Personal Finance, Loans & Insurance

Any particular organization requires an asset to have a smooth running of its business. Without it, production will stop and it will lead to loss. At any point of time the company may have to face a situation where in a new asset is required but it does not want to put pressure on the dwindling finances. It can also be that the asset or equipment is required for short time duration and procuring it is not a viable option. In that case, the companies can opt for asset finance leasing.

Asset Finance Leasing is a way through a company can have access to the assets without procuring it. By resorting to this option the company or organization can utilize the assets without spending any cash from its own resources.

Companies who are looking for this process can have two readily available options. The options are direct lease and sell and lease back. Under the option of direct lease the company identifies the particular asset which can be new or pre owned, as per the requirement of the job. Then in turn the company will ask a leasing company to buy the required equipment from its manufacturer or owner. After the leasing company had bought it, it will lease the equipment as per the terms and conditions.

On the other hand, under sale and lease back option, the company will sell the particular asset to the leasing company and they in turn will lease the equipment back to the company. It is to be remembered that in both the cases, it is the leasing company who owns the asset. However, the company has also the provision of having a hire purchase agreement with the lending authority and can get back the asset by clearing all the payments.

This type of leasing is preferable when the company wants to utilize the asset to enhance the production on a short term basis. Other wise it is better to avail a loan and then purchase. The company opting for asset finance leasing must try to understand the various aspects of the leasing company before opting for it.

When it comes to financing new equipment, leasing can be the solution.

Leasing Explained

Leasing consists on hiring an asset which remains the property of the lender but can be used by the borrower. The contract lasts for a certain time at the end of which the borrower has the option to buy the asset by paying a lump sum (usually a

small percentage of the asset’s value). If he chooses not to do so, the contract ends or it can be renewed by replacing the leased asset with a new one. It’s widely used for cars and business equipment.

Benefits of Leasing Equipment

Leasing equipment has many benefits; it combines the advantages of renting equipment with those of possession by means of loan financing. Furthermore, the main advantage leasing provides is flexibility. Due to it’s mixed nature, most terms are subject to negotiation.

No Money Down

When buying equipment you need either to put money down or request a loan in order to purchase the equipment. When you lease, you pay monthly installments and get immediate tenure. It’s just like if you were renting the equipment only you’ll be able to acquire it if you want to at a later occasion.

Tax Benefits

When you purchase equipment, it adds up to your taxable assets. If you requested a loan in order to pay for it, you can deduct the costs, but the equipment remains your property. When Leasing, you only hold possession of the equipment, it remains property of the lender and thus, you can deduct the monthly payments and it won’t add up to your taxable assets.

Flexibility

If the equipment becomes obsolete, you can always request it to be replaced with a new one. Thus, you won’t suffer the consequences of obsolescence. You can have up to date equipment just by paying a monthly fee for it. Once you have no more use of it, disposing of it becomes the lender’s problem and not yours.

Given all the technological changes that occur everyday, chances are that you will make an excellent use of this leasing characteristic. When it comes to starting businesses and businesses in the technological field or technology dependent, leasing is definitely the best financial alternative.

Fast Approval

Since the asset remains property of the lender, leasing doesn’t have many requirements. The contract usually includes insurance policies attached to it so the lender get’s rid of certain risks related to the equipment and concentrates on its concern (financing).

Nevertheless a good credit history contributes a lot to getting a good deal on a leasing transaction. Bad Credit can increase the costs of leasing operations and since leasing is not the cheapest financial option, if you have really bad credit, it might be wise to consider other alternatives first.

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All you hear these days is that credit markets are tightening and small business is having a harder time financing equipment. That’s not always true, though. You just have to know where to look.

Financing equipment for your small business becomes an even more important strategy when the economy is down. As it may be harder to obtain any new lines of credit, it is important to preserve your current lines of credit and working capital.

Most businesses need some sort of equipment in order to operate. If you are looking to financing medical equipment, IT software and equipment, trucking or commercial, construction and heavy equipment, the needs may vary but the common goal is the same.

The primary goal of business equipment financing is to invest in capital while managing your cash flow and balance sheet. Financing comes in two basic forms: secured lending and leasing. In secured financing you own the equipment while the lender has a lien against it, and you make regular payments until the lien is paid off. In leasing, a lessor controls the asset, and transfers possession of that asset to the business for a specific time period in exchange for periodic payments.

So what are the advantages of financing?

Preserving your working capital is one such advantage. Paying cash for a large expenditure creates a risk on many levels, especially for a small business. What if your business equipment does not have the effects you hoped for, i.e. increased profits, efficiency, etc? If you paid cash, your cash flow can become tighter. Using your existing lines of credit can be risk as well; what if your lines of credit are maxed out by purchasing equipment and the bank is not willing to open any more lines for you?

You can even still find lenders that do not require a down payment. When you finance the full cost of equipment, it reduces your risk and transfers it to the lender.

Financing equipment also offers a hedge against inflation. When you finance equipment, the lender has a delayed use of funds because it does not get its money all at once. You pay over time. Your money loses value over time due to inflation. However, because you are locked in to a set payment, the risk of inflation is transferred to the lender.

Another thing to consider are the tax advantages. In addition to the usual tax advantages, from time to time Congress may vote for additional benefits as well, as they did for 2008. You lose certain tax advantages when you pay cash rather than finance your equipment.

You could also acquire more or better equipment by the use of equipment financing rather than dipping into your cash.

If you do your research, you can still find small business equipment financing loan options. The internet is a good source. There are still lenders who are willing to invest in your business, even in down times.

Financing is a must for small businesses. The first years of a company are hard due to the lack of a continuous steam of cash steady enough to reduce the need for loans, lines of credit and other forms of financing. Leasing company equipment is an excellent solution and alternative to business loans and lines of credit. There are many benefits that leasing equipment provides over business loans and should be considered when comparing these alternatives.

When it comes to business financing there are many issues to address: the amount of financing that you need in terms of percentage of the purchase price, the depreciation of the equipment you want to obtain, the additional costs in terms of taxes and last, but not means least, the cost associated with inflation (loss of value of money or prices increments).

Percentage Of Financing

Sometimes, when running a business you may need to obtain a particular equipment but at that time you may not have savings to cope with a down payment. Most business loans for purchasing equipment require you to put money down and finance only 80% of the purchase price or sometimes less. This can really be an obstacle for most businesses with limited cash flows.

However, leasing provides 100% financing and all costs associated with the transaction can be included in the lease monthly payments. Moreover, there are some leasing companies that require no deposit at all. Most of them however will require you to make the first payment in advance and some may require up to three payments in advance which however does not even get close to the tenth part of the amount required for down payment on secured loans (20% of the purchase price).

Depreciation Of The Equipment And Inflation

Equipment sometimes depreciates fast, and if at the point where the leasing contract ends, the equipment is almost obsolete, you can have it replaced for a new one and the leasing contract renewed. You are not forced to retain the equipment and pay the remaining price. Moreover, if you had to save in order to purchase expensive equipment you would be racing against inflation. With leasing you can pay in small fixed installments a piece of equipment that would otherwise be harder to get due to the depreciation of currency.

Taxes And Soft Costs

There are soft costs that usually cannot be included in a business loan for purchasing equipment such as transportation and delivery, service and maintenance contracts, etc. Also, property related taxes are usually paid separately and cannot be included on the loan. But with leasing, all these soft costs can be added to the overall monthly payment thus simplifying the operation.

Moreover, when it comes to taxes, leasing contracts are particularly attractive due to the deductions you are allowed to make. Since a leasing contract resembles a rent contract on many ways, the monthly payments on your equipment lease can be deducted wholly from taxes as operating expenses. Therefore leasing equipment can be really advantageous for small businesses as these tax deductions represent great savings when it comes to a small business budget.