Recruitment invoice finance

As UK businesses struggle with an acute talent shortage, and 77% of firms report problems in hiring the staff they need, so many organisations are relying on contract, agency, and temporary workers to fill the gaps in their workforce – workers who are typically employed and paid by their recruitment agent.

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Page written by Chris Godfrey. Last reviewed on March 6, 2024. Next review due April 6, 2025.

Like almost all SMEs, UK recruitment companies face rising costs, a slowing economy, and the risk of a severe cashflow crunch – an issue which will affect 9 out of 10 small businesses this year. In many cases, recruitment agencies must pay their temporary and contract workers before they receive payment from their clients, which only compounds the strain on cashflow, leaving them battling to cover costs and pay their own staff on time. But what can recruitment agencies do to ease the strain? Specialised invoice finance for the recruitment industry may be the answer – it’s a financial solution that can deliver up to 95% of the invoice value almost as soon as it is raised.

Read on to find out more about recruitment invoice finance, and how it can turn a cash crunch into a cash bonanza.

What is recruitment invoice finance?

Invoice finance for recruitment organisations are short-term loans that allow recruiters to achieve early payment of a large percentage of the value of the invoices they raise. Typical early payments are 75% to 95% of the value of the invoice, paid within 24 to 48 hours of invoice creation, and with the balance paid as soon as the customer pays the bill on standard terms, (minus financing fees and interest). Depending on the type of invoice finance used, (see below), the customer may never know the invoice has been used to generate a loan.

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How does recruitment invoice finance work?

Recruitment invoice finance utilises the security of a recruitment agency’s unpaid invoices as the basis for a loan or an advance. It is a funding option for recruitment SMEs that have a minimum of £30,000 annual turnover and get paid by invoice in 14 days or more. Lenders can provide up to 95% of invoice value and a maximum of £5,000,000 in total credit.

Recruitment invoice finance in practice:

With recruitment invoice financing, you issue an invoice to a customer, then you receive a percentage of the invoice value as a loan from a lender. (The invoice financing company). Payment is usually made within 24 to 48 hours of submitting your invoice.

Depending on the type of invoice financing you chose, you may retain control of your sales ledger and still be responsible for chasing customers for payment. In this case, your customers post their payments into a trust account controlled by the invoice financing company, but with the appearance of an account controlled by you. The customer assumes they are paying you, not the lender. Once the loan is repaid, and the lender deducts interest and fees, the balance is transferred to your bank account. In most cases, the customer will never know you used the invoice as security for a loan.

Recruitment invoice financing can be used across your whole sales ledger, or you can choose the clients and the invoices you want to use for a loan. (This is called selective receivables financing).

In simple terms, recruitment invoice financing works the same as a revolving credit line or a series of short -term business loans. However, unlike those types of lending, with recruitment invoice financing, the borrower usually has no need to provide assets as collateral, nor are the owners or directors required to supply a personal guarantee.

Invoice finance calculator

Use our handy invoice finance calculator to get an understanding of how much you could release from invoices owed to you.

Invoice value

.00

Advance rate

Fee

* Will be paid to you when your client has paid the invoice in full and within the agreed invoice term.

This calculator is intended for illustration purposes only and exact payment terms should be agreed with a lender before taking out a loan.

Your results

Advance amount

£- (-%)

Then

£-*

Estimated fees

£-

Get a quote

An example:

You send an invoice for £10,000 to a customer. They usually take 60 days to pay the bill. This locks up the value of the invoice for two months and slows down your cashflow.

However, you have an agreement with an invoice financing company who will lend 80% of the value of the invoice as soon as it is raised. You submit a duplicate of the invoice to the lender, and they send £8,000 (80%) to your bank account within 48 hours. This is called the ‘pre-payment percentage’. 60 days later, the customer pays £10,000 into a trust account controlled by the lender. As this is confidential invoice-financing, the customer assumes they are making payment direct to you. The lender recoups the loan of £8,000 and after deducing fees and interest, they send the balance to your bank account.

In this example, the numbers may look like this:

Invoice value: £10,000
Loan sum: £8,000 (the pre-payment percentage)
Balance outstanding: £2,000
Sum paid by customer in 60 days: £10,000
Loan recouped: £8,000
Fees and interest: £300
Balance transferred to you: £1,700

What types of invoice finance are available for the recruitment industry?

There are two types of invoice finance available for the UK recruitment industry:

Recruitment invoice-financing (also known as invoice discounting)

This works as per the example shown above: 24 to 48 hours for payment, with 75% to 95% of the invoice value released as the pre-payment percentage. You retain control of your sales ledger and must chase customers for payment. The customer need never know you use your invoices as security for a loan.

Recruitment invoice factoring

Works very much like invoice-financing, except now you sell your invoices to the lender (known as ‘the factor’) and they take control of your sales ledger. You do not need to do anything more, as the factor is responsible for chasing customers for payment. With this method, your customers will know you are using your invoices to generate a loan.

What are the benefits of recruitment invoice finance?

There are multiple benefits to using recruitment invoice finance for your agency – and few downsides.

Pros:

Get up to 95% of the value of the invoice in 24 to 48 hours
No more waiting weeks or even months for payment
Use your fast cashflow to expand your agency and outgrow your competitors
Keep control of your sales ledger
Your customers may never know you use your invoices as security for a loan

Cons:

You will pay costs and interest for the loan(s)
If you have customers who are bad at paying their bills, the lender may not accept the invoices you raise against that customer’s account
If a customer takes too long to pay their bill, the lender may reject their invoice from the lending pool and ask for the return of the early payment they have already sent to you

Who is recruitment invoice finance for?

Recruitment invoice finance is suitable for any business that operates in the UK recruitment industry. As long as your business issues invoices of more than £30,000 per year and on terms of 14 days or more, there’s a recruitment invoice finance solution for you:

Recruitment agencies
Contract worker consultancies
Project workforce management companies
Niche recruitment specialists (‘headhunters’)

How to get recruitment invoice finance

Invoice finance for the UK recruitment sector is a specialist financial area, with every lender having their own criteria and differing rules of application. Recruitment SMEs seeking invoice financing may find themselves forever searching and making applications to lender after lender. The delays this can create could cause you to lose revenues and leave your business vulnerable to a damaging cashflow crunch. Instead, working with a broker, who can access recruitment invoice finance from a wide range of lenders is a better way to go. No more cold calls and endless demands for information, simply tell us what you need and leave the rest to us.

Get started with Swoop

Stop waiting 30, 60, 90 days or more to get paid. Give your recruitment business the funds it needs to thrive. Register with Swoop to find the best rates, the best terms and the best recruitment invoice finance in the UK.

Written by

Chris Godfrey

Chris is a freelance copywriter and content creator. He has been active in the marketing, advertising, and publishing industries for more than twenty-five years. Writing for Barclays Bank, Metro Bank, Wells Fargo, ABN Amro, Quidco, Legal and General, Inshur Zego, AIG, Met Life, State Farm, Direct Line, insurers and pension funds, his words have appeared online and in print to inform, entertain and explain the complex world of consumer and business finance and insurance.

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77% of UK businesses report hiring problems: https://go.manpowergroup.com/talent-shortage

Cashflow crunch: https://www.internationalaccountingbulletin.com/comment/xero-delving-deeper-into-the-cash-flow-challenges-affecting-small-businesses/

Business loans: https://swoopfunding.com/uk/business-loans/small-business-loans/

Revolving credit line: https://swoopfunding.com/knowledge-hub/revolving-credit-line-facility/

Invoice finance: https://swoopfunding.com/uk/business-loans/invoice-finance/

Invoice factoring: https://swoopfunding.com/knowledge-hub/invoice-factoring/