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What is Walkabout Entertainment? This is something similar to “the Wandering Minstrel” you may have seen at various fetes and carnivals. It is suitable for any type of event (such as Store Openings, Carnivals/Festivals, Parades, Fun Days, Shopping Centres, Pubs/Clubs) where you want to create a buzz or an enhanced “good time” atmosphere without necessarily putting the performer up on a stage at a designated time for everyone to stop what they are doing and watch! They are also particularly useful in keeping crowds of “about to pay” customers in long queues waiting to see Santa or for a particular theme park ride. The organisers of events don’t want these people getting bored and harassed by their children and deciding to leave the queue, so you can come to the rescue and keep everyone entertained and happy!Walkabout Entertainers simply wander amongst the visitors to your event. They stop and entertain small crowds and individuals at random. There are Glow versions of most Circus Skills props such as balls, clubs, poi, devilstick & diabolo. This means that you can entertain whether it is day or night! Glow Juggling Walkabout is ideal for bonfire night and Halloween themed events, as well as the switching on of Christmas lights.How Do I Carry My Props? You basically have only a few choices:Just carry one or two props with you for the whole event, or return occasionally to a secured area to switch over props.
A suitcase on wheels. This will allow you to pack in lots of equipment but the downside is that you can’t really wheel it along the ground while doing tricks, so you have to stop and start on a regular basis wherever you go.
The best solution I have found is to wear a Jugglers Rucksack. There are some excellent ones available which have pockets and compartments in all the right places to help you store all different sorts of circus skills props securely and access them easily.What props could I use?If you have developed any short and snappy routines using props that fit nicely into your Jugglers rucksack, then carry these props with you for anytime you want to stop and do a quick performance. Remember that the idea isn’t to try to gather a huge crowd, so if you attract one, then it may be time to move on and entertain people elsewhere! Your client has hired you to keep people happy, but not to stop them from spending their money on all the attractions they have put on! If you only perform to tiny audiences everywhere, then you can use the same routines again and again as your new audience won’t have seen it yet!Costume:An increasing amount of clients are asking performers not to look anything like clowns because kids are scared of them, so this will save you having to put on make-up and dress very brightly! I usually opt for a smart casual look. Brightly coloured trousers, with a single colour t-shirt, and a waistcoat. It’s enough to make you stand out from the crowd, identify yourself as a performer, but still be approachable by a wide cross-section of people who are not going to be too embarrassed to stand next to you! If you end up spending your time as a walkabout entertainer dealing with heckles about what you are wearing, then it is time to consider finding a more suitable outfit!Some Further Advice:Walkabout entertainment involves social interaction. It is about helping to enhance the event for every person you meet. It is OK to get into conversations with people and answering their questions about the world of entertainment (and anything else they wish to discuss) and not just be constantly juggling.
This is a great chance to try out new short routines and tricks on people. If these routines go wrong, you may surprise yourself with coming up with an excellent ad-lib that you can write down later!
In order to look approachable, it may be helpful to smile at people!
Don’t try to do the most technical tricks that scream “look at me, I am brilliant!”
Don’t focus on your own skills when you are wandering around the event, be on the look out for people who might be interested in seeing a few tricks or having a try at spinning a plate or learning to juggle. You will soon develop a useful radar for such people and also for knowing which people to avoid completely!
Don’t be worried about dropping or making mistakes. Develop the sort of character/personality that lets people see that you are enjoying being at this event and entertaining them, but that mistakes sometimes happen! Recover by doing an even more impressive trick.

Small businesses don’t have limitless advertising budgets. In fact, in this day and age even the large corporations no longer have unlimited funds to spend on advertising and marketing. However, the limitations are amplified when looking at the challenges faced by a small business. This is why learning how marketing small businesses online works can be a huge asset for a business owner. It can also form the basis for forming an entire new business. So many small businesses can benefit from online marketing services that there is a huge market for companies to open their doors and provide internet marketing services to other small businesses in the area.So, how are small businesses best marketed online? It is actually much easier than it might seem at first. Although there are many more complicated aspects to this type of business that can develop down the road, and as companies continue to improve their online marketing, most firms can actually accomplish a great deal with relatively simple methods.The first step to marketing a business online is making sure that a business has a usable and effective website. The next step is to get people to that website. When starting internet marketing steps from the very beginning, we can divide the marketing efforts into three basic categories. These are search, social media or content and social networking. If all three of these elements can begin functioning, you are well on your way to marketing any small business online.The search element of marketing a business online is based partly on the website you have, and partly on the content that you have pointing to that site, among other factors. One area to concentrate on is that of local search. Small businesses are likely going to benefit the most by customers who find them online and then come into their physical store to make a purchase. Utilizing tools like Google places and online Yellow pages listings is going to be extremely important for success in this particular type of online marketing.The next way to market a business online is to start a strong social media campaign. This is going to mean creating lots of content for the business. The content can and should be about anything that is related to the niche that the business operates in, but there is one thing that it absolutely must not be. This is an advertisement. When writing articles or making videos which are part of an online marketing campaign, the one thing to never do is make them advertisements. This might seem counterintuitive to some people, but the most successful content is that which provides good information and content without seeming like it is pressuring people to visit a website or make a purchase. This is the type of content that will ultimately raise trust and the profile of the company that you are promoting.The final leg of this initial primer on how to market a business online is social networking. Almost everyone is now connected via Twitter and Facebook. A business should take advantage of these same tools so that they can connect to their customers. This provides a business with a tool to engage in an ongoing conversation with their customers, which can be a very valuable way to get people interested in their services.If you can combine a good website with a local search presence, a social media creation plan, and social networking profiles, you will be well on your way to successful promotion of a business online. These steps alone when followed for a reasonable amount of time can start to boost business for any company.

There are so many reasons for taking a personal loan. You may decide to take a loan because you want to pursue your studies, you want to maintain some necessary upkeep or you want to simply enjoy your life. What you should know is that you can either opt for a secured loan or an unsecured personal loan. The issue about secured loan is that it is a very unsafe type of loan because you are obligated to provide guarantee for the loan and if you are unable to pay back the loan as agreed, know that you are going to forfeit what you set out as guarantee to the lender.If you take out a personal loan, this is a very big chance for you to make use of the available money to better up your affairs. But this is only going to be possible if you make a wise use of the money. When taking a loan or any other major financial decision in life, you should know that there are times when things may not work the way you plan. Remember that there are situations in which you may have no influence over what nature holds. Your health may deteriorate; you may no longer be working. What about the case of death? All these will have a bearing on the way in which you are going to pay the debt. In one case, you may not be able to repay all the money and in another case, you may not even be able to pay a fraction of the debt. If you took out a secured loan, you will have to forfeit your belongings. To ward off any of such problems, it is always advisable to take an insurance to cover the loan.If you take out such a cover, you will be sure that there will be at least a guarantee that the loan will be paid when things go bad. The premium of insurance over a personal loan is not the same for every type of loan. It will first of all be settled by what you have as balance of the loan. There are also many categories of insurance and what you decide to take may influence the amount you pay as premium. Whatever the case, it is good that you opt for this cover because this is what is going to give you an assurance that your debt will be paid even when you are plunged into more serious financial crises.Three categories of loan indemnity exist. But ahead of opting for any, you should talk this out with the lender. Also remember that the terms and conditions of any insurance cover on a loan will vary according to the rules and regulations within every state.There is a personal loan death insurance that will have to cover a specified percentage of the loan in case of death if there are two signatories to the loan. But if there is just one signatory to the loan, the insurance will cover the whole of that loan. There is however a fixed amount to which a loan cannot go beyond.There is a disability plus insurance on a personal loan. This will be used to cover what you owe to a particular percentage. Under this scheme, you will also be paid a certain monthly sum to take care of your necessities.Involuntary Unemployment Coverage loan cover is another type of insurance that you can opt for. This will also cover a certain percentage of what you and this will cover you up to a certain period.Whenever to decide to take a personal loan, always make sure you take out the necessary cover to indemnify it. Remember that you may not be able to have full control over your financial future. There is so much that you can loose when you fail to take out this cover.You can take out insurance to cover a loan from the lender. But make sure that you are fully aware of the ins and outs of everything ahead of accepting it. Remember that every reasonable lender will be open to talk about what will make him or her have his or her money back.

There is no end to a person’s desire. People are always on the lookout for commodities that can make their lives simpler. And most of the people aren’t blessed with money, so they opt for loans.Today, buying a car is easy because of lenders. In order to get approved for an auto loan, you need to provide them with financial information such as:· Your income,· FICO score,· Current loans, etc.Once a lender analyzes your situation, he will approve you for an auto loan. But, what if you have an extensive history of late payments and excessive debt? Then, he will consider you as a subprime car buyer.According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the total auto loan amount for the last quarter of 2015 was $ 1.1 trillion. Out of the total auto loan amount, 22% was provided to the subprime car buyers. And, with the rising delinquencies, subprime car buyers pose a threat to lenders’ investment. So, lenders charge subprime car buyers with high interest rates in order to secure the principle amount as early as possible. High interest rates put a subprime car buyer in a considerable dilemma of whether he should apply for an auto loan or not.What should a Subprime Car Buyer do?If you are a subprime car buyer, you must not be hasty in obtaining an auto loan. Try to improve your creditworthiness. Once you see a considerable improvement in your financial situation, apply for the loan. Here a few tips to help you improve your chances of getting an auto loan:· Never HurryLenders are unwilling to pay for your car because of your credit history. So if you hurry, they might reject your loan application. Also, there are chances that they may approve you for a small loan amount and charge a very high interest rate for it.· Try to manage your Current DebtTake some time to improve your creditworthiness by managing your current debt. You can pay off a few of your debts to reduce the DTI ratio.· Restructure Your Image at Your OfficeIt is an indirect way of consolidating your image before the lenders. When you apply for an auto loan, they will scrutinize every detail mentioned in the loan application. If they contact your office to find out more about you, it is necessary that your employers provide them with a positive review. So, it is important to restructure your image at the office.· Find a Decent Co-signer Try to find a co-signer with a good credit history. It will increase the strength of your loan application. Also, it will enable you to get an auto loan quickly.· Get Pre-Approval on Auto LoansGetting pre-approval on auto loans can be the most beneficial thing for you. You can get your loan application assessed before visiting the dealer. It will allow you to know your financial situation clearly and help you in making a wise car buying decision.· Try New LendersAlways look for new lenders. They are looking for people to lend money and establish themselves in the market. But, conduct adequate research before submitting your loan application to a new lender.· Keep a check on your SalarySalary acts as the deciding factor for getting a loan, so keep a close watch on it. Also, work hard in order to get a raise from time to time.· Arrange a Large Sum of Money for the Down PaymentIt is seen that lenders are reluctant to offer money to subprime car buyers. It is possible that they may approve you for a low amount. So, try to arrange as much money as possible for the down payment. It will help you buy a car quickly and reduce your debt as well.A subprime car buyer can get an auto loan. But, remember that the lenders are going to charge you with high interest rates. So, it is better to establish yourself as a decent borrower and then apply for an auto loan.

Summary
SPDN is not the largest or oldest way to short the S&P 500, but it’s a solid choice.
This ETF uses a variety of financial instruments to target a return opposite that of the S&P 500 Index.
SPDN’s 0.49% Expense Ratio is nearly half that of the larger, longer-tenured -1x Inverse S&P 500 ETF.
Details aside, the potential continuation of the equity bear market makes single-inverse ETFs an investment segment investor should be familiar with.
We rate SPDN a Strong Buy because we believe the risks of a continued bear market greatly outweigh the possibility of a quick return to a bull market.
Put a gear stick into R position, (Reverse).
Birdlkportfolio

By Rob Isbitts

Summary
The S&P 500 is in a bear market, and we don’t see a quick-fix. Many investors assume the only way to navigate a potentially long-term bear market is to hide in cash, day-trade or “just hang in there” while the bear takes their retirement nest egg.

The Direxion Daily S&P 500® Bear 1X ETF (NYSEARCA:SPDN) is one of a class of single-inverse ETFs that allow investors to profit from down moves in the stock market.

SPDN is an unleveraged, liquid, low-cost way to either try to hedge an equity portfolio, profit from a decline in the S&P 500, or both. We rate it a Strong Buy, given our concern about the intermediate-term outlook for the global equity market.

Strategy
SPDN keeps it simple. If the S&P 500 goes up by X%, it should go down by X%. The opposite is also expected.

Proprietary ETF Grades
Offense/Defense: Defense

Segment: Inverse Equity

Sub-Segment: Inverse S&P 500

Correlation (vs. S&P 500): Very High (inverse)

Expected Volatility (vs. S&P 500): Similar (but opposite)

Holding Analysis
SPDN does not rely on shorting individual stocks in the S&P 500. Instead, the managers typically use a combination of futures, swaps and other derivative instruments to create a portfolio that consistently aims to deliver the opposite of what the S&P 500 does.

Strengths
SPDN is a fairly “no-frills” way to do what many investors probably wished they could do during the first 9 months of 2022 and in past bear markets: find something that goes up when the “market” goes down. After all, bonds are not the answer they used to be, commodities like gold have, shall we say, lost their luster. And moving to cash creates the issue of making two correct timing decisions, when to get in and when to get out. SPDN and its single-inverse ETF brethren offer a liquid tool to use in a variety of ways, depending on what a particular investor wants to achieve.

Weaknesses
The weakness of any inverse ETF is that it does the opposite of what the market does, when the market goes up. So, even in bear markets when the broader market trend is down, sharp bear market rallies (or any rallies for that matter) in the S&P 500 will cause SPDN to drop as much as the market goes up.

Opportunities
While inverse ETFs have a reputation in some circles as nothing more than day-trading vehicles, our own experience with them is, pardon the pun, exactly the opposite! We encourage investors to try to better-understand single inverse ETFs like SPDN. While traders tend to gravitate to leveraged inverse ETFs (which actually are day-trading tools), we believe that in an extended bear market, SPDN and its ilk could be a game-saver for many portfolios.

Threats
SPDN and most other single inverse ETFs are vulnerable to a sustained rise in the price of the index it aims to deliver the inverse of. But that threat of loss in a rising market means that when an investor considers SPDN, they should also have a game plan for how and when they will deploy this unique portfolio weapon.

Proprietary Technical Ratings
Short-Term Rating (next 3 months): Strong Buy

Long-Term Rating (next 12 months): Buy

Conclusions
ETF Quality Opinion
SPDN does what it aims to do, and has done so for over 6 years now. For a while, it was largely-ignored, given the existence of a similar ETF that has been around much longer. But the more tenured SPDN has become, the more attractive it looks as an alternative.

ETF Investment Opinion

SPDN is rated Strong Buy because the S&P 500 continues to look as vulnerable to further decline. And, while the market bottomed in mid-June, rallied, then waffled since that time, our proprietary macro market indicators all point to much greater risk of a major decline from this level than a fast return to bull market glory. Thus, SPDN is at best a way to exploit and attack the bear, and at worst a hedge on an otherwise equity-laden portfolio.

Your stocks to watch for the week ahead are Cheniere Energy (LNG), S&P 500 biotech giant Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX), Cardinal Health (CAH), Steel Dynamics (STLD) and Genuine Parts (GPC).

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While the market remains in correction, with analysts and investors wary of an economic downturn, these five stocks are worth adding to watchlists. S&P 500 medical giants Vertex and Cardinal Health have been holding up, as health-care related plays tend to do well in down markets.

Steel Dynamics and Genuine Parts are both coming off strong earnings as both the steel and auto parts industries report optimistic outlooks. Meanwhile, Cheniere Energy saw sales boom in the second quarter as demand in Europe for natural gas continues to grow.

Major indexes have been making rally attempts with the Dow Jones and S&P 500 testing weekly support on Friday. With market uncertainty, investors should be ready for follow-through day breakouts and keep an eye on these stocks.

Cheniere Energy, Cardinal Health and VRTX stock are all on IBD Leaderboard.

Cheniere Energy Stock
LNG shares rose 1.1% to 175.79 during Friday’s market trading. On the week, the stock advanced 3.1%, not from highs, bouncing from its 21-day and 10-week lines earlier in the week.

Cheniere Energy has been consolidating since mid-September, but needs another week to forge a proper base, with a potential 182.72 buy point formed on Aug. 10.

Houston-based Cheniere Energy was IBD Stock Of The Day on Thursday, as the largest U.S. producer of liquefied natural gas eyes strong demand in Europe.

Even though natural gas prices are plunging in the U.S. and Europe, investors still see strong LNG demand for Cheniere and others.

The U.K. government confirmed last week that it is in talks for an LNG purchase agreement with a number of companies, including Cheniere.

In the first half of 2021, less than 40% of Cheniere’s cargoes of LNG landed in Europe. That jumped to more than 70% through this year’s second quarter, even as the company ramped up new export capacity. The urgency of Europe’s natural gas shortage only intensified last month. That is when an explosion disabled the Nord Stream 1 pipeline from Russia that had once supplied 40% of the European Union’s natural gas.

In Q2, sales increased 165% to $8 billion and LNG earned $2.90 per share, up from a net loss of $1.30 per share in Q2 2021. The company will report Q3 earnings Nov. 3, with investors seeing booming profits for the next few quarters.

Cheniere Energy has a Composite Rating of 84. It has a 98 Relative Strength Rating, an exclusive IBD Stock Checkup gauge for share price movement with a 1 to 99 score. The rating shows how a stock’s performance over the last 52 weeks holds up against all the other stocks in IBD’s database. The EPS rating is 41.

Vertex Stock
VRTX stock jumped 3.4% to 300 on Friday, rebounding from a test of its 50-day moving average. Shares climbed 2.2% for the week. Vertex stock has formed a tight flat base with an official buy point of 306.05, according to MarketSmith analysis.

The stock has remained consistent over recent weeks, while the relative strength line has trended higher. The RS line tracks a stock’s performance vs. the S&P 500 index.

Vertex Q3 earnings are on due Oct. 27. Analysts see EPS edging up 1% to $3.61 per share with sales increasing 16% to $2.2 billion, according to FactSet.

The Boston-based global biotech company dominates the cystic fibrosis treatment market. Vertex also has other products in late-stage clinical development that target sickle cell disease, Type 1 diabetes and certain genetically caused kidney diseases. That includes a gene-editing partnership with Crispr Therapeutics (CRSP).

In early August, Vertex reported better-than-expected second-quarter results and raised full-year sales targets.

S&P 500 stock Vertex ranks second in the Medical-Biomed/Biotech industry group. VRTX has a 99 Composite Rating. Its Relative Strength Rating is 94 and its EPS Rating is 99.

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Cardinal Health Stock
CAH stock advanced 3.2% to 73.03 Friday, clearing a 71.22 buy point from a shallow cup-with-handle base and hitting a record high. But volume was light on the breakout. CAH stock leapt 7.3% for the week.

Cardinal Health stock’s relative strength line has also been trending up for months.

The cup-with-handle base is part of a base-on-base pattern, forming just above a cup base cleared on Aug. 11.

Cardinal Health, based in Dublin, Ohio, offers a wide assortment of health care services and medical supplies to hospitals, labs, pharmacies and long-term care facilities. The company reports that it serves around 90% of hospitals and 60,000 pharmacies in the U.S.

S&P 500 stock Cardinal Health will report Q1 2023 earnings on Nov. 4. Analysts forecast earnings falling 26% to 96 cents per share. Sales are expected to increase 10% to $48.3 billion, according to FactSet.

Cardinal Health stock ranks first in the Medical-Wholesale Drug/Supplies industry group, ahead of McKesson (MCK), which is also showing positive action. CAH stock has a 94 Composite Rating out of 99. It has a 97 Relative Strength Rating and an EPS rating of 73.

Steel Dynamics Stock
STLD shares shot up 8.5% to 92.92 on Friday and soared 19% on the week, coming off a Steel Dynamics earnings beat Wednesday night.

Shares blasted above an 88.72 consolidation buy point Friday after clearing a trendline Thursday. STLD stock is 17% above its 50-day line, definitely extended from that key average.

Steel Dynamics’ latest consolidation could be seen as part of a larger base going back six months.

Steel Dynamics topped Q3 earnings views with EPS rising 10% to $5.46 while revenue grew 11% to $5.65 billion. The steel producer’s outlook is optimistic despite weaker flat rolled steel pricing. STLD reports its order activity and backlogs remain solid.

The Fort Wayne, Indiana-based company is among the largest producers of carbon steel products in the U.S. It engages in metal recycling operations along with steel fabrication and produces myriad steel products.

How Millett Grew Steel Dynamics From A Three Employee Business

STLD stock ranks first in the Steel-Producers industry group. STLD stock has a 96 Composite Rating out of 99. It has a 90 Relative Strength Rating, an exclusive IBD Stock Checkup gauge for share-price movement that tops at 99. The rating shows how a stock’s performance over the last 52 weeks holds up against all the other stocks in IBD’s database. The EPS rating is 98.

Genuine Parts Stock
GPC stock gained 2.8% to 162.35 Friday after the company topped earnings views with its Q3 results on Thursday. For the week GPC advanced 5.1% as the stock held its 50-day line and is in a flat base.

GPC has an official 165.09 flat-base buy point after a three-week rally, according to MarketSmith analysis.

The relative strength line for Genuine Parts stock has rallied sharply to highs over the past several months.

On Thursday, the Atlanta-based auto parts company raised its full-year guidance on growth across its automotive and industrial sales.

Genuine Parts earnings per share advanced 19% to $2.23 and revenue grew 18% to $5.675 billion in Q3. GPC’s full-year guidance is now calling for EPS of $8.05-$8.15, up from $7.80-$7.95. The company now forecasts revenue growth of 15%-16%, up from the earlier 12%-14%.

During the Covid pandemic, supply chain constraints caused a major upheaval in the auto industry, sending prices for new and used cars to record levels. This has made consumers more likely to hang on to their existing vehicles for longer, driving mileage higher and boosting demand for auto replacement parts.

Fellow auto stocks O’Reilly Auto Parts (ORLY) and AutoZone (AZO) have also rallied near buy points amid the struggling market. O’Reilly reports on Oct. 26.

IBD ranks Genuine Parts first in the Retail/Wholesale-Auto Parts industry group. GPC stock has a 96 Composite Rating. Its Relative Strength Rating is 94 and it has an EPS Rating of 89.

US Markets were trading in the green on Friday with Dow 30 trading at 30,678.80, up by 1.14%. While S&P 500 was trading at 3,701.66, up by 0.98% and Nasdaq Composite 10,690.60 was also up by 0.71 per cent

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US Markets in green on Friday; Dow 30 up over 345 points, Nasdaq Composite, S&P 500 up nearly 1%
Earlier today, Indian stock markets ended the week on a winning note. It was the sixth straight gains for equity markets. Source: Reuters
US Markets were trading in the green on Friday with Dow 30 trading at 30,678.80, up by 345.25 points or1.14 per cent. While S&P 500 was trading at 3,701.66, up by 35.88 points or 0.98 per cent and Nasdaq Composite 10,690.60 was also up 75.75 points or 0.71 per cent. A Reuters report said that today’s strength was on the back of a report which said the Federal Reserve will likely debate on signaling plans for a smaller interest rate hike in December, reversing declines set off by social media firms after Snap Inc’s ad warning.

Source: Comex

Nasdaq Top Gainers and Losers

Source: Nasdaq

Earlier today, Indian stock markets ended the week on a winning note. It was the sixth straight gains for equity markets. The BSE Sensex ended at 59,307.15, up by 104.25 points or 0.18 per cent from the Thursday closing level. Meanwhile, the Nifty50 index closed at 17,590.00, higher by 26.05 points or 0.15 per cent. In the 30-share Sensex, 13 stocks gained while the remaining 17 ended on the losing side. In the 50-stock Nifty50, 21 stocks advanced while 29 declined.

There are several potential financing options available to cash-strapped businesses that need a healthy dose of working capital. A bank loan or line of credit is often the first option that owners think of – and for businesses that qualify, this may be the best option.

In today’s uncertain business, economic and regulatory environment, qualifying for a bank loan can be difficult – especially for start-up companies and those that have experienced any type of financial difficulty. Sometimes, owners of businesses that don’t qualify for a bank loan decide that seeking venture capital or bringing on equity investors are other viable options.

But are they really? While there are some potential benefits to bringing venture capital and so-called “angel” investors into your business, there are drawbacks as well. Unfortunately, owners sometimes don’t think about these drawbacks until the ink has dried on a contract with a venture capitalist or angel investor – and it’s too late to back out of the deal.

Different Types of Financing

One problem with bringing in equity investors to help provide a working capital boost is that working capital and equity are really two different types of financing.

Working capital – or the money that is used to pay business expenses incurred during the time lag until cash from sales (or accounts receivable) is collected – is short-term in nature, so it should be financed via a short-term financing tool. Equity, however, should generally be used to finance rapid growth, business expansion, acquisitions or the purchase of long-term assets, which are defined as assets that are repaid over more than one 12-month business cycle.

But the biggest drawback to bringing equity investors into your business is a potential loss of control. When you sell equity (or shares) in your business to venture capitalists or angels, you are giving up a percentage of ownership in your business, and you may be doing so at an inopportune time. With this dilution of ownership most often comes a loss of control over some or all of the most important business decisions that must be made.

Sometimes, owners are enticed to sell equity by the fact that there is little (if any) out-of-pocket expense. Unlike debt financing, you don’t usually pay interest with equity financing. The equity investor gains its return via the ownership stake gained in your business. But the long-term “cost” of selling equity is always much higher than the short-term cost of debt, in terms of both actual cash cost as well as soft costs like the loss of control and stewardship of your company and the potential future value of the ownership shares that are sold.

Alternative Financing Solutions

But what if your business needs working capital and you don’t qualify for a bank loan or line of credit? Alternative financing solutions are often appropriate for injecting working capital into businesses in this situation. Three of the most common types of alternative financing used by such businesses are:

1. Full-Service Factoring – Businesses sell outstanding accounts receivable on an ongoing basis to a commercial finance (or factoring) company at a discount. The factoring company then manages the receivable until it is paid. Factoring is a well-established and accepted method of temporary alternative finance that is especially well-suited for rapidly growing companies and those with customer concentrations.

2. Accounts Receivable (A/R) Financing – A/R financing is an ideal solution for companies that are not yet bankable but have a stable financial condition and a more diverse customer base. Here, the business provides details on all accounts receivable and pledges those assets as collateral. The proceeds of those receivables are sent to a lockbox while the finance company calculates a borrowing base to determine the amount the company can borrow. When the borrower needs money, it makes an advance request and the finance company advances money using a percentage of the accounts receivable.

3. Asset-Based Lending (ABL) – This is a credit facility secured by all of a company’s assets, which may include A/R, equipment and inventory. Unlike with factoring, the business continues to manage and collect its own receivables and submits collateral reports on an ongoing basis to the finance company, which will review and periodically audit the reports.

In addition to providing working capital and enabling owners to maintain business control, alternative financing may provide other benefits as well:

It’s easy to determine the exact cost of financing and obtain an increase.
Professional collateral management can be included depending on the facility type and the lender.
Real-time, online interactive reporting is often available.
It may provide the business with access to more capital.
It’s flexible – financing ebbs and flows with the business’ needs.
It’s important to note that there are some circumstances in which equity is a viable and attractive financing solution. This is especially true in cases of business expansion and acquisition and new product launches – these are capital needs that are not generally well suited to debt financing. However, equity is not usually the appropriate financing solution to solve a working capital problem or help plug a cash-flow gap.

A Precious Commodity

Remember that business equity is a precious commodity that should only be considered under the right circumstances and at the right time. When equity financing is sought, ideally this should be done at a time when the company has good growth prospects and a significant cash need for this growth. Ideally, majority ownership (and thus, absolute control) should remain with the company founder(s).

Alternative financing solutions like factoring, A/R financing and ABL can provide the working capital boost many cash-strapped businesses that don’t qualify for bank financing need – without diluting ownership and possibly giving up business control at an inopportune time for the owner. If and when these companies become bankable later, it’s often an easy transition to a traditional bank line of credit. Your banker may be able to refer you to a commercial finance company that can offer the right type of alternative financing solution for your particular situation.

Taking the time to understand all the different financing options available to your business, and the pros and cons of each, is the best way to make sure you choose the best option for your business. The use of alternative financing can help your company grow without diluting your ownership. After all, it’s your business – shouldn’t you keep as much of it as possible?