Finance for Forestry

You may have to adopt new ways of working, that require new types of machinery and new skills.

That means you may need new financial as well as technical solutions. The first step in securing the funding you need is simply to understand the different types of finance available.

Business Loans

Business Loans are the simplest forms of finance. You agree a loan with a provider, who you pay back, with interest.

Unsecured Loans don’t involve holding any assets as security against the loan, which is repaid in monthly or quarterly instalments over an agreed term, usually under 5 years. Modern lenders can provide a fast unsecured lending, but you might need to provide a personal guarantee.

You usually can’t borrow more than one month’s turnover without security.

Secured Loans are often used to borrow larger sums of money, upwards of £250,000. They are ‘secured’ because the lender will require security in case you cannot pay the loan back. This could be your home, or business premises.

You can have longer to repay, and enjoy lower interest rates, meaning monthly repayments can be lower and easier to fit in with your cashflow.

We’ll discuss your needs, and help you find the kind of loan to fit your business needs.

Asset Finance - Leasing and Hire Purchase

Heavy machinery and vehicles are essential for your forestry business - and your safety - as your productivity depends on the equipment you work with. Asset Finance can help make the equipment you need more affordable, by spreading the costs over time. Your new machines pay for themselves from the extra productivity and revenue they generate.

With Asset Finance, the funds you need are secured on the asset itself. This means that if you were unable to make the repayments the lender would simply repossess the asset. It can also reduce your costs - lower risk to the lender usually means lower interest rates to you.

There are several different types of Asset Finance:

Hire Purchase

Hire Purchase lets you hire the equipment until you have paid for them. Agreements generally last between 12 and 72 months and require a 10-20% deposit plus fixed monthly instalments, after which the equipment becomes yours. HP may be most suitable for equipment you will use for the long term.

Equipment vendors may offer finance arrangements to support their sales, but arranging your own finance from a specialist lender can be more cost effective and mean substantially reduced costs.

Leasing

Leasing is much like a rental agreement. You pay a monthly charge to use the asset. With some arrangements maintenance, repairs, registration will be the owner’s responsibility. It’s common for equipment and vehicles which will have a limited life – it means you can easily replace them when you need to.

Contract Hire

Contract Hire is often used for business vehicles. Payments are calculated on the purchase value less the estimated value of the vehicle at the end of the agreement. This helps keep monthly repayments down, and makes it simple to switch to a new vehicle at the end of the agreement.

Our Asset Finance team can help you lease or Hire Purchase almost any type or value of asset, new or used. Find out more here.

Refinance existing assets

Your forestry business has probably already invested heavily in your equipment. Asset Refinance lets you use that invested money again, while retaining full use of your assets. The finance company will buy the asset from you, providing you with the cash sum you need.  They then let you buy the asset back from them, with a new finance arrangement.

You can use your cash again, or simply use refinance arrangement to reduce your monthly outgoings. Find out more here.

Funding for property

Buying land as a depot or for processing activities may be part of your plans for the future.

Commercial Mortgages can be used to buy business premises or an existing business. A lending manager will look at each application and will set the rate according to the risk. You may need a detailed business plan - the better your business proposition, the better the rates you are likely to be offered.

Bridging Finance is used to bridge a gap in capital, usually in property purchases. It can provide fast access to funds for buying a property at auction, until a renovation is completed or waiting for a mortgage to be approved.

Commercial Property Finance is arranged on an individual basis. Get our help finding the most competitive lender.

Growth and Working Capital Finance

Raising finance can be essential to grow your business, to take on a major contract or to set up a new activity.  Even if your business does not have the long trading history and profit record that lenders usually require, there are lenders who can help.

Our finance experts can help solve your working capital needs.

Cashflow funding

Cashflow is a major challenge for every business, and having to wait weeks or months for invoices to be paid can trigger a cashflow crisis – but there are ways to help.

Invoice Finance provides cash advances based on the value of invoices you have issued, but have yet to be paid for – in effect letting you get paid as soon as you invoice.

Both Invoice Factoring and Invoice Discounting allow you to release the funds you need from the work you have done faster, and may be best suited for businesses in the B2B sector.

Why you need Rangewell

At Rangewell, we work across the entire lending industry, while our finance experts have personal experience in the needs of different business sectors.

Their expertise works for you. Our team knows the lenders who understand forestry and who can offer the most competitive rates for all types of solutions.

Simply call us to  see how we can save you money, whatever your financial need.