Revenue Based Financing: What is it and how can it Help Grow Your Business?

May 2023

Jan 2025

If you’re an entrepreneur seeking affordable funding options for your business without giving up equity or being burdened by debt, Revenue-Based Financing (RBF) might be just what you’re looking for! RBF has been steadily rising in popularity among growth-stage companies, and for good reason; the flexibility and unique blend of equity and debt financing is changing the game as it keeps you in control every step of the way.But that’s not all. A whole world of revenue-based avenues, such as Merchant Cash Advances and Factoring are entering the scene too!In this article, we will dive into the world of RBF, its alternatives, and provide you with valuable resources to help you make an informed decision about financing your business.

What is Revenue Based Financing?

Revenue Based Financing is a new type of funding that combines the convenience of a business loan with the peace of mind of flexible repayment options.Instead of a set monthly repayment, RBF allows your company to trade a percentage of sales for start-up capital. This allows you and the investor, as it provides the funds you need without tying up valuable equity or incurring debt. Your investor can rest easy knowing that they will receive regular payments (though the amounts may vary) under a legally binding contract.

HOW IT WORKS:

1. Find an Investor

Venture capital firms, dedicated RBF investors, or angel investors are a good place to start.

2. Pitch Your Business

Present your business plan, financials and growth projections to the investor. Show them your intended use of the funds and your company’s potential for generating consistent revenue.

3. Negotiate Terms

If the investor is interested, this is where you will negotiate the investment amount, percentage of revenue shared, repayment cap, and anything else that is pertinent to the deal.

4. Sign on the Dotted Line

Once the terms are agreed upon, both you and the investor sign a legally binding document that outlines the specifics of the deal.

5. Put the Funds to Use

Receive your funds (usually in a lump sum), and put them to work in marketing, product development, hiring, or other areas that will propel your company’s growth forward.

6. Monthly Payments

As your business starts generating revenue, repay your investor based on the agreed-upon monthly percentage.

7. The Repayment Cap

Once you have hit the predetermined repayment cap, your obligation to the investor is fulfilled, and you retain full control of your business.

RBF Alternative: Merchant Cash Advances

If your business is retail based or receives a high volume of revenue from credit card transactions (such as a restaurant), Merchant Cash Advances may be a more suitable financing option. With MCA, you exchange a percentage of future credit card sales for the lump sum investment.

HOW IT WORKS:

1. Apply for MCA

Once you find a reputable Merchant Cash Advance provider, apply for funding using the above-mentioned information for your business, as well as your credit card transaction history.

2. Receive the Funds

Again, usually a lump sum.

3. Repay Via Sales

MCA offers a big advantage in that you have quick access to the funds, and the flexibility of repayments being tied to sales, which eliminates the need for collateral. However, MCA’s can be more expensive than a traditional loan, and the deduction from your daily sales may impact your cash flow for a time. Learn more about Merchant Cash Advances here.

RBT Alternative: Factoring

Factoring is also known as accounts receivable financing or invoice financing. It may work best for you if your business is facing cash flow issues due to slow-paying clients. With factoring, you sell your unpaid invoices to a factoring company at a discount, and they take care of collecting the funds.

HOW IT WORKS:

1. Find a Reputable Factoring Company

Preferably one that specializes in your industry.

2. Sell Your Unpaid Invoices to the Factoring Company at a Discounted Rate

Usually 70-90% of the invoice amount.

3. Get Paid Upfront

The Factoring company will subtract their fees and pay you the agreed upon amount right away.

4. Invoice Collection

Now it’s out of your hands, and the factoring company takes care of collecting the overdue amount from your clients!

5. Receive the Remaining Balance

Once the client pays, the Factoring Company will send you the remaining balance, minus their fees. Factoring eliminates the need for you to waste time chasing after clients to pay their invoices, and gives you quick access to the funds, relieving your financial stress. However, like merchant cash advances, factoring can be more expensive than a traditional loan.

Choosing the Right Financing Option

After reading this article and looking into the different financing options for your business, you hopefully have an idea of which option is best for your business. Ultimately though, the biggest factors to consider are:

Your Business Industry
Your Revenue Model
Company Growth Stage
Repayment Flexibility

Once you determine those, you can make the choice that works best to propel your business forward! Revenue Based Financing is getting more creative and attainable as the structure of our economy evolves. It really is becoming the financing option of the future.

June 26, 2020

January 24, 2025

Ideas for Newbie Entrepreneurs in 2020

The business environment has changed rapidly for the young entrepreneurs in the first few months of 2020, and the overall outlook for many industries hasn’t been exactly rosy. That may be enough to stop some people in their tracks. Is it really a good idea to create a start-up in this business environment?For those who are willing to look, though, opportunities abound. Tech businesses specializing in remote work and delivery services have been flourishing. As much as the environment is challenging, it’s also a rich space for reimagining the way people go about their daily lives.If you’re pondering a new business in 2020, take a look at some of these innovative ideas.

Everything Online

In March 2020, almost every business owner scrambled to move their operations online in some way. While some businesses have to be operated out of a factory, many others can take advantage of eCommerce and mobile apps to keep running.Tools for remote work, such as video conferencing and online workspaces, have boomed. Some innovators have looked to ways to create events in online spaces. Plenty of media companies are offering up entertainment in new and exciting ways, such as through livestreams.

Seeking New Ways to Connect

Self-isolation, social distancing, and quarantine have made it more difficult to connect with friends and family. As such, people are looking for new ways to stay connected, as well as new ways to connect.A business idea that brings people together in a new way could go far in 2020.

Focus on the Essentials

The current business climate has also caused people to refocus on the essentials: food and medications. If your business is related to medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, or food, you likely have a good chance.Innovative ways of bringing people essentials will be at the top of the hot list of ideas for entrepreneurs in 2020.

Funds Make It Real

No business can get off the ground without the right funding. If you’re looking to start a business, then you should make sure you know all about business loans, merchant cash advances, and other funding options. With them, you can make a good idea a better reality.

April 4, 2022

January 27, 2025

Merchant Cash Advance vs. Cheques Factoring

Managing a small business is challenging. One of the common challenges for business owners is financing. Your company might not have a lengthy credit history or collateral to apply for a bank loan. Whether you want to grow your business or cover unforeseen expenses, you have come across other financing options. Merchant cash advance and cheques factoring are some of the available options for small businesses.

What Is Merchant Cash Advance?

A merchant cash advance is an alternative financing option for small businesses. You can take the funds upfront and pay them off with a percentage of future sales. The MCA is an ideal solution for businesses that need fast funding and might not be eligible to take a bank loan. The availability of funds is another excellent advantage. If your business needs the funds fast to proceed with the operations, the cash advance will be approved within a day or two.

PROS

Fast access to funds

When timing is crucial and you can't go through the lengthy bank approval process, the MCA is your solution. Small businesses can get funds within a day or two from submission. Unlike the traditional bank process, the financial institutions that issue MCAs don't do rigorous checks. They will check the business's past sales to determine whether they qualify for a cash advance.

Ideal for businesses that work with cash and credit cards

Retail and restaurant businesses rely on a high volume of credit card sales, making them ideal for obtaining MCA. If your business depends on cash or credit cards, a cash advance is the ideal financing method. This opportunity is perfect for the ones that don't rely on invoices. Instead, they take a percentage of the credit card sales to repay the loan.

CONS

High-interest rates

Merchant cash advance comes with higher interest rates than traditional bank loans. The convenience of having the funds fast will cost more. However, the price is worth paying when you need urgent funds to proceed with the business operations.

What Is Cheques Factoring?

A post-dated cheque is a cheque that can be cashed on the indicated date on the document's face. It is a form of advance payment and can be cashed on a specific date. According to Canadian laws, a cheque can't be cleared before this date. If you still need cash to keep your business's liquidity, you can sell the cheque to a factoring company.

PROS

Fast approval

Depending on the date indicated on the check face, you might have to wait long to receive the payment. If you need to meet your business needs urgently, factoring your cheques will provide you with funds quickly. They will pay off a particular value of the face value while keeping a specific percentage as a fee.

No credit score checks

When applying for a traditional bank loan, they will do a rigorous check on your financial history. When your small business is relatively new and doesn't have a credit history, you might be restricted from obtaining such loans. Your ability for cheque factoring isn't assessed with credit history, and you aren't required to disclose collateral. This is very important, as you don't need to put your property or equipment at risk. The factoring company will check the check for authenticity.

Not deal with cheques

Having to deal with cheques is a tedious job. Passing this responsibility to a third party means less time spent sorting out cheques so that you can focus on the more important aspects of your business.

CONS

Higher cost

The factoring company will charge fees to provide you with the cash in advance. They will usually pay 80% of the amount indicated on the face. However, the high cost might pay off if you need money urgently.

Requirements

Cheques factoring companies might have specific requirements for cashing out your document. For example, the check drawer should be a reputable entity. Also, the factoring company might have particular requirements on the cheque's active time.

Merchant Cash Advance vs. Cheques Factoring

For cheques factoring, you will pay a fee to the factoring company expressed as a percentage of the total amount. On the other hand, you will pay off your MCA as a percentage of your future sales. When choosing the suitable financing method for your company, select the one that is a better fit for your needs. We at 2M7 are dedicated to providing the needed funds to enhance your business's liquidity without restrictions on how to use them. Get in touch with us, and we will answer your specific needs!

June 14, 2021

January 24, 2025

5 Reasons Why Merchant Cash Advance Works for Small Businesses

With COVID-19 vaccines being administered all around the world, it's only a matter of time that businesses resume their work in the field. While corporations will have little to no hurdles, it will be small businesses that will have to make more effort. You don’t need to be an expert to understand these issues in today's economy. Some help in reopening will allow any sort of company to see instant results if capital is invested and used effectively. This is where merchants cash advances come in. An MCA works very differently. You’re receiving funding from a financial solution business. However, the perk of getting an MCA is that you only have to pay it back from a percentage of your sales. If you aren’t making any sales, you won’t have to pay back anything. So, if that doesn’t sound like a reasonable enough argument to make you get an MCA to nudge your business in the right direction, let us continue. Here are five reasons why cash advances will work in our company’s favor.

Easy to Qualify

Today's economy makes it troublesome for businesses in terms of finance. Conventional loans have rigid requirements that are turning people away. Moreover, they take more time, and sometimes your request may be denied. Merchant cash advances are more viable as they offer a sum of money at a fixed rate, and are easy to qualify for, even for first-time owners. While bank loans require hours to fill out, these applications contain brief questionnaires, prioritizing output rather than processing information. Expand Office Space Upgrading your office will be one of the heftiest investments you’ll ever make. But, it’s a necessary one. If your office space no longer meets the requirements of your business, you have to move into something that’s more fit to your needs. However, it’s not cheap. Moving into a new office requires a ton of money upfront. An MCA can be a great way to complete the down payment and move into the new office.

Quick Funding

Traditional bank loans have an approval time for weeks, and it is not even certain if your application will get accepted or not. If you don’t want to get caught up in those waiting times, an MCA is the best option. Funds from an MCA could reach your account the same day as your application is submitted!

Works Despite Credit Score

There are cases when businesses are in a stable situation and may have a poor credit score. In such cases, qualifying for a loan is impossible as banks want a surety that you are a viable candidate for receiving money. A history of bad credit is a red flag that tells a bank you won’t be able to repay the loan. An MCA gives you a much reliable alternative for cases where credit scores are low. There will be some things that will change but you will still be entitled to receive a cash advance!

No Restrictions

With bank loans, there are a ton of rules and regulations that restrict you from spending your money on certain places. With an MCA, there’s no such limitations. You’re free to invest your advance into anything as long as it helps in the growth of your business. An MCA can help elevate your operation to new heights with greater flexibility and opportunities. If you’d like to learn more about obtaining a merchant cash advance for your business, 2M7 Financial Solutions is here to help. We offer merchant cash advances to businesses in all industries and of all sizes. Gain an edge over your competition and contact us today.