7 Small Business Trends to Leverage in 2020

Cash flow issues are a concern for most small and mid-sized business owners. In fact, many SMBs find it difficult to manage growth because of concerns about funds. Having access to the right funding makes it easier to support business growth. There are many different choices out there, but a merchant cash advance might be one you want to consider. Not convinced an MCA is the right choice for your business? Take a look at these Merchant Cash advance benefits and discover how MCAs could help you grow.

Lightning-Fast Access to Funds with a Merchant Cash Advance

One of the biggest benefits of an MCA is how fast you can access the funds you need to grow your business. Whether you need to cover a bill or you want to put a new marketing strategy in place, an MCA helps you do it sooner.Traditional loans can take months to arrive in your bank account. That’s after all the work of preparing your application and waiting for approval too.With an MCA, you could have the funds in your account in a matter of hours.

Think about the Future, Not Your Past

Most traditional forms of business funding rely on your financial history. Lenders will look at your credit score. If you’ve missed a payment or two, you might not qualify for a loan.An MCA is more forward-thinking. Instead of checking your credit score, the lender estimates future credit and debit sales.The lender then offers you a lump sum based on where you’re going, not where you’ve been. If your credit score is less than stellar, an MCA could be the right choice to help your business grow.You also don’t need to provide personal guarantees like you would with a loan.

Merchant Cash Advance Benefits Include More Flexibility

Flexibility is another reason to consider merchant cash advances for your expanding business.A traditional loan offers you a one-time, lump-sum payment. You’ll then pay the amount back with monthly scheduled payments.Merchant cash advances are different. Instead of paying the same fee every month, the MCA is repaid by a percentage of your credit and debit sales.If your sales dip one month, so too will your payment to the MCA. If you have higher than expected sales, your payment will increase too. This can help you pay back the MCA faster.This flexibility makes it much easier for a growing business to manage repayment. With merchant cash advances, you can stop worrying about making your loan payment.

Use Funds as You See Fit

With a traditional bank loan, you may have to tell the lender what you’ll use the funds for. Loan approval is then tied to buying equipment or investing in real estate.What if your needs change from month to month? Market conditions change quickly, and businesses like yours need to stay one step ahead.With a merchant cash advance, you’re in control of how the funds are spent. If you need to pay bills today and invest in a new website tomorrow, an MCA can make it happen.

Ready, Set, Grow

If you’ve been wondering how to fund your business’s growth, consider a merchant cash advance. The easy application process means you could have the funds you need in short order.If you’re not sure an MCA is right for your business, get in touch with us. We can help you discover the right alternative lending solution for your business.

Cannabis has been legalized in Canada since 2019, and since the legalization, the consumption of marijuana has skyrocketed to the extent that setting up a cannabis business in the country is guaranteed to be a profitable investment. There’s never been a better time to move into the industry. However, if you’re a cannabis enthusiast that wants to make a move into this industry, the first thing you’re probably concerned about is the working capital to start the business. Business loans in Canada are a big part of the entrepreneurial world, however, getting funding for a cannabis business is easier said than done. So, how can you get funds for your future company? If this is a question that you’re asking, you’re at just the right place. Here are a few funding options from sources that will happily lend you money.

Bank Loan

Banks are obviously the first option whenever we think about anything money/loan-related. But cannabis, banks, and business loans in Canada are three things that don’t blend well together. Most mainstream banks will refuse to work with cannabis companies. However, if you can find the right bank, there’s potential to get your hands on a large stack of cash for your cannabis company at reasonable interest rates. There’s a lot of room for customizing payment plans as well, so you can pay back the money on your terms. You’ll have to find a relatively smaller bank that has lenient policies for where they invest their money. But even those banks are strict with their requirements for loans and will check to make sure you don’t have bad credit. The banks will not approve a loan if there’s any signs of problems in your credit and financial history.

Business Line of Credit

A business line of credit is another underrated option when it comes to getting funds for a cannabis business. It’s a simple process that provides your business with a revolving credit limit. It’s very similar to a credit card, but interest rates are significantly lower. You can withdraw a certain amount of money that you need and will have the option to pay it back in the form of monthly balances and partial payments. You’ll have the added benefit that the interest will only be charged for the outstanding balance of your card, making it a viable option for business loans in Canada. This is a good option for some quick funding when you need to pay the utility bills, fund inventory refilling, pay salaries, and more. However, you’re not going to get a large amount of money with a business line of credit. You’re going to be limited to a certain amount of money, depending on your credit limit. If you’re looking for funds to start your company, a business line of credit is not a good idea. If you need a small amount of money for occasional expenses, this is a great option.

Merchant Cash Advance

A merchant cash advance is, by far, the best way a cannabis business can secure funding. It’s a system where you pay today’s bills with tomorrow’s money. Your MCA provider will hand over a flat sum of cash directly into your account, and you’ll only have to return a certain percentage of your sales every month until the entire amount is covered. This is a flexible option for businesses that aren’t certain of what their sales volume will be each month. For example, if you have $0 in generated revenue for December, you won’t have to pay back anything to your MCA provider. That’s the major benefit of MCA and why it’s such a great idea for an industry like cannabis. Where Can You Get a Merchant Cash Advance? So, now that you know what an MCA is let’s talk about where you can get it. 2M7 Financial solutions is a Canadian merchant cash advance provider that has been helping small businesses like yours get over the funding limitations and compete with your top competitors. The best part about working with 2M7 is that we give funds to companies that banks and other lenders are saying no to. Here’s a breakdown of why 2M7 is the company that should fund your business:

• Quick Process – We work fast! If you signed up for an MCA in the morning, you could have the money in your account by the end of the day.
• Ignoring Bad Credit – Unlike banks, 2M7 doesn’t rely on credit scores as a factor to decide who gets funding and who doesn’t. If you have bad credit, you are still eligible for an MCA.
• Multi-Use Funding – Businesses have tons of miscellaneous costs, and we get that. That's why the money you get from 2M7 can be used for any business purpose you choose.

Conclusion

A merchant cash advance is the best way to secure capital for your company. So, if you are looking for a Canada-based provider to help you out, get in touch with the funding experts and discover how this alternative financing option can help your business.

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.