Tag Archives: companies
Shop Fittings Leasing Solutions and Benefits
It is no news that the credit crunch affected us all and everybody is facing new challenges to recover from one of the worst economic downturns in history, especially for those trying to start a new business.
Lets take the example of someone trying to open a new shop, no matter what type of shop it is, this will need shelves, counters, slatwalls and other types of shop fittings depending on the business.
Shop fittings are probably one of the most costly things when setting up a new shop, especially on a tight budget. Remember that the first impression is the one that counts, so the design and quality of the shop fittings will be extremely important.
Buying all the shelves, displays, counters, etc, could drain a good part your budget. So why not lease your shop fittings?
For years there have been companies offering leasing solutions for shopfittings and shop refits for opticians, chemists, mini markets, supermarkets and even department stores. In fact almost every type of retail outlet has benefited from this type of leasing.
How to Lease Shopfittings?
As mentioned above these companies specialised in it. What these companies do is use comparison websites to find the best quotes for what you need. In some cases you provide them with a quote for your shopfitting needs and they will try to obtain a lower quote, saving you precious time to focus on other areas of your new shop.
Often costs of shop fits tend to balloon when unforeseen problems or snags occur, and the original budget is suddenly out of the window. That is where the expertise and experience of a leasing company can help. The company should assist you not to overspend and tailor a budget to meet your necessities and keep your shop fit on track.
Leasing shopliftings conserves valuable working capital by not having to pay cash up front; the cost is spread to cover the working life of the equipment so you get the benefit of immediate usage of the equipment without the capital outlay.
The total cost of the leasing rentals is fully tax allowable. Furthermore, rentals do not rise with inflation or interest rates. It also keeps your valuable banking credit lines free for more profitable use elsewhere in your business.
Venture Capital 101 (Page 1 of 6)
I. WHAT IS VENTURE CAPITAL?
Venture capital is money provided by an outside investor to finance a new, growing, or troubled business. The venture capitalist provides the funding knowing that theres a significant risk associated with the companys future profits and cash flow. Capital is invested in exchange for an equity stake in the business rather than given as a loan, and the investor hopes the investment will yield a better-than-average return.
Venture capital is an important source of funding for start-up and other companies that have a limited operating history and dont have access to capital markets. A venture capital firm (VC) typically looks for new and small businesses with a perceived long-term growth potential that will result in a large payout for investors.
A venture capitalist is not necessarily just one wealthy financier. Most VCs are limited partnerships that have a fund of pooled investment capital with which to invest in a number of companies. They vary in size from firms that manage just a few million dollars worth of investments to much larger VCs that may have billions of dollars invested in companies all over the world. VCs may be a small group of investors or an affiliate or subsidiary of a large commercial bank, investment bank, or insurance company that makes investments on behalf clients of the parent company or outside investors. In any case, the VC aims to use its business knowledge, experience and expertise to fund and nurture companies that will yield a substantial return on the VCs investment, generally within three to seven years.
Not all VC investments pay off. The failure rate can be quite high, and in fact, anywhere from 20 percent to 90 percent of portfolio companies may fail to return on the VCs investment. On the other hand, if a VC does well, a fund can offer returns of 300 to 1,000 percent.
In additional to a portion of the equity, a VC expects to have a say in how its portfolio company operates. Ideally, the VC fosters growth at the company through its involvement in managerial, strategic, and planning decisions. To do this, the VC relies on the expertise of its general partners who may be former CEOs, bankers, or experts in a particular industry. In most cases, one or more general partners of the VC take Board of Director positions at a portfolio company. They may also help recruit key executives to the portfolio company.
Its important to do your homework before approaching a VC for funding, to make sure youre targeting the right potential partner for your business needs. Not all VCs invest in start-ups. While some may invest small amounts of seed capital for very early ventures, many focus on early or expansion funding (see section III. Types of Funding), while still others may invest at the end of the business cycle, specializing in buyouts, turnarounds, or recapitalizations.
VCs may be generalists that invest in a variety of industries and locations. More typically, they specialize in a particular industry. Make sure your company falls within the VCs target industry before you make your pitch a VC thats focused on biotechnology start-ups will not consider your request for later-stage funding for expansion of your semiconductor firm. You can often gain insight into a VCs investment preferences by reviewing its website.