Learn about funding options and insurance for contractors
As a contractor, completing a construction project can be very expensive. In fact, this business is often referred to as a feast or famine business. Many clients will pay for the job once it’s completed or after completing a milestone. That means your business will have to pay for every expense out of its own bank account to reach each milestone. However, you can minimize how deep you dive into your pocket with the help of a proper financing plan. This is usually the best way of undertaking a project, as many successful contracting companies will say.
Project disputes in construction are a much more common problem than many might think. The worst part is that they can lead to additional trouble for your workflow and sometimes even put the entire project in danger.
The good news is that as technology progresses, it gradually becomes easier for building teams to identify potential problems before they turn into a serious bottleneck for the development of your project.
Of course, there is still plenty of room for improvement, but digital solutions have made it much easier for stakeholders to stay on top of their tasks and make sure that everything progresses as it should be.
On top of that, relying on construction software to resolve any disagreements that might emerge in the course of the project, from start to completion, can boost transparency and accountability between the numerous agents involved.
Why construction businesses need funding
Good communication between the numerous members of the project is key, like a discussion on the importance of having a contractors insurance. The better a construction site is connected to the back office, the fewer disputes will arise. A digital tool can help through mobile field reporting and real-time updates.
Why construction businesses need funding
There are several reasons why it is better for your construction business to seek funding rather than pay for the work itself. Here are some to consider the next time your company lands a job.
Pay for expenses and working capital
Every project will have direct costs that include paying wages, insurance costs, and materials. When you’re handling a large project, the expenses can be quite high, especially for a smaller company. Nevertheless, the job must get done, and this can have a serious strain on the company’s cash flow since most payments for jobs do not come upfront. On a company’s account records, the payment will be listed as accounts receivable, but that won’t provide the immediate cash needed to buy materials and pay regular wages. To avoid any negative impact on the cash flow that may disable operations, seek funding to provide the immediate cash needed for expenses.
Protect your business from slow seasons
As mentioned before, the construction business is heavily dependent on the season, and business can swing in or against your favor. For instance, a recession makes jobs scarce, but so can other factors such as weather, location, etc. Because of this nature of the business, it is never advisable to commit too much of the company’s resources into a project when expected payment may be a long way down the road. With funding, though, your company can always weather tough seasons because there will always be a bit more fuel left in the tank for other projects.
Purchasing equipment
While a company will usually be able to cover the high cost associated with buying construction equipment and/or vehicles. This is when financing comes in handy to help with the purchase of these assets without taking a huge toll on cash flow. Instead of paying for the asset upfront, equipment financing helps to spread out the cost of the equipment over a longer period of time.
Best funding programs for contractors
Both lenders and contractors understand the need for funding, so the two make a perfect match. Lenders have therefore made various construction business loans available to contractors, and these are some you can check out.
Unsecured business loans
Getting a business loan from a bank can be very difficult because of the high requirements and time it takes before approval. Small construction companies have an even tougher time because lenders are wary of the inconsistent nature of the business. Unsecured business loans are meant to reduce the hurdles businesses go through by eliminating the need for collateral. To qualify for this funding option, your company needs only to have been in business for more than six months and have made at least $10,000 in monthly sales during that time. Lenders will then analyze cash flow and revenue based on these factors to determine how much to lend your business.
Line of credit
Unlike a business loan, a line of credit works on a revolving credit. Revolving credit is much like a credit card because a lump sum is not deposited into the business bank account. Instead, your business will receive a maximum approval amount that can be requested at any time. When a need arises, your business can request the required amount, and it will be deposited into the business bank account.
The advantage of a line of credit over a business loan is that your business only requests and pays for what it needs. In this way, you will not have to pay back the funds granted with interest that you didn’t need. Furthermore, the repayment period can be between 6 and 12 months as the project requires.
Invoice factoring
This basically refers to the selling of your business’ accounts receivable to a factor. For example, a company may have invoiced its customer $20,000 and is expected to be paid in 60 days. The company might have an urgent need for cash for expenses and thus sells the accounts receivable to a factor, which funds the company with, say, 80% of the invoice amount. Once the customer pays the invoice, the factor received the payment, subtracts its costs, and sends the rest to the company’s account.
Many businesses prefer invoice factoring for funding because it receives immediate cash for expenses and other needs. Furthermore, the factor takes the responsibility of collecting the payment from the customer, which helps to ensure prompt payment.
Equipment financing
Usually, equipment is used as collateral by lenders before providing funding to a company. Equipment financing is unique because the lender provides funding for equipment, and the equipment itself is used as collateral. This is possible through an ECC filing that collateralizes the equipment being financed. Compared to equipment leasing, this form of funding leaves the asset in the possession of the company to be used even after the loan is paid off.
