exeter finance

Trucks, trailers or any other commercial vehicles are important business assets required in the normal day-to-day running of your business operations. As a business owner, you are constantly faced with a number of critical decisions, whereby you have to decide – what is best for your business. So, if you are a business owner you should carefully consider a number of important factors when it is time to get a new truck, trailer or any other commercial vehicle, such as having:

1. The right truck that will help to keep your business competitive

2. The right truck for the work required and at the right price

3. The right finance arrangement to buy a truck

Different Types of Truck, Trailer or Commercial Vehicle

Business owners can buy any of the following vehicles:

>> New Truck

>> Refrigerated Lorry

>> Trailer

>> Tipper, or

>> Transporter (light or heavy)

Factors to consider before buying New Truck, Trailer or Commercial Vehicle

There are a number of factors you should take time to consider when buying a vehicle, and you should ask yourself the following questions:

>> Is the truck, trailer or commercial vehicle new or used?

>> Is the truck, trailer or commercial vehicle coming from a dealer, auction, or private sale?

>> Has the truck, trailer or commercial vehicle been previously written-off?

>> How many hours has the truck recorded?

>> Is there any money owing on the truck, trailer or commercial vehicle?

>> Are you considering drawing down from your home loan (e.g. equity release) to give you the required cash to buy your truck, trailer or commercial vehicle?

Finance Arrangement

Listed here is a brief summary of the types of finance arrangements available in the market place, and after you have read this article you should find choosing the right finance arrangement to be the simplest decision you will make:

Finance Lease – This financing arrangement enables you (the customer) to have the use of your truck, trailer or any other commercial vehicle and the benefits of ownership, while the financier (lender) retains actual ownership. The finance lease arrangement will also enable you to free-up your capital for other business purposes.

Commercial Hire Purchase – This financing arrangement is where you (the customer) hire the truck, trailer or any other commercial vehicle from the financier (lender). You have the certainty of a fixed interest rate over a set period (I.e. 2 to 5 years) and the flexibility of reduced monthly payments by including a final “balloon” payment at the end of the term.

Asset Loan – This financing arrangement gives you (the customer) the security of knowing that your truck, trailer or any other commercial vehicle is an asset of your business and it offers you the certainty of a fixed interest rate, over the choice of loan terms (I.e. 1 to 5 years).

Seek Expert Advice

I sincerely recommend that you should seek expert advice before choosing any of the truck finance arrangements because, the taxation and accounting treatments you choose may vary from option to option.

If you want to remain in the driver’s seat and concentrate on running your business so that you can cover your costs, overheads and running expenses, then look no further and take advantage of professionally qualified and specialised finance brokers, because:

>> They have a thorough knowledge of the finance and trucking industry

>> They have access to many lenders/credit providers as they deal with them on a regular daily basis

>> They can customise the best truck finance arrangement for you

>> They can get you into a new truck quickly and easily

So, if you don’t want to spend hours of your valuable time trying to find the right truck finance arrangement, then let a specialised and professionally qualified finance broker do the running around for you.

While studies show that technology spending is once again on the rise, there’s a reason you haven’t heard a collective sigh of relief from the software industry. While many budgets are once again allowing for the purchase of enterprise software, hardware and peripherals, there’s no question that today’s purchasers are smarter, savvier and more selective than ever.

Even though the purse strings have loosened, competition is at an all-time high. It’s no longer enough to provide a software solution that meets the potential customer’s needs, or even to provide it at the best price. Today, smart vendors are constantly looking for ways to stay one step ahead of the competition.

While increasing sales is always part of a competitive business strategy, software development companies often overlook a simple method of accomplishing this objective – making it easier for customers to buy.

One option increasing in popularity among software vendors is to establish a customized finance program that provides no-hassle financing solutions for your prospective clients. In addition to “one-stop shopping,” your customers can reap the other benefits of financing that make it easier for them to commit to technology purchases, including:

100 percent financing — Many finance companies offer 100 percent financing for the cost of software and maintenance contracts, which requires no down payment. Because customers don’t have to come up with a down payment, they can make a purchase immediately, rather than hold up the sale with a “wait and see” mentality that often accompanies a dip into cash reserves. It also allows your customers to invest more capital in revenue-generating activities.

Improved cash flow management – With software financing, your customers can conserve capital for reinvesting in their business and improve budgeting accuracy through fixed monthly payments. Financing also makes it easy for customers to access multiple-year budgets by paying for the benefit of your software over its useful life.

Flexible payment structures – Customers can optimize project budgets by taking advantage of the flexible payment structures available through financing to maximize the return on their investment. For example, with software financing, customers can ramp up payments to match the revenue generation of a new technology project that is utilizing the software being financed.

While financing provides a clear advantage for the buyer, when a program is well planned, the list of advantages for software developers, distributors and resellers can be even more beneficial.

Improved Customer Relations

As noted above, financing packages add value for the customer by enhancing their buying power, offering greater flexibility and providing convenience. It also increases their satisfaction through the ability to leverage their budget to acquire the total technology solution – which could include software, hardware, service, support, integration and training – rather than only the parts and pieces they could afford through an outright purchase.

Shorter Sales Cycles

On the sales side, any customer who expresses some interest in a product seems like a good lead. However, there are many times when the question of how to pay for the new software prevents the sale from happening. Time lost on dead-end deals can be eliminated when financing is part of the sale, as the ability to pay is immediately considered in the equation. In addition, many finance companies now offer fast, easy credit and documentation processes, so you can complete a sale quickly and avoid costly processing delays.

Another benefit is that as software needs are being discussed in the sales process, the finance specialist can work with the chief financial officer or accountant to determine which financing option and payment plan best suits business needs and cash flow.

Direct customer financing can also save software vendors millions of dollars each year by reducing the number of days a sale is outstanding. Consider a company with quarterly cash sales of $50 million. On average, it can take 45 days to collect payment. Assuming a borrowing rate of 6 percent, the 45-day lag in payment results in a carrying cost of $371,204. If the same numbers are run with a leasing finance program that generates payment within 2 days, the carrying cost drops $82,253, saving the company more than $288,951 in one business quarter.