NeoWave is a corporate advisory business which brings together a team of experienced professionals to assist clients in achieving their business goals and objectives.
Our team experience allows NeoWave to offer management consultancy services to our clients, whilst assisting in finding the right partners for raising financial capital for businesses, property and commercial projects. NeoWave focuses on achieving tangible, practical results in the shortest period of time.
Designed to allow homeowners complete on a new purchase prior to selling their current property, bridging loans provide a short-term loan at a high rate of interest. These products help not just those with misaligned sale and completion dates but also buyers intending to renovate and turn properties around at speed or those purchasing at auction.
With approval to access conventional lending streams becoming more stringent, bridging lenders have flooded the market, a number of whom apply massive admin fees on top of interest rates up to a staggering 18% a year.
Landlords and amateur property developers are key users of bridging loans, as are auction buyers needing quick funds and asset rich borrowers wanting straightforward lending on residential properties.
Bridging lenders vary from the tiny to the huge, and unfortunately come with a similar variety of professionalism and prudent recommendations. To play it safe, deal only with Financial Conduct Authority regulated brokers.
Venture capital is attractive for developing companies with limited operating history, who are too small to raise capital in the public markets, and who aren’t able to secure a bank loan or complete a debt offering.
In exchange for the high risk that venture capitalists assume by investing in smaller, early-stage companies, venture capitalists usually get significant control over company decisions, in addition to a considerable portion of the company’s ownership and consequent value.
Venture capital firms or funds invest in developing companies in exchange for equity, or an ownership stake. Venture capitalists take on the risk of financing risky startups in the hopes that some of the firms they support will become successful.
Startups like Uber, Airbnb, Flipkart, Xiaomi & Didi Chuxing are examples where venture capitalists contribute more than financing to these early-stage firms; they also often provide strategic advice to the firm’s executives on its business model and marketing strategies.
Startups and newer companies that lack historic operating history, and are generally too small to raise capital public markets, as well as being unable to secure finance through other mainstream funnels are prime recipients of venture capital.
Similar to sourcing angel investors, with no public exchanges listing venture capitalist’s details, it can sometimes feel like an impenetrable circle. Typically, venture capitalists are found by attending investor symposiums, through referrals from trusted sources, or at Dragon’s Den style meetings where companies pitch directly to panels of potential investors.
The startups favoured by venture capitalists in the current market are of an innovative technology or business model and are usually from high technology industries, such as information technology, clean technology or biotechnology.
Angel investors are often affluent individuals who offer capital for convertible debt or equity, alongside providing management advice and a wealth of contacts. An increasing number of angel investors invest online through equity crowdfunding or organize themselves into angel networks to share research and pool their investment capital.
Angel investors can also be know as business angels, informal investors, angel funders, private investors or seed investors.
Angel investors often invest for a multitude of reasons aside from financial return, from cultivating an interest in a particular business area to mentoring the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Whilst the majority of angel involvement happens early in a business’ journey, angel investors can come on board any time, and will be as varied in their loan amount and terms as the individual angels themselves.
Generally speaking, but not exclusively, angels offer investment in the early stages of a company’s inception. Due to angel investment being at the discretion and want of the lending individuals, it may not always be possible to find one at a time that aligns with business needs, especially when exposure to them is limited.
Without dedicated public listings, angel investors can be tricky to find. Typically, angles are sought by referrals from trusted sources, at investor conferences or at Dragon’s Den style meetings where companies pitch directly to panels of potential investors.
Asset lending can be broken down into five categories:
Providing flexibility and freedom, finance leasing is akin to renting the equipment in return for regular, typically monthly payments, that can be offset against taxable profit. Finance leases tend to run between one and five years and upon cessation, return of the leased product is contractually required.
Allowing companies to spread the cost of purchase, an HP agreement is comparable to finance leasing but at the end of the contractual period, instead of handing back the equipment, you own it.
Contract hire is generally offered for vehicles or larger, industry specific equipment like tractors and diggers. Repayments are calculated on the value of the asset and are spread over a specific term.
Operating leases tend to be suited to intangible, technology based purchases, with payments only being made until the expiry date of agreement. If the asset stops benefiting the company, a bulk, one off payment is made covering the difference between original price and the residual value.
Refinancing allows payment schedule revisions, or taking advantage of better rates or products not available on inception of the original agreement, as well as being useful for those with poor credit ratings. Consolidating numerous credit cards into one loan removes multiple lines of credit and varying interest rates, alongside product specific benefits or promotions such as 0% on balance transfers.
Any business, from startup to global empire can make use of asset lending, irrespective of their size, turnover or sector. Reassessing current credit and refinancing to ensure maximum efficiency is good practice for all companies.
As a flexible alternative to bank loans, purchasing equipment through asset lending will spread the cost of the product into smaller portions, removing the need for large capital expenditure and enabling growth without financial overstretching.
Asset lending is usually provided by the manufacturers of the product or equipment, with some arranging agreements in-house while others choose to outsource their contractual agreements to a third party company.
Invoice financing involves a third party, such as a bank, buying a company’s unpaid invoices or lending money against the value of those invoices.
There are two main types; invoice factoring and invoice discounting.
As long as a company has a decent turnover and satisfactory volume of accounts receivable, invoice factoring and discounting are viable options that might ease cash flow issues, however, invoice discounting is most suited to established companies with annual turnovers of at least £250,000. Due to the nature of the financing stipulations, this route is rarely feasible for start-ups and new businesses.
If unexpected funds are needed quickly, both invoice factoring and discounting can provide access to funds in a relatively short time frame, which may ease the cash flow issues experienced when waiting for large invoices to be settled or experiencing client payment problems. Both services come with fees attached, meaning you will never recoup 100% of the invoiced amount,
Invoice Finance is provided by most banks and financial institutions who offer business related services, as well as specific invoice finance houses.
Business loans aid cash flow, enabling companies to continue trading in adverse business climates, at a cost that is comfortable for the business to factor into their monthly accounts. Sums of money to borrow along with a charge from the lender, defined by a rate of interest, are then broken down into affordable monthly repayments over an agreed timescale.
Any firm can apply for a business loan, no matter how big or how small, although some providers will only lend to limited companies.
The wide range of business loans ensures options can be tailored to individual company circumstances. Startup loans for brand new ventures, “peer to peer’ lending for those who wish to borrow from people rather than banks, business overdrafts or credit cards and finance across short, medium and long terms are just a few examples of the scope of lending availab
Business loans are provided by most banks and financial institutions who offer business related services, as well as finance being offer by individuals within “peer to peer” lending circles.
Similar to residential mortgages, commercial mortgages see lenders providing a percentage of purchase costs in return for repayment over an agreed term, plus interest. Notable differences to a commercial mortgage are:
Arrangement fees of between 1-2% are generally applied to commercial mortgages upon completion, however some lenders also charge a commitment fee, payable with the formal application covering preparatory work.
Lenders against commercial mortgages typically require a 20-30 page valuation report to give application approval, which can cost upwards of £500 for the most simple of valuation quotations. This fee is payable to the lender after an initial indicative offer has been accepted.
Dependant on size and complexity, legal fees will vary greatly but generally begin around £500. The purchaser is required to pay the legal fees of the buyer and the lender, but savings in cost and time can be made where it is agreed that both parties will use different partners in the same firm for representation.
Commercial mortgages are aimed at those who own, or who are looking to purchase business premises. They are typically used for freehold purchases but some lenders will offer commercial mortgages against leasehold properties if there are 70 years plus remaining on the lease.
Being a longer term financial solution, commercial mortgages range typically from 3 to 25 years, however shorter term finance is also available in the form of bridging loans or property development loans, which offer finance with terms between a few weeks up to 24 months.
Generally speaking, commercial mortgages are offered up to 70-75% of the full property valuation, with the remaining balance being paid in cash by the buyer. Most commercial mortgages are offered at a variable rate, but some lenders offer fixed rates for transactions under £500,000.
Brokers are the most efficient path to finding a suitable commercial mortgage as they have built a network of contacts and their up to date market knowledge ensures the best deal is found. Brokers present the business’ case to lenders, so full clarity and transparency at all times is paramount. Those who are members of the NACFB will have Professional Indemnity insurance and adibe by a strict code of practice.
The majority of brokers will charge of up to 1% of the loan value, however payment should not be made until a loan offer is provided at terms you have pre-agreed.
Startup capital from backers such as angel investors and venture capitalists can run across many rounds, beginning with the initial funding to launch the business. As the startup continues to develop, it might not generate enough revenue to become fully self sufficient, leading to subsequent rounds of funding.
Startup finance is sought only by companies at point of inception, or in their stages. In the case of a bank loan, the business will be expected to make monthly payments to pay down the debt plus any interest and/or fees. In the case of an investor, he or she will negotiate to provide that startup capital in exchange for a certain stake in the company.
Startup finance is used when a company is in its infancy, potentially requiring multiple round of funding. These rounds may include several investors, typically with at least one lead backer who puts forth the greatest share of funding for that round. While this does dilute control of the company between the founders and the investors, it provides greater liquidity for the startup to push its ideas closer to being market-ready.
The money can come from a bank, in the form of a business loan; or from an investor, group of investors, or venture capitalist(s). If sourcing funding through venture capitalists, loans will be at the discretion and want of the lending individuals, it may not always be possible to find one at a time that aligns with business needs, especially when exposure to them is limited.
Unlike a traditional mortgage lender, a development finance lender will take the value of the completed property into account.
Here’s how the process works:
Development finance is often used by builders and developers planning extensive projects and ground-up developments. Poor credit rating will likely halt an application for development finance due to the strict application process.
Development finance allows quick access to large amounts of capital, whilst still being a short term loan, avoiding lengthy contracts and long term interest accrual. Lenders of development finance are rigid in their comprehensive paperwork requirements, with arrangement and exit fees generally being higher than that of commercial mortgages.
Development finance is offered through specialist lenders, with requirements for approval being much more closely reviewed and monitored than for commercial mortgage approval.
Joint venture development finance is designed to cover 100% of all purchase and build costs of the project, meaning site acquisition and build costs are fully covered. Some lenders will charge interest on funds drawn down and split profit in a slightly more favourable ratio to the developer. Others will charge no interest and simply split 50/50. Where interest is charged on the debt, it is usually allowed to roll up, meaning there is no need to service the debt.
Joint venture developer financiers prefer working with experienced developers, where projects will be completed in under 24 month, and on those projects who have already received planning permission.
Joint venture funding offers a centralised solution for lending, ensuring cost reductions in legal fees and time reductions in having to build a relationship with a sole monitoring surveyor. It allows developers to the freedom of not being required to service any debt until completion of the project.
Joint venture developer finance is offered through specialist financing institutions, and as such, has more stringent approval requirements than commercial mortgages.
Crowd funding is a way of raising finance by asking a large number of people each for a small amount of money. Traditionally, financing a business, project or venture involved asking a few people for large sums of money. Crowd funding switches this idea around, using the internet to talk to thousands – if not millions – of potential funders. Typically, those seeking funds will set up a profile of their project on a website. They can then use social media, alongside traditional networks of friends, family and work acquaintances, to raise money, which can be sought one of two ways:
Crowd funding isn’t exclusive to any type, sector or industry. It can be utilised by start ups just beginning their business journey or by established companies wishing to source funding for a project or expansion.
Crowd funding relies on attracting interest and investment from a larger number of investors, although the price per investor is lower. As such, companies may find it difficult to garner enough exposure and traction, leading to insufficient investment.
There are a multitude of crowd funding sites readily accessible on the web now, with as varied a user base as can be imagined. Relying solely on these sites to offer enough exposure to result in full investment may not be prudent, as such campaigns often need marketing to achieve their full potential
Also known as ‘leasing’, a finance lease is very similar to renting the equipment, in return for payments
which are usually offset against taxable profit. The range for a finance lease is normally between one
and five years and is designed to last until the equipment expires – although you can renew and continue
to it.
Finance leasing provides flexibility and freedom – you don’t have responsibility for something that you
do not own.
Also known as a Lease Purchase, a Hire Purchase is very similar to finance leasing, except once you get
to the end of the 1-5 years, instead of handing back the equipment, you own it.
It allows you to spread the cost of purchasing equipment, which is ideal as long as the well-being of the
assets is maintained and looked after.
Contract hire is very useful for vehicles, whether you’re looking to purchase a van or more specific
equipment – such as a tractor or a digger. The payment methods are made on the value of the asset
(vehicle) and are spread over a specific term.
Repayments are based on the asset value and the costs are worked out over the length of the
agreement.
This type of asset finance is a good match for businesses that rely heavily on the use of technology. If
you use an operating lease, your payments only last until the expiry date has been reached. Once the
asset stops being useful, you pay the difference of the original price and the residual value, once the
agreement has expired.
Refinancing allows you to revise your payment schedule when repaying your debt. It also enables you to renew your loan, therefore replacing an old loan with a new one. Refinancing is useful if your credit ratings are poor. For example, instead of using several credit cards with different interest rates, it will allow a loan with the same amount, which will then drop the interest down, as it is only one loan you are paying back.
