3 Signs You Should Consider a Merchant Cash Advance

2M7 Financial Solutions is proud to announce the recipient of the 2022 “Forward Thinkers” scholarship – the annual scholarship that recognizes distinguished and entrepreneurial students who encompass 2M7’s values and demonstrate a genuine desire to make progressive strides that help drive their desired industries forward.“We’re pleased to award this year’s Forward Thinkers scholarship to Beiya Xie, a Business student majoring in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, who challenges the status quo and thinks outside the box to find innovative solutions to improve her family’s small business,” said Avi Bernstein, CEO of 2M7 Financial Solutions. “Since its inception, 2M7 has been driven to support forward-thinking small businesses in their journey, and Beiya demonstrates a level of dedication and innovation that is at the core of our business values.”As a proudly Canadian owned company, 2M7 strives to stay at the forefront of its industry and offer an alternative lending solution that better fits the needs of small businesses in Canada – giving them quick access to the funding they need to expand and accelerate their growth in order to succeed in today’s competitive landscape.“Canadian entrepreneurs and small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and 2M7 has an unwavering commitment to helping them grow. Just as with our small business clients, we believe it’s important to give students the opportunity to excel in their fields,” said Avi Bernstein. “Beiya demonstrates a deep passion for improving the products her family business offers, a vision for expanding the services they provide, and a dedication to customer service excellence that 2M7 is proud to support.”Founded in 2008, 2M7 Financial Solutions has grown into one of Canada’s largest merchant cash advance providers – providing over $250 million in small business funding to date. With extensive expertise in Canada’s lending landscape, and a deep understanding of the challenges that small businesses face in getting approved for loans, 2M7 helps business owners get the financing they need.

About the “forward thinkers scholarship” by 2M7

The ”Forward Thinkers” scholarship is an annual scholarship program, established by 2M7 Financial Solutions to recognize outstanding students who are pursuing or entering full-time studies in Business, Finance, or an equivalent program. The scholarship is awarded to students that encompass 2M7’s core values and demonstrate a genuine desire to make innovative stride that drive their industries forward. For those interested in applying for the 2023 scholarship, please follow 2M7 on Facebook for updates on next year’s scholarship.

You have worked hard to start up your business. After perfecting your presentation, you have been able to raise some capital. Congratulations! Now what do you do? Make sure you don’t waste this opportunity to launch your business right. Here are five ways to prepare your business for capital raised.

1) Know your “runway”

Your business’s “runaway” is the amount of time your business has before it runs out of cash. First, you should look at your business’s monthly expenses and your capital raised and then, determine how much time you need in order to gain a steady stream of income. Ideally, you will want your business to have a six-month “runaway.” With six months’ worth of operating capital, you can deal with various disruptions that will come with operating a new business.

2) Use a budget management tool

One of the best ways to manage your business is to use a budget management tool, and with the right budget tool, you will be able to manage your expenses and identify opportunities to save money and run leaner. There are a number of top budget management tools that are designed around start-ups. Some of the top budget management tools include the following: Quicken - Quicken is great for smaller starter-ups with its easy-to-use software and interface. Centage - If you have more complex operations, then Centage is an ideal budget management software system. Lola - Lola is a great budget management tool if you are dealing with a number of expense report.

3) Secure the best prices from vendors

You want to make sure that your capital goes as far as it can possibly go. Therefore, you will want to control your costs. One of the best ways to control cost is to be able to get the best prices from your vendors. Be sure to get multiple quotes from as many vendors as possible. Also, if you are planning to use a vendor for the long term, try to negotiate better prices to help you stretch your capital.

4) Have a business plan

It’s a good idea to have a business plan. In fact, a business plan is like a road map that shows everyone in your company, as well as your investors, what is your plan to grow income and become profitable. If you have no experience writing up a business plan, don’t worry. There are a number of business plan templates that you can use to help you get started. Here are a couple of places where you can find business plan templates:

• LivePlan
• BusinessPlanTemplate
• Formprintr

5) Have an emergency or contingency plan

You want to make sure that your business has a plan for the unexpected. In fact, situations such as natural disasters or disruptions in manufacturing or inventory can spell disaster for your business. The best way to plan for an emergency is to set aside a portion of your capital raised and set it aside for emergency situations. That emergency money can save you in situations where you need money fast and you may not be able to raise further capital.

Getting your capital for your business going

Now that you have the capital that you need for your business, it is time to get going. Be sure to have a plan, set a budget, and watch your spending. Also, spend your business capital the right way and you will be well on your way to start-up success. If you require a merchant cash advance for your business, 2M7 Financial Solutions are here to help you out. Request a quote, we will be happy to assist you.

Many business owners have trouble accessing traditional business loans. If you’re one of them, you may be wondering about alternative funding solutions. One of those solutions is the merchant cash advance, or MCA. Some businesses benefit from Merchant Cash Advance more than others. If you’re in one of these industries, MCAs could be the right choice for you.

Restaurants Need More Flexibility

Many restaurants face huge ups and downs, making their income somewhat unpredictable.If you already accept credit cards, merchant cash advances are a great way to secure flexible funding. MCAs could also help you invest in kitchen upgrades or follow up on trends like food trucks or local eating. You might even be able to open a second location to keep business growing.

MCAs Help Auto Repair Shops

Traditional financing can be risky for an auto repair shop. If you fall behind on payments, the lender might decide to collect on the loan collateral. That could mean the loss of expensive equipment or even your garage space.Merchant cash advances let you keep working without fear of the debt collector. Payments are based on your credit card sales, so there’s no need to worry about missing a payment.

Specialty Retailers Benefit from Merchant Cash Advance

Retail is another industry with slim margins. Specialty retailers face even slimmer margins, often because they’re selling to a small crowd.MCAs could help you weather the ups and downs. They could also help you upgrade your space or move to a more attractive one, so you can be where your customers are.

Is MCA Right for You?

Merchant cash advance has benefits for many different businesses. If you think it might be the right solution for you, get in touch with us. We can help you explore all financial solutions for your business.