We would like to introduce you to a lovely man called George. George is 34 years old, has a dog called Benji, and runs his own digital marketing company.
George is planning to fit out his business offices to give his team a modern working environment that promotes collaboration and flexibility, and that enables them to host client meetings with pride.
George has already spoken with a finance broker and decided not to pay for his office fit out in cash, but to spread the cost over three years via a finance deal. This means that he will keep cash in the business to invest elsewhere and will also unlock some tax benefits he would not otherwise have received.
So far so good, but last night George could not switch off to sleep, and this time it was not because Benji was snoring.
Had he chosen the right finance deal?
Could he be getting better value for money elsewhere?
He had only compared interest rates when choosing a provider… what else should he have been looking for when choosing the best finance solution for his business?
Don’t be like George.
Make sure you read this article on comparing asset finance deals before you make your choice.
How to compare asset finance deals
When comparing asset finance it is important to consider several elements of the deals on offer, as a rate versus rate comparison should never be relied on in isolation.
For example, there will be key differences between the type of facility (e.g. finance lease, hire purchase, operating/residual value lease), the term (or length) of the agreement, any deposit requirements, the profile of the payments, additional fees and benefits such as tax savings.
Undoubtedly trying to get to grips with your finance quote can be a daunting process, even for those who have some experience but, luckily, we’ve been doing just that for over 25 years and are happy to share some of our knowledge. Here are just a few tips and pointers to help you get a true comparison.
Using Your Own Bank
Naturally many businesses rely on their primary bank and understandably turn to them for help with other funding requirements. Recent surveys suggest that more than 80% of SMEs rely exclusively on their main bank for all their financing needs and most cite either lack of awareness of alternative finance products, or access to them, as the main reasons for doing so.
In fairness, High Street banks are generally not experts in asset finance and often rely on specialist and centralised divisions. The most common complaint we hear from our customers about the performance of their banks when they do enquire about asset finance, or other alternative products, is the sheer amount of time it takes to get any form of answer. This might be fine if you’re under no time constraints, but most businesses aren’t that fortunate, and delays can be very costly.
The main points to consider should you seek the help of your bank are:
FACILITY TYPE
Check that you know what you are being offered. Very often a loan or hire purchase (HP) product are the default which might not provide you with the optimum outcome, especially with regards to tax benefits.
FACILITY SCOPE
Often the facility will be limited to just the assets alone and will exclude any additional intangible costs such as labour and fees. Using a specialist, such as Bluestone Leasing, you can often achieve 100% project cost funding.
SECURITY
Often bank facilities require security, typically in the form of guarantees or otherwise. It is noteworthy that over 80% of the facilities that we arrange are on a totally unsecured basis even for relatively ‘weak’ (i.e. those will little or no residual value) assets.
RISK
Bank facilities are very typically offered on a rescindable basis with a foreclosure clause as standard. That means that you are at risk should the bank ever decide to call in the debt at any point which they are entitled to do without explanation or notice. In practice this would mean having to pay the full outstanding balance on demand. By comparison, all our facilities are free of this encumbrance – as long as you make the regular repayments, the agreements are never rescindable.
Using other asset finance providers
There are many providers out there, not just your own bank, who can help you with asset finance and other alternative products.
Once you’ve chosen a partner, and especially if you are looking at more than one offer, you will still need to make sure that you are getting best value. There is no standard way that businesses in the sector present their finance quotations – some might provide a wealth of information and others are little more than the headline rate. There are a few basic elements to make sure you are clear on if you want to fully understand any offer of asset finance and be able to compare it to another.
IS THERE A DEPOSIT OR UPFRONT PAYMENT?
Although it is normal to pay 1-3 payments upfront, larger deposits can artificially make the repayments look low. An easy way to avoid this is to calculate the total cost of any facility by adding together the standard repayments along with any deposit and indeed any other fees.
For example, one quote (quote A) gives you a monthly repayment of £100 over three years whilst an alternative provider (quote B) offers you £120/month over the same period.
On face value quote A is the best value until you discover that quote A requires a £1,000 deposit whereas quote B has no deposit requirement. Total repayments for quote A is actually £4,600 (£100 x 36 + £1,000) whereas quote B is only £4,320 (£120 x 36).
WHAT ARE THE FEES?
Again, although arrangement fees and documentation fees are the norm, make sure you know what they are beforehand and see how they compare to any other offer you may have. Add them into your calculation for the total cost. You can also usually expect a small (£20-50/year) administration fee charged by the funder to cover customer support costs (e.g. replacement/copy documentation) during the term of the agreement.
WHAT IS THE PROFILE?
The profile is normally expressed as the first payment followed by the normal payments thereafter. For example, a five year agreement paid monthly could be offered as a 1+59 (one payment followed by 59 further monthly payments) or 3+57 (three payments upfront followed by 57 monthly payments) profile.
Our advice is to be suspicious of unusual profiles, especially ones which artificially look to be better than they are. For instance, if you are offered, on paper, a five-year agreement but the profile is 3+59, you are actually paying the equivalent of five years and two months. The monthly amount may look lower a result but will not be so attractive when you compare the total amount paid to an equivalent true 60-month agreement.
IS IT APPROVED?
There is a world of difference between a quote for finance and an actual approval with funds secured. Make sure that you know what you have been presented with and get confirmation in writing. Professional providers will generally send you a formal confirmation when finance is approved and you don’t want to find that the figures have changed only when the documents arrive for signature.
ANY CONDITIONS?
Sometimes finance approvals are subject to conditions from the funder who has underwritten the facility – this might include anything from simple provision of regular management information through to personal guarantees and other security. Ensure that you have been advised of these conditions upfront before you commit.
WHAT HAPPENS AT THE END OF THE DEAL?
Depending on the type of agreement that you’ve entered into, you might have a range of options at the end of the agreement. If your agreement is fixed term, it will come to an end at the end of agreed period, known as the primary term, whereas a minimum term agreement will continue after the primary term unless you instruct the funder otherwise, giving them suitable notice as set out in your agreement.
You might want to give the assets back to the funder or pay a final fee to keep them thereafter forever. If you know what you will want to do at the beginning of the agreement, you can even get that put into writing with the funder upfront to prevent any confusion at the end.
How to get the right finance solution for your business
The best asset finance deals are those that are tailored to your unique business and projects, and that is what we specialise in at Bluestone Leasing. In the future, George will be taking the time to review all his asset finance options and ensure that he is comparing like for like deals. That way, George’s business will have the best shot at financial growth, and he and Benji will sleep soundly at night.
If you are planning to invest in assets or expansion in your business in the near future and would like to spread the cost, keep cash in the business, and potentially unlock significant tax benefits, a bespoke finance solution could make that happen.
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