Purchase Order Financing- The China Advantage
As of July, 2007, the Central Intelligence Agency for the United States government estimated that the population of China is over one billion three hundred twenty one million people. In contrast, the population of the United States is estimated to be a little over three hundred two million people. That’s 1,321,000,000 versus 302,000,000 people; China has over four times the population of the U.S.
In the past two decades China has completed and put into operation over 2000 large and medium-sized industrial projects; these include railways, atomic power stations and completely new cities. There has been ginormous investments in other fixed assets such as basic industries, 100,000 new reservoirs for water storage, irrigated land, coal mining, oil-drilling, steel-making, power generation, highway construction, and newly constructed and extended ports.
China has the world’s largest manufacturing workforce- over 100 million people. In comparison, there are about 14 million manufacturing workers in the United States. China’s labor costs are low compared to the United States and many other parts of the world. As of 2002 statistics indicate that employees in China’s city manufacturing enterprises received about $0.95 per hour; rural workers average about half this amount: $0.41 per hour. A large majority of manufacturing employees work outside the cities. They earn about 3% of the average hourly compensation of factory workers in the U.S. and many other developed countries. With low land costs and low labor costs it is no wonder that the cost advantage to manufacturing in China is extremely attractive to American entrepreneurs. When their products are manufactured with sufficient quality controls, the cheaper costs and effective delivery systems create a win-win situation for those who are able to participate.
Manufacturing is a basic Chinese industry. When you take raw materials and labor and produce products that can be sold in high quantities at a lower cost than U.S. competitors, and successfully import to them to the U.S. and it is possible to have excellent returns on your investment. And China’s political and economic system is relatively stable compared to other developing nations such as many countries in Africa.
What is the approximate size of the trade in goods from China? According the U.S. Census bureau, Foreign Trade Division, imports from China in 2006 were over $287 Billion dollars; for the first five months of 2007 imports from China were over $120 Billion dollars.
What are the main categories of products imported into the U.S. from China? This includes iron and steel products, specialized industrial machinery, office machines and computer, telecommunications and sound equipment, electrical machinery and parts, road motor vehicles, building and lighting products, furniture, travel goods and handbags, footwear, professional, scientific and controlling instruments, photographic and optical equipment, timepieces, personal care products, and food products such as tea. According to the American Electronics Association, high-tech imports from China are on the rise.
What are some of the main risks associated with doing business with a manufacturer in China? We do not speak the same language, so a good interpreter is necessary. Our legal systems are completely different and the Chinese legal system is complicated and weak. Therefore it is vital to develop good relationships with the proper trading partners. It is also important to have excellent international legal counsel to comply with the complexities of contract law, local Chinese law and relevant U.S. law. Protecting intellectual property is a challenge in China.
What does this all have to do with purchase order financing? International purchase order financing is complicated and complex in details, but the concept is simple. If you have a product that can be manufactured in China, and you have made the proper arrangements for production and shipping but lack sufficient capital to finance the transaction- with a large purchase order from a creditworthy customer a commercial finance company will agree to have their bank issue a Letter of Credit to guarantee that the Chinese factory producing the product will be paid. When the goods are shipped and delivered to your customer the commercial finance company pays the Chinese factory. Between 70% and 100% of the product’s cost may be financed depending on the product’s gross margins and the risks involved. Purchase order financing may facilitate your exponential growth and profits for all concerned.
When your customer is invoiced for the product an account receivable is created which will be paid to the commercial financing company. Purchase order financing with an international letter of credit can make the deal possible. Accounts receivable financing, or factoring, is the back end financing that guarantees payment to all concerned. The expertise of the commercial finance company can be invaluable with regard to helping you succeed in this challenging marketplace.
A wise man once said if you put a flea in a jar with a lid, the flea would keep jumping into the lid time after time. After a while if you take the lid off, the flea will only jump as high as the lid. Why limit your potential when it is just as easy to set your expectations higher? For businesses that sell manufactured products to other businesses, purchase order financing may be the way to reap the benefits of the China advantage.
Copyright © 2007 Gregg Financial Services
Why Early-Stage Startup Companies Should Hire a Lawyer
Many startup companies believe that they do not need a lawyer to help them with their business dealings. In the early stages, this may be true. However, as time goes on and your company grows, you will find yourself in situations where it is necessary to hire a business lawyer and begin to understand all the many benefits that come with hiring a lawyer for your legal needs.
The most straightforward approach to avoid any future legal issues is to employ a startup lawyer who is well-versed in your state’s company regulations and best practices. In addition, working with an attorney can help you better understand small company law. So, how can a startup lawyer help you in ensuring that your company’s launch runs smoothly?
They Know What’s Best for You
Lawyers that have experience with startups usually have worked in prestigious law firms, and as general counsel for significant corporations.
Their strategy creates more efficient, responsive, and, ultimately, more successful solutions – relies heavily on this high degree of broad legal and commercial knowledge.
They prioritize learning about a clients’ businesses and interests and obtaining the necessary outcomes as quickly as feasible.
Also, they provide an insider’s viewpoint and an intelligent methodology to produce agile, creative solutions for their clients, based on their many years of expertise as attorneys and experience dealing with corporations.
They Contribute to the Increase in the Value of Your Business
Startup attorneys help represent a wide range of entrepreneurs, operating companies, venture capital firms, and financiers in the education, fashion, finance, health care, internet, social media, technology, real estate, and television sectors.
They specialize in mergers and acquisitions as well as working with companies that have newly entered a market. They also can manage real estate, securities offerings, and SEC compliance, technology transactions, financing, employment, entertainment and media, and commercial contracts, among other things.
Focusing on success must include delivering the highest levels of representation in resolving the legal and business difficulties confronting clients now, tomorrow, and in the future, based on an unwavering dedication to the firm’s fundamental principles of quality, responsiveness, and business-centric service.
Wrapping Up
All in all, introducing a startup business can be overwhelming. You’re already charged with a host of responsibilities in which you’re untrained as a business owner. Legal problems are notoriously difficult to solve, and interpreting “legalese” is sometimes required. Experienced business lawyers know these complexities and can help you navigate them to avoid stumbling blocks.
Although many company owners wait until the last minute to deal with legal issues, they would benefit or profit greatly from hiring an experienced startup lawyer even before they begin. Reputable startup lawyers can give essential legal guidance, assist entrepreneurs in avoiding legal hazards, and improve their prospects of becoming a successful company.
Think Twice Before Getting Financial Advice From Your Bank
This startling figure comes from a recent review of the financial advice offered from the big four banks by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC).
Even more startling: 10% of advice was found to leave investors in an even worse financial position.
Through a “vertically integrated business model”, Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank, Westpac, ANZ and AMP offer ‘in house’ financial advice, and collectively, control more than half of Australia’s financial planners.
It’s no surprise ASIC’s review found advisers at these banks favoured financial products that connected to their parent company, with 68% of client’s funds invested in ‘in house’ products as oppose to external products that may have been on the firms list.
Why the banks integrated financial advice model is flawed
It’s hard to believe the banks can keep a straight face and say they can abide by the duty for advisers to act absolutely in the best interests of a client.
Under the integrated financial advice model, there are layers of different fees including adviser fees, platform fees and investment management fees adding up to 2.5-3.5%
The typical breakdown of fees is usually as follows: an adviser charge of 0.8% to 1.1%, a platform fee of between 0.4% and 0.8%, and a managed fund fee of between 0.7% and 2.1%. These fees are not only opaque, but are sufficiently high to limit the ability of the client to quickly earn real rates of return.
Layers of fees placed into the business model used by the banks means there is not necessarily an incentive for the financial advice arm to make a profit, because the profits can be made in the upstream parts of the supply chain through the banks promoting their own products.
This business model, however, is flawed, and cannot survive in a world where people are demanding greater accountability for their investments, increased transparency in relation to fees and increased control over their investments.
It is noteworthy that the truly independent financial advisory firms in Australia that offer separately managed accounts have done everything in their power to avoid using managed funds and keep fee’s competitive.
The banks have refused to admit their integrated approach to advice is fatally flawed. When the Australian Financial Review approached the Financial Services Council (FSC), a peak body that represents the ‘for-profit’ wealth managers, for a defence if the layered fee arrangements, a spokesman said no generalisations could be made.
There are fundamental flaws in the advice model, and it will be interesting to see what the upcoming royal commission into banking will do to change some of the contentious issues surround integrated financial advice.
Many financial commentators are calling for a separation of financial advice attached to banks, with obvious bias and failure to meet the best interests of clients becoming more apparent.
Chris Brycki, CEO of Stockspot, says “investors should receive fair and unbiased financial advice from experts who will act in the best interests of their client. What Australians currently get is product pushing from salespeople who are paid by the banks.”
Brycki is calling for structural reform to fix the problems caused by the dominant market power of the banks to ensure that consumers are protected, advisers are better educated and incentives are aligned.
Stockspot’s annual research into high-fee-charging funds shows thousands of customers of banks are being recommended bank aligned investment products despite the potential of more appropriate alternatives being available.