Factoring: The Quick Cash Solution Manufacturers Need Now
In today’s dynamic market, manufacturers face a unique set of challenges. From managing inventory and production schedules to navigating supply chain disruptions and fluctuating demand, the need for reliable, accessible capital is constant. That’s where factoring comes in, offering a powerful and often overlooked solution for quick cash.
At Versant Funding, we understand the specific financial pressures manufacturers endure. That’s why we specialize in providing tailored factoring services designed to get you the capital you need, when you need it. Our latest video, which you can watch above, highlights how factoring can be a game-changer for your business.
What is Factoring, and Why is it Perfect for Manufacturers?
Simply put, factoring allows you to sell your accounts receivable (invoices) to a third party (the factor) at a small discount in exchange for immediate cash. Instead of waiting 30, 60, or even 90 days for your customers to pay, you get the funds right away.
For manufacturers, this means:
Quick Cash Flow: No more cash flow gaps hindering your production or growth initiatives. Get funds in as quick as a week!
Significant Funding: We offer funding from $100,000 to $30 Million, providing substantial support whether you’re a growing mid-sized company or a large enterprise.
Non-Recourse Factoring: This is a crucial benefit for manufacturers. With non-recourse factoring, if your customer fails to pay due to bankruptcy or insolvency, you’re typically not responsible for repaying the advance. This transfers the credit risk away from your balance sheet.
Flexible Terms: We work with you to create terms that fit your unique business model and cash flow requirements.
Ideal for “Tough-to-Finance” Businesses: Traditional bank loans can be hard to secure, especially for newer companies, those with limited collateral, or those experiencing rapid growth. Factoring focuses on the quality of your accounts receivable, making it an accessible option when other avenues are closed.
How Manufacturers Benefit from Factoring:
Imagine being able to:
Purchase Raw Materials: Take advantage of bulk discounts or secure critical components without delay.
Meet Payroll: Ensure your skilled workforce is paid on time, every time.
Invest in New Equipment: Upgrade machinery or expand your production lines to increase efficiency and capacity.
Handle Large Orders: Don’t turn away big opportunities because of insufficient working capital.
Improve Credit Standing: Use the immediate cash to pay suppliers promptly, potentially earning early payment discounts and strengthening your vendor relationships.
Why?
We pride ourselves on being more than just a capital provider. We are your partner in growth. I am dedicated to understanding the intricacies of the manufacturing sector and crafting financial solutions that truly work.
Ready to unlock the potential of your accounts receivable?
To see how factoring can transform your manufacturing business reach out to Chris Lehnes today for a no-obligation consultation.
The 2026 Growth Gap: How Accounts Receivable Factoring Fuels Small Business Success
Factoring: Quick Cash to Kick Off the Year: As we move through 2026, the economic landscape for small businesses is defined by a paradox: opportunity is everywhere, but cash is moving slower than ever. While sectors like high-tech manufacturing and professional services are seeing a resurgence, many entrepreneurs find themselves “asset rich but cash poor.”
You’ve landed the big contract, your team is working overtime, and your sales are climbing. Yet, your bank account doesn’t reflect that success because your capital is trapped in Accounts Receivable (AR). If you’re waiting 30, 60, or even 90 days for clients to pay their invoices, you aren’t just waiting for money—you’re waiting to grow.
This is where Accounts Receivable Factoring becomes a strategic engine for your business.
What is AR Factoring in 2026?
Accounts receivable factoring (or invoice factoring) is not a loan. It is the sale of your outstanding invoices to a third party (a “factor”) at a slight discount in exchange for immediate liquidity.
In 2026, the process has been revolutionized by fintech integrations. Most modern factoring platforms now sync directly with your accounting software (like QuickBooks or Xero), allowing for “one-click” funding that can land in your account within 24 hours.
Why Factoring is the “Secret Weapon” for 2026
While traditional bank loans focus on your credit score and years of profitability, factoring focuses on the creditworthiness of your customers. This makes it an ideal solution for:
Rapidly Growing Startups: When sales outpace your cash reserves.
Seasonal Businesses: Managing the “lumpy” cash flow of peak seasons.
Service Providers: Staffing agencies or consultants who must pay employees weekly but get paid by clients monthly.
3 Ways Factoring Helps You Thrive This Year
1. Turn “Net-90” into “Right Now”
The most significant barrier to growth in 2026 is the “Cash Gap.” If you have $100,000 in open invoices, that’s $100,000 you can’t use to buy inventory, hire talent, or pay for digital marketing. Factoring unlocks up to 90-95% of that value immediately, giving you the agility to say “yes” to new opportunities without checking your balance first.
2. Fuel Expansion Without Adding Debt
In an era of “snagflation”—where mild inflation persists alongside a shifting labor market—loading your balance sheet with high-interest debt can be risky. Because factoring is a purchase of assets, it doesn’t show up as a loan. You are simply accelerating the arrival of money you’ve already earned.
3. Outsourced Credit & Collections
Modern factoring companies do more than just provide cash. They often act as your back-office credit department. In 2026, where business bankruptcies are slightly on the rise, having a partner who vets the credit risk of your potential clients is a massive competitive advantage. They handle the collections, freeing you up to focus on your product.
Is it Right for You?
To help you decide, here is a quick comparison of how factoring stacks up against traditional financing in today’s market:
Feature
AR Factoring
Traditional Bank Loan
Speed
24–48 Hours
3–6 Weeks
Approval Basis
Customer’s Credit
Your Credit & Collateral
Debt
None (Asset Sale)
Increases Liabilities
Flexibility
Scales with Sales
Fixed Credit Limit
Cost
1%–5% Service Fee
Interest Rate + Fees
Final Thoughts: Don’t Let Your Invoices Hold You Back
In 2026, the winners won’t necessarily be the companies with the biggest ideas, but those with the highest liquidity. AR factoring provides a bridge over the cash flow gaps that sink 82% of small businesses. It turns your hard work into immediate fuel.
We fund tough deals and focus on the quality of your client’s accounts receivable, ignoring their financial condition. This enables us to move quickly and fund qualified businesses including Manufacturers, Distributors and a wide variety of Service Businesses in as quick as a week. Contact me today to learn if your client is a fit.
For B2B businesses, accounts receivable (AR) factoring is essentially a tool to accelerate cash flow. It allows you to trade the “waiting game” of Net-30 or Net-60 terms for immediate liquidity.
Instead of waiting for a client to pay an invoice, you sell that invoice to a third party (a “factor”) who advances you the majority of the funds immediately. This converts a stagnant asset (an unpaid invoice) into active working capital you can use to fund operations, payroll, or growth.
The following guide details how B2B businesses can utilize this strategy to meet working capital needs.
1. The Core Mechanism: How it Works
Factoring is technically an asset sale, not a loan. You are selling the right to collect on the invoice.
Step 1: Invoicing. You deliver your goods/services and send an invoice to your B2B customer as usual.
Step 2: Sale. You submit a copy of that invoice to the factoring company.
Step 3: The Advance. The factor verifies the invoice and wires you an advance—typically 80% to 90% of the invoice value—within 24 to 48 hours.
Step 4: Collection. The factor waits for your customer to pay them directly according to the invoice terms (e.g., 30 or 60 days).
Step 5: The Rebate. Once the customer pays the full amount, the factor releases the remaining 10–20% to you, minus their fee (usually 1–5%).
2. Strategic Uses for Working Capital
You can use the immediate infusion of cash to solve specific operational friction points common in B2B models:
Bridging the “Gap”: If your expenses (payroll, rent, utilities) are due weekly or bi-weekly, but your customers pay monthly, you have a cash flow gap. Factoring aligns your revenue intake with your expense outflow.
Fulfilling Large Orders: B2B growth often hurts cash flow before helping it. If you land a massive contract, you need cash now to buy raw materials and hire labor to fulfill it. Factoring existing invoices gives you the capital to fund these new orders without taking on debt.
Negotiating Supplier Discounts: With cash on hand, you can pay your own suppliers early. often unlocking “2/10 Net 30” discounts (a 2% discount if paid within 10 days). This discount can sometimes offset the cost of the factoring fee itself.
Smoothing Seasonality: For businesses with peak seasons (e.g., manufacturing for holiday retail), factoring during the busy season ensures you have the liquidity to maximize production when it matters most.
3. Critical Decisions: Configuring Your Factoring
To use this effectively, you must choose the right “type” of factoring for your risk profile.
Recourse vs. Non-Recourse
This determines who is liable if your client never pays (e.g., they go bankrupt).
Recourse Factoring: You are liable. If the client doesn’t pay, you must buy the invoice back from the factor. Benefit: Lower fees.
Non-Recourse Factoring: The factor assumes the credit risk. If the client defaults due to insolvency, the factor absorbs the loss. Benefit: Zero risk for you, but higher fees.
Notification vs. Non-Notification
Notification: Your customer is notified to pay the factor directly. This is standard but can sometimes signal to customers that you are tight on cash.
Non-Notification (White Label): The customer pays into a bank account that looks like yours but is controlled by the factor. The customer is unaware of the factoring arrangement.
4. Who Qualifies?
Unlike a bank loan, approval for factoring is based primarily on your customer’s creditworthiness, not yours.
Ideal Candidate: A B2B business (startups included) with reliable, large corporate or government clients who pay slowly but surely.
Less Ideal: Businesses with B2C customers (individuals) or clients with poor credit histories.
Accounts Receivable Factoring can quickly meet the working capital needs of Distributors impacted by rising tariffs.
Our underwriting focus is solely on the quality of a company’s accounts receivable, which enables us to rapidly fund businesses which do not qualify for traditional lending such as those experiencing losses or where the owners have weak personal credit or even “character issues.”
Factoring can meet the cash needs of seafood processing companies looking to expand. Contact Chris at Versant Funding to learn if your seafood client is a factoring fit
Factoring can meet the cash needs of seafood processing companies looking to expand. Contact Chris at Versant Funding to learn if your seafood client is a factoring fit
Accounts Receivable Factoring $100,000 to $30 Million Quick AR Advances No Long-Term Commitment Non-recourse Funding in about a week
We are a great match for businesses with traits such as: Less than 2 years old Negative Net Worth Losses Customer Concentrations Weak Credit Character Issues
Chris Lehnes | Factoring Specialist | 203-664-1535 | chris@chrislehnes.com
This podcast episode, hosted by Bob Shultz, publisher and co-founder of TCLM, and featuring Factoring Specialist, Chris Lehnes provides an in-depth exploration of factoring as a financing solution for businesses seeking improved liquidity.
Factoring is explained as the sale of a company’s accounts receivable to a third-party factor, which enables immediate cash flow without incurring debt. Lehnes outlines how the process works, from invoice verification to advancing 75 to 90 percent of its value and later releasing the balance upon customer payment, while also discussing the operational benefits, such as the factor handling collections. The conversation covers critical distinctions between recourse and non-recourse factoring, cost structures, and flexibility in factoring arrangements, including selective factoring by customer or invoice. The fees, typically 1.5 to 3 percent per month, are examined alongside aspects that influence pricing, such as credit risk, invoice volume, and payment timelines.
The discussion also offers practical guidance for businesses considering factoring, highlighting its applicability primarily for B2B and B2G companies with strong customers and urgent funding needs not being met by banks. Lehnnes addresses common concerns about customer perception, explaining that large enterprise clients are accustomed to factoring arrangements, and he emphasizes good receivables management practices to improve eligibility. The episode concludes with insights into Versant Funding’s unique position in the market, emphasizing its true non-recourse model, lack of reliance on traditional borrower qualifications, flexibility in factoring older receivables, and willingness to work with high customer concentration. This positions factoring not only as a cash flow solution but also as a strategic tool for growth, bridging financing gaps, and providing operational stability
Accounts Receivable Factoring $100,000 to $30 Million Quick AR Advances No Long-Term Commitment Non-recourse Funding in about a week
We are a great match for businesses with traits such as: Less than 2 years old Negative Net Worth Losses Customer Concentrations Weak Credit Character Issues
Chris Lehnes | Factoring Specialist | 203-664-1535 | chris@chrislehnes.com
Tariffs and the Tides of Trade: How They Imperil Small Business Working Capital
In the complex and often volatile world of international trade, tariffs emerge as a powerful, yet double-edged, sword. These government-imposed taxes on imported goods, while ostensibly designed to protect domestic industries, often send ripple effects far beyond national borders, especially into the delicate financial ecosystems of small businesses. For these agile, yet often financially lean, enterprises, tariffs can significantly strain their working capital position – the lifeblood that fuels daily operations, manages short-term obligations, and seizes growth opportunities. Understanding this impact is crucial for small business owners seeking to navigate an unpredictable global economy.
Working capital, simply put, is the difference between a business’s current assets (like cash, accounts receivable, and inventory) and its current liabilities (such as accounts payable, short-term debt, and accrued expenses). A healthy working capital position indicates liquidity and operational flexibility. Conversely, a depleted or negative working capital can signal financial distress, limiting a business’s ability to pay suppliers, meet payroll, or invest in expansion. Tariffs, by their very nature, directly attack this critical financial metric in several profound ways.
The most immediate and discernible impact of tariffs is the increased cost of goods and materials. Small businesses that rely on imported raw materials, components, or finished products for their operations suddenly face higher acquisition costs. For instance, a small furniture maker importing specialized wood from a country subject to a 25% tariff will see the cost of that wood jump by a quarter. This additional expense is a direct drain on cash flow, as businesses must find the money to pay these tariff fees to clear customs before their goods are even released. For many small businesses operating on thin margins, this unexpected and substantial outlay can create an immediate cash crunch, diverting funds that would otherwise be used for payroll, marketing, or other operational necessities.
Beyond the direct cost, tariffs trigger a cascade of challenges that further erode working capital.Supply chain disruptions are a prevalent consequence. Established trade relationships can be upended as suppliers in tariff-affected regions become less competitive or, in some cases, unable to continue supplying at viable prices. This forces small businesses to scramble for alternative sources, which often come with higher prices, longer lead times, or different quality standards. Delayed deliveries due to customs complications or supplier adjustments mean slower inventory turnover and a longer cash conversion cycle. If products sit in transit or customs longer, the capital tied up in that inventory increases, exacerbating working capital pressure. Moreover, product shortages can compel emergency purchases from new, more expensive suppliers, further straining cash reserves.
The ripple effect extends to inventory management. To mitigate the risk of supply chain disruptions and future price hikes, some small businesses may consider increasing their inventory levels as a buffer. While seemingly a protective measure, this strategy ties up more capital in goods that haven’t yet been sold, potentially leading to excess inventory and increasing storage costs. Conversely, if tariffs make certain products prohibitively expensive, businesses might be left with unsold, high-cost inventory, leading to write-downs and further losses.
Furthermore, tariffs introduce a significant degree of uncertainty and planning challenges. The unpredictable nature of trade policies, with tariffs being imposed, adjusted, or removed with little notice, makes long-term financial planning a formidable task for small businesses. This volatility discourages investment in new equipment, technology, or hiring, as businesses become hesitant to commit capital in an unstable environment. Lenders, too, may view tariff-impacted businesses as higher risk, potentially leading to reduced credit lines or a reluctance to extend new financing, further constricting access to crucial working capital.
Historical examples highlight these impacts. The U.S. steel tariffs of 2002, while intended to protect domestic steel producers, led to higher input costs for downstream industries, such as construction and manufacturing, affecting their profitability and working capital. Similarly, the trade disputes of recent years, particularly those involving tariffs on Chinese goods, have seen anecdotal evidence of small businesses in sectors like sexual wellness and home goods struggling with increased costs, supply chain recalibrations, and the difficult decision of raising consumer prices or absorbing losses. Companies like Dame Products and Bambu Home, as seen in recent case studies, have directly experienced the strains on cash flow and the necessity of reevaluating their financial and pricing strategies.
Mitigating the Impact: Strategies for Small Businesses
While the challenges posed by tariffs are substantial, small businesses are not entirely without recourse. Proactive strategies can help mitigate their impact on working capital:
Diversify Supply Chains: Exploring alternative suppliers from countries not subject to tariffs, or even domestic sources, can reduce dependence on high-tariff imports and offer greater stability. This may involve significant research and relationship building but can be a vital long-term solution.
Negotiate with Suppliers: Open communication with existing suppliers about cost-sharing, extended payment terms, or bulk purchase discounts can help alleviate immediate financial strain.
Optimize Inventory Management: Implementing “just-in-time” inventory strategies where feasible, or carefully calibrating inventory levels based on accurate demand forecasts, can reduce the capital tied up in unsold goods.
Strategic Pricing and Cost Optimization: While raising prices is a sensitive decision, businesses should carefully analyze their cost structures, conduct margin analysis, and consider dynamic pricing models to absorb some tariff costs while remaining competitive. Simultaneously, a rigorous audit of operational expenses to identify areas for cost-cutting can free up working capital.
Improve Cash Flow Management: Creating detailed cash flow forecasts that account for tariff scenarios is crucial. Implementing strategies to accelerate accounts receivable (e.g., early payment incentives) and negotiating extended payment terms with customers can improve the cash conversion cycle.
Seek Flexible Financing: Establishing a business line of credit or exploring other working capital loans before a crisis hits can provide a crucial safety net for unexpected tariff-related costs or cash flow gaps. Government programs like the SBA’s State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) may also offer assistance for businesses looking to expand into international markets and potentially diversify their trade relationships.
Stay Informed and Seek Expert Advice: Monitoring trade policy developments, consulting with financial advisors, international trade consultants, or industry associations can provide invaluable insights and guidance for navigating the evolving tariff landscape.
In conclusion, tariffs represent a significant exogenous shock to the working capital position of small businesses. They directly increase costs, disrupt supply chains, complicate inventory management, and intensify competitive pressures, all of which strain a business’s liquidity and operational capacity. However, by adopting proactive strategies such as diversifying suppliers, optimizing cash flow, and seeking appropriate financial support, small businesses can enhance their resilience and navigate the turbulent waters of global trade, protecting their vital working capital and ensuring their continued viability and growth.
Accounts Receivable Factoring $100,000 to $30 Million Quick AR Advances No Long-Term Commitment Non-recourse Funding in about a week
We are a great match for businesses with traits such as: Less than 2 years old Negative Net Worth Losses Customer Concentrations Weak Credit Character Issues
Chris Lehnes | Factoring Specialist | 203-664-1535 | chris@chrislehnes.com
SaaS companies are often challenged to obtain the working capital needed to continue to innovate, increase revenue and expand their customer base, but raising equity prematurely can unnecessarily dilute founder’s equity.
By factoring, SaaS companies get quick access to the funds needed to leverage their technology for success without giving up equity.
Accounts Receivable Factoring
$100,000 to $30 Million
Quick AR Advances
No Long-Term Commitment
Non-recourse
Funding in about a week
We are a great match for businesses with traits such as:
Discover how accounts receivable factoring can transform your small business by providing the essential working capital you need to grow and thrive. In under 60 seconds, learn how selling your unpaid invoices to a factoring company can improve cash flow, reduce financial stress, and empower you to seize new opportunities. Featuring inspiring visuals of successful retail owners, this quick guide highlights why factoring is a smart solution for managing finances without taking on debt. Whether you’re looking to expand inventory, cover payroll, or invest in marketing, factoring offers a flexible and reliable cash flow boost. Don’t miss out on unlocking your business’s full potential today!
Accounts Receivable Factoring $100,000 to $30 Million Quick AR Advances No Long-Term Commitment Non-recourse Funding in about a week
We are a great match for businesses with traits such as: Less than 2 years old Negative Net Worth Losses Customer Concentrations Weak Credit Character Issues
Chris Lehnes | Factoring Specialist | 203-664-1535 | chris@chrislehnes.com
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