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Education

StreetSmarts SM

Rebranding as an equipment

leasing professional

By John Tucker A different kind of equipment leasing
1st Capital Loans LLC As an MLS, you are likely already familiar with the
leasing of credit card terminals. POS terminal leasing
s part of the ongoing rebranding discussion may even be in your MLS toolkit. I, however, have never
I've focused on in this column, I have present- recommended leasing a credit card terminal to a merchant.
ed a number of alternative financing solutions: Due to my customer-first approach, I believe buying a
A merchant cash advance, alternative business terminal wholesale has always been the better option for
loans, accounts receivable factoring, accounts receivable merchants, thus, that is the option I have recommended.
financing, purchase order financing and asset based
lending. So how about one more rebranding discussion However, there are other types of equipment you can
centered on equipment leasing? lease that actually make sense for merchants and do not
involve putting a $300 terminal on a $100-a-month lease
Equipment leasing is just one more option MLSs can use for 36 months. Consider the diversity of equipment types
in their efforts to rebrand themselves and provide value used in various business verticals – from restaurants to
in the marketplace that merchants will be willing to pay medical offices to grocery stores. Countless merchants
for. GS Online MLS Forum member DEE MALIK recently very much need flexible equipment leasing options over
said, "Some of you guys are super successful in this the lifetime of their businesses. Leading with this service
industry. You have forgotten more than I will ever learn. would make you an equipment leasing broker.
However, after all the success and all the years that we
have been a part of this space, the merchant looks at us as A lucrative speciality
only a cost center rather than a profit center.
As an equipment leasing broker, you would bring together
"How is that possible when we offer core services that may three different parties:
indeed make up their profit margins? The only fighter
I've ever watched that could sting you while backing up 1. The merchant, who wants to acquire equipment
is Ali. We need to throw punches while advancing our 2. The equipment manufacturer, who seeks to sell
offerings." the equipment to the merchant
Equipment leasing is one of those ways you can "throw 3. The equipment leasing company, whose role is
punches" as DEE MALIK put it, positioning you as a to set up a lease for the merchant to acquire the
profit center for the merchant rather than just another cost equipment from the manufacturer
center.

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