New Alternatives in Debtor in Possession (dip) Financing

The number one worry for managers and owners of companies undergoing a chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring is: will my business survive? Of course they do have many other worries such as meeting with creditors, creating a turnaround plan, paying employees on time and working with suppliers. One way to ensure the success of the restructuring and the survival of the company is to obtain bankruptcy financing, also known as debtor in possession financing.

DIP financing can help provide the capital liquidity to pay operational costs while the company looks to turnaround the current situation. The problem is that unfortunately, few institutions offer business financing to bankrupt companies. If getting a business loan under normal circumstances is hard, looking for business loans while going through bankruptcy is close to impossible. So, what alternatives are there for medium sized companies?

Factoring financing, also known as invoice factoring, is a viable alternative for debtor in possession financing, especially for small and midsized companies. It solves a very specific problem. Companies that sell to other businesses usually have to wait 30 to 45 days to get paid on their invoices. This can create a serious liquidity problem for companies facing insolvency. Accounts receivable factoring advances funds on these slow paying invoices, providing the necessary capital to operate the business.

A factoring company will usually advance about 80% of your outstanding accounts receivable within one business day of invoicing. The remainder 20%, less the financing fee is advanced once the invoice is actually paid for. Factoring companies will also help you evaluate new customers to determine if they are credit worthy. And of course, if you decide to factor new customers, you won’t need to worry about waiting 30 to 60 days to get paid either.

Obtaining factoring financing is fairly straight forward. The biggest requirement is that you must do business with credit worthy companies. Aside from that, you must have a reorganization plan that brings your company back to solvency. And lastly, the court will need to approve the financing relationship.