Flexbase launches credit card for construction

Dive Short:

  • Flexbase, an automatic payment platform for contractors, has introduced a credit card tailored to building providers.
  • Concentrating on modest- and mid-sized firms, the Flexbase Card is readily available nationwide, featuring up to 60 times desire-cost-free credit history, in accordance to a release shared with Design Dive.
  • The enterprise aims to support these smaller sized companies triumph over hurdles linked with slow payments and cashflow challenges, said Zaid Rahman, CEO of Flexbase, in the launch. “With our card presenting, we are heading to democratize access to capital for construction providers of all dimensions, and provide equal possibility to everyone,” he reported.

Dive Perception:

In Might, Flexbase obtained $2.5 million in pre-seed fundraising in part from Suffolk Systems, the undertaking funds arm of Boston-based contractor Suffolk. Released in October 2020, the company aims to boost the velocity of funds stream in the design industry by enabling contractors to ship invoices and paperwork to clients rapidly. On regular, Flexbase promises, its prospects get paid out 63% earlier.

Contractors that use the new credit score card in tandem with the Flexbase system will be capable to attain insight into their economic facts and other components and will be likely eligible to borrow more substantial credit quantities, the release reported. New workflow enhancements involving the card and the platform will also cut down paperwork and maximize invoicing efficiency. 

This is the industry’s initial card necessitating no personal assure and no security deposit, the company stated.

“Small and medium construction organizations must not be failing in a booming industry. By supercharging their access to funds, we are fulfilling the needs of a seriously underbanked and credit history invisible market place section,” said Rahman. 

In similar news, program agency Briq a short while ago launched a payment card for the development marketplace. BriqCash offers basic and specialty contractors the ability to automate bill processing, onboard and take care of distributors, manage fees at the value-code amount and make immediate payments that earn hard cash again and business-precise benefits on goods these as applications, products rentals and supplies.

Access to financing has taken on a vital part for contractors of all sizes given that the COVID-19 pandemic, which has slowed payments, according to a examine by design software agency Levelset.

Just 9% of providers constantly get compensated on time, a drop of 60% from previous 12 months, and some of the fiscal threat correlates right to the design payment chain, the analyze observed. Standard contractors are 4 periods more most likely than subcontractors to get paid within 30 days, and 50% far more very likely to get paid in entire. A person in 5 subcontractors, suppliers and other sub-tier get-togethers regularly wait around past 60 times to accumulate payment. 

“The pandemic drove economic uncertainty through the roof and set an excess kink in the flow of money on initiatives across the place, ” claimed Scott Wolfe Jr., CEO of Levelset. “Payment delays throttle a firm’s capacity to be aggressive, get on new jobs, and expand their business.”