Every once in a while, it’s nice to take a breath of fresh air after being cooped up in the office, right? In the same way, it’s nice to try out some fresh sources of information after you’ve been listening to the news media and other outlets bemoan the economy’s uncertainty and Washington’s political brinkmanship Admittedly, these are challenging times for many US businesses. Take a look at the following articles that we thought may help you with your organization’s financial plans in 2013. We hope you find a refreshing new piece of information that you can use. As always, please call 512-458-1300 any time to discuss what these findings may mean for your business.
1. Check the ELFA website each month for a snapshot of the Leasing and Finance Industry as a whole. When demand goes up for capital asset finance, expect it to trickle in to other areas of the economy in the subsequent months. When this index goes down, the next coming months could be slower. “The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association’s (ELFA) Monthly Leasing and Finance Index (MLFI-25), which reports economic activity from 25 companies representing a cross section of the $725 billion equipment finance sector, showed their overall new business volume for March was $6.8 billion, flat compared to volume in March 2012. Month-over-month, new business volume was up 45 percent from February. Year to date, cumulative new business volume was up three percent compared to 2012…” Learn more here
2. Check the Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation website each month for a snapshot of the current confidence level of US business owners, CFOs, and other stakeholders. This could be another way to anticipate future growth and plan accordingly. “The overall MCI-EFI is 54.0, a decrease from the March index of 58.0. When asked to assess their business conditions over the next four months, 6.3% of executives responding said they believe business conditions will improve over the next four months, down from 21.9% in March. 84.4% of respondents believe business conditions will remain the same over the next four months, up from 71.9% in March. 9.4% believe business conditions will worsen, up from 6.3% the previous month…” Learn more here
3. MarketWatch, a site now owned by The Wall Street Journal, always has great insights. It published the article by Bill Bischoff called “5 overlooked tax breaks for small businesses” back in February. While these tax deductions are widely used in some firms, others may still be leaving some money on Uncle Sam’s table. “Last month’s fiscal-cliff legislation included lots of tax provisions. Media attention has focused heavily on changes that affect individuals. But the new law also provides some valuable tax-saving breaks for businesses. Here’s the most important stuff to know for your outfit’s 2013 tax year…” Learn more here
4. The Equipment Finance Advisor intends to help business owners and CFOs better their businesses and keep a keen eye on the market. The article “Equipment Finance in 2013 … Industry Leaders Step Cautiously, Yet Remain Optimistic” has commentary from four executives in the finance industry and may help you gain valuable insight for your business. “For its first ever industry leader roundtable discussion, Equipment Finance Advisor assembled four notable industry leaders to give us their take on how equipment finance is faring so far in 2013. Here, Adam Warner, Tom Jaschik, Rick Remiker and Jim McGrane speak to the issues and opportunities as they see them at the close of the first quarter. And while there are no big surprises, important themes, such as the continuing impasse in Washington, margin compression and lease accounting convergence, begin to emerge.” Learn more here
5. The site CFO.com continually provides useful information. This February article by David Rosenbaum covers many angles of the effects of the sequestration on businesses in 2013. Long story short, banks and lenders across the US may be tightening up their purse strings, so having alternative financial sources is essential to success in today’s financial environment. “Sequestration: Growth Juice for Alternative Lenders? As politicians posture, small business faces a looming working capital crisis. But it may be a crisis with a hidden benefit: the emergence of a greater variety of ways to get access to cash…” Learn more here
Thanks for reading.
Mike Wright, OneWorld Business Finance
