Understanding how Contractor Payroll Funding Works

What types of funding deals are available to recruitment firms?

Many recruitment agencies that are ambitious and want to achieve growth will struggle with making that upwards growth trajectory a reality due to inevitable cash flow issues. In order to make that happen, some kind of funding will need to be secured to bridge the gap.

Traditional methods of cash flow management for recruitment firms included bank loans and other asset-based lending models, however, funding deals for recruitment firms are increasingly common, including invoice financing and payroll funding for contractors.

All-in-one back office solutions are also a rapidly growing alternative. Such solutions allow you to combine contractor payroll services with all the associated back-office administration in one practical location. In this blog we will look at what the difference is between all these options, and the pros and cons of each.

1. Self funding
2. Banks & traditional lenders
3. Invoice factoring
4. Fully outsourced funding & back office solutions

What is contractor payroll funding?

Contractor funding is a financial solution that provides recruitment agencies with the necessary cash flow to pay contractors regularly and on time, even if client payments are delayed. It bridges the gap between when contractors need to be paid and when agencies receive payments from clients.

Why you might need funding for contractors

Starting a contract recruitment business is an exciting but challenging venture. If you're like many recruitment agency owners, you may have already experienced the ups and downs of permanent recruitment and are now exploring the world of contract recruitment to boost your income and grow the business. Contract recruitment can offer more stable, predictable revenue streams, but it also comes with its own set of challenges, especially when it comes to managing cash flow.

Branching out into contract recruitment is a smart move for growing your business and achieving more level income throughout the year. If you’re thinking about making this shift, check out this helpful guide on how to grow your recruitment business with a contractor book. However, one of the biggest obstacles you'll likely face is not having enough funds to grow at the pace you want. When you start seeing an increase in contractor placements, it’s exciting – but it also means you need to pay more people, often weekly, while waiting on client payments that can take 30, 60, or even 90 days to arrive.

This is where contractor payroll solutions come in. If you're anticipating a significant increase in contractor numbers, payroll outsourcing can provide the necessary cash flow to keep your business running smoothly without any disruptions. This becomes particularly important when you start working with blue chip companies. While they offer valuable contracts, their longer payment terms can strain your cash flow, making it difficult to pay your contractors on time.

It’s also essential to ensure you’re getting the best deal from your funding provider. Not all funding deals are created equal, and service levels can vary. To make sure you’re getting the most out of your arrangement, check out this blog on how to find the best deal. By securing the right funding, you can focus on growing your business confidently, knowing that your cash flow is in safe hands.

So now that we’ve looked at why you might need contractor funding, let’s explore what finance options are available out there and how they compare.

Option 1: Self-funding

Many recruitment agencies start out with the intention to remain entirely self-funded. This means you need to keep enough cash in the bank to fund your entire operation including overheads and contractor payroll.

How does it work?

Going the self-funding route requires careful financial planning to ensure sufficient funds are always available, allowing you to maintain control over your operations without relying on external financing. Waiting for customers to pay invoices can put a strain on your cash flow, so this option becomes less viable if you have lean savings or long client payment terms.

Pros:

• You maintain full control over your business decisions without external influence from lenders or investors.
• You avoid accumulating debt and paying interest, keeping your financial obligations to a minimum.
• All profits remain within the business, increasing your potential return on investment.

Cons:

• Your growth may be constrained by the amount of cash you have available, potentially slowing expansion.
• Managing overheads and payroll without external funding can strain your cash flow, especially during slow periods.
• You may need to invest personal savings or assets, increasing your financial risk if the business faces challenges.

Option 2: Banks and traditional lenders

Asset-based lending and business loans are the more conventional option, offering broader funding but often with strict repayment terms. This option is commonly referred to as ‘invoice discounting’ because your lender releases funds to give you cash to cover a percentage of an invoice to support your business’s cash flow.

How does it work?

Typically, banks and other third-party finance providers pay up to 90 percent of the value of a customer’s invoice, minus an agreed fee. Within 24 hours of an invoice being received, the money is usually made available to you.

As it is a financial institution providing finance, such deals naturally come with multiple (and often inflexible) terms and conditions attached. This may include drawdown and trading limits, and severe penalties for overtrading and breaching credit limits. Therefore, it’s important to understand what you’re getting into and what the true cost of the finance deal will be.

Other things to consider are set-up fees, termination fees, accountancy, legal fees, interest rates, length of contract, and how the individual financier’s credit check process works.

Pros:

• Fees will generally be cheaper than those associated with a factoring or all-in-one-solution.
• Lots of generic lenders offer this type of financial deal.
• It is a well-known route to finance used by many recruiters.

Cons:

• Many conditions are attached, which can result in penalties and increased administration.
• Finance providers are often inflexible, with little understanding of the recruitment industry and how it works.
• You are likely to need to provide a personal guarantee, meaning debt may need to be covered out of your own pocket.
• It can be difficult to get an accurate picture of the money you’re making. 

Option 3: Invoice factoring

Invoice factoring is a financial solution where a business sells its unpaid invoices to a third-party provider (the factor) at a discount. This provides immediate cash flow, helping the business manage expenses and operations without waiting for clients to pay. They are usually a disclosed partner, meaning they collect the money from end clients on your behalf, in their company name.

How does it work?

The business issues an invoice to its client and then sells it to a factoring company. The factor typically advances between 70-90% of the invoice value upfront. Once the client pays the invoice, the factor releases the remaining balance to the business, minus a factoring fee. This arrangement helps businesses maintain steady cash flow, particularly when dealing with long payment terms or slow-paying clients.

Pros:

• Provides immediate access to cash tied up in unpaid invoices, helping maintain steady operations.
• Unlike loans, factoring doesn’t add to your debt burden since it’s based on selling receivables.
• The factoring company often handles invoice collection, reducing administrative workload.

Cons:

• Factoring fees can be higher, reducing overall profit margins.
• Most advance only 70-80% of each invoice (but you can find those that cover 100%)
• The factoring company takes over collections, potentially impacting client relationships if not managed carefully.

Option 4: Fully outsourced funding and back office solutions

An all-in-one funding and back office solution is a comprehensive system that handles multiple administrative tasks for you like payroll, invoicing, compliance, and credit control. Unlike pure invoice factoring, which only provides cash flow by advancing funds against unpaid invoices, an all-in-one solution integrates broader financial management and back-office functions, streamlining operations and reducing the need for multiple systems or manual processes.

How does it work?

A back office solution provides finance as part of a comprehensive package, so it not only frees up cash but covers everything related to back office operations, from credit checks, timesheet management, and contractor payroll software, through to invoicing and credit control.

In the same way as a bank or lender would do, the provider then charges a percentage of the value of each invoice as an agreed fee. In the case of 3R, we do this based on the NET amount, but other supplies may charge it on VAT too.

The percentage rate will vary depending on various circumstances, including the recruiters’ sector and type of business. Different fees will also be applicable for a perm and contract business, and with some providers, these fees could differ based on the invoice payment terms as well.

Pros:

• Saves time and takes a huge administrative burden off the recruitment agency, including in the areas of compliance, reporting and credit control
• Dedicated account management and automation result in a more positive overall experience for customers and candidates
• Generally, no personal guarantees are required
• Gives you time back to invest in growing your business

Cons:

• Involves a higher fee than a bank finance deal
• Limited number of providers to choose from, but the sector is growing

Choosing an expert recruitment funding partner like 3R means your needs and growth aspirations are assessed accurately to offer a flexible 100% funding solution. Our easy-to-use back-office platform will minimise the admin, time and risk of funding your recruitment business, and you'll also get support from our compliance, accounts and credit control teams to let you get on with what you do best!