MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESS FUNDING
Capstone is committed to making sure that minority small business owners are afforded every opportunity possible to obtain financing solutions to support their day to day operations and business growth. According to an article published in Forbes, in the last ten years, minority-owned businesses have grown by approximately 79% however sufficient access to business financing options has not kept up at the same pace.
That’s Where Capstone’s Invoice Factoring Comes In.
- Easy
- Immediate
- Flexible
Some of the reasons why minority small business owners lack access include:
- Lower Net Worth
- Lack of Collateral
- Business Located in an Underserved Area
- Little or no Credit History
- Other Tangible or Intangible Barriers
Because of this, Capstone has designed its Minority Funding Program to give MWBEs the financing tools they need for growth and to be successful. Through this program, Capstone opens the door to give these small business owners the access they need to capital.
Download Business Funding to Help Minority Businesses Grow and Succeed
How to determine if Capstone’s Invoice Factoring is right for you:
- Your project expenses outpace the influx of cash flow leading to gaps in working capital
- You do business for creditworthy clients within the U.S.
- The lack of working capital has you turning business away
- You have money tied up in slow-paying accounts receivable
Factoring Solutions for Small Business
Capstone works both internally and with outside private partners to be able to provide funding to minority small businesses. When you receive a minority designation at a city, state, or federal level, we will work with you to overcome obstacles and get you on the path to success.
How it Works
- 1. You submit an invoice/ progress payment on work that has been completed
- 2. The invoice is verified with your client
- 3. Capstone provides immediate funds
- 4. Your client remits payment within their payment terms which is typically 30 to 60 days
- 5. Capstone issues a rebate for the remaining reserve balance, less the factoring fee
Which Businesses Are Considered Minority-Owned?
Your business would be classified as a minority-owned if your business is owned and operated by any of the following demographics:
- Woman
- Black or African American
- Hispanic
- Native American/Pacific Islander
- Veteran
These businesses are more commonly known as Minority, Woman, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises or in short “MWDBEs”. To be considered the owner, you as the minority must own and operate at least 51% of the business.
Decades ago, minority business owners found it nearly impossible to receive funding for their businesses. During that time, coming across a minority-owned business was almost unheard of. Minority-owned businesses now have more opportunities and access to third-party capital, however, the stigma from decades past lingers like a faint scar. At Capstone, we actively work to ensure that everyone, regardless of ethnicity, disability, or veteran status, has access to the funding they deserve when they meet the qualifications. Capstone’s goal is to get more minority participation in set-aside programs by providing much-needed access to capital to this diverse group of business owners.
We are committed to doing what we can to help. Capstone invests the time, resources, and funding which is essential to your small business in order for you to succeed. At every turn, we are committed to educating and supporting you, as needed.
As with any small or growing business, the funding of minority businesses cannot be done without the help of private business and the access to capital. We offer both. Many of our partners have been in your shoes, as a minority business owner, and have the experience necessary to provide useful advice and feedback. In working with Capstone, you will find that we have the capability to provide you with the advice and capital you need – two crucial components to your business’s success.
In a 2019 report assessing New York City’s efforts to award contracts to businesses owned by minorities and women, New York City agencies earned a “C” grade after four consecutive years of “D+” grades. The report for the fiscal year that ended June 30 included the following statements:
- Only 4.9% of the city’s $20.5 billion procurement budget went to minority and women-owned businesses. This was a decrease of $62 million from fiscal 2018.
- 17% of City-certified MWBEs received City payments in fiscal 2019, a decrease from 20% in fiscal 2018 due to an expansion of more than 2,000 firms in the MWBE. However, the number of MWBEs receiving City dollars has doubled from 760 in fiscal 2015 to more than 1,500 firms in fiscal 2019.
It is apparent that New York City has ample room for continued progress when it comes to contracting with minority and women-owned firms. Capstone Corporate Funding, LLC is looking to improve them even further. We offer several funding options and provide working capital to small businesses and minority-owned businesses looking for proper funding to help their businesses grow.
It takes more than a minority or disadvantaged designation from a city, state, or federal agency to achieve your business growth and success. But with an MWDBE designation in hand, you’ll be one step closer to reaching your goals, and we can give you the extra help you need to achieve them. Through our unique solutions, we can help you turn a disadvantage into an advantage.
Once you are a client of Capstone, we extend our years of experience and support system to you. We provide additional assistance such as:
- Bid support letters
- Non-legal contract review
- Credit line underwriting and analysis on your customers
- Referral services for accounting, estimating, legal, engineering, payroll, and other professional services
With Capstone working alongside you, you can overcome barriers and focus on doing what you do best.
Minority Funding Program Success Story
A woman-owned construction firm and their clients were suffering from the negative effects of Hurricane Sandy which, in turn, began to put a strain on their cash flow.
The Problem
Because of the disaster, many clients of the business found themselves in a difficult position to pay what was due, but business had to continue. The construction firm needed to eliminate spikes in monthly cash flow due to their client’s payments being delayed after invoicing. As the business progressed, they began having larger payrolls and vendor payments to pay out without knowing exactly when the collection would take place to cover their costs.
The Solution
Capstone helped by implementing spot factoring that allowed for the flexibility to choose which invoices, if any, to factor during the month. This was especially helpful during this difficult time and allowed for the construction firm to offset the effect that the burden of their clients was having on their operations.
Capstone allowed the construction firm to:
- Grow without worrying about additional payroll costs prior to funding.
- Obtain better credit terms.
- Acquire better discounts with vendors.
- Get the funding needed for business growth in a matter of hours.
Had the business owner not chosen to reach out to Capstone for assistance in meeting her capital needs, the inability of her clients to pay on time could have been severely detrimental to her success, and her growth potential would have been significantly limited.
Results
Since the implementation of spot factoring, the construction firm has reduced cash flow restrictions and increased volume by 20% over the last 12 months. Without spot factoring in place, the company would not have been able to take on as many clients as they do now and incrementally grow their business.
Traditional financing proves to be a slow process, whereas Capstone provided the construction firm with a quick response and quick financing when they needed it most.
Don’t let access to adequate capital hold you back from your business goals. For more information on our minority funding programs, please contact us at (212) 755-3636 to speak with a representative today. Our highly trained, professional representatives will work to customize a plan so you may start growing your business today and prepare you for future success.
Director of Diversity for Capstone
Alvin Hartley – TMI & Partners, Ltd. Senior Manager
Extensive background and experiences include over 25 years of Strategic Planning, and dedicated Leadership to TMI & Partners, LTD. Alvin has assisted many organizations in developing Customer Service and Leadership Training, Sales Training, Marketing Plans, Marketing Budgets, Marketing Strategy, Marketing Concepts, Training and aligning their Corporate Vision in order to achieve their business objectives. “In Your Face”, Grassroots Marketing. This style of marketing helped increase brand awareness as well as an increase in sales.
