It was a September night in 2002 – I will never forget it… the clouds rolled in ominously from the mountains as we drove… I strained to see the lights of home in the distance. Holley, my stepdaughter, 7 years old at the time turned to me and said ‘ I don’t understand rent ‘. Wow I thought, great way to phrase that one! It’s a true story. (Editors note – the clouds weren’t really ominous – he is using literary discretion)

Fast forward… 2011. Her better question today might be ‘ I don’t understand why hundreds of millions of dollars of equipment finance occurs every year in Canada.

Well if you didn’t know we’re about to share that , and more importantly focus on highlighting some key issues around why all your competitors utilize equipment finance as part of their overall business strategy . And also, once we get you to ‘ buy in ‘ to the subject then we’ll show you where to find the leasing company that works for you, not against you.

So why do start up, small and medium sized firms, and mega corporations utilize equipment finance companies to procure and finance their assets. One key reason is the emphasis placed these days on working capital. To finance the type of capital expenditures you need to stay ahead of the Jones’s (that’s your competitors by the way) you need access to credit and capital. And that capital varies in size, that’s the true beauty of equipment finance – it covers a 5k photocopies to a 20 million dollar aircraft.

And yes, it’s a free country, so feel free instead to dip into your operating line of credit of wait for A/R to be collected to acquire these much needed assets – but we can assure you the rest of the world instead has opted for equpment finance as an acquisition strategy. A harsher reality is that if you are a smaller company or start up you can’t or don’t want to dip into additional equity for much needed new assets.

We will never not say the bank wont finance your equipment – but that financing, just to be clear becomes a term loan , and further ‘ complicates ‘ your banking arrangement , potentially adding new covenants, new collateral required, and diminishing the ability to get more working capital and cash flow down the road, when you need it .

So is there a real benefit in creating a ‘ relationship ‘ with either trusted Canadian equipment financing advisor or a leasing company directly?
Again, the ‘ ayes’ have it; we absolutely feel that’s the case. Why? You benefit from the advice, counsel and structuring that can save you hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands in financing costs, option flexibility, and tax benefits. Those are real world dollars we are talking about.

In fact, many clients opt to set up a lease line of credit, utilizing either capital leases or operating leases on an ongoing basis for asset or technology turnover. That’s when you have totally bought into the concept of lease finance. It in effect becomes your long term stated asset acquisition strategy.

How do you identify the best advisor or leasing companies to work with? Look for specific experience, credibility, references, and a track record of matching your equipment finance needs to rates, terms and structures that make sense.