The advantages of leasing

How can you arrange for the financing of your company resources? Your own bank may not want to help you. If that happens, it is good to know a party who shows you the way in the sometimes unfamiliar world of financing, so that your investment can still be realised. 

With matchmakers Berthold Spaans and Arjen Schep of Leasecontrol, you get knowledge and experience in the area of financing in house. 

Berthold and Arjen have been active in the financial world for many years and in different sectors, mainly for SMEs. "The SME sector doesn't always have the luxury to gain in-depth information about all the different financing options. Their focus is often aimed at their core business. You can see us as an extra pair of helping hands that are needed to set up the funding of a project. Because that is our core business. Aside from that, we are still broadening and deepening our knowledge which we like to share with our clients."

Business plan

One of the traps that you might fall into as an entrepreneur is the writing of a business plan. "The templates offered by banks and the Chamber of Commerce are often very extensive. The results of many hours of work is basically a book, and it remains to be seen whether it will be read. Our template consists of just two pages and focuses on the essential information: Who am I, where do I come from, where do I want to go, and only the actually relevant figures", says Berthold.

Our clients have sometimes become demotivated because they are shackled to their principle banker, Berthold explains from experience. "Banks work with covenants, with strict agreements about solvability and liquidity, and they have to comply with strict standards. A bank also often demands a lot of securities. These can be in the form of a lien on the receivables portfolio, on the inventory, or a mortgage on the company premises. This also means that banks cannot always offer the financial scope that a company needs to invest in a new machine or even a whole production line. Such obstacles can make it difficult to set your own course, and then what can you do when the investment is crucial to develop your business?" 

Arjen continues: "If that is the case, leasing can be a solution. The lease company purchases the machine and makes it available to the company based on a lease contract. Usually, there are no additional securities necessary. Strictly speaking, leasing is a form of renting. Because you are not the owner of the machine, it is also not on the balance sheet. And that can be a benefit. Another advantage is the speed by which the transaction can be completed". 

Work method

The client requests the quotations from the suppliers of the desired machine (line). Leasecontrol assesses which lease company would be the best fit for the commission and acts as an intermediary between client and supplier. "We are flexible and focus on what the entrepreneur wants", says Arjen. Berthold adds: "The fun part of this job is that we also go out and visit the companies, so we know what is at stake and we are much more involved. Entrepreneurs want to be up to date, with a state-of-the-art machine park, come what may."

www.leasecontrol.nl

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