Working Capital And Distributor Finance

Distributor Finance for Importers, Wholesalers and Dealers

Distributors carry the cash gap of the whole supply chain. Suppliers want payment on order or on shipment, stock sits in the warehouse, and customers pay 30, 60 or 90 days after delivery. The faster the business grows, the bigger that gap gets. Financely advises distributors, importers and wholesalers on how to fund it, and arranges the facilities with banks, asset-based lenders, receivables financiers and supply chain finance providers.

Financely is an advisory and arranging firm, not a lender. All facilities are provided by third parties and remain subject to their credit approval.

Who This Service Is For

Importing distributors

Companies that buy from overseas manufacturers and need to pay suppliers, clear goods and hold stock before they are paid by customers.

Wholesalers

Businesses with large inventories and many trade customers, where receivables and stock are the main assets on the balance sheet.

Dealers and resellers

Equipment, vehicle, technology or consumer goods dealers that need stock on the floor before sales close.

Fast-growing distributors

Companies winning larger customers or new product lines whose working capital need has outgrown an overdraft or a single bank line.

What We Arrange

  • Asset-based revolving facilities: a borrowing base secured on eligible receivables and inventory that grows with sales. See asset-based lending arrangement and borrowing base reports.
  • Receivables finance: invoice discounting, factoring or receivables purchase, with or without credit insurance. See accounts receivable financing.
  • Import and supplier payment finance: letters of credit and trade loans that pay suppliers on shipment while the distributor repays from sales.
  • Inventory finance: funding against stock held in controlled warehouses, including structures with collateral managers where stock is high value.
  • Supply chain finance: where the distributor is the strong party, programmes that pay its own suppliers early. See supply chain finance for importers and distributors.

Eligibility

Lenders to distributors focus on the quality of the assets that repay the facility: how creditworthy the customers are, how concentrated the receivables are, how quickly stock turns, and how well the company reports. A distributor with a diversified customer base, reliable stock data and clean accounting can often borrow more against its assets than against its profits. Financely does not set a fixed minimum size; fit is assessed at deal review.

How The Process Works

  1. Deal review. You submit financial statements, receivables ageing, inventory reports, existing facilities and a short description of the need. Financely gives a go or no go with a proposed structure.
  2. Engagement. A written estimate sets out scope, retainer and success fee. Work starts once it is signed and the retainer is paid.
  3. Working capital analysis. Financely maps the cash conversion cycle, identifies eligible collateral and sizes the facility mix.
  4. Credit file. A lender-ready pack with financials, collateral data, customer and supplier profiles and reporting capability.
  5. Placement. The file goes to lenders whose appetite fits the sector, geography and collateral type.
  6. Term sheets to drawdown. Financely compares offers on advance rates, pricing, covenants and reporting burden, and supports documentation, field exams and the first borrowing base.

What Lenders Need To See

  • Financial statements for the last two to three years and current management accounts.
  • Aged receivables and payables, with customer concentration.
  • Inventory reports by product, location and age.
  • Key customer and supplier contracts or terms of trade.
  • Existing facility agreements and security.
  • Ownership structure and KYC on beneficial owners.

Why Financely

  • The full working capital picture. Supplier payment, inventory and receivables are financed as one cycle, not three separate requests.
  • Several lender types. Banks, asset-based lenders, factors and trade finance providers are compared on the same basis.
  • Cross-border experience. Import flows, letters of credit and supplier finance sit alongside domestic lending, which suits distributors that buy abroad.
  • Written economics. Fees are agreed in a signed estimate before work begins. Third-party costs such as field exams, legal counsel and credit insurance are paid by the client directly.

Is Working Capital Holding Back Your Distribution Business?

Submit your financials, receivables and inventory data for a review. We will assess which distributor finance structure fits and which lenders to approach.

Request A Quote

Frequently Asked Questions

What is distributor finance?

Distributor finance is funding for the cash gap between paying suppliers and being paid by customers. It usually combines supplier payment finance, inventory finance and receivables finance, often in one asset-based facility.

Can a distributor borrow against inventory and receivables together?

Yes. An asset-based revolving facility can include both, with separate advance rates for eligible receivables and eligible inventory. The amount available moves with the borrowing base.

Do I need to be profitable to get distributor finance?

Profitability helps, but asset-based lenders focus mainly on collateral quality and reporting. A business with good customers and well-controlled stock may qualify even with thin margins.

Can you fund imports from overseas suppliers?

Yes, through letters of credit, import loans or supplier finance that pay the supplier on shipment, with repayment from sales. The structure depends on the supplier, the goods and the distributor's credit.

Is Financely a lender?

No. Financely is an advisory and arranging firm. Facilities are provided by third-party lenders and are subject to their credit approval.

What does it cost?

Financely charges a deal review fee, then a retainer and a success fee agreed in a signed estimate before work begins. Lender fees and third-party costs are paid by the client directly.

Disclaimer: Financely is an advisory and structuring platform. We do not guarantee issuance, lender approvals, or transaction closing outcomes. All mandates are subject to underwriting, KYC and AML checks, compliance review, counterparty acceptance, and final provider decisions. This page is provided for commercial information only and does not constitute legal, tax, or investment advice.