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In my years working with B2B companies, I’ve seen the push to offer flexible payment terms (like monthly options for SaaS or 60-90-day cycles for enterprise contracts) to close deals faster. While it seems like a win-win—clients appreciate the flexibility, and sales teams close more contracts—without proper management, it can quietly drain resources and disrupt operations.
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The economic downturn has hit businesses very hard. And economists say there's the threat of a global recession on the horizon. To survive, many companies are being forced to keep a tight lid on their budgets and limit upfront cash payments for tools. So, SaaS vendors are considering adopting financial solutions that help accommodate their customers' financial difficulties. This is important, especially for small and medium SaaS companies that lack the advantages—a competitive moat and massive marketing and sales teams—big companies have that enable them to insist on annual and multiyear subscriptions.
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Venture capital funding has dropped 53% year-over-year, and banks have tightened lending policies, increasing interest rates amid financial downturns and bank failures. On top of this, customers are favoring subscription payments over upfront bulk payments, limiting company cash flow. However, companies need to raise funds to spur growth. This article will explore the pros and cons of funding options and how to optimize capital structure.
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In Q2 2023, venture funding took a sharp dive, dropping 18% quarter over quarter and 49% year over year. This downturn has made alternative financing options like revenue-based financing (RBF) and true sale-based financing (TBF) more appealing than ever. These options offer quick approvals and access to capital, providing a viable alternative to traditional venture funding.
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Price serves as the critical deciding factor for consumers in 80% of markets, making it an essential element to consider in your SaaS business model. High prices may discourage prospects, while low prices could raise doubts about your product's quality. Sadly, these pricing perceptions often shift focus away from the robust return on investment that a well-executed SaaS solution can provide. For SaaS vendors, striking the right pricing balance is critical: overprice and lose potential deals, or underprice and risk sustainability. One study reveals that pricing can swing profitability by 12.7%, making it more impactful than other growth strategies.
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The average customer acquisition cost (CAC) for B2B software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies is $239, but it can be as high as $1,450. So, companies prioritize customer retention to lower the CAC and maintain a healthy customer lifetime value (CLV) to CAC1 ratio. Downselling becomes a go-to strategy in this pursuit. It helps you retain churn-prone customers—especially when they're churning due to the high cost or underutilization of the ongoing subscription plan. However, downselling isn’t a smart strategy when it comes to revenue.
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Many tech enterprises favor annual billing for SaaS, drawn by its cash flow benefits. However, upfront payments can deter budget-conscious buyers. And the immediate alternative—annual agreements with monthly payments—pose risks like non-payments and cancellations. In response, SaaS enterprises often resort to discounting. While it does enable the SaaS sales teams to close more deals, it also chips away at long-term revenue and profit margins.
With the global economic outlook growing gloomier, enterprises are looking to tighten their belts. Forecasting is a vital capability for today’s SaaS companies. Reliable and up-to-date data is essential if SaaS leaders are to make smart decisions, drive enduring growth, and win over investors.
The days of rudimentary monthly cash flow and profit / loss calculations are long gone, with recurring revenue, customer acquisition costs, churn rates, and other SaaS-specific financial metrics now the basis of make-or-break strategic decisions.
True Sale Based Financing (TBF) is a transaction where cash-generating assets (accounts receivable, annual contracts, multi-year contracts, etc.) are fully transferred from a seller to a buyer for a purchase consideration. Understand the value of true sale based financing and why it matters to the long term success of your company.
ASX companies under Appendix 4C mandates can use True Sale Based Financing (TBF) to convert longer term contracts with staggered cash flows into instant cash. The standard accounting treatment for True Sale makes it possible to substantially boost short-term cash flows.
Glance at the headlines, and you’ll feel a little gloomy about the state of the tech sector. Recession fears continue to weigh on our minds, interest rates look set to keep on rising, venture capital funding is at a two-year low, and enterprise software buyers are tightening their belts.
Customers negotiate for discounts on a purchase by paying up front. And most SaaS vendors are ready to offer that. Payment plans and Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) options are becoming more common in B2B.
As we head into 2023 SaaS companies will continue to have to deal with the recession. Customers become cash constrained, small and mid-size businesses become cash reserved, and large businesses cut budgets. As a result, tech investing will slow down.
BNPL offers SaaS customers an accessible and manageable way to make purchases matching their cash flow needs and budget/approval constraints
The buyer’s landscape has changed drastically over the last few years. One such option that’s become very popular in recent years is ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ (BNPL). BNPL provides customers the freedom and flexibility to buy the product they need with manageable installment payments.
What do enterprises look for when making a software investment? They seek products that deliver results. The key to turning SaaS pricing strategy into a win-win is to recognize that for buyers, a dollar today doesn’t have the same value as a dollar tomorrow.
Growth — that’s what every SaaS startup wants. But rapid expansion doesn’t come cheap. Whether it’s for marketing, sales, product development, staffing, or acquisitions, taking a software company to the next level requires access to plenty of growth capital
With elegant simplicity, Warren Buffet captured the essence of commerce with these immortal words: “Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.” The world’s greatest investor is, of course, correct. Looking past the price tag to see a purchase’s true worth is something all buyers try to do, especially in the SaaS space.
Many SaaS founders and CEOs focus more on driving rapid growth than they do on their long-term prospects — because after all, they assume, if you’re growing fast enough then the capital will keep flowing in and you’ll soon find your way to a strong exit. Growth is the key to success.
With startup investment dwindling, some SaaS companies, even the high growth ones, are so concerned that they’re laying off workers. Another option is to look beyond traditional funding channels, and start asking how your fintech stack can help you keep hold of your top talent.
The SaaS marketplace is increasingly crowded and competitive. To stand out from the pack, vendors are investing time, money, and resources to build out innovative features, ensure a high level of customer care, and drive continuous product development.
With many SaaS providers enjoying incredible growth during the pandemic, investors have been eager to support cloud businesses of all shapes and sizes. Now, though, the return to Earth is well and truly underway.
It used to be that SaaS brands were seen as bulletproof — even if the broader market crashed, the theory went, SaaS vendors would be protected by their steady, predictable revenue streams, and investors would stay loyal.
Usage-based pricing systems are gaining in popularity, but they do pose some challenges. Learn how to overcome them.
For SaaS businesses, buying experience is the next big differentiator. B2B buyers are increasingly turning to SaaS vendors that can provide dynamic pricing and payment plans. Read to learn more.
When you’re selling SaaS software, clearly it’s important to figure out what your product is really worth. One way to do that is to think about how much value you deliver, compare it to the competition, and set prices accordingly. That’s the way most vendors operate, and it has served the industry pretty well.
