At a time when I find myself trying to have it all without compromising a single thing, it would seem this attitude should involve all parts of my life, including my leisure time. As such, I’m going to say it out loud without fear of reprimand – I think that the best movie theatre near me should also serve dinner.There. I said it. Now, many of you may be wondering how in the world I could have the nerve to demand a full meal while also taking in a new, first-run movie. It all comes down to the basic idea of trying to adapt to the maniacal pace we live life at nowadays.You hear it all the time from friends, family, and co-workers. Day in and day out, there just doesn’t seem to be enough time to do anything. Whether you still use an old-school day planning calendar or are partial to the digital version on your smart phone, it feels as though we have to schedule every part of our lives so that we can dedicate some time to the endeavor at hand. It seems that even the simple pleasure of eating & watching a movie isn’t beyond the reach of our greedy schedules.So, yes, I think that the best movie theatre that I have close to me should be able to provide options for not only watching a great movie but also having an actual meal beyond the usual theatre fare. Convenience is certainly at the top of the list for this demand. I’d like to believe that being able to go two places wouldn’t be hard to do, but I also know I feel like I’m wasting time. For example, if I go have dinner, I’d say I may take an hour from start to finish. I’ll drive to the local theatre for a movie, and if I’m able to start watching fairly soon, I’m looking at about a two-hour investment. My little “dinner & a movie” just zapped about four hours of my evening. That’s a “no-go” for a busy person.I believe that being able to parlay my dinner & movie into one is also a way for the theatre to actually provide a more family-friendly environment. It may feel like a bit of generalization, but the usual theatre chain only offers snacks, which aren’t an option for a family with young kids. When it comes to the lobby & arcade area, it can create an environment that caters to more people being there and not for any reason related to checking out a movie or playing video games. By having a movie theatre that offers dinner, or rather actual food items worthy of a meal, moms & dads feel a bit more at ease in terms of what they’re serving their children. Moreover, because the lobby is more of a social area/restaurant/meeting space, there is more turnover of patrons & movement of folks coming in for a bite. One bonus item to consider is that for theatre chains choosing to go the dine-in route, some of them serve alcohol, which also contributes a bit to more regulated spaces.So, yes, I do want the best movie theatre near me to serve dinner, but it’s not because I’m trying to be difficult. When you consider the convenience it brings to the table, as well as the family-friendly atmosphere it would help foster, you, too, will wonder why this isn’t a ‘thing’ already.
Alternative Financing Vs. Venture Capital: Which Option Is Best for Boosting Working Capital?
There are several potential financing options available to cash-strapped businesses that need a healthy dose of working capital. A bank loan or line of credit is often the first option that owners think of – and for businesses that qualify, this may be the best option.
In today’s uncertain business, economic and regulatory environment, qualifying for a bank loan can be difficult – especially for start-up companies and those that have experienced any type of financial difficulty. Sometimes, owners of businesses that don’t qualify for a bank loan decide that seeking venture capital or bringing on equity investors are other viable options.
But are they really? While there are some potential benefits to bringing venture capital and so-called “angel” investors into your business, there are drawbacks as well. Unfortunately, owners sometimes don’t think about these drawbacks until the ink has dried on a contract with a venture capitalist or angel investor – and it’s too late to back out of the deal.
Different Types of Financing
One problem with bringing in equity investors to help provide a working capital boost is that working capital and equity are really two different types of financing.
Working capital – or the money that is used to pay business expenses incurred during the time lag until cash from sales (or accounts receivable) is collected – is short-term in nature, so it should be financed via a short-term financing tool. Equity, however, should generally be used to finance rapid growth, business expansion, acquisitions or the purchase of long-term assets, which are defined as assets that are repaid over more than one 12-month business cycle.
But the biggest drawback to bringing equity investors into your business is a potential loss of control. When you sell equity (or shares) in your business to venture capitalists or angels, you are giving up a percentage of ownership in your business, and you may be doing so at an inopportune time. With this dilution of ownership most often comes a loss of control over some or all of the most important business decisions that must be made.
Sometimes, owners are enticed to sell equity by the fact that there is little (if any) out-of-pocket expense. Unlike debt financing, you don’t usually pay interest with equity financing. The equity investor gains its return via the ownership stake gained in your business. But the long-term “cost” of selling equity is always much higher than the short-term cost of debt, in terms of both actual cash cost as well as soft costs like the loss of control and stewardship of your company and the potential future value of the ownership shares that are sold.
Alternative Financing Solutions
But what if your business needs working capital and you don’t qualify for a bank loan or line of credit? Alternative financing solutions are often appropriate for injecting working capital into businesses in this situation. Three of the most common types of alternative financing used by such businesses are:
1. Full-Service Factoring – Businesses sell outstanding accounts receivable on an ongoing basis to a commercial finance (or factoring) company at a discount. The factoring company then manages the receivable until it is paid. Factoring is a well-established and accepted method of temporary alternative finance that is especially well-suited for rapidly growing companies and those with customer concentrations.
2. Accounts Receivable (A/R) Financing – A/R financing is an ideal solution for companies that are not yet bankable but have a stable financial condition and a more diverse customer base. Here, the business provides details on all accounts receivable and pledges those assets as collateral. The proceeds of those receivables are sent to a lockbox while the finance company calculates a borrowing base to determine the amount the company can borrow. When the borrower needs money, it makes an advance request and the finance company advances money using a percentage of the accounts receivable.
3. Asset-Based Lending (ABL) – This is a credit facility secured by all of a company’s assets, which may include A/R, equipment and inventory. Unlike with factoring, the business continues to manage and collect its own receivables and submits collateral reports on an ongoing basis to the finance company, which will review and periodically audit the reports.
In addition to providing working capital and enabling owners to maintain business control, alternative financing may provide other benefits as well:
It’s easy to determine the exact cost of financing and obtain an increase.
Professional collateral management can be included depending on the facility type and the lender.
Real-time, online interactive reporting is often available.
It may provide the business with access to more capital.
It’s flexible – financing ebbs and flows with the business’ needs.
It’s important to note that there are some circumstances in which equity is a viable and attractive financing solution. This is especially true in cases of business expansion and acquisition and new product launches – these are capital needs that are not generally well suited to debt financing. However, equity is not usually the appropriate financing solution to solve a working capital problem or help plug a cash-flow gap.
A Precious Commodity
Remember that business equity is a precious commodity that should only be considered under the right circumstances and at the right time. When equity financing is sought, ideally this should be done at a time when the company has good growth prospects and a significant cash need for this growth. Ideally, majority ownership (and thus, absolute control) should remain with the company founder(s).
Alternative financing solutions like factoring, A/R financing and ABL can provide the working capital boost many cash-strapped businesses that don’t qualify for bank financing need – without diluting ownership and possibly giving up business control at an inopportune time for the owner. If and when these companies become bankable later, it’s often an easy transition to a traditional bank line of credit. Your banker may be able to refer you to a commercial finance company that can offer the right type of alternative financing solution for your particular situation.
Taking the time to understand all the different financing options available to your business, and the pros and cons of each, is the best way to make sure you choose the best option for your business. The use of alternative financing can help your company grow without diluting your ownership. After all, it’s your business – shouldn’t you keep as much of it as possible?
3 Simple DIY Natural Skin Care Tips – Turn to Mother Nature For Results
Mother Nature holds the secrets for the best natural skin care tips!It is fascinating how cosmetics and skin care products evolve. The industry swings back and forth responding to what it considers as the consumer demand du jour. Have you heard that the industry is now going green? It is starting primarily with packaging, but the ingredients used in products are also going greener. Skin care companies are now looking to Mother Nature to put results into facial rejuvenation treatments by focusing on formulations using the power of natural substances; embracing a more holistic and organic approach for treating aging skin issues.Needless to say, natural skin care has made a huge comeback during the past decade. Now we are seeing companies turning back to Mother Nature for the answers to effectively address aging skin symptoms.We’ve all hear the term cosmeticeuticals which introduced a treatment benefit into cosmetics and skin care products. Now the skin care industry is evolving to include “Nutraceuticals”. Nutraceuticals can be summarized as the use of natural substances that have medicinal properties to promote health benefits. These natural ingredients are selected for their attributes and properties that are used to treat or prevent a range of diseases, afflictions, or conditions. As modern medicine has documented, Mother Nature does provide astonishing results.It’s not surprising that clinical trials also substantiate that nature has a bountiful supply and an amazing array of natural substances that promote skin rejuvenation. (Wouldn’t the ancient civilizations who utilized ingredients such as dairy products, honey, and herbs as effective skin treatments be surprised by this revelation?)The utilization of natural ingredients is now becoming the cornerstone of the skin care industry when formulating anti-aging skin care treatments. (It’s top secret so don’t tell anyone. Natural ingredients work to rejuvenate aging skin. Astonishing isn’t it?)And guess what?You can make your own natural anti-aging skin care treatments quite quickly and easily while saving tons of money in the process!Here are three simple natural skin care tips to help get you started on your own natural anti-aging skin care routine:
Choose natural ingredients that have healing and anti-aging properties for the best results
Use fresh ingredients: Select the freshest ingredients available to extract the most benefit from the anti-aging attributes of the ingredients when making your own skin care treatments
Select natural ingredients that are beneficial for your skin type Any skin care routine can benefit from integrating homemade natural treatments. You can even use a duel approach by combining a natural approach to rejuvenating your skin with over-the-counter products. Using the natural rejuvenating power that Mother Nature provides to enhance your routine will help you achieve visible results for your aging skin concerns. Among a huge list of benefits, natural ingredients provide essential nutrients to your skin which help it to protect and heal itself. Your own skin care recipes can be used right along side your other skin treatments for younger, healthier looking skin by putting Mother Nature along with these three basic natural skin care tips to work for your skin.