Finance for the Telecoms Industry

The telecoms industry, and the broader ICT or Information Communications Technology industry, are constantly evolving on an almost daily basis.

The convergence of voice-based telecoms with data communications is all but complete, and many businesses that began in the telecoms sector selling phone handsets have found themselves dealing with sophisticated technology by some of the world’s leading technology manufacturers.

If you work in the channel as a distributor or as a value-added reseller you may need funding to provide a wide range of equipment, to buy in stock and to deal with expenses.

If you provide a service, such as a Virtual Network you may need a range of hardware, software and facilities such as leased lines.

At Rangewell, we can help you find solutions to all the funding needs your business faces.

Understanding your funding options

You may need to find the right type of  funding option to allow you to:

• Set up a new business
• Funding business development with Mezzanine funding
• Acquire equipment and assets - including intangible assets
• Provide working capital
• Finance growth
• Obtain cash advances
  • Invoice finance
  • Merchant Cash Advances
• Acquire premises

Setting up or buying a telecoms business

If you are ready to set up your own telecoms business, remember that you will need funding for operating expenses and marketing as well as equipment and premises.

If you have sound business plan, and perhaps existing relationships within the industry, it may be possible to leverage your knowledge and contacts to start up a business. Providing telecoms services to other businesses as part of the channel, or a value-added reseller could both provide attractive business models, especially if you can count on the support of a major manufacturer.

However, funding for startups can be difficult to obtain from the majority of lenders, who will prefer to work with businesses which can offer a trading history and evidence of profits as a basis for their lending decisions. If you are planning on buying into an existing business, as a partner or with a complete buyout, finding lenders may actually be simpler as you will have an established revenue stream and a proven business model to show.

At Rangewell, we may be able to help you find solutions from lenders who can take a more entrepreneurial approach, and who recognise the potential of the sector. Startup funding usually takes the form of a Secured Loan, with the security provided by an asset such as your home, although smaller sums may be available with an unsecured lending arrangement.

A Secured loan could help you to borrow the large sums required for a buy-in or buyout. You might also consider ‘jigsaw’ funding. This is a bespoke finance package, made up of a number of loan types to provide the most appropriate funding for each item you need to finance.

Funding business development with Mezzanine funding

Your business may need additional funding as it develops. If you need to acquire a competitor, or to set up hardware facilities a large additional investment may be essential.

Equity funding could provide the scale of funding you need. There’s nothing to repay, because you are basically selling a share in your business. It can mean losing control of your company – it will certainly mean sharing all future profits with your investors. Equity investors make their return from your growth.

For modern Telecoms and IT companies, Mezzanine funding provides a flexible way to raise capital without having to give up a full equity stake in their business. Mezzanine debt is a type of hybrid equity and debt financing which acts a long-term solution for ICT companies. A lender will provide the funds, secured on the future of your business. They will be able to offer a relatively high level of funding, but you will need to repay their debt and interest charges - if you fail to repay, they will have the right to take an agreed proportion of equity interest in the company.

Find out more about how Mezzanine Finance can offer a high level of funding.

Funding your assets

Depending on the business model you adopt, you may need a range of equipment to provide your services. The cost of servers and related systems will run into tens of thousands of pounds. Asset Finance -  Hire Purchase and Leasing - can help make virtually any type of equipment you need affordable by allowing you to spread the costs and make monthly payments.

Asset Finance works by using the equipment or ‘asset’ as security for the loan itself. This means that if you were unable to repay, the lender could simply repossess it. This reduces the risk to the lender and consequently the cost that you pay. There are several types of Asset Funding:

Hire Purchase

Hire Purchase (HP) lets you spread the cost of buying the equipment you need with arrangements generally last between 6 and 60 months. You pay a deposit plus fixed monthly instalments for the agreed term, after which the assets become yours.

Equipment suppliers will frequently offer HP deals to help them secure a sale. These may seem attractive - but can include hidden costs which push up the real price you pay.

At Rangewell, we can often help set up HP agreements that undercut those of equipment suppliers, or which let you take advantage of the lower costs of pre-owned equipment.

Leases

Finance and Operating leases work like rental agreements and let you spread the cost of equipment with no upfront payment. This type of finance could be the best option for equipment which will have a limited life. You can simply return it to the finance house at the end of the lease, leaving you free to update to the latest technology. This may be particularly appropriate to the telecoms sector, where the pace of technological change is rapid.

Software and SaaS can be funded with lease arrangements.

Intangible Assets

Intangible Assets are non-physical assets. They don’t have a physical form – but they still have huge value. Assets like patents, copyrights, licenses, trademarks and goodwill are all classed as intangibles. Acquiring patents, copyrights and trademarks can be a key to building your business.

Intangible assets can also be financed, although fewer lenders are able to help. One of the reasons why is because it is very difficult to determine an accurate valuation of an intangible asset. Arriving at a fair valuation for an intangible asset will, therefore, require specialist skills. A detailed valuation report will need to be prepared by independent experts in areas such as marketing or patent law depending on the nature of the asset.

Intangible Asset lenders will be able to work with you to provide this report and an assessment of the value of the asset to you and your business, At Rangewell we can help find lenders who can provide funding for Intangible Assets.

Supporting your cash flow

Setting up your business and talking to your first customers will probably not be enough for you to achieve profitability. You may need to provide a steady cashflow for the initial period when you are concentrating on bringing in business. Working Capital Finance and a Revolving Credit Facility can both be useful in providing the additional funds you need.

Working Capital Finance

Working Capital Finance can help you stay afloat and pay staff and suppliers during the early stages of your business. It is designed to provide the operating expenses, from staff costs to supplier bills while cashflow is slow. It is  a loan usually designed to be repaid in the short- to medium-term, once your telecoms business is fully on its feet.

Revolving Credit Facilities

Overdrafts are a well-known form of business finance, but banks may be reluctant to provide them. Revolving Credit Facilities can be an alternative, providing a line of credit, with an agreed limit that you can call on when you need it. You only pay for the money you take out, so it can be a cost-effective way to raise funds if you need them.

Cash Advances

There are various revenue models that your telecoms business might adopt, depending on whether you are dealing with the public or with corporate customers:

Invoice Finance

If your income stream is based around corporate sources, you may find that there are restrictions on your cashflow as a result of late payments. An Invoice Finance arrangement can bring you a cash advance as soon as you issue an invoice, providing a flow of revenue that keeps pace with the amount of business you do.

Find out more about Invoice Finance.

Merchant Cash Advances

If you deal with the public on a retail basis, you will probably receive card payments.

Merchant Cash Advances are an arrangement which will allow you to secure a cash advance based on the level of payments you take. Repayment is made automatically as a percentage of every card transaction you take.

Find out more about Merchant Cash Advances.

Funding for premises

Your telecoms business will need premises. An office will be essential, and you may need sales and technical space. You may need a location that is convenient for retail customers, with good parking and good transport links.

While it may be possible to start up a business-to-business service in a shared space, you will probably want to lease your own premises. You will need to find an initial downpayment, and you will also have additional costs, including power and business rates to budget for.

We can provide solutions for your premises leasing needs. 

Renting may be unavoidable in the early days of your business. However, renting premises restricts what you can do with your space, and means ongoing costs. Buying premises with a Commercial Mortgage could be a sound investment, as it could allow you to plan your facilities without compromise.

How we help you capitalise your telecoms business

At Rangewell, we work with a wide variety of telecom and ICT businesses. We understand the sector and the potential it offers, as well as the challenges it presents.

We can use our expertise to help you find the financial solutions you need to capitalise your business, whether you want to fund capital expenses, working capital or growth.

As well as conventional finance products, we can help you find Alternative Funding, using new loan providers and styles of funding. We know the lenders who can offer the most competitive rates for the sector. Whether you have a straightforward need or require a ‘Jigsaw’ funding made up of a combination of products, we can work with you to find the answers that are right for your business plans.

Call us now to get our experts working for you and the future of  your business.