Working Capital Loan

Reasons Why You Might Be Failing At Working Capital Management

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Small and medium enterprises are particularly vulnerable to improper management of their assets and liabilities. Most SME assets are in the form of current assets and their current liabilities are often a source of external finance, given the difficulties of getting a business loan for such enterprises. Oftentimes, SMEs have to resort to vendor financing when facing a capital crunch. Therefore, efficient working capital management becomes critical for the success of a small business in India.

Working capital is the difference between your current assets and current liabilities. It is primarily used for supporting the day to day financial operations, such as the purchase of stock, salary and wage payments, and financing credit sales. In essence, working capital is the lifeblood of a business.

Working capital management is the managerial strategy for creating a balance between the two aspects of working capital i.e. current assets and current liabilities. Working capital management ensures that there is enough cash flow for meeting short-term debt and operating expenses. Efficient management of working capital is a part of effective corporate strategies and helps in creating shareholder value. However, maintaining the liquidity of a firm is also an important part of working capital management as increasing profits at the cost of liquidity can also have serious ramifications for an SME. In case, profits are ignored, a firm cannot conduct operations for long, and if liquidity is ignored, the firm may face insolvency. So, working capital management should be given due consideration in strategic management of a company.

If your cash flow is constantly at odds with your working capital requirements, the reason might be a de-synchronization between one or more of working capital determinants. Here is a list of working capital determinants / reasons why your firm is struggling to acquire the necessary working capital buffer for operational expenses and short-term debt obligations.

Nature of business:

The type of business your company is involved in does have an impact on your overall working capital requirements. For example, trading and investment firms very little capital in form of fixed assets but do require larger working capital funds for operation. On the other hand, firms offering public utilities do not have a huge working capital requirement but do need to invest in fixed assets. So, the first thing you need to check is whether the nature of your business is properly aligned with your financial policy for generating the working capital.

Sales and demand:

Working capital also has a relationship with the volume of sales. Again, this relationship varies based on the type of your business but in most cases requires the deployment of fixed assets to spur growth. So, if yours is a growing enterprise, make plans in advance for a continuous change in working capital needs – and how you are going to meet them – as per the existing sales and demand scenario.

Manufacturing technology:

If you are manufacturing products, using the right technology is crucial for better working capital management in your enterprise. Manufacturing has a direct relationship with increase or decrease in working capital funds. The longer the manufacturing cycle, the higher the firm’s working capital requirements. This, pick and choose the right technology to streamline your working capital and manufacturing process.

Credit policy:

If you have a credit policy that differs too much from the norms in your industry, you may find yourself having working capital troubles. It is good to be able to offer better credit terms to your buyers as the part of your customer acquisition strategies, but it is similarly important to limit that flexibility within the constant of industry norms and practices.

Operating efficiency:

Another factor that relates to the delivery of goods and services is the operating efficiency of your business. It has a direct effect on your working capital requirements. Pushing your operating efficiency to the maximum will not only decrease your working capital requirements but also improve your profit margins.

Price Level Changes:

Change in the price of raw materials, packaging for finished goods, transportation and sales costs, can also increase or decrease your working capital requirements. Being able to anticipate and adjust accordingly to these price level changes is a part of effective working capital management. If you are being let down by the volatile price level changes, consider hiring an expert to stabilize your working capital and other financials.

Supplier Credit:

A firm’s working capital requirements are also subject to supplier credit. If your supplier trusts you enough to grant higher credit in lieu of raw or unfinished goods and services, it can reduce your immediate working capital needs. So, cultivate stronger relationships with select suppliers instead of regularly switching from one to other.

Institutional Finance:

Lastly, the type of institute credit available for your business also has an effect on working capital requirements. If you can get business loans easily, your working capital needs will not suffer. But if your business loan applications are continuously being put on hold, it may not bode well for your working capital and cash flow. In such cases, try applying for a business loan with non-banking financial companies offering working capital finance for SMEs. For example, Lendingkart Finance is a FinTech firm that offers business loans up to ₹ 1 crore without any collateral requirements. Lendingkart’s business loan offers include approval and disbursal within 3-days of verification, which makes it instant business loan, faster even then the Indian government’s ‘MSME 59 minutes loan’ offer.

We hope, these pointers for identifying working capital issues will help you manage your organisation better and grow organically. To know more about working capital finance and how you can get small ticket short-term finance for your growing business, email us at info@lendingkart.com or call us on 0124-3864889.

Warning Signs That State Your Business Is in Big Trouble

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Most of the times, businesses that go into insolvency are taken by surprise on the suddenness of the event. It happens because most small and medium businesses are focused on day-to-day operations and fail to realize that there is something wrong with the larger picture. So, when the hammer finally falls, everyone is surprised and of course devastated by the blow.

While all business owners face challenges at one stage or another in their career, there are some telltale signs that can alert you about big financial troubles. Recognizing these signs also allows them to take corrective actions in time to salvage the situation. In this post, we are sharing the six things that can be a warning that your business might be in trouble.

  1. Difficulties in raising a new business loan: One of the very first indicator of upcoming financial trouble is the failure to secure a loan or fresh round of financing. If your latest business loan application has taken way too long in processing and eventually gets denied, it is time for some introspection at your SME. Lenders have pretty stringent due diligence processes and may be able to see the problems which you might have overlooked. Sometimes a lender, such as a bank, may tell you that everything is fine and to apply for a business loan again after a while. This happens because the lender does not want to push away a potential customer in hopes that you may be able to sort out the business troubles and will then apply for a fresh loan. So, never take such verbal communication for granted as it is still not a firm commitment.
  2. Lack of investors or buyers for your company: If you have been trying to sell your business through equity or direct buyouts and fail to find potential buyers, again it is a sign of troubles in your financial and operational situation. Just like financing, potential buyers also have stringent due diligence and value a business based on parameters which may not match with your internal estimations. Furthermore, sometimes a business owner in search for a buyer ends up neglecting the running of the business in the short-term. Which can significantly damage the immediate prospects of a sale and also brings down the value of the business.
  3. Frequently missing major milestones: As mentioned earlier in the article, every business has its problems and hiccups at some point, but if problems have become a norm at your establishment, it is time for checks and balances. Taking a look at the last one or two years of operations and doing a fair analysis of where you should be versus where you are may help in identifying problems in sales, product development, supply chain, working capital finance, etc. Whatever it may be, you must come up with a steady plan to overcome the problem because investors, lenders and buyers are seldom interested in excuses.
  4. Discord at the top-tier of management: The C-suite as it is generally called, is the top rung of your establishment. It is here where all the planning and overseeing happens. Sometimes, discord amongst the C-suite employees or surprise departures may also be a sign of things not going well at the company. Someone might have figured out that all is not well and has simply abandoned the ship as it begins to sink. So, whenever you lose a high-ranking employee do not just get into hiring mode, look for the reasons behind the exit as well.
  5. Accounts payable are way above normal: Accounts payables are one of the best ways to determine your company’s financial and operational health. Your accounts payable let you know about the state of your cash flow. If they keep stacking up, it means you are not generating enough inflow to be able to pay-off the debts, which is never a good sign.
  6. Very short operational runway: Lastly, most companies overestimate the time that they have got to sort out things. If your operational runway has less than six months remaining, it is a huge red flag and might even be a point of no return for your business. Having six months of cash runway is the minimum you need to get things to work again, if the cash stock falls below that, it is time to weigh your options seriously.

Moving quickly to resolve a financial crisis

If your business displays any of these warning signs, moving as quickly as possible towards a backup strategy should become your focus. If the problems are in operations or supply chain, it is time to give your teams a rap on the knuckles. Streamline your operations by cutting down manufacturing, downsizing or hiring experts. If the problems are with financing and you are having trouble raising fresh finance from the banking system, perhaps it is time to look at the ways of alternate finance for small and medium businesses available in the market.

For example, FinTech lenders like Lendingkart Finance offer short-term business loans to help businesses in managing their working capital. By applying for a working capital loan for your business you will be able to free up the cash at bank for capital investment and restructuring of your enterprise. Hence, taking correctional measures and day-to-day operations can go on simultaneously. So, consider taking a business loan from non-banking financial companies if your regular lenders are showing reluctance. Non-banking financial companies like Lendingkart also offer several other benefits like lower interest rates, flexible EMIs, zero-prepayment charges, and instant loan renewals that will help you get back on your feet.

So, do not wait before it is too late, if your business is showing the signs of trouble, take corrective steps now.

Here’s How to Secure Collateral-free Working Capital Loan up to ₹ 1 Crore

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Small business loans are both hard and easy to get. If your business has a verifiable history and you adhere to the tax and policy guidelines laid by the government, then it is easy to secure a business loan. And if, your papers are out of order, then it is a little harder to get one. Still, small business owners who are careful in managing their income and expenditure, and regularly pay due tax, can also find it hard to secure institutional finance in the current economic environment.

The banking sector in India is facing an unprecedented rise in non-performing assets a.k.a. NPAs. This has put pressure on most public and private sector banks to lend prudently. While the additional measures of scrutiny are the need of the hour, they are definitely affecting the investment environment in the country. Also, since the Indian economy is the fastest growing major economy in the world at the moment, a lack of investment doesn’t bode well for small and medium enterprises which contribute over 45% to the GDP growth.

Fortunately, the alternate finance industry has taken the mantle for providing working capital finance for SMEs of India. Non-banking financial companies like Lendingkart Finance are leading traditional banks in terms of funding and nurturing SMEs. There are several benefits of FinTech finance as it is popularly known because of its reliance on Big Data and Internet of Things.

Faster Business Loans: FinTech companies like Lendingkart are offering small business loans with a minimum turnaround time of 72 hours. This has been made possible by switching to online application, documentation and verification of loan requirements. Since, the government has also emphasized digitization in its schemes and policies, it has become easier to verify most of the financial information online.

Unsecured Business Loans: NBFCs are not only offering business loans faster but are also offering them without any collateral i.e. putting an asset up as security for the loan amount. Thus, removing one of the biggest problems faced by small and medium enterprises when applying for a business loan.

Lower Interest Rates: By eliminating manual work hours in loan processing, NBFCs are saving more in terms of operational costs. The benefits of which are then passed on to the borrowers in form of lowered interest rates on small business loans. With a good credit score and healthy balance sheet you can secure a business loan at half the rate of private money lenders.

Flexible Monthly Installments: NBFC loans are also quite business friendly as they offer multiple repayment options in comparison to bank loans which have fixed EMI schedules. For example, Lendingkart Finance gives you an option to repay your business loan in bi-weekly or monthly installments. So, if you are confident of generating revenues faster, you can also repay your loan faster. Otherwise, you can opt for a more relaxed repayment plan.

Waiver of Fees and Charges: Another benefit of FinTech business loans being online is that you pay minimal processing charges. Lendingkart has a processing fee of just 2% to 4% (depending on sanctioned loan amount), which is several notches lower than that of a bank. Furthermore, NBFCs are also waving of prepayment charges / penalties if you decide to repay your loan early.

Renewable Business Loans: A huge benefit of taking a small business loan from an NBFC like Lendingkart is that you can easily renew your sanctioned loan amount upon repayment. So, it is a kind of revolving finance facility that you are getting for managing your working capital.

Credit Score Improvement: Last but not the least, NBFCs also report your transactions to the credit rating agencies, which in turn helps in raising your credit score. So, by getting a small ticket business loan from an NBFC, you are inadvertently opening the doors to larger financial investments for your SME.

Applying for a Business Loan with Lendingkart

Lendingkart is one of the leading business loan providers in India, offering short-term working capital finance up to ₹ 1 crore for SMEs. To get a business loan you simply need to follow the following steps.

Getting your Documents in Order: Before applying for a business loan with Lendingkart, make sure that you have the digital copies of following documents handy.

  • Business registration / incorporation certificate and Company PAN Card
  • Bank account statements of all business-related accounts for the past 1 year
  • Personal / partner / director identification such as Aadhar and PAN Card

Assessing your Loan Requirements: Another thing to keep in mind when applying for a business loan with Lendingkart is that you should do a realistic analysis of your financial needs. Applying for an overly ambitious loan amount may see your application rejected whereas under applying may not fulfill the purpose for which you are taking a business loan.

Improving your Credit Rating: This is a one-off step for companies with a less than ideal credit rating. We recommend that you take steps to improve your credit rating by repaying existing debt and streamlining your finances before applying for a business loan to get the maximum benefit in terms of loan amount sanction and interest rates.

Now that you are ready to apply for a business loan, head over to the Lendingkart website or download the Lendingkart app on your Android or iOS smartphone to create a free loan account. The process for application is fairly straightforward, fill in your business details, loan requirements and upload the aforementioned documents to get an instant business loan quote. The quoted loan amount can be equal to or slightly lower than the requirement you share with us. Choose to accept the loan offer and Lendingkart will start the verification process.

You can easily track your loan application status from your Lendingkart loan account online. If all things check out, Lendingkart will credit the funds to your business account within 3 days of application.

For securing a quick, collateral-free working capital loan from Lendingkart.

Here’s How You Can Raise Funds for Your Startup

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All startup businesses begin with exciting new ideas and high hopes. However, it is also an unfortunate fact that most startups run into unforeseen financial and operational difficulties within the first year of their operations.

Business researchers often point to a number of reasons that are responsible for the failure of a promising new venture. Yet, the fact also remains that most of these difficulties arise due to inadequate capital.

Capital is the basic requirement for running any venture and no business can be expected to thrive if it does not have proper financing. That is the reason why the concept of investor funding is so strongly embedded in the startup scene. But, raising funds is not only a tedious exercise, it also determines the future of a startup venture. For instance, you may lose the control of your business by giving up a large stake in return for capital funding.

There are a number of ways you can raise funds for a startup business, such as bootstrapping or self-funding, crowdfunding, Angel investment, venture capital, working capital loans, and government programs that help MSMEs. Every one of these methods has its own pros and cons. Let’s have a look.

Source:

Pros:

Cons:
Self-funding:

Using funds from personal savings or borrowings from family and friends or both.

 -Easily accessible funds

-No bureaucratic hassles

-Flexible interest rates

 – Not feasible for large scale business operations or expansions
Crowdfunding:

Getting funds from crowdfunding platforms by making a pitch and getting capital from interested crowd funders.

 –       Helps in marketing as well as financing by creating a public interest

–       Allows you to retain control of your business

–       May help attract future investment from venture capitalists

 –       Competition is heavy due to the public nature of the platform

–       So, is the probability of your idea getting rejected due to too many homogeneous ideas
Angel Investment:

Basically, getting funds from individuals with huge capital worth, willing to invest in new business ideas.

 –       An Angel investor can also provide valuable business mentorship along with the capital investment

–       Angel investors are less risk averse

 –       The capital provided by Angel investors is often less in comparison to venture capitalists or other business funding methods
Venture Capital:

Venture capitalists are professionals who tend to invest in solid business ideas. However, they rarely seek equity and pull out when a business is acquired or upon IPO.

 –       Venture capitalists bring a huge amount of mentorship and business acumen to the table

–       They help you design exit-strategies that allow huge profit margins

 –       Venture capitalists tend to take away the control of your business in order to recover their investment quickly

–       Venture capitalists are mostly interested in large companies which have a proven business model
Working Capital Loan:

A loan from a microfinance company or NBFC that especially caters to the needs of small business owners.

 –       Loans are unsecured so there is no risk of collateral loss as is with a bank loan

–       A quick business loan can fast track your income generation

–       Helps small businesses gather their bearings before seeking higher investments

–       No legalities and technicalities in comparison to traditional bank loans

 –       None that we can think of
Government Programs:

Getting funds from the government subject to institutional scrutiny and meeting the policy parameters.

 –       Great way to source funds at low interest rates along with subsidies and other incentives –       Very slow, long, and often tedious process that may take months or even years to get an approval

So, now that you know about the various ways of raising capital for your startup business, the obvious question that needs asking is – which one is the best?

Well, if you are looking for a quick and hassle-free funding, it means you have already tapped in bootstrapping sources. So, the next best thing here will be getting a working capital loan from an NBFC.

Faster Business Loans without Security

Non-Banking Financial Companies offer loans for business without requiring a collateral. NBFCs are also business sensitive and hence provide quick business loan approvals and disbursements in comparison to traditional banks. For example, a bank may take up to 15 days to process your business loan application whereas you can get a business loan approval within 72 hours by applying with an NBFC like Lendingkart Finance.

Flexible EMIs, Interest Rates and Prepayment Options

Working capital loans for business come with the added benefits like a flexible EMI schedule, lower interest rates and zero prepayment charges. If you are a budding entrepreneur, these benefits can be a godsend for your business. For instance, the ability to customize your EMIs allows you to plan your repayment in tandem with your invoicing cycle. Lower interest rates mean you are not losing precious capital in interest payments. Finally, if at any stage your business starts generating expected profits and you wish to repay your business loan in full, there are no prepayment charges, fees or penalties.

Conclusion

Raising funds for business establishment and growth is always tricky. There are a lot of checkboxes that you need to tick before getting the capital you need. Furthermore, some of the most popular startup funding measures are also the most crowded ones as other entrepreneurs are also having the same funding ideas. Whereas getting funds by giving away equity has its own pitfalls in the long-run and can leave you without any control whatsoever over your business. Alternatively, you can get a bank loan for funding your business but that process is also marred by slow processing, bureaucratic red-tape and the huge risk of collateral loss.

So, amidst such tedious and discouraging scenarios, getting a working capital loan or a business loan from an NBFC like Lendingkart is the most plausible alternative for funding your startup. Add to that the many benefits of NBFC business loans, and the fact that you do not have to give away control over your business for getting working capital funds, and you have a winner on your hands.

Why you Should Choose a Business Bank Account for Working Capital

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In recent years, the government’s push for going digital has gained traction in both private and public centre enterprises. The financial system, be it securities exchange or taxation or transactional exchange, has come under increased legal scrutiny due to digitisation. In essence, it is a noble venture that aims to do away with age-old methods of paper banking and physical verifications, but as early adopters, many small business owners are finding it a difficult transition. One of the main reasons behind these difficulties is the single-use bank accounts for personal and professional income.

In some cases, the tax authorities and banks have opened inquiries due to a mismatch between an individual’s declared incomes and actual account activity. However, later realizing that most of these account holders are small business owners using savings accounts for their professional use. So, if you are a small business owner who is yet to segregate his/her personal and professional incomes, the time to do so is quite at hand. Also, there are several other benefits of having a business bank account than simply the convenience of avoiding unnecessary legal scrutiny.

One such advantage is having access to quick finance. SMEs in India can use a current account facility for business transactions. These accounts do not generate any interest but do give selective access to working capital finance, albeit with a catch. An business has to pledge an asset as collateral before the funds are credited to its current account. So, in most cases where an SME does not have the assets to secure a working capital loan from a bank, the owner ends up using a personal account for professional use, because there is no perceived need for him to get a current account.

However, the advent of Fintech firms like Lendingkart has changed that perception by offering unsecured business loans for small and medium businesses. Business owners can now have both a current account and an access to working capital finance without pledging company assets. Plus, these loans are offered at relaxed terms and with easy repayment schedules to ease the financial burden on SME owners.

Given this change, the banks too have adapted their current accounts divisions by creating sub-categories that cater to specific business needs. Here are some of the things that are made simpler with a business account for your SME.

  • Digital Banking Services are a part of the current account. These personalized services ensure that you can access your working capital funds anytime, anywhere. Digital banking is also a more transparent way of conducting business than the usual exchange of cash. Incidentally, a lender is also more likely to trust your business credentials if you have a well-maintained current account for your business with digital transactions enabled.
  • Salary Remittance to Employees is also simplified by using a business bank account with facilities like digital approval of paychecks and invoices and real-time transfer of funds to dedicated salary accounts.
  • Checks Payable at Par is another of business bank account advantages that can help in streamlining your financial transactions across state borders.
  • Personalized Forex Rates for businesses who have clientele outside the country are offered by several banks. This facility helps in seamless international exchange of monies.
  • Interest Earnings, while not a traditional feature of current accounts, is also being explored by several public and private sector banks to market themselves as more business savvy alternatives.

So, we hope these are reasons enough for you to switch your business dealings to a current account and reap the benefits for your SME. In case you need a quick business loan you can always apply for one with Lendingkart by visiting our website at Lendingkart.com or downloading the Lendingkart Finance app on your Android device. We offer business loans at lower interest rates without requiring any collateral and disburse funds within 3 days of document verification.

Managing Your Working Capital can be the Key to Business Success

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Working capital management allows you to keep your company’s financial fundamentals in check and leads the way for operational success. Effective working capital management is the hallmark of every successful business venture as it represents a synergy between the business goals, profitability and liquidity of the business.

As you know, working capital is the difference between the current assets and current liabilities of a business, and is utilized for running day to day business activities. Thus, working capital essentially represents the efficiency of your company’s operations and its financial stability in the short-run. If you don’t have enough working capital to cover your short-term debts and expenses, then your business may face operational or even existential trouble in near future.

 

Here are some pointers to further emphasis the need for having adequate working capital in your kitty.

 

  • A business requires a bare minimum of cash-flow to maintain itself on daily basis. These cash requirements are fulfilled by working capital.
  • Working capital is the key for debt and inventory management. If you cannot secure the inventory your customers are looking for then your business operations will suffer. Adequate working capital balance allows you to make emergency purchase of stock and services to keep your clients happy.
  • Working capital may play and important role in your financial dealings such as applying for small business loans, mergers and partnerships.
  • Not having enough working capital can ultimately lead to insolvency as your business will not be able to meet its debt obligations.

 

How to Manage Working Capital?

 

Working capital management is an accounting strategy. By making some financially prudent decisions, you can ensure that the balance between your assets and liabilities is maintained and you still have enough ready cash to fulfill your daily commitments. Here are some of the things you can do to effectively manage your working capital.

  • Manage your inventory. When you are selling physical goods, a simple inventory management technique i.e. to balance your demand and supply can help you save more cash. Needless to say, this cash then becomes a part of your working capital.
  • Prudent accounting can also ensure that you never run out of working capital resources. Once again keep a track of accounts payables and accounts receivables to keep your books up-to-date. Lagging behind in collections and payments often causes problems later on.
  • Do a monthly analysis of your inventory turnover ratio and bill collection ratio to optimise your business operations and establish a cycle. This will help you in anticipating the expenses in advance and allow you to keep cash at hand when the need arises.
  • Apply for a working capital loan. A short-term business loan is the easiest way to get ready cash for day to day operations. A working capital finance frees-up your capital for investment in equipment and site while you repay the loan amount in flexible monthly installments.

 

Lendingkart Small Business Loans

 

The thing that matters most when you apply for a business loan is the time it takes for processing and disbursement. Bank loans are cumbersome due to their inherently lengthy application, verification and disbursement processes. That’s why Lendingkart has kept the process quite simple by making it completely online.

You no longer have to Google all day about ‘how to apply for a small business online’. Simply create a Lendingkart account, fill in your loan requirements, and let us know about your business.

Once that is done, we will offer you a loan quote, choose to accept it and upload the documents for online verification. If all things check out, you can get a small business loan within 72 hours of application.

Ready to apply for a business loan with Lendingkart? Click here to proceed.

Working Capital Financing to Make Your Business Agile

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Working capital keeps your business upright when you hit a snag or when the market is not performing as expected. In simple terms, working capital is the cash you need to carry on day-to-day business tasks. It is also calculated by subtracting your current liabilities from your current assets. Falling short on working capital can lead to a loss of flexibility in operations, ultimately leading to reduced credibility with financiers, vendors and customers.

Working capital floating just above the red line is also bad for your enterprise, especially if you own a small business. Because when you are barely managing to survive in the market, you will not be able to take advantage of new business opportunities to expand and grow your company.

However, always keeping sufficient working capital at hand is easier said than done. Small businesses are generally cash-strapped and depend on timely sales and payment of invoices for their working capital. Here, having a clearly defined credit policy can help you out. It will also give you an idea of the customer credit you can afford without draining your working capital.

In this post, we are sharing a few of such simple yet effective measures you can take to keep your small business agile and competitive.

Fast Track your Payment Collections

The best way to keep your working capital funds ready and steady is to ensure that you are collecting your payments the moment they are cleared. Don’t wait till the end of the month to bill your clients, generate your invoices as soon as the goods or services delivery is confirmed. Billing early also ensures early clearance and hence an early top-up of your working capital.

Never Finance Fixed Assets using Working Capital

If you have used up all your cash then your business will look riskier to financial institutions and potential business partners. Financing fixed assets such as equipment with working capital also reduces your daily, weekly or monthly spending threshold. So, instead of depleting your working capital, use long-term loans to pay for financing fixed assets.

Using Asset Refinancing to Generate Working Capital

Asset refinance helps your cash flow by releasing cash against the value of an asset that you already own. You can sell the asset at its current value to a leasing company, which will then lease it back to you for a specific period of time in exchange for rental payments. Furthermore, fixed asset refinancing will also protect your business from asset depreciation.

Apply for a Working Capital Loan

An unsecured working capital loan for small businesses can ease your working capital worries. The logic is simple, to gain profits and business growth you will need to invest more in your small business. A working capital loan for small business allows you to afford the inventory required by your potential clients, thus, helping you turn them into real account receivables.

Working capital loans are also quite easy to secure if your business has a veritable track record. You can even get a working capital loan approval in less than 24 hours and funds transfer within 3 days with certain financial. If you are wondering where can I get a business loan that fast, visit www.lendingkart.com to apply for a business loan.

Lendingkart has an ‘online only’ loan application process and provides small business loans up to ₹1 crore.

Working Capital Management for Small Business Owners

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Working Capital Management for Small Business Owners

Any business can have different sources of income and efficient management of the same can work wonders in the running of the business. While startup capital and fixed assets are typically long term, for the day-to-day running of any business, an efficient cash flow structure is necessary. In the light of the same, working capital becomes quite crucial for small business owners.

What is Working Capital Management all about

Working capital management is the relationship between a company’s short term assets and short term liabilities. In simpler terms, it is the way in which a company handles its income generation and expenses. For example, if your company deals in a lot of paperwork and you need prints of documents every second hour, that is an active expense happening almost every day. Getting an office printer would make the expenses considerably less, over the course of time.

Efficient working capital management ensures that any company can run smoothly while being able to repay maturing short-term debt and expenses that might rise in the near future. In working capital management, the most basic tasks revolve around managing inventories, accounts receivable and payable and cash. Inventories in our example can be ink cartridges, blank paper that can be used in the future. While your sales on credit can be a part of accounts receivable, if the printer was bought through a loan, the EMI would be part of the accounts payable. Cash is pretty self-explanatory and is basically used for expenses that can’t happen on credit or are quite diminutive.

Importance of Working Capital Management

Efficient working capital management is an important component of sustainable growth. If a company runs out of money for running its day-to-day expenses, the production of wares and services will eventually stop. In such instance, the business will fail to cater to its existing customers and henceforth fail to acquire new ones as well. To restart production, the company will then tap into the company capital. While this step may offer a temporary respite, it will affect long-term stability by jeopardising asset and equipment acquisition and manintenance. Therefore, it is important to have a working capital management system in place, which can realisitically assess the company’s working capital requirements, hence giving the managers and business owners, enough time to come up with a solution. Working capital management also helps businesses in streamline processes, cutting down sundry expenses and reduce the cases of theft and fraud.

Ways in which Working Capital is used

The importance of cash for companies can never be expressed in enough words. Cash in hand is majorly used for three purposes, namely – Speculation, Precaution and Transaction. All the three are quite pivotal in deciding the growth of a small business.

Speculation

Speculation is the scenario where having appropriate cash in hand can aid in taking benefits of special opportunities related to purchase. Suppose a small business is dealing in fireworks. They would normally have stock left from the past year Diwali in their inventory. Let’s presume the business is paying a monthly fee of INR 20000 for storing its stock in a warehouse. The annual fees come to INR 2.4 lakhs. During September, the business gets an offer to receive an amount of new stock (equal to the old stock) at a seasonal discounted price of INR 1.8 lakhs. Here, the cost of the new inventory is less than the carrying costs of the old stock. But it is actually more profitable for the business since the old stock has a depleted value now along with the carrying cost of 2.4 lakhs. The business will do much better if it purchases the new stock at a discount and disposes the old inventory at a discount to small retailers. That way, the business will be ready for the festive months ahead with a new stock that has a much higher chance of being sold out fast.

Precaution

Precaution is when a business holds cash in hand to safeguard against unforeseen situations. Let’s consider our old example of the small business selling fireworks. Speculating on a booming sale in the festive months ahead, the business had bought in new stock on credit, hoping to settle the dues after the sales are done. But due to some state-wide problems, people didn’t celebrate as much and thus, didn’t buy much fireworks. But the business still has to honor its promise of repaying the dues, so it uses the cash in hand to do that.

Transaction

Transaction is perhaps the simplest of the reasons why small businesses should have access to cash in hand. Every small item needed in a day-to-day operation of a business can’t be settled through online transactions. Cash in hand is required for sundry purchases that are then added up at the month end for the expenses.

Working Capital Finance or Loan

These days, working capital requirements can be met with a working capital loan. The working capital finance industry offers short-term small-ticket loans for small and medium business owners to help them cope with the rigours of workong capital management. Working capital loans also allow business owners in streamlining their finances through flexible EMI schedules, instead of constantly worrying about invoice clearances and various due dates.

Non-banking financial institutions are leading the race when it comes to working capital loans and  financing.  There is a simple reason for this, NBFCs have developed products and services which cater exclusively to the needs of small businesses; meaning, it is easier than ever to apply for a business loan, the verification process is quick and hassle-free, and the loans are approved faster. NBFCs like Lendingkart Finance promise credit of funds within 3 days of loan application submission and verification, and that’s what a small business, struggling with working capital management, needs.

Tips to Improve upon Aspects of Working Capital

Accounts receivables, cash in hand, inventories, marketable securities and prepayments are current assets that will become cash within 12 months and likewise, account payables, wages to be paid and unearned revenues are current liabilities that need to be settled within 12 months of time. Good working capital management involves keeping the current assets consistently higher than the current liabilities to avoid financial complications or operational problems. Here are some small tips that can help you manage your working capital in your company more effectively. Keeping an eye on these can allow your small business to prosper –

1. Take advantage of float – Float or floating capital is basically the difference between book balance and bank balance. Let’s suppose you have dues of INR 3 lakhs to settle by the 31st of October. However, only INR 1 lakh is supposed to be paid by the 5th of October. Considering that you have INR 3 lakhs cash in hand by September 27, you could use INR 2 lakhs as a short-term deposit if you have no other assured profitable short-term business venture that can pay within a month. The return could be less than INR 1000, but it’s better than nothing. If you like investments, you can check the market and invest in equities for a short term for getting better returns, but this is a riskier approach

2. JIT Inventory – Just-In-Time inventory allows a business to cut down on costs involved in storing stock. Materials are purchased and received in time for the production line or for sales. Though this is quite difficult to achieve, if your relationship with the supplier is good, you can manage this effectively

3. Sales on Credit – Here, your sales play a crucial role. The goal is to shorten the amount of time your customers can take to pay their bills. You could offer a period of 30 days till their bill is due and offer a promotion of 3% discount if the same bill is cleared in maybe, 10 days or less. This allows you to sell more in a short time and pushes your customers to pay earlier to get a discount of 3%

4. Alternative Funding – This method can include availing working capital from banks, NBFCs, asset-based lenders, crowdfunding. In most cases, a genuine business idea, long term efficiency and good revenue generation can get you access to alternative funding rather quickly

5. Timely payments to suppliers – This is the easiest and simplest rule to follow. It goes without saying that if you pay your suppliers their dues on time, you can negotiate better deals and get discounts on your purchases

6. Group Purchase – As a small business, you might not always have access to funds to buy stock at a discounted quantity, or you might not have the available storage to accommodate a bulk of material that you get at a discount. It is always a good idea to look for other small businesses in the state or region who do the same trade as you and pool in resources to get the stock from your supplier. That way, you don’t have to spend a lot and still get to avail the discount

7. Learn the benefits of e-procurement – If you are into electronics, electrical equipment, garments, gift items and the like, you can look into sites like mytradebox.com where you could find interesting items with heavy discounts on bulk orders. These can help you source items quickly at very affordable rates

Working Capital Management and your Small Business

Small businesses aren’t much different from regular, established business giants. They just have a smaller market footprint. While larger businesses have to deal with multiple rules and regulations that they have set for themselves, as a small business owner, you will be much more flexible in making changes to the processes that are followed in your business. Taking working capital management seriously and handling the details through which your cash flows are dealt will definitely make your business a more profitable one. This, combined with social media, ecommerce and data science can work wonders for your small business. But those are topics that will have their own articles. Follow our Lendingkart blog to be regularly updated about the same.