We're incredibly excited to announce that Ratio has secured $411M to fuel the transformation of B2B financing.
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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.
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Discounting to overcome pricing objections and stretching payment terms to close deals—classic sales tactics, right? Every salesperson has relied on these at some point to hit targets. But here’s the problem: while these strategies might get deals across the finish line, they often come at a hidden cost to your business. Margins shrink, cash flow suffers, and you’re left dealing with collections headaches, the risk of client defaults, and the fallout from weak underwriting decisions.
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Not all B2B BNPL providers are created equal. Some can take too long to approve a BNPL request. Others have AI-powered underwriting to give instant approvals. Some have clunky technology that slows down your sales. Others are so seamless they make B2B BNPL feel like B2C. Some can’t scale with your business as you grow. Others have deep pockets to support you every step of the way. Some do the bare minimum. Others are constantly innovating to give you actionable sales insights. Choosing the right B2B BNPL (Buy Now, Pay Later) provider isn’t easy.
Are you offering payment flexibility to your customers all on your own? It’s time to rethink. When you offer it on your own, you bear the burden of delayed payments, operational strain, and financial risk. However, when you offer payment flexibility with a B2B BNPL partner, you get upfront capital, streamlined operations, and reduced risk.
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Closing a B2B deal isn't a sprint—it's a marathon, often spanning three to six months to cross the finish line. B2B buyers meticulously scrutinize every detail to ensure they’re making a wise investment. For large enterprises, there is a complex approval chain for expensive purchases, whereas startups and SMBs battle budget limits. Despite your sales team's best efforts, deals can stall if prospects find better offers, or they may shift priorities if they can't afford the products at closing time.
With the average customer acquisition cost (CAC) for SaaS businesses ranging from $76 to $519 per customer, it has become a critical metric for SaaS entrepreneurs. Yet, many find themselves grappling with the challenge of balancing cost-effectiveness with sustainable growth. While conventional methods like optimizing marketing spend or refining targeting strategies may offer initial relief, relying solely on these approaches can inadvertently constrain scalability and inhibit long-term profitability.
A staggering 75% of companies find their customers contemplating alternatives during renewals, significantly impacting revenue and growth. But there's good news: churn is manageable. Customers explore alternatives driven by critical needs: cost-cutting in tight financial times, dissatisfaction with current services, and the hunt for innovation missing from their existing providers. Recognizing these motivations is crucial in addressing customer churn effectively.
