CASH FLOW & PAYMENTS free up time to focus on the bigger things

Transcription

1 CASH FLOW & PAYMENTS free up time to focus on the bigger things Like to know more? Tell us more about your business needs, and we can suggest some appropriate solutions. Talk to a Business Banking Manager, call am 8pm EST, Monday to Friday or visit national.com.au Hearing impaired customers with telephone typewriters can contact us on National Australia Bank Limited ABN NAB02556 (02/06) NS944_DL_CF&P_2a.indd /1/06 1:35:35 PM

2 Like more of the details to take care of themselves? You don t want to get caught short. But you don t want money sitting around not working for you. How do you make it simpler and less stressful? How do you squeeze more value out of each dollar passing through your business? You can get more control over debtor payments for a start. And the ways you carry out transactions make a big difference to day-to-day efficiency. This brochure covers some of the scenarios that might be relevant to your business, and ways we might help. If there are solutions that interest you, come in and talk to us and we can go through things in more detail. Please refer to the last page of this brochure for important information you should know before acquiring any of the products detailed in this brochure. NS944_DL_CF&P_2a.indd /1/06 1:35:36 PM

3 Smoothing out the bumps and dips Day-to-day finance Simplifying your banking administration Payments and transactions You ve got bills to pay, relationships to maintain. And you re not a bank, so why should you carry the load of your own debtors? Accelerating cash flow wherever you can puts you on the front foot, and makes you less vulnerable through those tricky fluctuations. An overdraft might be a good option. With no fixed repayment schedule and variable interest rates, you can enjoy more flexibility to manage your day-to-day finance. Commercial cards are a low-cost and flexible payment tool. They re also very convenient, with wide acceptance, and monthly statements can help simplify accounting and administration. Debtor finance gives you access to funds on the strength of business credit sales. So instead of waiting for your debtors to pay within your normal trading terms (generally days), you could have cash in hand within 48 hours (non-business days excluded). This can help you to accelerate cash flow and put you in a far better position to go out and achieve your goals. How many bank accounts do you need for your day-to-day transactions? What kind? A straightforward cheque account, possibly with an overdraft facility, might suit you best. Or, if you re going to have a larger amount sitting in the account, you d probably like to earn some meaningful interest on it. In which case, you may want to consider a business management account, with the option of an overdraft facility to help cover any unexpected dips. Keeping GST funds in a separate GST offset account means one less thing to worry about, and having it linked to your overdraft as an offset can save you money by reducing interest you have to pay on the overdraft. What if you re not actually a business but a non-profit organisation? A community account might be a way to earn interest on the funds passing through your organisation. The interest rate varies depending on the account balance. How do you like to carry out your transactions? Maybe it still suits you to pop down to the bank and buy some lunch on the way back. To save time at the counter, you may be able to use a convenient drop-off facility, like an Express Business Deposit or Express Cheque Deposit. More likely, you d appreciate the convenience of using online banking, and the greater efficiency and lower fees that may result. You may not realise just how much is possible. For a start, you can view transaction and balance history, transfer funds, pay invoices and salaries, or request a stop on cheques issued, and export transactional data into your own accounting software for easier reconciliation. NS944_DL_CF&P_2a.indd 5-6

4 If smarter, quicker solutions appeal, then nab internet banking and National Online Business are well worth exploring. Do you regularly get high volumes of payments for processing? Worse, do you regularly not get them, and have to chase customers up? Direct Debit arrangements may help speed up payments and lessen your workload. BPAY is another convenient option, and it means that cleared funds can go straight into your account. Alternatively, a Pay by Phone interactive voice response system can be easily set up. Are there more efficient ways you could make your own payments? Direct Credit is convenient, and also saves any last minute panic over payment deadlines. Making it easier for people to do business with you Merchant solutions Do you have a service or retail business? Then it s highly likely you need to provide credit card facilities. You may need a card reader, or you might do transactions over the phone, fax, internet, or by . It can all be automated to take paperwork out of the equation. What if your store front is the internet, selling goods and services overseas, and you want to advertise prices and settle credit card transactions in different currencies? That s fine too Multi Currency can be incorporated into your system. Security of transactions for customers will no doubt also be a major concern. Multi-layered security may help, and it is designed to integrate smoothly with your website. Are most of your transactions face-to-face? Then EFTPOS is possibly the transaction system of preference even for sole traders, since it s relatively easy and inexpensive to install. Registered to BPAY ABN NS944_DL_CF&P_2a.indd 7-8

5 Putting extra cash to work Investments and term deposits What should you do when you have surplus funds? It largely depends on how long they ll be around for. If you re likely to need the funds soon, you might want an investment account that still keeps them at call. Your transaction accounts can be linked, so that surplus balances are automatically transferred into your investment account, which may enable you to earn higher interest. What if you have no urgent need for the cash, so your investment horizon is a little longer? Then you may get higher rates with term deposits than with at call investments. With set durations of anything from seven days to two years, term deposits give fixed rates of return, providing you with certainty, so budgeting is simpler as well. It s not just what you do, it s how you do it You may be a technology enthusiast with innovative e-business operations. Or, truth be told, you might prefer pen and paper and face-to-face contact with your customers. But whether you use it a little or a lot, the internet can make business life a lot easier. Maybe you appreciate the internet for its ability to deliver instant information when you want it. If so, you ll find some useful things at our website, including calculators, scenario testers, spreadsheets and various guides. What about online trading? Perhaps you d like a bit more control over your share portfolio. With access to your share portfolio holdings through nab internet banking, straight-through processing, research, news and charting tools at your fingertips, National OnLine Trading helps you to manage your shares your way. With more knowledge and control over your finances, you can make smarter decisions. NS944_DL_CF&P_2a.indd 9-10

6 Important information Other useful titles The information in this brochure is of a general nature and has been prepared by National Australia Bank Limited ABN (nab) for information purposes only for business customers. The information is current as at the time of printing (February 2006) but may change without notice. The products and services described are only available to approved customers. Terms and conditions and fees and charges apply. For further information contact nab. Any advice contained in this document has been prepared by nab without taking into account your objectives, financial situations or needs. Before acting on any advice in this document, nab recommends you consider whether it is appropriate for your circumstances. Where required by law nab will provide Product Disclosure Statements in respect of the products issued by it which are contained in this brochure. nab recommends you consider any Product Disclosure Statement or other disclosure document before making any decisions regarding the products contained in this brochure. All products in this brochure are issued by nab with the exception of National OnLine Trading which is a financial service provided by National OnLine Trading Limited ABN National OnLine Trading is a member of the Australian Stock Exchange and a wholly owned subsidiary of nab. nab does not guarantee the obligations or performance of this subsidiary or the products or services this subsidiary offers. MANAGING INTERNATIONAL TRADE the most useful global currency is knowledge FINANCE & LEASING solutions that give you room to grow PROTECTING YOUR BUSINESS planning for the unexpected NS944_DL_CF&P_2a.indd 11-12