The use of sale and lease back as a strategic financing component

From the perspective of strategic and sustainable corporate management, entrepreneurs should pay attention to diversifying their financing structure in order to ensure a certain degree of independence and the greatest possible financial leeway. The object-related financing form Sale & Lease Back of used machines and production plants is an innovative possibility, in order to make straight enterprises available without top credit ratings together sufficient financial means for different occasions.

The German system of corporate financing is still considered bank-dominated. For some years now, however, banks have been under considerable pressure: on the one hand, they have had to make high write-downs in the wake of the financial crisis, and on the other hand, they are subject to considerable regulatory requirements in terms of capital adequacy and liquidity planning. According to the "IW-Trends 1.2016" study by the Cologne Institute for Economic Research on corporate financing developments in this country, this may lead to a decline in banks' ability to lend, especially when it comes to issuing long-term and risky loans. From the perspective of strategic and sustainable corporate management, entrepreneurs should pay attention to diversifying their financing structure in order to ensure a certain degree of independence and the greatest possible financial leeway. While crowdfunding, factoring, purchase financing or sale & lease back have long been "old hat" in the USA or the UK, German companies are also increasingly using these solutions as part of their strategic financing mix, generally supplementing the traditional house bank loan. It is to be expected that credit institutions will rely more on cooperation with other financiers in order to jointly provide companies without top credit ratings in particular with sufficient financial resources for various occasions.

This has advantages for all parties involved: the principal bank continues to be the main contact for the entrepreneur, it can provide sufficient financial resources by involving other lenders, and it can offer the customer a solution. Moreover, alternative financiers are no competition for the company's own business, because they generally do not have product ranges analogous to the traditional credit institution.