Payroll is one of the most important responsibilities that any business faces. Not being able to make payroll can lead to governmental tax penalties, lawsuits from employees, and additional debt for the company.
Staffing agencies can use a financing option called payroll factoring to solve this issue. This type of factoring involves selling outstanding invoices to a payroll funding company for an advance on those invoices.
What is Payroll Factoring?
Making payroll can be one of the most challenging financial aspects of running a staffing agency. You need to ensure that your employees are paid on time to retain their services, and you need to pay other business expenses like marketing, rent, and office supplies. Fortunately, a solution known as payroll factoring is available to help you overcome cash flow hurdles that may be keeping you from making payments on time.
Essentially, this process involves selling your invoices to a factoring company for immediate cash in exchange for a small fee. Then, once your clients pay their invoices to you, the factoring company will give you back the rest of the value of your invoices minus the factoring fee (which typically ranges from 1 to 3 percent of the total invoice).
While payroll factoring is similar to other types of factoring—or invoice financing—it is specifically tailored for staffing and temporary employment agencies and other businesses that hire employees on an on-demand basis or for seasonal work periods. The key difference is that payroll funding companies are specially trained to deal with the unique complexities of this type of financing.
Additionally, unlike traditional bank loans, factoring is not debt-based and does not require a long-term commitment from your business. The only real drawback is that your relationship with your clients could potentially change because the factoring company will take over billing and collection efforts, which some business owners are uncomfortable with. However, a good factoring company will provide full-service payroll funding to make the transition as smooth as possible for your business.
How Does It Work?
Making payroll is one of the most critical responsibilities for business owners. It’s also one of the biggest expenses. With payroll funding or invoice factoring, staffing and temporary employment agencies can leverage their accounts receivable to receive the cash they need to meet payroll processing costs.
The process is simple. Businesses submit their invoices and timecards to a payroll factoring company. The factoring company then finances 90-95% of the value of those invoices in return for a small fee. The payroll funding company then releases the cash to the business for those invoices (minus their fee) the same day they purchase them. The business then uses the money to make payroll and pay associated taxes.
A benefit of leveraging the cash from invoice factoring to meet payroll is that it allows businesses to maintain consistent cash flow. This can help them grow the company, pursue new clients, invest in marketing campaigns or even buy new equipment.
Before funding an invoice, the factoring company will analyze and conduct credit checks on your customers. They will also likely offer credit protection in case your client goes bankrupt. This helps ensure that your staffing agency will get paid on time and protects their reputation with their clients. While different payroll funding companies have their own processes, they will usually ask for financing applications, proof of identity, invoice aging and customer list.
What Are the Benefits?
Staffing agencies and other companies that hire employees rely on payroll financing to keep their operations running smoothly. This type of funding is an effective solution for businesses that can’t predict when they’ll receive payments from clients or when their accounts receivable will turn into cash. It helps them avoid late payroll expenses and allows them to continue hiring new workers.
Unlike bank loans, payroll factoring is non-recourse, meaning that the business isn’t responsible for repaying the amount advanced to them by the factoring company. This arrangement is beneficial for all parties involved. The factoring company takes on the risk of collecting payments from your customers and pays you the remaining balance minus their fee once they’ve done so.
Additionally, payroll factoring doesn’t require lengthy credit checks to be completed. It’s easier to qualify for this type of financial solution than traditional loans or lines of credit and it allows businesses to accept new clients even if they have less-than-perfect credit.
Depending on the type of factoring company you choose, they may buy just one or more of your invoices (known as spot factoring) or they may purchase all of your outstanding invoices at once (known as full ledger or whole-turn factoring). Some payroll financing solutions also offer additional value-added services to help you improve your collections processes and cash flow.
