Investor Login
These days when we look for our mail the inbox we turn to isn’t in our front yards. Instead, it’s at our fingertips, day or night, wherever in the world we are.
Think about it – do you snail-mail your weekly news and special events to your loyal customers? Or instead, do you send an emailer and create a Facebook post? Which do you think reaches customers faster and is more likely to stay top of mind?
Emerging technology is increasingly changing the way we all do business – the products and services we sell, the equipment we use and how we deliver our marketing, our financial transactions and manage our information.
Investing in technology isn’t just for tech companies – your café may choose to use a tablet to take food orders, your manufacturing business may want to upgrade their time clock system, or your car servicing centre may be seeking upgraded diagnostic equipment.
The right technology can save time on back-office work – such as paying accounts or processing payroll – or it can position your business competitively in the products and services you offer. No-one wants to be the Walkman seller in the iPod age!
Computers, software, point of sale systems, commercial grade coffee machines and improved manufacturing equipment each offer your business the opportunity to be more effective with your time and offer improved products and services.
As your business grows, you will need increased tech capabilities to keep up with your competitors and deliver exceptional customer experiences.
Investing in technology can be expensive – but on the other hand, it’s a necessity to grow your business and improve profitability.
Asset finance can be an affordable solution to unlock the cash in your business – freeing up cash enables you to focus on funding the growth of your business and maintaining cash flow.
Case study 1
Business: A marketing consultancy responding to client demand for video production.
Globally, marketing and communication are among the most rapidly evolving industries – with the advent of digital media driving increased opportunities and client expectations.
A marketing agency was challenged by a continuous influx of video content requests from their clients. Outsourcing the scope of work was an option – but, management recognised that the demand for video content from clients was a long-term opportunity for the business. Developing expertise – which meant having the right technology, equipment and people – would lead to building a competitive advantage and becoming more profitable.
Specialist equipment and technology was required to be able to deliver these services – including video recording equipment, dedicated computers with advanced capability and tailored software and more.
Rather than pay in the neighbourhood of $20,000 up front, renting the necessary equipment through an asset finance provider means the business can generate revenue using the new equipment and technology and use part of boosted cash flow to make fixed payments over a longer term. When the rental term was up, they chose to sign a new agreement to fund the use of updated computers and cameras.
Case study 2
Business: A local manufacturer that produces personalised teddies and toys for online sales.
Two five-year-old machines were set to embroider and tailor the personalised gifts, with the business struggling to keep pace with local demand.
New computerised and networked sewing machines were available – at $20,000 each. The manufacturer determined that these new machines not only provided a third platform for production, but they also worked at twice the speed and with less human intervention in setting the embroidery instructions.
Investing in two machines meant they could quadruple production, and the business could then focus on its plans to export its products.
At a total of $40,000, purchasing these machines provided a significant cash flow risk to the business.
Securing finance at a reasonable rate with regular payments would enable the business to begin its export strategy, earn additional income, and manage regular set repayments.
Why choose asset finance to purchase new technology?
Equipment finance can be structured to enable you to plan with confidence – fixed term contracts where you know what you’re going to pay upfront with no surprises. It also means you can depreciate assets over the life of the loan rather than the useful life, writing them down on your balance sheet more quickly.
Instead of delaying a purchase while saving, you can begin to generate income with your new investment and use part of this income to meet repayments. In this way, asset finance is supporting the growth and competitive advantage of your business.
Go big… go Bigstone
If you’re ready to grow, we’re here to help. Commercial loans, equipment rentals and finance leases are three asset finance tools that can help you manage your cash flow while you reach new heights.
We offer easy access to asset finance for Australian businesses that are over two years old and looking to borrow between $10,000 to $5 million.
