Cash flow through uncertainty

How to manage cash flow through uncertainty

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Part 1 in our «cash flow through uncertainty» series.

Cash flow through uncertainty

The COVID-19 pandemic has proven a big test for many small and medium-sized businesses. Being able to manage cash flow during its various stages was key to many companies’ survival, but sadly, those who were not prepared did not survive. 

Crises can take many shapes: from another pandemic to an unexpected industry meltdown or an abrupt change in a business owner’s personal circumstances. 

It pays, therefore, to have tactics and resources ready when faced with times of uncertainty, a crisis or recovery. This forward-thinking planning will give your business a better chance to not only survive the next crisis, but to come out the other side even stronger.  

Managing cash flow in uncertain times

During a prolonged period of uncertainty, small and medium-sized companies can’t afford to carry on business as usual. When you can’t be sure of what’s around the corner, you need to be prepared for what might be up ahead. Having solid cash flow is essential to ensure that you can keep producing your products or service, pay your staff and keep the lights on. 

There are a number of strategies you can use when uncertainty makes it difficult to plan with any accuracy:

1. Set up financing options

It can be a lot easier to put financing in place before you actually need it. One strategy is to arrange for a rolling line of credit in case cash flow becomes tight. The big advantage of a line of credit is that you don’t pay interest until you use it. It’s extremely flexible and allows you to borrow and pay back at any time. You may never need it but setting it up now could help you to survive if things go sideways. It can also help you to have peace of mind, knowing that you have a back-up option if cash becomes tight. 

2. Factor your way ahead

Since many businesses are already extended on their credit or cannot qualify for traditional financing, you may also consider invoice factoring as another way to improve your cash flow in uncertain times. By accessing working capital based on selling your open invoices, you won’t go further into debt and you can gain immediate inflows — and you won’t be paying interest or penalties compared to other types of financing.

3. Hit the growth pause button

Going ahead with aggressive (or even moderate) growth plans during uncertain times can be devastating. Stretching your finances by expanding, taking on more real estate or increasing your employee count may not always be a good idea if the economy is on the verge of a dip. Put those expansion plans on the back burner until you feel that the situation has become steadier and more predictable.

4. Reassess your inventory

Take a good look at your stock and see if there is anything that can go. Inventory that you know can take a long time to sell, or an excess amount of any particular stock could be cleared out quickly to turn it into much-needed cash. You could either offer it to your best clients in a discounted flash sale or sell it to a liquidator. 

5. Take a ruthless look at your costs

Improving your cash flow in uncertain times provides the ideal opportunity to go over your costs in minute detail. Cancel or pause anything that is not absolutely essential to the successful running of your business. Any savings you can make now will help keep your cash flow healthy if things take a turn for the worse. 

Get our Cash Cycle Guide for smart strategies to maintain positive cash flow.

6. Find a trusted alternative finance partner

We would be remiss not to include this tip. You likely have a finance partner at a traditional financial institution, but you should also have alternatives in place if the bank says no. At Liquid Capital, we work alongside you and your banking partner to ensure you get the right mix of financing when you need it.

 

Uncertain times can escalate quickly, especially when a true crisis hits. By getting ahead of the issues, you’ll be prepared to get through a downturn in the market and keep your business prosperous. 

 

Up Next: Sail through a cash flow crisis — 5 places to batten down the hatches

Self-care in business - Mental wellnessSelf-care in business - Mental wellness

Building self-care into your business

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Stressful days and sleepless nights are common when running a business. By adding self-care routines into your day, you can mitigate some of those worries to become more fulfilled and rested.

Self-care in business - Mental wellnessSelf-care in business - Mental wellness

Entrepreneurs are a special breed. While you get to pave your own way you also have to deal with any roadblocks that come up as you go. It’s a lot of work, but worth the effort in order to be able to build your own business from scratch. 

That said, the nature of being your own boss means that there’s nobody else to turn to for help when things become overwhelming or stressful. Where does your mental health fit into your own business strategy? Keep reading for tips on building self-care into your business.

Stress and entrepreneurship

Working for yourself means that you are faced with more challenges and fewer resources than non-entrepreneurs. Michael Freeman, a researcher from the University of California, explains that “entrepreneurs have lower initial earnings, lower earnings growth, lower long-term earnings, greater work stress, and more psychosomatic health problems than employees.” This means that issues like depression, anxiety, and ADHD are more common among those who choose to work for themselves.

A 2019 study from the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) found that rates of stress are even higher among women entrepreneurs. Without the programs or policies for leave and other supports you might find in a large organization, many business owners are left to care for their mental health on their own. 

Brigette, a Quebec-based event planner, puts it succinctly: “I can’t go higher than me to try to find help.” 

In that same 2019 study, CMHA found that 23% of entrepreneurs surveyed said that they simply didn’t know where to turn to access mental health support, which left them without the help they needed.

Be your own self-care advocate

When you’ve moved beyond the growth stage of your business and are more firmly established, you have more options available to you to support your mental health, including that of your staff. 

That support is an investment. If you don’t take care of your mental health, your business is at risk when you’re the one at the helm. Here are some actions you can take to support yourself as you continue to build your business.

Delegate work

Being the leader doesn’t mean that you need to have your hands on every aspect of your business. In fact, you’ve grown it and hired staff so that you don’t need to manage every detail! When your workload is so overwhelming that you find yourself losing sleep, experiencing brain fog, or unable to function as you normally would, it’s time to delegate some of your workload. 

Take an inventory of your tasks and determine which items could be passed along to staff who have the capacity to take them on. Once you free yourself up to rest and recharge, you can focus on the big-picture issues and important decisions for your business.

Join a formal support network

Are there industry-specific associations or organizations in your city? Have you connected with other entrepreneurs? If not, consider joining a national association, like the US Association for Small Business and Enterprise, the National Federation of Independent Business, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, or the Women’s Enterprise Organization of Canada. 

These kinds of organizations are developed to serve entrepreneurs — and accessing a support network or connecting with others who understand where you’re coming from can help to alleviate some of the stress of being your own boss.

Seek professional care

The advice of a mental health professional is one of the most effective means of determining the course of action best suited to your needs and stressors. While some people are nervous about how they will be perceived by their peers for accessing mental health care, it’s important to recognize that the stigma around mental health care is waning. 

In 2019, for example, 65.5% of US adults received mental health treatment. If you have more than 10 employees, consider offering an employee assistance program to support you and your team.

These programs can help you and your staff with mental health concerns or to prevent burnout, navigate conflict or transitions, and manage stress. Contact the Canadian Employee Assistance Program Association or find the best US provider for your needs.

 

Being an entrepreneur is both rewarding and taxing, but your business shouldn’t come at the cost of your own health. By delegating work to your team, joining a support network, or seeking professional care, you’re taking a step toward ensuring the long-term viability of the business you’ve worked so hard to build.

 

Part 2 up next: Positive mental health practices for entrepreneurs

Then, get 10 business quotes for a jolt of motivation

Digital marketing pillars

Six digital marketing pillars to improve ROI

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Digital marketing pillars

Businesses have been adapting swiftly into digital sales and marketing — finding new ways to drive revenue even though they might not fit into a traditional “online selling” model. If you’re in this same boat, you may be wondering what digital marketing pillars you should focus on to increase your presence and give you a better shot at finding online leads — and closing deals. 

We recently reviewed how to build a smart digital marketing plan on a budget. Now, with industry and marketing opportunities changing so rapidly, you might want to dig deeper into the right digital marketing mix to promote your business and spend your resources wisely.

For digital marketing, in particular, there are six main areas of focus — pillars — that will help you build an online presence and effectively promote your business, products and services. 

Note that you may not choose to focus on every pillar, especially if budgets and people resources are tight. But by focusing attention on one or two of these, you can dedicate the right amount of time and money to give you a greater chance of achieving your goals.

Digital Marketing Pillar 1:
Content Marketing

“Content” is a form of marketing focused on creating, publishing, and distributing content for a particular audience online. This can be blog articles, web pages, landing pages, eBooks, white papers, infographics, videos, webinars and many other formats. 

According to the Content Marketing Institute (CMI), marketing is impossible without great content. «In short, instead of pitching your products or services, you are delivering information that makes your buyer more intelligent. The essence of this content strategy is the belief that if we, as businesses, deliver consistent, ongoing valuable information to buyers, they ultimately reward us with their business and loyalty.»

If you’re new to content marketing, start by outlining your customers’ frequently asked questions. Then answer those in quick blog articles and publish them on your website once a week, and promote them on the social media platform that your target audience is on the most. This will get you well off to the races!

Digital marketing pillar 2:
Native advertising

digital marketing pillars - native advertising

Also known as sponsored content, native advertising matches the style of the platform it appears on. Native advertising comes in the form of videos, articles, or editorials. 

In the past, this type of content was commonly called «advertorials» and would show up in magazines, almost masquerading as a seamless transition from one page to the next. Now, there are many more opportunities to deliver native advertising that will also be valuable to readers.

«Think of native advertising as a way of distributing your high-quality content so it can get discovered by consumers who might not yet know enough about your brand to engage with that content on your owned media channels,» explains CMI.

Instead of publishing all your great thought-leadership content on your own site, you may want to pay to have this content appear on a third-party site that has a bigger audience, more reach and can get your brand some great exposure.

Digital marketing pillar 3:
Pay-per-click (PPC)

PPC is also commonly referred to as Google Search (since it’s the most common platform for this advertising, although other search engines such as Bing offer options. PPC is a form of advertising that allows marketers to set up campaigns on search engines to drive traffic to websites or landing pages. The advertiser pays the publisher directly, which is most often based on when someone clicks the ad — hence the name. Other online search pricing is based on the number of impressions displayed.  

Note that with PPC, you’re bidding in an auction-style setting, and the terms you may want to be discovered for are likely on the radar of competitors. Some of your fellow advertisers may have deep pockets and be will to spend more to get to the top of search results. So be careful not to spend too much money on the wrong terms, and look for ways to niche.

Digital marketing pillar 4:
Search engine optimization (SEO)

SEO is a popular method of marketing, where marketers target unpaid traffic. The goal is to improve the quality and quantity of website traffic to a website or web page from search engines. 

Popular vendor SEMRush explains SEO simply: «SEO is the art and science of persuading search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo, to recommend your content to their users as the best solution to their problem.»

By optimizing the content on your website and making use of keywords that people are searching for, the search engines will understand who your company is, what you offer, and know that you are a credible resource to direct people to when they are searching for information.

Digital Marketing pillar 5:
Social media marketing

When you make use of social media platforms and channels to promote products or services, this is known as social media marketing (SMM). Popular forms of SMM include Facebook Advertising, Instagram Ads, and TikTok videos.

But before you can advertise, you need to create great content and publish it on the platforms. For businesses, this can include posting thought-leadership blogs, helpful resources and guides, videos of your experts explaining how they help (or teaching your audience something valuable), and even special offers that will capture attention.

Buffer explains that there are five SMM pillars to follow, and only the final component is the actual advertising area where you spend money.

Digital marketing pillar 6:
Email marketing

Email marketing is far from dead. In fact, it’s thriving and has garnered a second wind in the business world for delivering helpful information and valuable promotions of products or services.

But «email marketing» isn’t just a direct message from you to individual customers, and it’s not spam either. As Hubspot explains, it’s somewhere in between. «It’s one of the few marketing channels we can use to build an authentic connection with the humans that keep our businesses alive. … Your customers don’t give their information lightly, and — if used right — email marketing can be both a relationship-building and profit-building tool.»

Now, using automation and nurture streams of content, the power of email marketing has skyrocketed. By creating emails that genuinely update your audience and make it worthwhile for them to open and read the message, you can actually evolve those relationships, build trust and potentially even convert sales.

 

If you’re feeling overwhelmed at what marketing direction you want to take as we evolve into a post-pandemic business environment, you’re not alone. But remember that you can always shift your pillars along the way to better suit your marketing objectives. Marketing also includes some trial and error, and if you have a good plan in place, you’ll also have contingency plans and backup strategies to allow you to pivot with relative ease.

 

And if you’re in need of working capital to execute on these strategies, whether it be for payroll, inventory or any part of your strategy, get in touch and we’ll be happy to discuss how we can help.

create a digital marketing plan

Create a smart digital marketing plan on a budget

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When the pandemic forced many businesses to close their brick-and-mortar locations, successful entrepreneurs doubled down on their digital marketing plan. Here’s how you can too.

create a digital marketing plan

The pandemic forced many businesses to shift their focus online and left them to come up with creative solutions to selling. Pivoting their company was the only way to survive, and many found success when they shifted further into a digital strategy. 

If you’ve decided to take this leap forward, here are a couple of things to keep in mind when you’re integrating the ‘new digital normal’ into your marketing and sales efforts — and creating a smart digital marketing plan on a budget: 

1. Determine your business goals

Would you get in the car without knowing where to go? Similarly, when you’re creating a marketing plan, you need to know what your business needs to accomplish before you set that plan into action. 

Start by asking yourself the following questions related to your company:

  • Do I want to increase sales?
  • Do I want to connect with different customer segments and increase brand recognition?
  • What are my long-term revenue and profit projections? 
  • Are there new products or services that should be added to the mix?

Then look at things from your customer’s point of view. How would they answer these questions:

  • How was my experience dealing with that company?
  • How would I describe this company? Do I really know what they do?
  • Do I trust them?
  • Would I buy from them again?
  • Would I recommend this company to a friend or colleague?

Establish your short and long-term goals based on the answers to these types of questions, and stay focused on that ‘prize.’ Ensure your entire team knows what these goals are, and connect their individual KPIs to the higher-level objectives.

2. Understand your market

You need to know your market fit to build an effective marketing plan (and then budget for it). When you understand how you stack up against your competition, you can better establish which strategies you need to compete with and apply them to your roadmap. 

Start by running a competitive analysis to research what others are doing, including what kind of market share they hold in digital channels. You can use tools such as SpyFu and SEMRush to analyze the keywords they rank for, what kind of traffic they receive on their websites, and research how they position on search engines. 

Create a competitive analysis

This knowledge is essential to stay ahead of the curve and build strategies that capitalize on your findings. Competitive analysis isn’t about «spying» on your rivals though. It’s about learning from their victories and their mistakes to proactively save your business time — and potentially wasted efforts. 

This step will improve your overall knowledge of your industry by analyzing the pros and cons of different company’s processes, products, services and sales. This will help you modify your digital marketing plan and determine how to fill gaps to deliver better results.

There are so many different directions you can go with digital marketing, but narrow in on the tactics that match your desired outcomes and a better ROI.

3. Who do you want to work with?

In-house vs. outsourced team. This is a significant factor that will influence your digital marketing plan and budget.

There are many advantages of hiring an in-house marketing team. The obvious benefit is that you have complete control over how your marketing is executed. There can also be stronger collaboration amongst various departments across your company, and you’ll be building a company culture that can have many spinoff advantages.

However, the obvious disadvantage of relying on your in-house marketing team is that you’ll need to dedicate a lot of time and resources to sourcing, interviewing, hiring and training that staff. You also have to prepare for drawbacks such as running into the same creative execution time and again and dealing with turnover costs. If a team member leaves, you’ll need to have a process to quickly replace them to keep your plan on track.

Marketing teams

Alternatively, there are some advantages to working with vendors, contractors and outsourced teams. First, they tend to be more specialized and come with extensive experience and skills to execute the marketing plan. It’s up to them to stay on top of current trends, marketing best practices and bring new ideas to the table — so that is off your plate. They can also offer guidance and help you through any obstacles or failures that you may face during the execution of your project. 

It can take time to bring an external group up-to-speed with your products, solutions, company workflows and various people they’ll need to work with. In addition, it can be hard to find a truly trusted outsourced team who understands your goals and vision — so this should be a high priority.

 

Up next, you may want to do a deeper dive into your digital marketing tactics and mix in order to focus the right time and resources. By reviewing these few things as part of your digital marketing strategy updates, you’ll be able to match your next action items with your intended goals — and develop an outstanding digital marketing plan. Naturally, you’ll also review your budget and need to ensure you have the working capital to execute these strategies — and that’s where we can help further with our alternative funding solutions such as invoice factoring.

If you’re in need of financing to bring this plan to life, whether it be for payroll, inventory or any part of your strategy, get in touch today and we’ll be happy to discuss how we can help.

Emerging trends in the COVID-19 recovery market

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Liquid Capital’s July Roundup: Here’s what we’re reading this month.

Emerging trends in the COVID19 recovery market

As markets across the world begin opening up and we start emerging from pandemic restrictions, business leaders are looking for ways to remain competitive, increase sales and manage organizational changes. From sales to leadership to change management — if business leaders want to thrive in the post-COVID period they must stay on top of how things have changed. 

This month, we’re sharing some of our favourite articles that can help business leaders navigate their next steps.

Sales Have Changed Forever: How To Move Beyond Relationship-Building

move beyond relationship-building

Every salesperson knows that building strong relationships is essential for success, but they also know that relationships don’t always equate to sales. Just because someone ‘likes’ you doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll buy your product or service. 

With the pandemic, it has become even more difficult to turn relationships into sales. There’s more competition for smaller sales, and in-person meetings have been replaced with virtual ones. This can make it harder to have meaningful connections, so business professionals need to be more efficient, targeted and focused.

If you want to build relationships that turn into sales in the COVID-19 recovery market, there are tactics that you can use to increase your chances of success. Provide value to your prospects and clients by really getting to know and understand them. Focus on cultivating dialogue and stay positive, optimistic, persistent and courageous. 

Read more

 

What impact do authentic leaders really have on employees during change?

What impact do authentic leaders really have on employees during changeMany organizations have had to pivot or make changes to their operations over the past year and a half. This impacts employees, too. Undoubtedly, two of the biggest factors for how workers will react include the organizational culture of the company and leadership behaviours.

So how can leaders support a positive experience for their employees during times of transformation? A new study looks at how ‘authentic leadership’ can make a big difference, along with the four areas they should focus on (self-awareness, moral perspective, transparency and balanced processing).

Read more

 

Making transformation stick

Making transformation stick

You’ve researched, planned and carefully executed a shift within your organization. But after the initial launch, what comes next? 70% of organizational changes do not last long-term, so how can leaders ensure that their efforts have staying power?

Follow these 3 steps to make sure changes are sustainable and not just a flash in the pan:

  1. Dedicate leadership energy to sustaining the transformation
  2. Make adhering to the changes part of performance management
  3. Be a living example of the new paradigm 

Read more

 

20-minute podcast: Lessons in Innovation from Bowie, Beyoncé, and More

What can some of the biggest recording artists of all time teach business leaders about innovation? From demo tapes to artist collaboration, to egoless experimentation, no matter what industry you work in, these lessons from famous musicians can help you support innovation in your organization. So as you lay by the pool, lake, ocean, or wherever else your summer takes you, plug in your headset and check out this motivational podcast. 

Listen here

Up next: Get inspired with these 10 motivational business quotes.

Business quotes

10 business quotes for a jolt of motivation

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Sometimes, the smallest reminders can be the biggest motivation. Review these business quotes to inspire you and your executive team.

Business quotes

We’ve all had those days. Your to-do list keeps piling up, your tank is quickly draining, and you’re running on fumes! You seriously contemplate throwing in the towel and taking that year-long vacation to Italy. 

It’s easy to keep sinking further into this mindset, but keeping a motivational quote nearby from the best brains in business can give you the jolt you need — without the caffeine jitters! 

Business quotes on taking action 

We’ve all heard the buzzwords — grit, resilience, drive — but what does it mean to truly take action? Read more below:

1. “The secret of change is to focus all your energy not on fighting the old but on building the new.”
— Socrates, father of Western philosophy 

By focusing on the future and using the past to inform your decisions, rather than dwelling on the past, you open yourself, and your business, up to new possibilities.

John Quincy Adams

3.“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”
— John Quincy Adams, 6th President of the United States 

A leader isn’t always the person with the right title, but the one with the right attitude.

 

2. “Always deliver more than expected.”
— Larry Page, co-founder of Google 

The difference between the good and the great is those who go the extra mile.

  

Business quotes on relationships

Relationships bring meaning to our lives, and if you’re able to develop great business relationships, get ready to reap the benefits (both financially and personally). Get inspired below:

Mark Cuban4. «Business happens over years and years. Value is measured in the total upside of a business relationship, not by how much you squeezed out in any one deal.”
— Mark Cuban, Entrepreneur

 Trust is the most important part of any good relationship — whether it’s business or personal. If you’re willing to sacrifice someone’s trust with the aim of making a sale, that will surely be the last one you make to them!

 

5. «It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently”
— Warren Buffet, Investor

Good relationships take time and effort to build, and this effort must be put in consistently. There’s no shortcut to building and maintaining a great relationship.

 

6. «All things being equal, people will do business with a friend; all things being unequal, people will still do business with a friend.»
— Mark McCormack, Businessman

People do business with people they like — plain and simple. Being a good friend to someone will pay off in dividends down the road.

 

7. Personal relationships are the fertile soil from which all advancement, all success, all achievement in real life grows.» — Ben Stein, Comedian 

Nobody is an island, and everyone needs some help every once in a while. Your achievements in life are often linked to the help of others. 

Business quotes on communication

Being a good communicator doesn’t come naturally to most. But, it can be learned. Read more below:

Tony Robbins8. “The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.”
— Peter Drucker, Management Consultant

Understanding someone’s intent, reading body language and asking deeper questions can often help you become a better communicator. 

 

9.“The way we communicate with others and with ourselves ultimately determines the quality of our lives.”
— Tony Robbins, Author and Coach 

We live in an interconnected world, where communication is constant, and the need to understand and be understood is paramount. If you are able to master the art of communication, you’ll be well on your way to success.

 

10. “In many ways, effective communication begins with mutual respect, communication that inspires, and encourages others to do their best.”
— Zig Ziglar, Author and Motivational Speaker 

Good communication is not only about being heard, it’s about listening to others. As we all know, the hallmark of great communication is that it’s a two way street — a fact which many often forget.

 

At the end of the day, business quotes are just that — motivational quotes to inspire the greatness you have inside you. Now, it’s time to take action and apply these principles to your daily life. Take action to move your business forward, spend the time building meaningful relationships, and refine your communication skills  — and you will be well on your way to success! 

To learn how Liquid Capital and invoice factoring can help your growing business, contact us today.

Invoice Factoring FAQs

Online business: Master the shift to a digital world

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Over the past year and a half, the pandemic has taught business owners a valuable lesson: the power of going digital. Here’s are some important steps to setting up an online business.

Online business

Shifting your business from traditional selling to online or e-commerce is not just a luxury or nice-to-have. It’s an important avenue for you to connect with your audiences, providing many benefits, such as increased customer reach and lower administration costs. 

It’s extremely important that businesses adapt to the changing ways of the market. If you fail to adapt, you risk losing out on business or face major obstacles in running a successful business. In fact, if you don’t change the way you do business and offer products or services online, there’s a significant chance you may risk losing out on your business entirely and see all your hard work go to waste. 

Although it may seem overwhelming to shift business online, there are a few steps that will help you make the shift to the digital world: 

Step 1: Identify your online business audience needs

Your target buyer should be at the core of your shift to online business. After all, you’re going digital because of them. So it’s a good idea to understand what their needs and wants are, and how they’ve changed over the years. 

What do they expect from you moving forward? How will you adapt your existing products and services when selling online? What about upsells, cross-sells, returns and post-sales support?

Although service-based firms won’t have to worry about storage and shipping, traditional B2B businesses that offer tangible products may have to trim down their inventory to keep costs low. 

Start by interviewing your customers and ask them what you can do to meet their needs. It may be as simple as offering delivery or offering on-site consultations. Once you’ve identified how their expectations have changed, you can tailor your product feature or services and operations to meet customer needs. 

It’s also essential to obtain feedback and collect information about your efforts — especially to find out if you’re meeting customer expectations.  

Step 2: Choose the right online business platform

The way you sell online is going to be very different from how you sell offline. So you must choose a digital platform that compliments your business model and supports your transformation to a digital storefront. 

With the right platform, you can extend your customer reach, drive more traffic to your website, and ultimately increase sales. 

For example, if you sell retail products to other businesses at wholesale prices, it may be a good idea to choose an eCommerce platform such as Shopify, Magneto or WooCommerce.

Alternatively, let’s say you offer freight services to manufacturers. It may be a good idea to choose a platform that enables you to set up customer portals and accept booking requests such as Setmore, HoneyBook and SimplyBook. 

But we know that searching for and choosing a platform can be a daunting task. Here are some additional options to get you started with the most common and popular platforms that can serve many businesses in the B2B space:

Amazon
BigCommerce
WooCommerce B2B
Shopify Plus
OpenCart
WordPress

 

Step 3: Hiring the right team

Online business team

The biggest hurdle — and cost — associated with shifting your business online is assembling a team responsible for the move. 

There are two ways to go about it: hiring an experienced in-house team or outsourcing the project to a professional firm or contractors.

While you may be tempted to take on the project under your own supervision, going digital requires a lot of specialized skills and resources. This translates into a lot of time and task management.

What roles are needed? It would help if you had a designer and a website developer. Depending on the size of your business, you may also need a project manager, content strategist, writers, editors and even UX designers. It might end up being a lot more budget-friendly and stress-free to hire someone outside of your organization to manage the entire project. 

On the other hand, if your business does not operate on a large scale, you can hire a small team to manage the project in-house and stay on board to offer ongoing support and assistance.  

Step 4: Maintenance and ongoing support

One of the most overlooked aspects of shifting a business online is the maintenance and upkeep of going digital. Your online storefront needs as much TLC, love and care such as your physical storefront. The only difference is, you can’t see it right away!

Consider it this way… Would you leave your brick-and-mortar unattended, especially on a busy day? Or if you had a leak in your office, would you fix it right away so that it’s not an inconvenience to your employees? 

Just like your offline store, it’s important to do the upkeep of your online presence, too. This is especially true for businesses that operate in the retail space and face heavy traffic on their digital front. 

Hiring a team to provide ongoing support will ensure that things run smoothly and help you overcome technical problems. Similar to our point above, you can either hire an outside company to take care of this, or rely on your internal team to maintain this in-house. 

Are you ready to make the shift to an online business?

In this day and age, you can’t afford to fall behind your competitors. The pandemic has given the last push to those in the traditional selling environment to rethink how to pivot their business and take their offline business online. 

You can be a part of this massive change. Take a look at your current business model and think about how going digital can help you get more customers and revenue. Follow our step-by-step guide to get your foundation in place, and when you do go digital, create a marketing plan that supports your shift to the online world.  

 

Up Next: If you’re building your business growth plan, include invoice factoring

how invoice factoring works

Refresher: What is invoice factoring and how does it work?

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how invoice factoring works

Invoice factoring is a type of financing available to businesses that sell to other businesses on account — invoicing clients, usually with 30, 60 or 90-day terms.

For businesses who haven’t established a track record with a major lender yet, or who don’t fit traditional bank lending qualifications, invoice factoring is a way to get faster access to working capital.

How does invoice factoring work?

After you establish payment terms and issue invoices to your customers, you may be left waiting to receive payment. Instead of waiting the full term, you can receive upfront payment from your invoice factoring partner, also known simply as a “factor.”

There are five key steps to the invoice factoring process:

  1. You sell products & services to your customer
  2. You sell your invoices to your factoring partner
  3. Your factor sends you the funds minus the reserve
  4. Your factor then will wait the required time to collect payment from your customer
  5. Your factor refunds you the reserves minus discount fee

Aside from improving cash flow, a major benefit of this invoice factoring process is that your factor will assume, manage and collect the financed debts for you. A good partner will also provide transparent, accessible reporting to keep you up to date on the process.

Learn more about invoice factoring

Access these resources and articles to brush up on the ins and outs of invoice factoring.

 

At Liquid Capital, we understand what it takes for small, medium and emerging mid-market businesses to succeed – because we’re business people ourselves. 

Our company is built on a network of locally owned and operated Principal offices, so whenever you’re talking to Liquid Capital, you’re talking directly to your funding source — and a fellow business person.

 

Up Next: Medal-winning ways to leverage invoice factoring

clear cash flow hurdles with invoice factoring

Medal-winning ways to leverage invoice factoring

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Some business hurdles are easier to overcome than others, but cash flow related obstacles are sometimes the most difficult to clear. Avoid a false start and reach the finish line with invoice factoring.

clear cash flow hurdles with invoice factoring

Surviving the past year has been like winning an Olympic gold medal for most business owners. Even under normal circumstances, running a company is like running a marathon, but it takes another level of determination, grit, perseverance, and nerves of steel during an international health crisis.

Beyond those herculean entrepreneurial qualities, you need to have the cash flow to support your operations and growth plans to reach your business finish line. And since 82% of new businesses will fail because of cash flow, it’s the biggest hurdle.

Luckily, there are creative ways to leap over capital problems with more confidence. Invoice factoring is one of our go-to solutions since it allows you to sell your unpaid invoices and get cash upfront for whatever you need it for. We collect the invoice payment directly from your customer, and we work by your side to strengthen your cash flow planning. This tried and tested financing method can help you remove hurdles altogether.

Here are other ways that invoice factoring can take your business to the top of the podium:

1. Get a great coach.

Being an entrepreneur requires passion, sacrifice and exceptional focus on any given day. But entrepreneurs, just like athletes, need someone to guide them and encourage them to push through the setbacks to come out stronger and better at their business.

With invoice factoring, we partner with businesses and act as that coach and mentor role with many of our clients. We get to know your business, your personal goals, your strengths and weaknesses. And when we assess your business as part of the funding process, we make it a priority to help you develop a plan — like an Olympic training plan — so you know the hard work you’ll be putting into your business will pay off in spades.

Whether you work with us or any other lending company, you need to find that trusted ‘coach.’

2. Be quick out of the blocks.

When your business operations are flat, it’s time to make a bold move and act swiftly. The faster you can get sprinting, the further you’ll be ahead of any cash flow problem. But finding ways to achieve rapid growth at scale is another challenge. And if your growth is exponential, you may also see an equal increase in expenses — creating a need for more cash — fast.

By qualifying and finding the right invoice partner before a cash flow problem exists, you can start to rely on this method to access more cash when you need it — no more searching for capital in a crisis while your competitors are lapping you. Instead, you’ll now be the first to react out of the blocks.

Success Story: Here’s how one small business owner was able to embrace innovation to outlast the effects of the pandemic.

3. Create your own track record.

There’s an old saying that banks will only give you loans when you don’t need them. Factoring, thankfully, is impervious to old sayings and archaic banking restrictions. Where a bank won’t provide a loan to a small or mid-sized business for any number of reasons, factoring has a different structure and set of regulations, making it much easier to apply to businesses of all sizes.

Read: To get more on the specifics of invoice factoring, see how it works here.

4. What if it turns into a marathon?

Depending on your industry, you may have to wait 30, 60 or 90 days from the date of the invoice to receive payment. While this may be okay for the more established players, for a newer business or one under a cash crunch, waiting 90 days on an invoice (especially a large one) can be extremely difficult or even damaging. And offering early payment discounts can often cost more than leveraging invoice factoring.

5. A dropped baton doesn’t have to mean it’s over.

Nobody likes late payments, but every business has experienced the pain of waiting on accounts receivable. And no matter the size of the business, late payments can have far-reaching consequences. Factoring eliminates this problem and often shifts the responsibility of collections from you to the factor.

6. Sometimes it’s a sprint to the finish.

Stocking up your inventory often requires paying suppliers on the spot. It’s imperative to have cash upfront to keep inventory at the right level to meet demand. The flexibility offered by factoring means you can have the right working capital to keep inventory levels on target, avoiding supply issues before they happen.

Ask these questions to get on the inside track

If factoring could be the solution to your cash challenges, it’s crucial to find the right partner who understands your industry, the specific challenges you’re up against and can offer the best funding solution to advance your business.

But before signing an agreement, there are 10 important questions to ask any invoice factoring partner. The answers will help you quickly narrow down the pool of candidates and find the perfect match.

Do you have questions about invoice factoring? Get the answers to the most commonly asked questions in our Invoice Factoring FAQ guide.

Drive business results

Drive business results: Rely on your invoice factoring partner for more than just cash

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At Liquid Capital, your local Principal is more than just a source of capital — they’re industry and funding experts who want to help you drive business results.

Drive business results

When a business is experiencing a lack of sufficient cash flow, taking out a bank loan and offering clients early payment discounts are two common tactics used to fill the gaps. But there’s another solution that could be a better strategic decision: utilizing invoice factoring services from a commercial finance company.

Unfortunately, invoice factoring is often misunderstood among business owners who view it as a “last resort” financing option. In the right circumstances, however, invoice factoring can be the ideal strategic solution for business owners and CFOs who are looking to drive business results.

“The partnership has been really positive and Liquid Capital helped position us to grow the company. Last year, we grew around 20% and we expect to grow another 20% next year. With this funding strategy, we’re set up to keep expanding.”

— Claudia Serna, Owner of Serna’s Trucking

If you are a commercial finance professional, you know that your clients look to you for creative and strategic financing solutions, including solutions that might be a little bit outside the traditional box such as invoice factoring. However, you can build trust and strengthen client relationships by being proactive and presenting invoice factoring as a reliable option with them before they find themselves in a cash flow crunch.

Choosing the right financing partner to help drive business results

Who you partner with is important, and if you choose the right one, you’ll gain much more than just working capital. Your invoice factoring partner will have insights into your customers and your company’s financial records. They should also act as a trusted business advisor who can help guide you through various challenges and opportunities.

Learn key questions to ask to choose the right factoring partner.

Liquid Capital offers invoice factoring and other asset-based and alternative lending solutions to businesses throughout the U.S. and Canada. We go beyond a transactional approach with our business clients in order to help them with overall strategic planning when it comes to commercial financing.

Our local Principals are business owners, helping business owners.

“My Liquid Capital Principal is always just a call away. It’s so reassuring to know that I can ask them questions and get their advice. They’re a great wealth of knowledge on the business operations side as well as the financial side. It’s helpful to have someone in your corner, to have an advisor that you didn’t really expect to find, especially someone who’s so available that you can just give them a quick call.”

— Adelle Starin, Owner of Baby’s on Broadway

Come for the capital, stay for the partnership

Having a trusted invoice factoring partner as part of your extended team can also focus your entire team’s attention on positive cash flow. Review this solution with the appropriate team members and ensure you’re leveraging all its potential. Accountants, bookkeepers, office managers and other team leads can often contribute to budgeting, resourcing and cash flow conversations.
Naturally, CFOs and other leaders on your executive team should also be working invoice factoring into their financial planning as a key capability, to ensure that your business is never in a crunch.
For many of the business owners that we work with, their local Principal becomes an invaluable resource for information and advice on how to achieve business results. They can also work directly alongside your team to ensure everyone is on the same page.

“Sometimes I call my Liquid Capital Principal when I have questions and he is there to lend a hand. When we wanted to start working with a new company, he was able to advise me about the possible benefits and risks. It’s a really good relationship.”

— Claudia Serna, Owner of Serna’s Trucking

In short: Invoice factoring can be part of a strategic plan to keep a business’ working capital flowing, so you can get the results you need.

Want to read more about how invoice factoring can fuel business growth? Be sure to check out part 1 and part 2 of our series on making invoice factoring part of your business growth plan.