Cash Flow Tips for the Service Industry

Prioritizing cash flow strategies should always be on your mind when outlining an effective business plan, especially if you’re a small or medium-sized enterprise. Why? Your cash flow actually shows you the amount of money moving within your business rather than what you’re waiting for via accounts receivable.

Following a business plan which focuses on cash flow has the advantage of letting you know the exact dates that money will be moving in and out of your account. Knowing these dates is imperative to crafting an effective business plan and handling your expenses. If your cash flow is positive, then you’re making more than you’re spending; the opposite is true for a negative cash flow. Consider the ways in which this affects your business – does your equipment require maintenance? Do loans need to be repaid? Can you cover payroll? All of these variables depend on maintaining a positive cash flow. That’s why we’re outlining some strategies to help you do just that.

Projections

The first step you can take in maintaining a healthy cash flow involves mapping projections. Preparing cash flow projections for the coming month, quarter, or year inside of accounting software (or even a spreadsheet) will help you keep track of your inflows and outflows. This will let you know whether you’re in the red or the black, and if you can afford to take on any risky expenditures.

Profits

Analyzing the profitability of your products and services is another key process that will help you increase cash flow as you decrease expenditures on low-selling variables. If your profitability isn’t what it should be, then you could consider analyzing your prices. Adjusting your prices and checking for consumer feedback can be potentially rewarding when it comes to maximizing revenue.

Payments

Increasing the speed of your cash inflows is another strategy to influence your cash flow. To do this, focus on sending out your invoices more quickly and see if your clients are willing to pay electronically to speed up the process. You could even charge interest on slow payments, but it’s up to you whether this is right for your business. If you’re having trouble maintaining a steady cash inflow, then charging interest and potentially scaring away clients may be too much of a risk. However, it could be the right choice to ensure speedy payment if that’s something you’re lacking.

Paying Attention

Speaking of invoices, paying close attention to your accounts receivables by tracking what you’re owed, collecting payments in a timely manner, and determining who is past due will help you increase cash flow. If you’re not on top of these things, then it can seem like you have less cash available than you should. If after checking these aspects you do find yourself in a position with less cash on hand, then consider any expenditures that could be lessened. For example, you could start with your equipment – try leasing any expensive equipment rather than purchasing it. In the short term, this is an effective way to lessen financial stress on your business. It’s also worth considering that equipment leases can qualify you for helpful tax credits.

Invoice factoring is another method you have at your disposal, if you need invoices turned into cash fast. Here at J D Factors, we can walk you through the process and help your business develop the strategies necessary to sustain a healthy cash flow.

Essential Partnerships That Will Propel Your Trucking Company Forward

The trucking industry is a low margin industry. When things go wrong, you need strong relationships to draw on (not to mention a healthy cash flow) in order to make corrections. Ideally, when you foster the best relationships, you won’t hit as many stumbling blocks. Which is a good thing because errors and issues can be expensive. Here are some of the essential partnerships that will propel your trucking company forward.

Your Mechanic

You cannot afford to have trucks waiting on repairs or having reliability issues on the road. While larger trucking companies may have their own mechanics, chances are if you are starting out you will hire an outside professional. The skill and availability of your mechanic will determine how soon you can get your equipment back on the road. And it should be more affordable to bring your equipment in to this mechanic (when possible) rather than get repairs or maintenance on the road. Look for a local, independent mechanic or a shop with experience serving the trucking industry.  

Your Invoice Factoring Company

The benefits of factoring for trucking companies are huge. Getting your cash in immediately after a load is completed helps you fund the next portion of your trip. Factoring can help you deadhead for longer to get a better load, invest in equipment to help you grow your fleet and even make sure you have enough cash for a down payment. But does your invoice factoring company offer you everything it should? In trucking, bad debt can sink businesses. Consider nonrecourse factoring, a process in which your invoice factoring company may cover your customer’s bad debt.

Your Drivers and General Manager

It might be odd to think of your staff as “partners” but taking that mentality will help you get the most from them. It’s true that drivers on the road have great insights into which loads might be a better fit for your business. And, when you have a strong general manager, you can worry less about how your drivers are managing their time.

Your Customers

Your relationship with your customers matters a great deal. You want repeat business from them, and for them to spread word of how reliable your business is. When managing your customer relationships, always consider if it is in your best interests to be working with them. Larger companies may help boost your reputation, but they also tend to pay slower, and waiting for their payment can create cash flow problems (unless you’re factoring).

Your Equipment Dealer

Especially when you’re buying used, having a strong relationship with the company you’re buying or renting equipment from is a huge advantage. When their salespeople will keep an eye out for the specific equipment you’re looking for, offer you better prices on things you’d like to purchase, or just help you make better overall equipment decisions, you’ll come out ahead. Remember that it is a big trap in trucking to get in over your head with debt for new equipment. Ideally, your dealer will help you assess how much you could actually benefit from a new purchase instead of focusing on what a sale means for them.

Interested in developing a new relationship to benefit your trucking business? Reach out to J D Factors to discuss your options for factoring.

Solving Supply Chain Issues in the Transportation Industry

Recent, heavy demands on the supply chain have caused issues that are affecting almost everyone, especially members of the supply chain itself. Transportation companies, freight businesses, and commercial fleets are being hit hardest and may be taking serious financial hits as a result. At J D Factors, we can show you how to roll with the punches without the debt.

Increase Financial Stability

The key to financial stability is maintaining a steady inflow of working capital. So that even if interest rates or loan payments continue rising, you’ll be able to sustain your business operations. One way to increase your working capital involves the payment schedules of your invoices. The typical payment windows for an invoice issued by a transportation company is 30 or 60 days. Sometimes businesses even offer 90-day payment windows. These lengthy waiting periods mean that you’re not generating revenue as quickly as you’re actually able to.

During the current supply chain crisis, you want to receive your revenue as soon as possible by removing these wait times. That’s why many transportation companies are using accounts receivable factoring to gain access to their revenue more quickly.

With factoring, any unpaid invoices are turned into cash and quickly made available. This is a fast, simple process that lets you access unpaid receivables while increasing cash flow. Factoring also eliminates long payment windows! The consistent working capital received from factoring will help you survive the uncertainty of the supply chain and other economic factors. With over 30 years of experience J D Factors understands the needs of those in the transportation industry and we’re prepared to walk you through the type of receivable factoring that will make you feel confident in the face of today’s economic environment.

Promote Growth and Efficiency

This doesn’t mean that factoring is only for struggling businesses, rather, factoring is utilized by many flourishing organizations to promote growth and increase operational efficiency. The stable cash flow stimulated by factoring further increases your control as you can spend less time worrying about invoices and more time making the critical decisions that separate you from your competitors.

If you’re still hesitant to pursue factoring, you should know that not all of your invoices need to be factored! Together, we can decide how many invoices you’d like factored and the priority of each. With heavy supply chain demands, invoice factoring offers a lifeline of stability to companies within the transportation industry. Give our team a call to learn more.

Are These Factoring Myths Hurting Your Business?

 Some of the businesses which would most benefit from invoice factoring avoid it as a funding source because of common misnomers. The result is that these business owners turn to more expensive and less advantageous funding sources. 

It could be very important for your business to consider factoring! We'll assess the most common myths about invoice factoring so that you can make a better assessment as to whether it is a strong option for your business.

1. You Have to Factor All of Your Invoices

When you work with a factoring company, you agree upfront which of your invoices you’d like to factor and which you do not. While some factoring companies will only agree to work with you if you factor all of your invoices, others are more flexible. This is a term that is up for negotiation, and not set in stone.

2. You Have to Pay Factoring Fees Upfront

You pay a fee for factoring, and it is usually a percentage of the total invoice. You don’t need to pay this fee before you submit an invoice. Instead, the factoring company takes their fee out when they send you the money for your invoice. This means that you only pay it when you have cash or, more accurately, when you get cash.  Indeed, the factoring company doesn’t make any money until they actually collect payment on the invoice.

3. Factoring is More Expensive than Bank Financing

While some bank financing options could be more affordable than factoring, you shouldn’t assume that factoring is necessarily more expensive. Bank financing could end up costing you more down the road, especially if you’re getting large loans with long terms and/or high interest rates. The potential that factoring can limitlessly grow alongside you also trumps the potentially crippling wait for bank financing increases. With factoring, you don’t have to miss out on opportunities waylaid by bank financing because factoring focuses on the credit of your customers rather than your own personal credit. Most factoring companies also work much more quickly than banks, so you'll get the financing and related paperwork approved much faster. This is critical because we all know that time is money! Work out the numbers for yourself to discover which is the more affordable option for you.

4. Your Business/You Probably Won’t Qualify

Your personal credit might matter much less than you think when you’re applying for factoring. Your business’ financial state may also matter less than you think. Most incorporated businesses and especially most B2B companies will qualify for invoice factoring. That’s no guarantee, but it is certainly worth looking into instead of assuming you will not qualify.  

5. You Can No Longer Choose Your Clients

You worked hard to make a business where you’re in control, and you don’t want to make any decisions to undermine that. Many business owners worry that the factoring company will have undue influence in their business. The most control a factoring company can exert is saying that they are unwilling to factor invoices from a certain client. You can still work with that client.

In fact, most business owners find that with a stable cash flow from factoring, they actually feel more control in their business and better positioned to make the critical decisions that they need to.

6. Factoring is Only for Struggling Businesses

It’s true that many struggling businesses turn to factoring to bolster their business and survive hard times. It's also true that many successful businesses also turn to factoring to help them grow, function more efficiently, and achieve their goals.

Do you want more factoring facts? Reach out to JD Factors today to discuss if invoice factoring is the right option for your business. 

Tips to Hire and Keep the Right Drivers

Businesses in the transportation industry and those that operate fleet vehicles are struggling to find qualified drivers. Keeping the qualified drivers that you do employ can also be a challenge, but it's an important one to manage. Low driver turnover will lower your hiring and training costs which helps reduce your operating costs. 

Even in the face of a labour shortage there are things you can do to hire more drivers and keep them, too. Here are our tips:

Offer Referral Bonuses

Your current drivers likely know other drivers. Plus, the connection between them means they may both be more likely to stay with the company. Motivate your employees to refer friends and family with a bonus.

Post to Multiple Platforms

Most people find jobs online, but you can’t be sure which platform your perfect driver is looking at. To increase your odds of success post to all of the online job platforms that people use in your area – LinkedIn and Indeed are good starts.

Offer Training Support

Sometimes your ideal truck driver isn’t a driver yet. You may have much more success when bringing people into the job and covering some or all of their costs for any government-mandated licensing or training programs.

Of course, you should also be conducting your own training for new drivers. Ensure this training is designed to create bonds within the company, which will help your new truck drivers transition to work more effectively.

On-Boarding Clarity

Different businesses have different policies for compensation, scheduling, and routes, all things drivers care a lot about. You can keep more drivers if they understand all of the relevant details of their job up front and agree to them, rather than being surprised and discouraged later on. Things you should be very clear about include:

• Routes, scheduling, and time at home
• Compensation including paid time off and benefits
• Specific relationship, as an employee not a contractor
• Specific vehicle or other equipment they will operate

·       You may find a few people do not agree to the employment after a very frank conversation about the position, but these are people who would not have stayed with your company anyway. Now you avoid the cost of losing them and can pick another candidate.

Work Quality

A few different factors of a driver’s work can encourage them to sign on with your company and to stay. Offering them more guaranteed “at home” time is a great way to ensure they stay motivated when they are driving. Ensuring that dispatchers cultivate a good relationship with the drivers can also help them have a positive attitude about work.

Compensation

One of the best ways to attract better drivers and keep them is simply to offer them more financial compensation. This includes a larger hurly rate or salary, as well as other financial benefits such as more paid vacation and sick time and better health benefits. You can also motivate drivers with bonuses for safe driving or for bonuses for being with the company for a certain period of time. 

Payroll Tips

For transportation companies, cash flow can be a problem and it can impact your ability to keep the best employees. Inconsistent and poor pay will reduce your ability to hire and keep the best drivers. You can use invoice factoring to get healthier cash flow and thereby provide better compensation to your drivers. Reach out to the team at J D Factors today to discuss how invoice factoring can improve your payroll and cashflow and reduce employee turnover.  

Tax Considerations for the Transportation Industry

The transportation industry works on thin margins, so every little tax break that owners and operators can get will help. For owners, consider making your drivers aware of the tax deductions they can receive just by driving. Helping your team make the most of their pay will be appreciated and will help you retain the best drivers. 

There are also decisions you can make as the owner of a transportation company to help your business get through tax time with strong cash flow. That is, if you are an independent business and not a PSB. Discover our tax tips for the 2021 tax year below.

Tax Deductions for Drivers

Those who are employees driving a truck for a company, or those who work in the transportation industry and do the transportation (like a crewmate on a ship or a stewardess on a plane) can deduct a large portion of their work expenses from their taxes. Those expenses may include:

• Up to 50% of meal expenses
• Up to 50% of hotel or lodging expenses
• Up to 50% of showering services (even if you're sleeping in your cab)
• Some of the tools or supplies that you purchase
• A portion of a business phone bill.

Part of your pandemic tax advice to employees could be a list of the relevant expenses they should be deducting.

Are you a PSB?

Drivers who are incorporated may not necessarily need to file as an incorporated business. According to the Canada Revenue Agency, those drivers who have incorporated, but who actually act as an employee of one business, must file as a Personal Services Business (PSB).

You may be a PSB/employee and not an independent business if you:

• Work for only one "client" company
• Do not own your truck or other tools
• Do not choose your own hauls or hours.

It is very important to get tax advice about whether you are a PSB or not as there are many tax implications to this nuance.

Tips for Owner-Operators

For owner-operators, tax season may be very stressful as a large bill comes due. Especially during the volatility of a pandemic year, you may not have been able to set aside the funds you need to cover your tax burden.

Factoring is a great solution for those who find their business struggles to afford tax time. With invoice factoring, you receive the money for your invoices as soon as you send them, from your factoring company, which handles getting the payments from your clients.

Some factoring companies may even set aside some of that money on your behalf, for taxes. J D Factors can assist you in this regard and if you would like us to start holding funds in trust to make sure you can a monthly tax payment, we are happy to do this in order to keep you on track.

Invoice factoring is a huge benefit at tax time because it allows you to have a much stronger cash flow, so you can afford to invest where you need and put aside funds too. It can be challenging for your cash flow to absorb quarterly estimated payments that you have to remit in advance. You can change that with factoring for SMEs. Reach out to J D Factors today to discuss if your transportation business is right for invoice factoring.

Cash Flow Tips in Times of Inflation

In Canada, inflation is creating some instability for businesses. Your suppliers may be set to raise prices, your clients or customers may be intent on spending less, and you may not be sure how to handle your own pricing scheme. One way to better ensure you weather an inflation storm is to focus on your cash flow. 

Between increased costs and lowered sales, some businesses will find themselves remarkably low on cash, potentially to the point of significantly impacting their ability to meet operating costs and stay afloat. How do you protect your working capital? Here are some cash flow tips specifically for times of high inflation.

1. Stop Extending Credit

Extending credit to your customers when inflation is minimal may make financial sense. However, as inflation rises steeply, the cost of that credit is amplified. What might have cost you $100 to deliver this month may cost you $120 to deliver the next. The money your customer is giving you a few months down the road is dramatically less valuable than the money you could get from them at the time you rendered your services. Of course, you’ll always have some delay between fulfillment and payment, but this delay is more disadvantageous during times of high inflation. Stop extending credit and create new policies or invest in new technologies that can encourage clients to pay you as quickly as possible.

In addition, you also should consider the possibility that your clients will be overwhelmed by inflation themselves and may not be able to pay you. Avoid bad debt and stress on your business by denying credit moving forward.

2. Increase Inventory - Wisely

Your supplies and inventory cost less today than they will tomorrow. Where your supplies or goods are shelf stable, you may consider purchasing and storing more, especially if you expect inflation to continue to rise. It is most wise to do this for core products or supplies that you are sure you will be able to sell. Stocking up on products that may decline in demand can leave you with inventory you can’t sell and further undermine the stability of your business. Stocking up on solid inventory can be a hit to your cash flow now but can make it much healthier down the road.

3. Understand the Risks of Loans

When you’re struggling to keep your cash flow healthy, a loan may seem like a good option. And, it can be, but the value of a loan is diminished during times of high inflation. By and large, loan rates increase during periods of inflation. If you have fixed rates for any loans or lines of credit you have then you don’t have to rush to pay them off. However, taking on new or having variable rate loans can be detrimental to your business.

4. Explore Invoice Factoring Options

Invoice factoring is a wiser way to achieve a healthier cash flow. In this arrangement, you send your invoices to a factoring company which pays them immediately, and then secures payment from your clients or customers. You get the benefit of your cash right away, which is essential as any delay in time means the value of your money is reduced. Your factoring company can even shield you from bad debt in what is known as non-recourse factoring, which is highly beneficial in times of high inflation. Whether you're looking for cash to increase inventory, hire, or otherwise invest in your business, factoring is an option worth considering.

Reach out to J D Factors to discuss how invoice factoring can help your business have healthier cash flow.