
But profitability doesn't always equate to positive cash flow. Most companies need to be profitable to stay in business - i.e., their revenues must exceed their expenses.
#TYPICAL INVOICE FACTORING RATES FULL#
Once the factoring company receives full payment of the invoice, they pay the balance of what is owed to the seller, keeping a percentage of the total invoice amount as revenue. In most factoring situations, the factor becomes responsible for collecting on the invoice. In return, the business receives the majority of the invoice amount - as much as 90% - within a few business days, rather than having to wait the 30-, 60- or 90-day period specified on the invoice. With invoicing factoring, a business sells any number of unpaid invoices to a factor for less than the amount it is owed. For a small company, factoring often provides faster access to cash than bank financing because factors are less likely to be deterred by a small company's credit history. Typically used by small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) in business-to-business (B2B) industries, the process involves sell of unpaid invoices to a third party, known as a factor or factoring company, which retains a percentage of the original invoice amount.

Invoice factoring is one way to smooth out cash flow challenges. In other cases, consequences can be as dire as a company going out of business because it can't pay its debts. In some cases, poor cash flow may mean missing out on an opportunity to grow the business. Yet it's the rare business that isn't occasionally affected by slow or uneven cash flows. East, Nordics and Other Regions (opens in new tab)Ĭash flow is the lifeblood of growing businesses, essential for covering costs in every area of their operations.
