Finance for Wholesalers

Wholesaling includes all activities required to sell goods or services to other firms, usually in bulk and at lower-than-retail prices. Wholesalers, also known as distributors, are independent businesses that usually specialise in a particular sector.

Wholesale businesses profit from cost savings that come from buying in bulk. In turn, they offer products to retailers at a better price than the retailer would get direct from the manufacturer. Many retailers will not deal directly with individual retailers

The decline in small retail outlets has meant some decline in the need for wholesalers. But the business can still offer opportunities for those with an understanding of the sector they serve - and have sufficient buying power to buy goods in the necessary quantities to secure the best pricing.

Your funding options

As a wholesaler, your main priority is to buy in stock - which will mean major investment. You will also need to cover payroll, the costs of your warehouse and overheads. Fortunately, at Rangewell, we have answers we can provide solutions to your key funding needs, with funding options that include:

• Trade Finance
• Stock Finance
• Working capital
• Inventory Finance
• Finance to pay VAT and Tax
• Commercial Loans
• Finance for equipment
• Premises finance

Trade Finance

Trade Finance covers a range of solutions to bridge the cashflow gap between paying suppliers and receiving payment from customers. Instead of needing to fund each sales deal yourself, which can mean a serious drain on your working capital, Trade Finance will provide funds to let you pay your suppliers for the goods you buy until you make the sale.

The right arrangement could help you keep your warehouse full.

Find out more about Trade Finance.

Inventory Finance

Inventory Financing, or Stock Finance, is a type of asset-based lending (ABL) that could let your business use your inventory, the goods stacked in your stockroom or warehouse, as security for a revolving line of credit.

This line of credit can be used in any way you wish. You can use it to buy in additional inventory, to deal with an unexpected expense or to help your business work through seasonal fluctuations in cashflow. Using the stock you have already bought to finance additional lines could be an astute way to make your money work harder for you.

Find out more about Inventory Finance.

Working Capital

Your working capital is the money your company needs to run its everyday operations. When it runs dry, your company can’t operate - because you can’t afford to buy in stock, pay your workforce, or even keep the lights on. That’s when Working Capital Finance can help.

Slow paying clients and seasonal work patterns both put pressure on your business that may demand working capital finance.

A Working Capital Loan can help provide fast access to cash for the sudden increase in payroll or inventory needed. They are simple, short-term loans designed to provide a cash lump sum fast and intended to be paid back in a matter of months.

Wholesalers in the seasonal sector, where cashflow is full for some parts of the year but slow for others, may also need help with their working capital.

Find out more about Working Capital Financing.

Invoice Finance

Supplying a large corporate retailer could be the making of your wholesale business, but many large organisations can be slow in paying. You will have people to pay and overheads to deal with.

Invoice Finance can provide one such answer, allowing you to get paid up to 90% of the value of each invoice you send as soon as you send it, and the remainder when your client pays. Another alternative could be Supply Chain Finance.

It means your cashflow can keep pace with the volume of goods you are shifting, and helps support growth – because you will always be able to bring in more stock, secure in the knowledge that you will be getting paid, fast.

Finance to pay VAT and Tax

VAT and corporation tax payments come round regularly but they can still be a problem if your business does not have sufficient funds. You can’t afford to delay. If your business doesn’t have enough working capital to pay the bill straight away, you could face heavy penalties for late payments.

The most important thing is for you to pay what the business owes as soon as possible. Many professionals use business Tax Loans to help ease the impact that a tax bill can have.

A Tax Loan facility goes further. It is designed to help manage the recurring expense of tax bills, spreading the costs into more manageable monthly payments.

Find out more about Tax Finance.

Commercial Loans

Commercial Loans can provide funding for any type or size of business. If you need working capital to deal with a cashflow shortfall, or want to invest in stock, a Commercial Loan may provide a simple and cost-effective solution.

Find out more about Commercial Loans.

Unsecured Finance

Unsecured lending can provide smaller loans, from £1000 to up to £250,000 fast without security or collateral. New online lenders can often provide fast decisions on unsecured loans, sometimes allowing you to have the funds in your bank on the same day that you apply.

Find out more about Unsecured Finance.

Secured Finance

A Secured Loan may reduce the cost of large-scale loans. They involve putting up assets such as property or even your home as security, which the lender may seize if you don’t keep up repayments. They often also have lower interest rates and longer repayment periods than unsecured loans.

Find out more about Secured Finance.

At Rangewell, we have access to the full range of funding from lenders across the market. A call to us could help you find the working finance solution that is right for your business.

Equipment – Asset Funding

The efficiency of your wholesaling business will depend on having the right equipment. The right computing hardware and software has become central to almost every activity, and your hardware, software and network will be major costs.

The list of equipment you need will not stop there. You will also need to furnish your office, and you may need to provide vehicles with Truck Finance, and a forklift.

Asset Funding may provide the most cost-effective solution for most equipment needs. There are several types of Asset Funding to consider. You may prefer Hire Purchase for items that you will wish to keep, such as desks, chairs and document storage. Leasing may be more appropriate for your IT, as it will allow you to update to the latest and most reliable technology whenever you need it. Contract hire might help you reduce the costs of providing vehicles.

At Rangewell we can help you find the most appropriate Asset Funding solutions for your needs.

Funding for your premises

Surprisingly, it may not always be essential to have a warehouse when running a wholesaling business - some companies will simply ship goods directly from the manufacturer to the retailer. This can save money, but it means you have little control over what goes on in your business. You have to trust in the manufacturer to deliver on promises you make to clients.

A physical warehouse can be a sound investment. It can be secure or accessible to customers and within a shared facility, or you could lease a suitable facility.

If you can find an ideal site, you could also consider buying premises, with a Commercial Mortgage, which will let you spread the cost of buying over 20 years or more and allow you to improve the site to fit your needs. It could also actually reduce your monthly outgoings.

Find out more about Commercial Mortgages.  

How we help you capitalise your wholesale business

At Rangewell we work across the entire lending industry, and we have finance experts with personal experience in the needs of wholesalers.

This expertise works for you. Our team knows the lenders who specialise in the sector. It means that we can help you find the most competitive rates for all types of vehicle or haulage services financing – from both the established lenders, and the new Alternative Funding providers.

So whether it's expanding premises, funding for distribution services or improvements to stock or tech, call us now to see how we can help you raise the finance you need.