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When it comes to throwing kids’ birthday parties, parents can save themselves a whole lot of time, trouble, and expense by hosting the party at a family entertainment center. This might mean booking the party room at a movie theater, bowling alley, skating rink, or sports center or reserving a table at a kid-friendly venue like Chuck E Cheese’s. Depending on what’s available locally, parents might even be able to make arrangements to hold a party at a children’s museum, aquarium, zoo, or city park.While the sky’s the limit for a determined parent in terms of party location, the best locations are those that offer full-service party planning and coordination. For example, family entertainment centers that really court birthday party business will offer to handle everything from decoration to table ware to food, entertainment, and cleanup.The three biggest reasons parents prefer to host their kids’ parties at an outside venue are:ConvenienceBy far the number one reason that parents love using family entertainment centers for birthday parties is convenience. Especially in families where both parents work, it can be very difficult to find time to shop for all the party supplies, send invitations, book the entertainment, kid-proof and decorate the house, etc. When they invest in the assistance of a family entertainment center, on the other hand, parents can complete virtually every step with a simple phone call to the venue. Once the date and time are set and a few questions about food and other details answered, all parents have to do is buy the kid a present and show up at the venue.ValueJust think of all the party supplies needed to pull off an awesome birthday party: balloons, streamers, and other decorations; cups, plates, silverware, napkins, and tablecloths; goodie bags and party favors; cake and snacks… the list could go on! To make matters worse, all these items must be coordinated to the party theme. Buying everything separately can quickly become very expensive. However, when parents allow a family entertainment center to provide all these supplies, significant savings may be had. That’s because family entertainment centers buy their supplies in bulk at a discounted rate, and they can pass that savings along to parents. Family entertainment centers also offer built-in entertainment, further reducing the cost of the party to parents.CleanupCleaning up after a children’s birthday party can be a real pain, especially if very young children are involved. Kids don’t mean to make messes, but at a certain age it just seems to be in their nature. If parents host the party outside the home, they can avoid the annoyance of potentially spending hours trying to scrape chocolate frosting off the wall or scrubbing pizza sauce out of the carpet. Family entertainment centers offer kid-friendly spaces that are easy for staff to clean, so parents don’t have to worry about cleaning up every spill immediately. Instead, they can leave it to the venue staff.With so many benefits to hosting kids’ birthday parties outside the home, it’s amazing more businesses aren’t hopping on the bandwagon and offering kid-friendly spaces!

If you are involved in a Muti-Level Marketing business you have probably noticed that the old methods of marketing through hosting parties and calling your family and friends don’t work as well as they used to. First of all, people are very leery of being “sold” on an idea; second, no one has time for parties anymore. People are busier than ever and they want their information fast. This is why you need answers on “how to market my MLM business online.”What Are The Benefits Of Marketing Online?The benefits of marketing online are indisputable. You will put in less time marketing and get more results. You will build your business globally instead of just locally and it is easy to target people who are interested in what you have, so no more wasting your time. The best part of marketing online is that your business can be running 24/7. Here are the answers to “how to market my MLM business online.”How To Market My MLM Business Online Tip #1: Set Up A Lead Capture Page and Auto RespondersYour lead capture page is the one that you will send people to where they will get information on your business. This can be your website, blog or a separate page with specific information on your business. This page needs to have an opt-in form where people enter their information. The main page should offer just enough information to get them interested and then they must fill in the opt-in form to get more. This is how you “capture” their contact information. Once they fill in the form they should be directed to a second page where they get what you promised them on the first page. Auto responder emails are important because they will automatically go out to people who have entered their information. Set up great auto responder messages with lots of information and useful links in them to help people make their decision on your company.How To Market My MLM Business Online Tip #2: Use Articles and Videos to Drive Targeted Traffic To You Lead Capture Page.Articles and videos are two very important marketing techniques online. However, in order to get them to work properly you need to use keywords and optimize them just right. Keyword research is the lifeline of online marketing so if you don’t know what this is you need to find out. Simply put, keywords are what people are typing into the search engines. You need to use keyword research to determine how good a certain “phrase” is, and when you find a good one you write an article or do a video around it. Optimizing means that you use that keyword enough times in your content to get your article or video on the first page of a Google search result, but not enough that is considered spam. When people find your articles and videos on the first page of their Google search results, they will be exposed to your business and click on your link.How To Market My MLM Business Online Tip #3: Use Social Media and BloggingSocial Media is quickly becoming an information highway for businesses. Create profiles and accounts with sites like Facebook and Twitter. Start building a network of followers. Be careful though; there is a fine balance between diplomatically using social media as a marketing tool and spamming. Once you cross that line, no one will pay attention to you. Be informative, interesting and most of all, social. Build relationships and eventually people will become curious about what you do, and click on your link. And don’t forget to start a blog. Blogging is another great way to market your MLM business online. People want to connect with people, not an opportunity. A blog is a communication tool that allows you to connect with your target market. Use it to share your knowledge, promote products and give updates on what is happening in your company. You are building your community of followers and gaining their trust.Learning How To Use These Techniques Effectively

In the present scenario, the demands of the people are increasing and so is the price of every commodity. It is not easy to own or acquire everything in life but some things can not be ignored.In order to own something or in order to meet the expenses people need wealth.At times, people may feel helpless and go through certain problems in their life pertaining to finance. Help is offered to these people in the form of loans. Loans are a great boon to everyone. People who seek external financial help, Loans in UK can be resourceful with which they can finance their dream as well as personal desires. Presently, it has become a trend for people to take personal loans for them to go on a holiday rip with their family, or buy their own posh car, renovate their houses etc. People can comfortably rely on these personal loans anytime. This has become a common act by all in a way to satisfy their requirements without any hassle or tussle.In earlier times, it was not so easy to attain things like a lavish holiday, a classy car, a big house, and many things that provide ultimate happiness. However, now thanks to quick personal loans that people can conveniently without tension or difficulty can do whatever they wish to. Personal loans give chance to all kinds of borrowers for meeting their personal desires and requirements.In case of urgent financial help, quick personal loans can be very effective. These kinds of loans are granted in a very short span of time, which can e very beneficial for the people who need fast service and need money pronto. Personal loans are basically unsecured loans which do not require any kind of security, unlike the secured loans. A person can be granted quick personal loan in UK if the person is eligible enough. A person needs to be 18 years or above, he or she should be a permanent citizen of UK, if working the salary and job profile shall be considered. To apply for quick personal loans in UK a person needs to fulfill these requirements.As far as the loan amount is concerned, with the unsecured finance options, you can easily obtain an amount ranging from ¤1000 to ¤10,000. Unsecured are different from secured loans it does not demand anything against the loan amount.There are two options available for personal loans in the market today. Secured loans, requires a security from the borrower in order to acquire the loan amount from the lender. While, in unsecured loans you do not need to place any kind of security to get the loan.Best secured loans offer higher amount of finance to the borrower which ranges between 25000 pounds to 250000 pounds, this can be obtained according to the equity of the security presented by the borrower. The amount can be repaid in a term of 5 up to maybe 25 years which is decide by both the parties, a term period which is comfortable enough for a borrower to pay it off, as it is accompanied with a very low interest rate.Loans in UK are not very difficult to avail. Nowadays, there are many reliable corporations which provide loans to almost everyone. The user is offered a great variety of loans like personal, secured, educational, etc.

Bad credit score has become a common phenomenon. Almost, everyone has had his/her share of encounter with the dreaded bad credit history. It acts as a major deterrent in getting credit. Loans become difficult because of bad credit. But, it never means that you cannot get an auto loan with bad credit history. Thankfully, poor credit car financing is very easy.Initially, lenders refrained from offering poor credit auto loans. They considered bad credit borrowers very risky and that’s why rejected most applications with bad credit. But, with changing times, lenders have understood that many Americans are dealing with bad credit. And, it’s common sense to offer poor credit auto loans to such a large population.If you want an auto loan with bad credit, it is important that you convince the lender of being a low risk credit borrower. If he is assured of the safety of his investment, he will easily offer you a poor credit auto loan. Here’s how you can get yourself a poor credit auto loan.Your Budget Sets Your BoundaryWhen you prepare a budget, you know the exact amount of money that you can spend on buying a car. It will help you to choose a car without much trouble. With a budget in hand, comparing auto loans programs for poor credit will become very easy. You can easily ascertain if the monthly payments are affordable or not with the help of budget.Get Your Documents ReadyAfter deciding on your budget, you must get together all your documents. Lender will require you to have Income and Employment Proof. You can use your current pay stubs for this purpose. He may also want to see receipts of utility bills. All this will give him a picture of your debt repaying ability.A Used Car is a Better OptionA new car is expensive than a used car. So, when you buy a new car, you will have to pay more. When you have a poor credit score, your interest rates may not be very low and so, it’s best to avoid a new car.It’s better to search for a car after getting approved for a poor credit auto loan. It is possible that the lender may want you to buy a car from a specific dealer only. If this happens, all your hard work of searching a car will go waste. Hence, apply for a car loan first.However, do remember to buy a used car after getting it inspected by your trusted mechanic. Also, check the car title. Do not buy any car that has been salvaged or flooded.Apply with Sub-prime LendersWhen you are ready with your budget and documents, it’s time to apply for a car loan. Now, traditional lenders and banks may reject your car loan application for having bad credit. This is because they usually offer auto loans to borrowers with good credit scores. So, you must not waste time in applying with all lenders.Instead, devote some of your time in research. Search lenders who offer poor credit auto loans and have a high approval ratio. You can easily avail a poor credit auto loan from sub-prime lenders. These lenders have expertise and experience in dealing with bad credit scores. They are able to handle credit issues better than anyone else.Web to Your RescueYou can find many sub-prime lenders with the help of internet. There are numerous online car financing companies that have huge network of sub-prime lenders. All you need to do is search for a reputed car financing company and apply on its website for a poor credit car loan. Once you apply by submitting an online car loan application form, the company will search a lender for you.Compare and Then Sign the ContractWhen you apply with online sub-prime lenders, you will get several poor credit auto loan quotes. Now, it’s your time to choose the best option for you. Choose a car loan quote by considering important factors like interest rates, loan terms and conditions, pre-payment penalties, additional fees, charges, etc. You can make use online car loan calculators to calculate exact monthly payments.You must choose a poor credit car loan program that offers you great ease. You have to make regular monthly payments to pay-off your low credit automobile loan. It will improve your credit ratings and help you in availing lowest possible rates in future. So, search for that perfect poor credit auto loan and start improving your credit score.

Summary
SPDN is not the largest or oldest way to short the S&P 500, but it’s a solid choice.
This ETF uses a variety of financial instruments to target a return opposite that of the S&P 500 Index.
SPDN’s 0.49% Expense Ratio is nearly half that of the larger, longer-tenured -1x Inverse S&P 500 ETF.
Details aside, the potential continuation of the equity bear market makes single-inverse ETFs an investment segment investor should be familiar with.
We rate SPDN a Strong Buy because we believe the risks of a continued bear market greatly outweigh the possibility of a quick return to a bull market.
Put a gear stick into R position, (Reverse).
Birdlkportfolio

By Rob Isbitts

Summary
The S&P 500 is in a bear market, and we don’t see a quick-fix. Many investors assume the only way to navigate a potentially long-term bear market is to hide in cash, day-trade or “just hang in there” while the bear takes their retirement nest egg.

The Direxion Daily S&P 500® Bear 1X ETF (NYSEARCA:SPDN) is one of a class of single-inverse ETFs that allow investors to profit from down moves in the stock market.

SPDN is an unleveraged, liquid, low-cost way to either try to hedge an equity portfolio, profit from a decline in the S&P 500, or both. We rate it a Strong Buy, given our concern about the intermediate-term outlook for the global equity market.

Strategy
SPDN keeps it simple. If the S&P 500 goes up by X%, it should go down by X%. The opposite is also expected.

Proprietary ETF Grades
Offense/Defense: Defense

Segment: Inverse Equity

Sub-Segment: Inverse S&P 500

Correlation (vs. S&P 500): Very High (inverse)

Expected Volatility (vs. S&P 500): Similar (but opposite)

Holding Analysis
SPDN does not rely on shorting individual stocks in the S&P 500. Instead, the managers typically use a combination of futures, swaps and other derivative instruments to create a portfolio that consistently aims to deliver the opposite of what the S&P 500 does.

Strengths
SPDN is a fairly “no-frills” way to do what many investors probably wished they could do during the first 9 months of 2022 and in past bear markets: find something that goes up when the “market” goes down. After all, bonds are not the answer they used to be, commodities like gold have, shall we say, lost their luster. And moving to cash creates the issue of making two correct timing decisions, when to get in and when to get out. SPDN and its single-inverse ETF brethren offer a liquid tool to use in a variety of ways, depending on what a particular investor wants to achieve.

Weaknesses
The weakness of any inverse ETF is that it does the opposite of what the market does, when the market goes up. So, even in bear markets when the broader market trend is down, sharp bear market rallies (or any rallies for that matter) in the S&P 500 will cause SPDN to drop as much as the market goes up.

Opportunities
While inverse ETFs have a reputation in some circles as nothing more than day-trading vehicles, our own experience with them is, pardon the pun, exactly the opposite! We encourage investors to try to better-understand single inverse ETFs like SPDN. While traders tend to gravitate to leveraged inverse ETFs (which actually are day-trading tools), we believe that in an extended bear market, SPDN and its ilk could be a game-saver for many portfolios.

Threats
SPDN and most other single inverse ETFs are vulnerable to a sustained rise in the price of the index it aims to deliver the inverse of. But that threat of loss in a rising market means that when an investor considers SPDN, they should also have a game plan for how and when they will deploy this unique portfolio weapon.

Proprietary Technical Ratings
Short-Term Rating (next 3 months): Strong Buy

Long-Term Rating (next 12 months): Buy

Conclusions
ETF Quality Opinion
SPDN does what it aims to do, and has done so for over 6 years now. For a while, it was largely-ignored, given the existence of a similar ETF that has been around much longer. But the more tenured SPDN has become, the more attractive it looks as an alternative.

ETF Investment Opinion

SPDN is rated Strong Buy because the S&P 500 continues to look as vulnerable to further decline. And, while the market bottomed in mid-June, rallied, then waffled since that time, our proprietary macro market indicators all point to much greater risk of a major decline from this level than a fast return to bull market glory. Thus, SPDN is at best a way to exploit and attack the bear, and at worst a hedge on an otherwise equity-laden portfolio.

Your stocks to watch for the week ahead are Cheniere Energy (LNG), S&P 500 biotech giant Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX), Cardinal Health (CAH), Steel Dynamics (STLD) and Genuine Parts (GPC).

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While the market remains in correction, with analysts and investors wary of an economic downturn, these five stocks are worth adding to watchlists. S&P 500 medical giants Vertex and Cardinal Health have been holding up, as health-care related plays tend to do well in down markets.

Steel Dynamics and Genuine Parts are both coming off strong earnings as both the steel and auto parts industries report optimistic outlooks. Meanwhile, Cheniere Energy saw sales boom in the second quarter as demand in Europe for natural gas continues to grow.

Major indexes have been making rally attempts with the Dow Jones and S&P 500 testing weekly support on Friday. With market uncertainty, investors should be ready for follow-through day breakouts and keep an eye on these stocks.

Cheniere Energy, Cardinal Health and VRTX stock are all on IBD Leaderboard.

Cheniere Energy Stock
LNG shares rose 1.1% to 175.79 during Friday’s market trading. On the week, the stock advanced 3.1%, not from highs, bouncing from its 21-day and 10-week lines earlier in the week.

Cheniere Energy has been consolidating since mid-September, but needs another week to forge a proper base, with a potential 182.72 buy point formed on Aug. 10.

Houston-based Cheniere Energy was IBD Stock Of The Day on Thursday, as the largest U.S. producer of liquefied natural gas eyes strong demand in Europe.

Even though natural gas prices are plunging in the U.S. and Europe, investors still see strong LNG demand for Cheniere and others.

The U.K. government confirmed last week that it is in talks for an LNG purchase agreement with a number of companies, including Cheniere.

In the first half of 2021, less than 40% of Cheniere’s cargoes of LNG landed in Europe. That jumped to more than 70% through this year’s second quarter, even as the company ramped up new export capacity. The urgency of Europe’s natural gas shortage only intensified last month. That is when an explosion disabled the Nord Stream 1 pipeline from Russia that had once supplied 40% of the European Union’s natural gas.

In Q2, sales increased 165% to $8 billion and LNG earned $2.90 per share, up from a net loss of $1.30 per share in Q2 2021. The company will report Q3 earnings Nov. 3, with investors seeing booming profits for the next few quarters.

Cheniere Energy has a Composite Rating of 84. It has a 98 Relative Strength Rating, an exclusive IBD Stock Checkup gauge for share price movement with a 1 to 99 score. The rating shows how a stock’s performance over the last 52 weeks holds up against all the other stocks in IBD’s database. The EPS rating is 41.

Vertex Stock
VRTX stock jumped 3.4% to 300 on Friday, rebounding from a test of its 50-day moving average. Shares climbed 2.2% for the week. Vertex stock has formed a tight flat base with an official buy point of 306.05, according to MarketSmith analysis.

The stock has remained consistent over recent weeks, while the relative strength line has trended higher. The RS line tracks a stock’s performance vs. the S&P 500 index.

Vertex Q3 earnings are on due Oct. 27. Analysts see EPS edging up 1% to $3.61 per share with sales increasing 16% to $2.2 billion, according to FactSet.

The Boston-based global biotech company dominates the cystic fibrosis treatment market. Vertex also has other products in late-stage clinical development that target sickle cell disease, Type 1 diabetes and certain genetically caused kidney diseases. That includes a gene-editing partnership with Crispr Therapeutics (CRSP).

In early August, Vertex reported better-than-expected second-quarter results and raised full-year sales targets.

S&P 500 stock Vertex ranks second in the Medical-Biomed/Biotech industry group. VRTX has a 99 Composite Rating. Its Relative Strength Rating is 94 and its EPS Rating is 99.

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Cardinal Health Stock
CAH stock advanced 3.2% to 73.03 Friday, clearing a 71.22 buy point from a shallow cup-with-handle base and hitting a record high. But volume was light on the breakout. CAH stock leapt 7.3% for the week.

Cardinal Health stock’s relative strength line has also been trending up for months.

The cup-with-handle base is part of a base-on-base pattern, forming just above a cup base cleared on Aug. 11.

Cardinal Health, based in Dublin, Ohio, offers a wide assortment of health care services and medical supplies to hospitals, labs, pharmacies and long-term care facilities. The company reports that it serves around 90% of hospitals and 60,000 pharmacies in the U.S.

S&P 500 stock Cardinal Health will report Q1 2023 earnings on Nov. 4. Analysts forecast earnings falling 26% to 96 cents per share. Sales are expected to increase 10% to $48.3 billion, according to FactSet.

Cardinal Health stock ranks first in the Medical-Wholesale Drug/Supplies industry group, ahead of McKesson (MCK), which is also showing positive action. CAH stock has a 94 Composite Rating out of 99. It has a 97 Relative Strength Rating and an EPS rating of 73.

Steel Dynamics Stock
STLD shares shot up 8.5% to 92.92 on Friday and soared 19% on the week, coming off a Steel Dynamics earnings beat Wednesday night.

Shares blasted above an 88.72 consolidation buy point Friday after clearing a trendline Thursday. STLD stock is 17% above its 50-day line, definitely extended from that key average.

Steel Dynamics’ latest consolidation could be seen as part of a larger base going back six months.

Steel Dynamics topped Q3 earnings views with EPS rising 10% to $5.46 while revenue grew 11% to $5.65 billion. The steel producer’s outlook is optimistic despite weaker flat rolled steel pricing. STLD reports its order activity and backlogs remain solid.

The Fort Wayne, Indiana-based company is among the largest producers of carbon steel products in the U.S. It engages in metal recycling operations along with steel fabrication and produces myriad steel products.

How Millett Grew Steel Dynamics From A Three Employee Business

STLD stock ranks first in the Steel-Producers industry group. STLD stock has a 96 Composite Rating out of 99. It has a 90 Relative Strength Rating, an exclusive IBD Stock Checkup gauge for share-price movement that tops at 99. The rating shows how a stock’s performance over the last 52 weeks holds up against all the other stocks in IBD’s database. The EPS rating is 98.

Genuine Parts Stock
GPC stock gained 2.8% to 162.35 Friday after the company topped earnings views with its Q3 results on Thursday. For the week GPC advanced 5.1% as the stock held its 50-day line and is in a flat base.

GPC has an official 165.09 flat-base buy point after a three-week rally, according to MarketSmith analysis.

The relative strength line for Genuine Parts stock has rallied sharply to highs over the past several months.

On Thursday, the Atlanta-based auto parts company raised its full-year guidance on growth across its automotive and industrial sales.

Genuine Parts earnings per share advanced 19% to $2.23 and revenue grew 18% to $5.675 billion in Q3. GPC’s full-year guidance is now calling for EPS of $8.05-$8.15, up from $7.80-$7.95. The company now forecasts revenue growth of 15%-16%, up from the earlier 12%-14%.

During the Covid pandemic, supply chain constraints caused a major upheaval in the auto industry, sending prices for new and used cars to record levels. This has made consumers more likely to hang on to their existing vehicles for longer, driving mileage higher and boosting demand for auto replacement parts.

Fellow auto stocks O’Reilly Auto Parts (ORLY) and AutoZone (AZO) have also rallied near buy points amid the struggling market. O’Reilly reports on Oct. 26.

IBD ranks Genuine Parts first in the Retail/Wholesale-Auto Parts industry group. GPC stock has a 96 Composite Rating. Its Relative Strength Rating is 94 and it has an EPS Rating of 89.

US Markets were trading in the green on Friday with Dow 30 trading at 30,678.80, up by 1.14%. While S&P 500 was trading at 3,701.66, up by 0.98% and Nasdaq Composite 10,690.60 was also up by 0.71 per cent

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US Markets in green on Friday; Dow 30 up over 345 points, Nasdaq Composite, S&P 500 up nearly 1%
Earlier today, Indian stock markets ended the week on a winning note. It was the sixth straight gains for equity markets. Source: Reuters
US Markets were trading in the green on Friday with Dow 30 trading at 30,678.80, up by 345.25 points or1.14 per cent. While S&P 500 was trading at 3,701.66, up by 35.88 points or 0.98 per cent and Nasdaq Composite 10,690.60 was also up 75.75 points or 0.71 per cent. A Reuters report said that today’s strength was on the back of a report which said the Federal Reserve will likely debate on signaling plans for a smaller interest rate hike in December, reversing declines set off by social media firms after Snap Inc’s ad warning.

Source: Comex

Nasdaq Top Gainers and Losers

Source: Nasdaq

Earlier today, Indian stock markets ended the week on a winning note. It was the sixth straight gains for equity markets. The BSE Sensex ended at 59,307.15, up by 104.25 points or 0.18 per cent from the Thursday closing level. Meanwhile, the Nifty50 index closed at 17,590.00, higher by 26.05 points or 0.15 per cent. In the 30-share Sensex, 13 stocks gained while the remaining 17 ended on the losing side. In the 50-stock Nifty50, 21 stocks advanced while 29 declined.

There are several potential financing options available to cash-strapped businesses that need a healthy dose of working capital. A bank loan or line of credit is often the first option that owners think of – and for businesses that qualify, this may be the best option.

In today’s uncertain business, economic and regulatory environment, qualifying for a bank loan can be difficult – especially for start-up companies and those that have experienced any type of financial difficulty. Sometimes, owners of businesses that don’t qualify for a bank loan decide that seeking venture capital or bringing on equity investors are other viable options.

But are they really? While there are some potential benefits to bringing venture capital and so-called “angel” investors into your business, there are drawbacks as well. Unfortunately, owners sometimes don’t think about these drawbacks until the ink has dried on a contract with a venture capitalist or angel investor – and it’s too late to back out of the deal.

Different Types of Financing

One problem with bringing in equity investors to help provide a working capital boost is that working capital and equity are really two different types of financing.

Working capital – or the money that is used to pay business expenses incurred during the time lag until cash from sales (or accounts receivable) is collected – is short-term in nature, so it should be financed via a short-term financing tool. Equity, however, should generally be used to finance rapid growth, business expansion, acquisitions or the purchase of long-term assets, which are defined as assets that are repaid over more than one 12-month business cycle.

But the biggest drawback to bringing equity investors into your business is a potential loss of control. When you sell equity (or shares) in your business to venture capitalists or angels, you are giving up a percentage of ownership in your business, and you may be doing so at an inopportune time. With this dilution of ownership most often comes a loss of control over some or all of the most important business decisions that must be made.

Sometimes, owners are enticed to sell equity by the fact that there is little (if any) out-of-pocket expense. Unlike debt financing, you don’t usually pay interest with equity financing. The equity investor gains its return via the ownership stake gained in your business. But the long-term “cost” of selling equity is always much higher than the short-term cost of debt, in terms of both actual cash cost as well as soft costs like the loss of control and stewardship of your company and the potential future value of the ownership shares that are sold.

Alternative Financing Solutions

But what if your business needs working capital and you don’t qualify for a bank loan or line of credit? Alternative financing solutions are often appropriate for injecting working capital into businesses in this situation. Three of the most common types of alternative financing used by such businesses are:

1. Full-Service Factoring – Businesses sell outstanding accounts receivable on an ongoing basis to a commercial finance (or factoring) company at a discount. The factoring company then manages the receivable until it is paid. Factoring is a well-established and accepted method of temporary alternative finance that is especially well-suited for rapidly growing companies and those with customer concentrations.

2. Accounts Receivable (A/R) Financing – A/R financing is an ideal solution for companies that are not yet bankable but have a stable financial condition and a more diverse customer base. Here, the business provides details on all accounts receivable and pledges those assets as collateral. The proceeds of those receivables are sent to a lockbox while the finance company calculates a borrowing base to determine the amount the company can borrow. When the borrower needs money, it makes an advance request and the finance company advances money using a percentage of the accounts receivable.

3. Asset-Based Lending (ABL) – This is a credit facility secured by all of a company’s assets, which may include A/R, equipment and inventory. Unlike with factoring, the business continues to manage and collect its own receivables and submits collateral reports on an ongoing basis to the finance company, which will review and periodically audit the reports.

In addition to providing working capital and enabling owners to maintain business control, alternative financing may provide other benefits as well:

It’s easy to determine the exact cost of financing and obtain an increase.
Professional collateral management can be included depending on the facility type and the lender.
Real-time, online interactive reporting is often available.
It may provide the business with access to more capital.
It’s flexible – financing ebbs and flows with the business’ needs.
It’s important to note that there are some circumstances in which equity is a viable and attractive financing solution. This is especially true in cases of business expansion and acquisition and new product launches – these are capital needs that are not generally well suited to debt financing. However, equity is not usually the appropriate financing solution to solve a working capital problem or help plug a cash-flow gap.

A Precious Commodity

Remember that business equity is a precious commodity that should only be considered under the right circumstances and at the right time. When equity financing is sought, ideally this should be done at a time when the company has good growth prospects and a significant cash need for this growth. Ideally, majority ownership (and thus, absolute control) should remain with the company founder(s).

Alternative financing solutions like factoring, A/R financing and ABL can provide the working capital boost many cash-strapped businesses that don’t qualify for bank financing need – without diluting ownership and possibly giving up business control at an inopportune time for the owner. If and when these companies become bankable later, it’s often an easy transition to a traditional bank line of credit. Your banker may be able to refer you to a commercial finance company that can offer the right type of alternative financing solution for your particular situation.

Taking the time to understand all the different financing options available to your business, and the pros and cons of each, is the best way to make sure you choose the best option for your business. The use of alternative financing can help your company grow without diluting your ownership. After all, it’s your business – shouldn’t you keep as much of it as possible?