Overview: The VAR Guy’s Channel Finance 25 is an annual survey from Nine Lives Media Inc. The survey allows VARs to quickly find and explore potential funding opportunities that improve cash flow, speed customer buying decisions, and drive profitable growth.

Neither The VAR Guy nor Nine Lives Media Inc. specifically endorse the companies and funding options mentioned below. This report is meant as a potential first-step guide for VARs that are seeking funding ideas. As with any potential financial engagement, readers should thoroughly research their options before pursuing potential engagements. Since financial needs vary greatly from company to company, the publishers of this report are not in a position to recommend or endorse any specific funding sources.

Channel Finance 25: Companies A through G

Arrow Electronics Inc. (Arrow North America Enterprise Computing Solutions)

Arrow ECS partners with four financial services companies: Castle Pines Capital, de lage landen, GE Capital and IBM Finance. Through those partnerships, Arrow ECS offers a range of financial solutions to meet VARs’ working capital needs. Also, Arrow ECS also offers a fee-based credit and collections program (full receivable outsourcing). All VARs need to get started is a completed credit application and two years of financial statements.

Avnet Technology Solutions

Avnet Technology Solutions offers leasing and receivables services to meet channel customers’ needs, giving VARs greater flexibility to take on larger, more complex deals. Through receivables services alone, Avnet Technology Solutions facilitates more than 2,500 transactions each year.

Axis Business Solutions

Axis helps VARs’ customers to secure funding for hardware and software sales and removes the financial responsibility from partners.  Plus, Axis helps partners secure vendor and distributor MDF funding. Since 2003, more than 1,000 small, midsize and large businesses have leveraged Axis services.

Calder Associates

Founded in 2002, Calder Associates helps VARs and solutions providers with mergers and acquisitions, accounting, and law. The company has a network of qualified buyers with more than $8 billion in down payment capital.

Castle Pines Capital

Castle Pines provides financing solutions to VARs. The company’s areas of expertise include IP communications and distribution finance.

CharTec

The CharTec “Hardware as a Service” (HaaS) program helps VARs and MSPs to obtain custom equipment and licensing for end-customers. CharTec also provides sales training to channel partners, ensuring the partners deliver warranty and technical support to end customers. CharTec has assisted partners with roughly $4 million in HaaS (hardware as a service) financing in 2010.

Cisco Capital

Cisco Capital is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cisco Systems. In addition to financing and leasing assistance, Cisco Capital supplies refurbished equipment to partners and end-customers. In early 2011, Cisco Capital also introduced zero percent financing for small business unified communications equipment.

CIT Group Inc.

CIT is a bank holding company with more than $35 billion in finance and leasing assets. For more than 100 years, CIT has provided lending, advisory, and leasing services to small and middle market businesses. The company works closely with IT vendors, distributors and resellers on a range of financing and leasing solutions. CIT also offers DigitalEdge, a web-based tool for quote generation, credit application submission, e-mail notification of credit decision, lease document generation, sales tracking and portfolio management.

CSC Leasing Company

CSC Leasing Co., founded in 1986, is an independent lessor of technology equipment. Seventy-percent of CSC’s business starts with VARs and channel partners. The company’s corporate offices are located in Richmond, Va. with branch offices in Virginia, North Carolina, Colorado, and the Metro DC area. CSC generated roughly $20 million in financing for channel partners in 2010, up from about $15 million in 2009.

de lage landen

With over 35 years of experience in the IT market, De Lage Landen’s Office Technology Global Business Unit supports VARs worldwide. In addition to operating and finance leases, De Lage Landen offers inventory finance and other asset based financing. Partners can receive online quote approvals and notifications, submit applications, and manage lease portfolios over the web. Typical financing deals involve multi-function printers (MFPs), servers, PCs, storage, network, telecom and software solutions.

EverBank Commercial Finance
EverBank Commercial Finance partners with manufacturers and value-added resellers (VARs) to provide sales financing solutions. Services include mid-market and enterprise transaction funding and leasing.  EverBank offers online access to transaction, funding, and  portfolio data. EverBank says it offers:

For more details please visit: http://www.everbankcommercialfinance.com/

GE Capital

To help smaller VARs gain a competitive edge, GE Capital, Commercial Distribution Finance (CDF) created the Small-to-Medium-size Business Finance program (SMB Reseller Finance). With SMB Reseller Finance, VARs can increase purchasing power and working capital while potentially avoiding additional expenses. The SMB Reseller Finance program includes:

GreatAmerica Leasing Corp.

GreatAmerica is a national commercial equipment finance company serving VARs and MSPs. GreatAmerica was originally incorporated in Michigan in 1990, and moved its headquarters to Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 1992 to become GreatAmerica Leasing Corp. The company now has more than 300 employees with offices in Colorado, Georgia, Minnesota, and Missouri. GreatAmerica provides financing and consulting services in all 50 states and some U.S. territories. Key areas of expertise include rental programs (hardware & service bundles), managed print services (MPS), managed services, managed voice services and hardware as a service. The company managed more than $500 million worth of channel financing deals in 2010.

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