subject: Equipment Leasing And Canadian Lease Financing [print this page] Equipment Leasing and Canadian Lease Financing generates profits for Canadian business via use of assets that your firm requires to run its business and stay competitive.
Lease rates in Canada have finally normalized somewhat after the global economic tensions of late 2008 and 2009. Liquidity has come back into the markets and even the government in Canada has stepped in to assist the actual companies that were doing the financing.
We never fully disagree with a client when a firm tells us that the overall interest rate is the most important thing they consider in a lease vs. purchase decision. However, at the same time there are a number of other, we would actually call them 'critical 'factors in evaluating and getting approved for lease financing.
Customers often weight the lease decision against two other key issues, their ability to purchase the equipment outright and secondly consideration of a financing alternative such as a bank loan. Naturally all three strategies leasing, purchasing outright, and financing via a bank loan still get you the equipment.
Lease firms in Canada tout the benefits of leasing and line them up directly against your other two alternatives. Bank financing has always been difficult to get for any small to medium business (in the last year or two large business had challenges also!) and when you choose to finance your equipment through a bank loan a number of key factors come into play. They include usually a down payment, plus the fact that your new equipment loan gets bundled into your overall banking relationship, loan and ratio covenants, plus your overall credit facility limit. If you are comfortable with that naturally the bank rates are very attractive. In general for a decent quality credit in Canada you can expect to pay two to three per cent more for a financial lease from an independent finance firm. However that additional premium may be well worth it when you consider some of the factors we noted above.
In Canada credit quality drives a large part of the final rate. The good news here is that companies with decent to good to very good credit will always achieve some of the best rates. But more importantly we point out that if your firm has challenges, little or no funds for a down payment, or a higher dollar acquisition you can still get lease financing consideration.
The Canadian leasing market is very fragmented so we strongly recommend to clients that you utilize the services of a trusted, credible and most importantly , ' experienced ' lease and business financing advisor who can help you navigate the maze of Canadian lease firms . Their relationship with the best financiers in your industry can save you many thousands of dollars.
Let's prove our point with a quick example. Your firm doesn't have the contacts or necessary technical knowledge to navigate the Canadian lease environment. You note the industry has a trade association called the CANADIAN FINANCE AND LEASING ASSOCIATION. That website shows hundreds of small and larger firms. You could of course contact each firm, explain your needs, provide them your financial information and then spend hours, days, etc on negotiations and knowledge assimilation relative to your particular needs for equipment acquisition.
However, utilizing a lease finance expert will give you instant access to probably one or two of the best lessors suited to your asset, your industry, and your firms overall credit quality. If your advisor delivers only a little on overall rate, terms and structure you will save thousands of dollars, plus gain invaluable advice along the way on which lease option to choose ( there are two, capital and operating ) .
