3 Ways to Evaluate a Capital Investment

How to Stress Test Your Small Business

by Bernadette Abel4 minutes / March 12, 2019

In the banking world, advisors often talk about stress-testing portfolios — determining the effect of different scenarios on an individual’s or business’s holdings. The same should be done for a small business.

How prepared are you if the economy changes, and you need to dip into your reserves? How will you manage your cash flow? Do you, as a small business, have the resources to survive heavy losses if the worst-case scenario happens?

Here are six ways to help stress-test your business if there is a downturn in the economy.

1. Solicit advice from key advisors.

Do you have an advisory board or a brain trust of reliable partners? SCORE, a nonprofit that is a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration, offers a network of volunteers including retired C-suite executives, who can help mentor.

Find your local chapter, which is typically done on a county by county basis, and attend a workshop or listen to a live or recorded webinar.

You can search for a SCORE mentor online or have the local chapter pair you with an expert who can help mentor you on your business goals. Some mentors bring in additional mentors to help with various aspects of your business, such as preparing for a potential downturn.

2. Create a plan for worst-case scenarios.

One of the more effective ways to prepare for a sluggish economy is to forecast trends. Look at what a dramatic drop in sales or a dramatic uptick in expenses might do to your business. Ask yourself what would happen if you lost a major vendor, product or service. What might this loss do to your company? Then decide where you could trim expenses, potentially increase profits or diversify your client-base.

3. Identify all your best customers.

Not all customers are created equally. That’s because some are more profitable than others. Once you’ve pinpointed who your best customers are, begin nurturing those relationships by continually adding value for them. Build brand loyalty for them by making sure it’s easy for them to do businesses with you. If a change in the economy affects your business, loyal, high-value customers may help sustain you until the market changes.

4. Review your financial cushioning.

Although the general recommendation for businesses has been six months, Hal Shelton, a SCORE mentor and angel investor says to look at how much you cash you need. Ask yourself these key questions:

How much cash have you been using?

Look at your “net burn rate,” the rate at which you spend your cash holdings. For example, if you are bringing in $10,000 but you are spending $4,000 in expenses, your net burn rate is $6,000

How much cash do you plan on using in the next 12-to-15 months?

Be conservative, but look at your monthly budget or the financial forecast in your business plan. Separately, look at actual cash expenditures as well as the cash in (sales) and cash out (expenditures).

What stage is your business?

If you’re a start-up, or ramping up your business and going to have big expenditures, that’s different than being in the middle of a more-established place.

How long will it take you to get more cash?

For many businesses, this is an unknown factor. Getting a loan from a bank, if they are willing to lend, can take several months. It usually takes at least a month to find a bank who might be willing to lend money and another month to fill out the paperwork. That’s contingent on already having a bank-ready business plan and an already established relationship.Shelton says pitching and presenting to potential angel investors takes significantly longer, usually at least six months or possibly nine months to a year.

5. Consider your borrowing options.

You don’t want to have to borrow money when you desperately need it. You want to borrow money before you anticipate you might need it, or at least have a good enough financial footing to be able to secure a line of credit or a business loan. Stephen L. Nelson a CPA in Redmond, Washington, offers some tips on how to forecast 12 months out using excel workbooks.

Shelton’s advice is to “Seek cash when you are in a position to explore options and negotiate from strength.” Then ask yourself: Can you still operate if your funding disappears?

6. Consider alternative funding options.

Besides traditional term loans, you may consider opening a business credit card or a business line of credit. There’s also equipment financing and grants for small business owners. If you have less than perfect credit or if you need money quickly as a business owner, a short-term loan may you be your best option.

By stress-testing your business’s finances and proactively planning now, you may help mitigate potential problems down the line.

Bernadette Abel

Are Credit Card Cash Advances Bad?

by Bernadette Abel3 minutes / February 1, 2019

Do you use your credit card to make withdrawals for your business? If so, you might be making an expensive mistake.

Whether it’s a business card or a personal credit card, it’s time to think twice about using your credit card as a debit card. Here’s what you need to know.

4 Reasons to Think Twice About Using Your Credit Card for Cash

Withdrawing money via your credit card could be costly for these four reasons.

1. Cash Advance Fee

It costs more to borrow cash from your credit card than to make a purchase using your card because of what’s known as a “cash advance fee.” Depending on the terms in your agreement, credit card issuers could charge you either a flat rate fee or a percentage fee of the withdrawal amount — whichever is greater.

2. No Grace Periods

Like personal credit cards, business credit cards usually offer a grace period. A grace period is the time period between the end date of a billing cycle and your next credit card due date. Cash advance transactions typically do NOT have a grace period. Instead, interest begins accruing immediately upon withdrawal, resulting in a higher total interest charge on cash advances than you’d see on a purchase transaction.

3. Higher Borrowing Rates

Another expense to consider with a credit card cash advance are the potentially higher interest rates. Interest rates on cash advances may be higher than the rate charged for purchases on the card. Refer to the fine print in your credit card agreement or contact your card issuer for more information.

4. Potential Unlimited Personal Liability

Does your business credit card have a personal liability clause?

If you’ve provided a personal guarantee for your business credit card, you’re personally on the hook for paying off that credit card debt if your business fails. That debt could include all the cash advance withdrawals from that credit card. This is the case even if the way you’ve incorporated your business (for example as an LLC) protects your personal assets against business litigation.

How to Calculate Your Credit Card Cash Advance Cost

If you’re wondering just how much a credit card cash withdrawal could cost, here’s how to figure it out

Calculate the initial cash advance fee based on the withdrawal amount. For example, the fee on a $3,000 withdrawal from a card with a 3% cash advance fee is $90.00.Next, calculate the interest charges. Divide the annual percentage rate (APR) for cash advances on your card by 365. Then multiply that figure by the number of days you’ll carry the balance and the withdrawal amount. Based on the example above, a $3,000 advance at an APR of 21% for seven days, the calculations look like this: 21/365 = 0.00274 daily interest x 7 days = 0.019178 x $3,000 = $75.53.Add the interest charge to the credit card advance fee for a total cost of $165.53 (90 + 75.53) in charges and interest to take a $3,000 cash advance for seven days.

Alternatives to Business Credit Card Cash Advances

Luckily, there are less expensive ways to borrow money for your business.

A business line of credit gives access to funds as needed, and you’ll only pay interest when and if your business uses it.
Equipment Financing and short term loans often have comparatively low rates, especially when they’re secured against collateral such as real estate, equipment, or machinery.
Other business financing options include borrowing against your accounts receivables and invoices through revenue-based financing or invoice factoring; invoice factoring is a good option for subcontractors,.

Look into the other business financing options available to you before taking a credit card cash advance. Doing so could save your business a bundle.

Bernadette Abel

How the SBA May Help You Recover From Natural Disasters

by Wil Rivera3 minutes / October 3, 2018

How the SBA May Help You Recover From Natural Disasters

Hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes, volcanoes, mudslides — all can be devastating to the health of your small business.

In 2017, 40 percent of small businesses located within a FEMA-designated disaster zone reported natural disaster-related losses, according to the Federal Reserve. Forty-five percent of affected businesses reported asset losses of up to $25,000, while 61 percent reported revenue losses of up to $25,000.

Recovering from a natural disaster can be an uphill climb but the Small Business Administration offers relief in the form of Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL). These loans can help you get your business back on solid ground.

How Economic Injury Disaster Loans Work

The EIDL program provides small businesses with funding to repair and rebuild following a natural disaster. As of 2018, qualifying businesses can borrow up to $2 million, which can be used for:

Replacing or repairing damaged equipment or machinery
Buying new inventory or replacing other assets, such as computers, that were damaged or destroyed
Repairing or rebuilding your physical premises if they were damaged or destroyed
Making improvements that could help reduce the risk of natural disaster-related damage in the future, such as installing generators or storm windows and doors

The main goal of the program is to help businesses that have been affected by a natural disaster get back to normal operations as quickly as possible. These loans are low-cost, with a maximum interest rate of four percent per year, with terms that can extend up to 30 years.

Who’s Eligible for a Disaster Loan?

In addition to small businesses, the EIDL program is also open to small agricultural cooperatives, small aquaculture operations and most private nonprofits.

It goes without saying that your business needs to be located in a federally declared disaster area to qualify. But, physical property damage to your business isn’t a requirement for eligibility.

There is one caveat, however. The program only offers these loans to small businesses if the SBA determines they’re unable to get credit elsewhere. If you’re able to get approved for an equipment or term loan, for instance, an EIDL wouldn’t be an option.

Covering the Gap When Insurance Falls Short

The SBA has a second program to help businesses that have physical property damages which aren’t covered by insurance. The Business Physical Disaster Loan program also offers up to $2 million to small businesses that need to repair or replace property, equipment, inventory or fixtures following a natural disaster.

The maximum interest rate is four percent if you’re unable to get credit elsewhere. If you have other borrowing options, the max rate tops out at eight percent. Like the EIDL program, repayment terms can stretch up to 30 years.

It’s possible to qualify for both an EIDL and a physical disaster loan — you’re just limited to borrowing $2 million total through both programs. You can submit an application for each loan program online to get the ball rolling on disaster relief for your business.

Wil Rivera

WD

Which Bank Is Best for Your Small Business?

by Bernadette Abel5 minutes / September 6, 2018

Which bank is best for your small business?

As a small business owner, there’s a seemingly endless list of things to worry about, but banking shouldn’t be one of them. Your bank should offer the tools, resources, capabilities and service that are most essential to your business success.

But, what’s the best bank for small business?

Many business owners feel neglected by their bank, according to the J.D. Power 2017 U.S. Small Business Banking Satisfaction Study. If you’re a business owner or CFO who’s considering a banking switch, this guide may help you find your ideal banking match.

How to Find the Best Bank for Small Business

Finding the right bank for your business starts with doing your homework. Here are some of the most important things to consider as you compare banks:

Products and services: A checking account and a savings account are the two most basic financial tools you may need, but in searching for the best bank for small business, it’s important to look beyond that. For instance, you may need help with payroll services, payment processing or inventory management. Wealth management services, cyber security products and services or key person insurance may also be on the list of solutions you need your bank to provide.

Digital banking: Tech is increasingly important among small to medium enterprises, particularly where banking is concerned. Sixty-eight percent of small business bank customers’ interactions are either online or mobile. As you evaluate banks, pay close attention to online and mobile banking capabilities to ensure that you have the access, features and functionality you need to manage your business accounts on the go.

Financing options: You may not be seeking financing for your business right now, but don’t overlook what a bank offers in the way of financing options. Check to see if the bank offers business credit cards, business lines of credit and business loans. Take a look at what’s required to qualify for a loan or line of credit in terms of annual revenue and business longevity. Finally, consider the costs of borrowing with a particular bank. Hone in on the APR for credit cards, loans or lines of credit, as well as origination fees, annual fees and late fees.

Customized advice: Every business owner’s situation is different and there may be specific financial issues that you need guidance on more than others. The bank you choose should be able to offer the type of personalized advice you need most, when you need it.

Deposit account fees: Banking fees can take a significant bite out of your bottom line. In Nav’s 2018 Business Banking Study, 17% of business owners said they chose their current bank because it was least expensive. The biggest fee to watch out for is usually the monthly maintenance fee for checking, savings and money market accounts. Some banks allow you to offset or avoid this fee by maintaining a minimum balance or reaching a certain transaction volume each month, but not all do. Other fees to be aware of include cash deposit processing fees, wire transfer fees, fees for certified or cashier’s checks, overdraft fees, and returned deposit fees.

Deposit account APY: If you’re considering an interest-bearing checking account, savings account or money market account for your business, you want to make sure you’re getting the best rate possible on your balances. Compare the annual percentage yield (APY) for different interest-bearing accounts to see which banks have the most tempting offers. Remember, however, to weigh the interest you could earn on your balances to the fees you may have to pay to maintain your account.

Special incentives: Some banks sweeten the deal for business banking customers by offering special perks or incentives, such as a cash bonus for opening an account or a rewards program that’s linked to your checking account’s debit card. Still others offer discounted rates on financing options, free safe deposit boxes or waived fees on certain services. These extras may be secondary to some of the other criteria mentioned so far but it’s worth looking into see what a particular bank offers.

Convenience and access: If you’re busy running a business, you don’t have time for obstacles when it comes to accessing your accounts. As you scout out banks, consider how many branch and ATM locations there are, and how easily accessible they are to you. Think also about customer service availability. Smaller banks may only offer assistance by phone or email during regular business hours, while larger banks may be available 24/7.

Ease of transitioning accounts over to a new bank: Making the move to a new bank should be a smooth as possible so you’re not wasting valuable time. Some banks offer a switch kit to help you move your accounts over in a streamlined way. That’s something you may want to take advantage of if you want to minimize headaches with transferring accounts.

Reputation and personality: Finally, consider the bank’s reputation and the overall vibe it exudes. A bank that has a track record of engaging in questionable business practices or a reputation for being standoffish to its business clients is one you may want to avoid.

The Best Bank for Small Business Isn’t One Size Fits All

What your business needs from a bank may be entirely different from what another business owner is looking for. Determining which bank is best for you requires an understanding of what your business desires most in a banking relationship. If you’re not sure what that is, think about what’s lacking with your current bank. Then, use that as a guideline to evaluate how different banks may be able to fill in the gaps.

Bernadette Abel

How to Handle Orders without the Danger of Too Much Inventory

by Bernadette Abel3 minutes / August 21, 2018

You need inventory to fill orders, so having plenty of everything on hand might seem smart. There would never be a stockout and closing sales would be as easy as sending someone to the warehouse. But maintaining too much inventory may undermine your business.

Holding considerable inventory can force you to hold more product than is necessary. What you might consider, instead, is only stocking the amount of merchandise you need, and the inventory turns ratio (ITR) can help you find the inventory levels for your business.

Availability is good, but has a cost

High availability means buying, carrying, and storing a lot of product. Inventory costs money, so you end up using capital that could otherwise help grow and sustain the company. Too much money in inventory can also affect your need to finance and how much you might need.

And there are other problems: Inventory ages, not only on the books, but on the shelves. You may have products fall out of support, become discontinued, get damaged, or otherwise lose value. Then there’s the cost of storage space and increased headcount to manage the additional product.

This all adds up to money your business will have to spend on maintaining a constantly full inventory level.

Increasing inventory turns

Instead of more inventory, consider replenishing stock more frequently. So long as there are enough products on the shelf to satisfy orders that will come in until the next delivery, you can keep customers happy and reduce costs.

This is why you need to look at the ITR. ITR shows how frequently you replace stock over a given period – such as each month, each quarter or each year.

Calculate inventory turns by dividing the cost of goods for the sales you make in a period by the value of your average inventory over the same period.

The idea is to push inventory turns as high as you can to make better use of that inventory.

Setting the right turns level

Finding the right ITR can be a challenge. If you drive turns too high, you may miss filling orders in a timely basis because you don’t have the products you need. Too low, and it means cash is locked up.

Balance inventory turns with sales, vendor stock availability, supplier reliability, and minimum order sizes. Sales fluctuations like seasonality or outsized importance of certain products can also make it tougher to monitor and control ITR. Arrival of new stock in a timely manner becomes more critical.

There is no magic way to know what ITR will be right for your company, but understanding how ITRs work may help you test stock levels and optimize for your operations.

Bernadette Abel

The Five C’s of Credit and How They Impact Business Financing Decisions

by Wil Rivera4 minutes / July 30, 2018

The 5 C's of Credit and How They Impact Business Financing Decisions

If you’ve heard of the five C’s of credit, you may assume that this phrase is only associated with personal credit; however, it’s also a tool used by lenders to evaluate businesses pursuing credit options.

Here’s why the five C’s of credit are important to your business; how lenders evaluate each of them; and how to best position your business when applying for financing.

What are the 5 C’s of Credit?

The term “five C’s of credit” refers to one way in which lenders evaluate the credit-worthiness of an applicant. It can be used for individuals and couples applying for personal credit such as a loan, credit card or a mortgage. But, it’s also used to help assess the “worthiness” of business credit applicants.

Lenders review how well a business meets each of the five C’s, and then use their findings to help make a lending decision.

1. Character

Character refers to the likelihood that a business will pay back borrowed money. Information for the Character portion of the five C’s of credit often comes from the history noted on a business’ credit reports. It will also include the business credit score generated from these reports. Business credit reports come from business credit reporting agencies such as Dun & Bradstreet, Equifax, and Experian.

These detailed reports contain particulars of previous borrowing arrangements – including total amounts borrowed and repaid, as well as delinquencies and late payments. The reports also include details of judgments, liens, and accounts in collections going back through seven years.

2. Capacity

Capacity is your ability to pay back the money borrowed from the proceeds of your business. Before a lender gives a borrower any money, they’ll want some evidence that the borrower (being the business), generates enough money to make payments on the loan. So Capacity is the proof that the business has the cash flow to not only make the payments, but to also cover all the business expenses, other debts and obligations, and pay the wages of its employees.

To evaluate a business’ capacity, lenders will review the financial statements and financial ratios of the business, including:

Debt-to-Income Ratio (DTI)
Debt-Service-Coverage Ratio (DSCR)
Current Ratio
Debt-to-Tangible-Net-Worth Ratio
Inventory Turnover Ratio
Accounts Receivable Turnover Ratio (ART)
Payables Turnover Ratio
Cash Flow Statement
Income Statement

When it comes to evaluating business capacity, a lender may also consider your managerial capacity. This is your business knowledge and professional experience.

3. Collateral

Any lender faces the risk that borrowers won’t return the money they borrowed. So lenders look for ways to reduce that risk and secure their loan, which brings us to the third C of Credit: Collateral.

Collateral is any asset used as security for the lender. Lenders could seize secured business assets of value such as real estate, equipment, and machinery to sell and recoup some or all of the unpaid loan if the borrower can’t pay it off. For example, a business may get a loan secured against vehicles or a commercial building.

4. Capital

Another factor that influences lenders’ willingness to loan money to a business is the owner’s equity. How much of your own money have you invested in your business? Your “skin in the game” indicates your financial commitment to the business. This equity, referred to as capital, gives lenders an idea of just how risky the owners consider their own business. Generally, the more of your own money invested, the better it is in the eyes of a lender.

5. Conditions

The fifth C of credit is one that you have little control over, yet it also influences business lending decisions. The current macroeconomic and microeconomic conditions could impact a business’ ability to pay back a loan. So lenders carefully consider the economic environment as part of a lending decision.

Demonstrate that you have a good understanding of current (and forecasted) economic conditions, and how they’ll potentially impact your business by referencing them in your discussions and correspondence with your lender. This shows lenders you’re a forward-thinking and responsible business owner who is committed to growing your business through changing economic conditions.

Once you know about each of the 5 C’s of credit, you can better understand how lenders use them to make lending decisions for businesses. And you’ll have a better idea of what to watch out for, and what to work on when making financial decisions for your own business.

Wil Rivera

WD

That “Cheap” Business Finance Rate Could Cost You a Bundle: Interest and Your Business

by Wil Rivera4 minutes / July 17, 2018

That cheap business finance rate could cost you a bundle: interest and your business

The last decade has been an era of cheap money for businesses, with interest rates at historical lows. But those days may be ending. How you look at financing — in particular choosing between fixed and adjustable rates — may have to change.

These are the good old days.

Access to capital can often make or break a business. Each year, fifty-three percent of business owners kick in additional funding, according to the Small Business Administration. Almost a quarter add more than $50,000.

The adage that it takes money to make money is fine — if you have the cash on hand. If you don’t, it’s time to look at outside financing. But that may take some unlearning of recent lessons.

The global economic collapse beginning in 2008 was brutal, but it did have one benefit for some businesses: Because the U.S. Federal Reserve and other regulators slashed interest rates to stimulate buying, over the last decade the cost of money has been incredibly low.

Businesses who were approved for traditional forms of financing had enviable choices, including taking adjustable rates over fixed ones to keep borrowing costs down.

The Two Types of Interest Rates

A quick refresher: whether talking consumer or business financing, there are two general types of interest rates: fixed or variable.

A fixed rate is just that; the borrower pays a set interest percentage of the principal. Monthly payments don’t change.

Variable rates start at one rate. After some time, they shift to an amount based on any one of several common benchmark rates.

The Fed’s federal funds rate is one example of a benchmark rate. So is the prime rate, which is based on the federal funds rate, and is often what a bank’s best customers get. Another benchmark is the London Interbank Overnight Rate (Libor) — the rates banks charge one another on short-term borrowing.

The variable financing rate will be some number of percentage points over a benchmark rate. When the benchmark goes up, so will the variable rate. If the benchmark drops, the variable rate does as well.

Most people are familiar with variable rates from mortgages and credit cards. They are common in small business financing as well.

Variable Rates Have Been Low

In the past, business owners chose variable rates that were initially low. The idea was that when the rate increased, either revenues would have grown enough to more than offset it or refinancing at a lower rate would eliminate the extra costs.

For the last decade, however, variable rates have acted strangely. Because benchmarks were so low, you could effectively get a great rate for the life of the financing. There was always the gamble that the rate would climb, but in hindsight, for years you could win the game. Variable became almost the same as fixed.

No longer. By June 2018, the Fed had increased the federal funds rate seven times in three years.

As job growth remains brisk and the economy improves, regulators could keep increasing their rates, making all the benchmarks increase. Variable rates will follow, making the era of super-cheap money over. Opting for a variable rate instead of a fixed rate could now cost you.

Create a Financing Strategy

If you’re looking for financing, you’re best off doing some calculations in advance to see how a variable and a fixed rate might compare. Consider that a variable rate loan might increase a couple of times during the life of the financing:

Look at how much the Fed has raised the key interest rate over the previous 12 months and assume for a moment that the increases will continue in the near future, given how low rates have been.
Calculate the full principal, the length of the business loan, and the initial rate. Then use an amortization schedule to calculate how much you pay in the first year.
For the second year, calculate with an increased interest rate (initial rate plus the last 12-month increased in a benchmark) and the remaining financing time. Use an amortization schedule to calculate how much is paid in the second year.
Keep doing this for at least one or two more years with benchmark increases.
Finally, calculate the remaining principle, time left on financing, and the “final” interest rate. (Remember that this is an estimate and there might be additional rate increases.)
Add the payments over all the years and compare that to what you’d pay with available fixed rates.

You might choose to run estimates for different numbers and amounts of rate increases. This modeling can help you manage risk and choose an option that works for your business.

Wil Rivera

WD

Borrowing and Business: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt Your Finances

by Wil Rivera5 minutes / July 13, 2018

Borrowing and Business: What You Don't Know Can Hurt Your Finances

So, you’re feeling confident enough about your business to go shopping for a loan. Congratulations! But before you start looking you should understand these five important areas impacting loans, beginning with the difference between interest rates and APR.

What is APR?

APR is the annualized percentage rate, which measures the cost of borrowing money. It includes the total cost for the loan including covering all fees that the lender might charge.

By looking at the APR, you can objectively compare the costs of loans from different banks. That’s entirely different from looking at the headline interest rates that sometimes get advertised. Such headline rates frequently don’t include all the fees that you must pay to get the loan.

In short, if you looked only at the headline interest rates, then you might think you got a good deal when in reality you didn’t.

Always ask the loan officer for the APR in any loan. If they won’t provide it, then choose another bank.

LIBOR and interest rates.

The cost of a lot of business credit moves up and down in line with something called LIBOR, the London Interbank Offered Rate, which is an interest rate charged by banks to lend to other banks.

When the banks see little risk of lending to each other, then the LIBOR will be lower than it would be otherwise. When they see heightened risk of lending to each other, then the LIBOR typically rises as it did during the financial crisis.

Commercial businesses typically pay a fixed amount above the LIBOR for the duration of the business loan, see the Small Business Administration website for examples. The prime rate, which is a common benchmark lending rate for both commercial and consumer loans, is usually between 2.5 and 3.5 percentage points higher than the LIBOR rate, according to the FinAid website.

The LIBOR is also partly determined by decisions made by the Federal Reserve, which is a target interest rate for short-term overnight loans between banks. When that rate changes you can usually expect the LIBOR rate to change as well. In the simplest terms, if the Fed Funds rate rises then you should expect LIBOR to increase.

Recently, the Fed has been transparent about likely future changes in Fed Funds rates. If you regularly read the business press, you’ll be aware of most likely future changes in the costs of borrowing.

Fixed versus floating interest rates.

Not all business loans have interest rates which vary. Some have a fixed rate for the term of the loan. Such loans reduce the uncertainty about what would happen to the company’s profitability due to changes in short-term interest rates.

The cost of these loans is typically far higher than for variable rate loans. That’s because the bank takes on the risk of the interest rates changing over the term of the loan.

When a company purchases a long-lived asset, such as a factory building, it can make sense to seek out a fixed rate loan. That’s similar to seeking out a fixed rate home loan mortgage. Often, purchasing a building is a major expense and the predictability of the same monthly payment can help managers plan better for the future.

On the other hand, working capital typically gets funded through credit lines with variable rates of interest. That makes a lot of sense. When times are lean in business, then interest rates are lower and so are working capital needs. Conversely, when the economy is expanding, then although the cost of borrowing is usually higher, so is the demand for goods and services.

Sensitivity and the cost of borrowing.

Before you take out a loan, you need to understand what would happen to your profitability if the cost of borrowing increased.

For instance, if the cost of borrowing is $5,000 a month in interest and your company still would likely be profitable, then that is a good start. But then you also need to know if the business would remain in profit if the cost of borrowing increased. For instance, what would happen it the interest expense was half as much again, or $7,500 a month. Making theoretical changes and then calculating the likely outcomes is known assensitivity analysis. It is something that your Chief Financial Officer or accountant should be capable of doing.

If a change in interest rates of relatively small magnitude would vastly reduce profitability, then you might want to consider a smaller loan.

Likewise, when you conduct the interest rate sensitivity analysis, you may want to consider what would happen to the earnings if revenue fluctuated when the company also had a new loan. If even a small dip in sales would cause the company to lose money then perhaps it would make sense to be cautious by reducing the possible size of the loan.

Wall Street Prep has some useful tips on running sensitivity analysis.

Derivatives and interest rates.

Interest-rate derivatives exist to help companies guard against changes in the cost of borrowing. Rather like knives, when appropriately used, they can be a useful tool. However, when wielded incorrectly they can be harmful.

So-called interest rate swaps can be used to convert a variable rate loan to a fixed rate loan, and vice versa. These products can be useful, but the customers should have a high level of sophistication.

Unfortunately, in the United Kingdom, some banks inappropriately sold small businesses some of these products. That eventually led to losses by some buyers of these derivatives. Given that many of the people selling these swaps hold higher-level finance degrees it is frequently the case that the buyers are far less sophisticated than those selling the products.

Two things to take away from this episode. First, if you have any doubts that you truly understand the product then don’t buy it. Second, just because these problems occurred in the U.K. don’t think they couldn’t happen in the U.S.

Wil Rivera

WD

5 Tips for Running a Lean Operation

by Wil Rivera7 minutes / April 17, 2018

The best things in life are simple. The same concept applies to running your business! Running a lean operation correctly is the most efficient way to foster growth without adding a ton of stress to you, your employees and your pocket book. The less moving parts needed to keep your business running efficiently, the better. If you feel your business is spiraling out of control, you’re tired of staying up all night just to get your work done for the day, or you feel like there is just way too much on your plate, it’s most likely because you’re trying to run a “flashy” operation, not a lean one.

The rule that small business owners must live by is innovate or die. If you aren’t consistently looking to make your business operate more efficiently, even in periods of expansion, you can’t expect your business to stick around for the long game. Regardless of the industry that you are in, these same rules apply. You must always be on the search for new ways to streamline your processes.

The good news is that achieving a lean operation is much easier than it may initially appear. Small changes will add up over time. Before you know it, your business will be back on track – minimizing costs and maximizing profits at every turn. Most importantly, you’ll be able to use the time you get back on establishing a healthy work-life balance.

How can you achieve a lean operation? Let’s discuss some tips and tricks you can use in your business to identify and remove unnecessary and wasteful processes. But first, it’s important to fully understand the meaning of a lean operation.

What is the ultimate goal of lean operations is to have?

The principles of “lean operation” were born in the manufacturing sector by Toyota in the 1980s. They were wasting far too many parts in their manufacturing process and decided to make a significant move: instead of building to meet specific sales projections, they began to manufacture vehicles as orders were placed.

Following these same principles, running a lean operation refers to removing unnecessary processes, products, or anything else in your business that may be causing additional financial stress. It’s all about keeping only the things that you need and getting rid of anything you don’t. Running a lean operation is a never-ending journey. It is not something you do one weekend.

The motto you need to commit to heart as a small business owner is “innovate or die.” If you aren’t innovating, one of your competitors is. Don’t be left in the dust, and consistently look for ways to improve and simplify your operations.

Tip 1: Make Time for Improvement

This first and most crucial step is to dedicate time to focus on finding operational inefficiencies. We recommend that you schedule time at the beginning of every month to sit down and focus solely on ways to innovate and improve your processes.

We recommend around 10% of your total working hours should be devoted entirely to this innovation process. It may seem like a lot, but using this time to focus on improving your business as you expand will pay off in the long run. Once you find the time to do it (maybe on days you know your workload is less) mark it on your calendar and hold yourself to it.

Tip 2: It All Starts with A Solid Strategy

Now that you’ve scheduled your monthly operational assessments, you must come up with a strategy to make the required changes each month. This is the time to set goals for your business—tangible financial metrics to measure your progress.

Do you want to increase sales without hiring additional employees? Or would you like to automate certain aspects of marketing your business, freeing up time for you to focus on other areas? Whatever your goals are, write them down and hold yourself to them.

Tip 3: The Pareto Principle

Also commonly referred to as the 80/20 rule, the Pareto Principle created by Vilfredo Pareto in 1906 after he noticed that 80% of property in Italy was owned by 20% of the population. He then began observing this same pattern in almost everything. The principle specifies “an unequal relationship between inputs and outputs. [It] states that 20% of the invested input is responsible for 80% of the results obtained,” according to Investopedia. Obviously, this principle is especially applicable to business operations.

Based off this principle, the Pareto Chart was created. The chart is a great way to visually represent which 20% of inputs are responsible for 80% of the outputs. It is a hybrid between a bar graph with a line plotting the percentage each of the inputs makes up. The y-axis of the chart is for frequency, and the x-axis is for your inputs. It can be a little tricky to figure out at first, but once you have a solid understanding, it can be incredibly useful in finding the snags in your operation.

Once you start thinking with the 80/20 mindset, you will immediately start to notice the biggest sources of your problems. It could be that one employee is responsible for 90% of the accounting errors, or that two clients are responsible for 80% of your sales.

Tip 4: Improve Efficiency from the Bottom-Up

Changing your overall systems isn’t something that should start at the management level. Instead, your most significant improvements in efficiency should begin on the front-lines of your operation – with your outward facing employees and the day-to-day processes they follow.

It is also important to empower your employees to make suggestions instead of ruling with an iron-fist approach. Your employees are the ones that work every day doing the same tasks, helping customers, and making sales. If they have an idea of how their job could be more efficient and save them time, take the time to listen to them and be flexible.

Give every reasonable idea a chance, and you might notice huge effects on the amount of time you spend managing, the number of sales they’re making, and how much less stress you have knowing your employees are working in a system they helped to create.

Tip 5: Cut Out ANY Inefficiencies

We get it – your business is your life. You’ve spent years coming up with the perfect product or service; dedicated vast sums of capital to getting it off the ground; and (most important!) your time and energy to make it work. Making changes to your business can feel like you’re dismantling your livelihood. However, to make your business operate more efficiently, you’re going to have to rip off the band aid.

Nothing is sacred in your operation. It doesn’t matter if you’ve invested hours in coming up with what you believe to be the perfect financial reporting system—if it isn’t working, get rid of it.

Making your business thoroughly efficient is a never-ending journey and is a constant balancing act of managing existing processes and finding new ways to optimize them. As you grow, continually optimizing your operations will become even more critical to your business’s success. A larger business can make it more difficult to control every operational aspect and you might need to seek out expert advice from industry leaders. Whatever the case may be, always be on the lookout for new ways to streamline your operation. This will lead to a healthier bottom line, less financial risks, and new core company strengths.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Wil Rivera

WD