Staying Strong Through the Holiday Slowdown

Staying Strong Through the Holiday Slowdown

For businesses that remain open during the holiday season, those couple weeks can be a slow time. Clients that you do business with may have closed up shop, and many people take time off to spend with family in the week or so between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Within your organization, your employees might be taking vacations and half-days. However, there are still ways you can keep your operations running strong so that you can come back from the holiday season and hit the ground running. Here are some tips to consider: Boost your social media presence. If people are spending less time at work over the holidays, chances are they’re spending more time on social media. Take advantage of this by interacting more with your audience through Twitter and Facebook — or offer special holiday deals. It’s a simple and inexpensive way to keep your brand engagement going strong during an otherwise slow period for business. Keep an eye on the calendar. Most U.S. markets are closed on both Christmas and New Year’s Day. These both fall on the same day of the week (a Wednesday this year). Therefore, it might be best to focus your marketing efforts later in the week. On Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, people are still focused on the holiday and the tasks associated with preparing for them. Any press releases you want to submit, advertisements you want to put out or deals you want to announce should be strategically planned so that they do not coincide with the holidays themselves. Use holiday search terms.  Improve your search engine optimization (SEO) this holiday season by getting involved with popular search engine terms for the holiday season. You can use tools like Google Trends to help figure out which search terms are most common for the season, and then figure out how to employ those for your business and industry. Be genuine. Be generous in your well-wishing for the holiday season. Let your customers, clients and employees know how much you appreciate them and that you hope they have a great holiday with their families. Send out little notes through the mail or email, and put up holiday wishes on your social media pages. This will improve your brand image and keep your company in people’s minds when they come back from the holiday. Assume people are listening.  Finally, just continue to go about your business as you normally would and assume that people haven’t tuned out for the holidays. The worst thing you can do is slow down for a week or two simply because many other people have closed up shop for the season. The best way you can ensure that you start off strong in January is to continue strong operations through the end of December. We hope these tips help you to find some success this holiday season and beyond. And if you need to explore your options for business equipment leasing in 2014 and beyond, don’t hesitate to contact Fidelity Capital.

/0 Comments/by

The Wide-Reaching Benefits of Business Equipment Leasing

The Wide-Reaching Benefits of Business Equipment Leasing

Which is better: buying or leasing equipment? This is a question many entrepreneurs and business owners struggle with on a regular basis, and unfortunately there’s no “one size fits all” answer. The ultimate choice you make will depend on the size of your business, your specific equipment needs and the amount of capital you have to invest. In many situations, business equipment leasing is the way to go — for a number of reasons. Some of the key benefits of leasing include:

  • Money savings: This is probably the greatest advantage of equipment leasing, as it can save you a significant amount of cash in the long run. Through equipment leasing programs, you can make payments over a set period of time in a manner that properly aligns with your budget. This gives you more working capital to devote to other important business expenses and expansion efforts.
  • Tax benefits through Section 179: This law allows businesses to deduct up to $500,000 in new and used business equipment. While these benefits do also apply if you actually purchase the equipment, the IRS allows you to deduct lease payments under Section 179 as long as your business makes use of the leased equipment.
  • No more obsolete equipment: Equipment leasing is one way to help your business constantly stay on the cutting edge of technology. Engaging in short-term leases enables you to make upgrades to newer equipment much more quickly and in a financially efficient manner than if you were to purchase the equipment outright. When you buy technology, you are stuck with it unless you can sell it, and even then you’ll have a difficult time finding buyers who are interested.
  • Credit preservation: Keeping your line of credit healthy should always be a priority for any business owner. Equipment leasing enables you to keep that line open and strengthen your cash flow, making it easier for you to get funding for growing your business and paying for regular operational needs.
  • Flexibility and ease: Applying for a lease is quite easy, so you can have the equipment you need in your business almost immediately. You also have the flexibility to work within your budget constraints and make any upgrades as you need them.

Fidelity Capital has become a leader nationwide for helping businesses with their equipment leasing and financing needs. The company has outstanding relationships across the country, with a network of preferred vendors that give you the knowledge and resources you need to truly grow your business. To learn more about business equipment leasing and if it’s right for your company, we invite you to contact us.

/0 Comments/by

Choosing the Right Capital Equipment Financing Provider

Choosing the Right Capital Equipment Financing Provider

It’s important for your company to get the most up-to-date equipment possible so that you can stay ahead of the technological curve. To accomplish this, you should consider financing your equipment through a leasing agency. Leasing your equipment comes with a variety of benefits. The most notable is that you can save a significant amount of money on leasing, leveraging the high-tech equipment now at your disposal, while avoiding the financial hit that comes when you must get rid of equipment that becomes obsolete or no longer usable. Compared to bank loans or paying in cash, lease financing also gives you much greater flexibility in your payment plans. No two small businesses are alike, and depending on your industry you might have unique needs. With this in mind, choosing the right equipment leasing company should be a process that narrows down the best fit for you. The following are some important factors to consider when choosing your equipment leasing provider:

  •  Experience: Leasing firms that have more experience in providing these types of services will be more likely to understand the various options available to you. They can make the best recommendations for your particular needs and assist you throughout the financing process so that it goes as smoothly as possible.
  • Owning vs. using: Some leasing companies many prefer that you own the asset they will be leasing. When this is the case, consider choosing a provider that offers lease-to-own plans. If you are simply concerned with using the asset rather than owning, a regular leasing plan is more likely to give you what you need.
  • Size: The sizes of leasing providers vary wildly, from large banks to small, independently owned firms. A smaller firm is more likely to give you the personal attention you need, while a larger organization might have more resources available. Your best approach is to find a company that offers the best of both worlds — great service combined with flexible options.
  • Reputation: Last but certainly not least, you want to be sure that the organization you choose to work with has a reputation for success. Believe it or not, large banks reject most small business loans. When it comes to equipment leasing, you need a provider that ensures your financing plan gets accepted and that the process goes smoothly for your business.

Fidelity Capital is a national lender for equipment financing and leasing. Due to the relationships the company has built over the years, it has a vast network of preferred vendors ready to help your business. When exploring your options, take these guidelines into consideration and find the leasing provider that matches your needs perfectly.

/0 Comments/by

Benefits of IT Financing

Benefits of IT Financing

In 2010, IT spending sharply increased as businesses emerged from the recession. Forrester Research and other technology research specialists, such as Gartner, agree that the key to sustained growth in the emerging economy is through increased IT investment, which is the primary reason for the growth in the IT market. Companies that commit to investing in IT infrastructure will be at an advantage over those that do not.

Forrester Research predicts growth in U.S. IT spending will continue in 2011 by 7.4% over 2010, with early forecasts for 2012 showing even higher growth at 10.4%. Unfortunately, not every business has the capital to purchase new IT equipment; but, that does not mean those companies cannot obtain new equipment.

In a 2005 statement to small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs), a Gartner analyst pointed out that many businesses were falling behind because they failed to take advantage of an important resource to keep their checkbooks balanced while keeping up with technology: IT equipment leasing. While the importance of IT leasing was originally expounded in 2005 by Gartner, the analysis has continued to be corroborated through the intervening years, including in a report by Forrester entitled, “Back to Basics: Why IT Leasing Makes Sense in the Economic Meltdown.”

The Equipment Leasing Association estimates that over 80% of U.S. companies lease IT equipment in some capacity. However, Gartner analyst Francis O’Brien states that only 12% of SMEs lease at least 50% of their computers, and only 3% lease all of their computers. O’Brien is baffled by these numbers because, in her expert opinion, “Leasing should be a primary vehicle for [SME] technology initiatives.”

According to O’Brien and other IT leasing experts, the following benefits make leasing not only a viable option but, also, a necessary step in ensuring business growth:

  • Cost Reduction – Leasing is an affordable IT financing option because leasing companies do not need to recoup the entire cost of the equipment from the lease. Much of their profit comes from selling the equipment at the end of the lease term. In fact, many leasing companies, such as Dell, have offered promotional terms that include zero percent financing for up to 20 months. (don’t want to reference any competition, please remove the statement regarding Dell financing option)
  • Capital Conservation – Having working capital and open lines of credit are important in this economy. Companies that purchase IT equipment quickly lose their capital due to asset depreciation. Leasing is also a means of keeping available lines of credit open for opportunities that can more directly translate into income and profit.
  • Decreased Depreciation and Maintenance Losses – Most businesses are depreciating their IT equipment over five years, but, according to corroborative research by the Robert Francis Group and Gartner, it is more cost-effective to replace computer equipment after three years. However, thisrequires the equipment to be kept in storage for two years or to be written off two years before it is fully depreciated.
  • Tax Breaks – Most types of businesses can deduct 100 percent of their lease payments as an operating expense.
  • Budgeting – Because lease payments are consistent on a monthly basis, overall cash flow is more predictable, allowing for more accurate budgeting.
  • Simplified Asset Tracking – Most leasing companies offer online asset tracking tools as a free service. (we don’t offer this service so would like to remove and replace with another constructive sentence)
  • Disposal Compliance and Expense – Most businesses are now required to adhere to strict disposal regulations regarding computer equipment. With leased equipment, the leasing company takes care of disposal.
  • Leasing companies provide a valuable resource, especially for small to mid-sized enterprises. Business market researchers all agree that leasing provides all of the above benefits and more. Businesses not taking advantage of these benefits only stand to lose out to those that do
/0 Comments/by