- Are you worried about recession-proofing your business? That's what we're talking about today, on The Money Factor. Hi, I'm Ian Varley, welcome to The Money Factor. A lot of people are worried about recession-proofing their business. We've been getting a lot of questions online. Let's take the first one.
- That's a great question. You have to have a financial partner for your business that is not just a fair-weather friend. They're going to have to be there through thick and thin. And when recession comes and bites, are they gonna stick with you, or are they going to be very easy to call in a default if you get behind or have a bump in the road. That's one thing to start looking at, and start talking to your Relationship Manager if you have one. A lot of people have gone the online lending route. They don't even have a relationship with them. They've applied online, got approved very quickly, everything's great. But think about, okay, if things turn down a bit and you get behind on a payment, who you gonna speak to and say, "well, actually I have all this sorted, "can you, you know bear with me a bit." They won't be there. In actual fact, a lot of people are concerned that some of these online lenders, being that they approve using algorithms and other sophisticated things, are really not prepared for a recession. I was reading something about some of these people, where they're already adjusting their processes and their approval methods in preparation for that. So we may see during the latter part of this year, that the amount of new online loans goes down. So, my point is, is your financial partner really there for you in a recession? Look at, if you have a loan or a line of credit with the bank, look at the covenants that you've signed up for. Are there financial covenants that could be something you trip accidentally or just because your business isn't performing so well during a recession, that could really put you behind. Have a look at that now. Now is the time to prepare, because you have to be sure that that financial partner will stand through difficult times with you. Think about factoring. We will look at your receivables. We know that things can get behind. We live in the real world. We're less focused on your financials or your credit score, things like that. We really are somebody that sticks with businesses as they resolve problems and turn things around. We're not scared by it, and that's a question you should ask yourself. Is your lender going to be scared by issues that you might have during the recession. If you think the answer is yes, start looking for an alternative now. That's my best advice.