that are on the rise.

Up next: Give your sales team a winning advantage by boosting their relationship-building skills in the Relationship Economy.

3 questions to grow your goods-based business

21 de enero de 2022/en Consejos de negocios, Sin categorizar/por Sarah Schoepfer

If you’re looking to grow your goods-based business (or help your client grow theirs), start by asking these three questions.

Image via Unsplash

Your product inventory levels can often be a good indicator of how well your business is doing, at least in some ways. For instance, if you’re having trouble moving your inventory, it typically shows that you need to adjust your operations. You may need to reduce the items you offer or organize your inventory more efficiently.

Then again, if you don’t keep enough of the right inventory, you could be missing out on sales and market share. And even if you have the right products and enough inventory, if it isn’t tracked and organized, orders may be lost or delayed, which can affect your bottom line.

To grow your goods-based business — and keep it growing — nothing is more important than managing your inventory. To do that, start by asking yourself these three questions:

1. Are more workers needed?

When you’re having trouble tracking and organizing your inventory, it could be a sign that your staff is maxed out. Overburdening yourself or your workers rarely turns out to be a good thing. The solution? Start looking for qualified workers to add to your team so that your business can continue to grow.

Another sign that you (or your client) might need more staff is when your business struggles to fulfill orders — that is, you can’t physically get orders out in a timely manner. Obviously, this isn’t going to be good for business either. In this scenario, you may need more employees right away, which can be difficult to accomplish within a short time frame when you rely on traditional staffing agencies or have limited working capital. If this situation sounds familiar, look to on-demand labour staffing companies to quickly find skilled workers and consider other ways to increase your cash flow.

2. Can new technology help?

Technology can make a big difference in certain areas of your business. For example, using smartphone apps like Inventory Now and Shyp can help you to track inventory more efficiently and provide a better delivery/return experience for your customers.

Make sure you have enough staff scheduled by using an app like QuickBooks Time. This can take much of the grunt work off your hands so you can look forward to more accurate record-keeping, fully staffed operations and more productivity all around.

If you’ve decided to work with a marketing company to boost brand awareness, most likely they’ll point you toward social media. This is one of the best ways to increase interest and engage with your customers. It also gives you a way to offer a heads up when a favourite item is out of stock and when it will be back. When working with a marketing professional, you’ll want to share lots of information, such as photos, infographics, etc. To make short work of this, simply use a PDF file merger to ensure files are easier to share and send.

3. Do I have accurate stock levels?

Keeping the right amount of inventory is one of the greatest challenges of running a goods-based business. The first step is to stay on top of the supply-and-demand trends in your industry. Always look at which items are selling to give you an idea of where the market stands. Anytime you order new or additional items, make sure the reward outweighs the risk.

Many companies find it beneficial to calculate how much inventory they should carry by using the inventory turnover ratio. In short, this formula can show you the rate at which you’re selling out of stock and reveal the strength of your sales. Moreover, whether the ratio is low or high can tell you whether you have too much or too little inventory.

Funding your inventory management strategy

Managing your inventory is critical when it comes to growing your goods-based business — and you may require more working capital than you currently have available. Once you’ve identified the areas of your inventory management strategy that need updating, you’ll need to determine how to fund the necessary changes.

That’s where Liquid Capital can help! With our alternative funding solutions, such as invoice factoring or purchase order financing, we help business owners unlock working capital to support their business growth plans.