Before I registered my company Leasecontrol with the Chamber of Commerce in 2010, I worked for the graphics desk of one of the large Dutch leasing companies.
The printing industry uses a wide variety of equipment and machines, starting with a desktop computer for designers to large eight-color printing presses or even rotary printing presses to print newspapers. Smaller devices often have a shorter delivery time. The payment terms agreed upon by the supplier and their customer usually do not pose a problem because the purchase price of smaller equipment is usually easy to manage.
It becomes more complex for larger (newspaper) printing presses. The purchase price of these machines is much higher and in case of advance payments (payment plan) pre-financing is often also required. The same applies to investments involving multiple machines, whether or not placed in line. The company that purchases these machines will sometimes want to use the different parts at different times, because the project is technically complex. This also requires the necessary coordination from the financier(s).
At Leasecontrol, I don’t limit myself to the graphics industry alone, but have broadened my scope to other industries such as the food & agriculture sector, the packaging industry and the mail order sector (e-commerce). The same applies to financing for these sectors as for the graphics industry: the machines that are used differs greatly in purchase price and the complexity of investment projects also varies widely.
Naturally, for less expensive and smaller projects, it is easier to find a financing solution that everyone is happy with. It is a different story with larger investments in technically complex and often time-consuming projects. Without a clear business case, this requires courage, a solid financial buffer and patience. With a clear business case, I translate these blind spots into a calculated risk.
The best way to help entrepreneurs with the financing of their machines, both with smaller projects and with extensive and/or complex projects, is to offer all parties (entrepreneur, supplier and financier) an attractive and/or comfortable perspective, regardless of the delivery time. My role is to bring together the parties that can support such projects.
