By Andrew Tananbaum

Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) doing global business face a variety of obstacles on a daily basis, however, many would argue that the most difficult is accessing financing on affordable terms. As SME’s are a leading driver of global trade, economic development and employment, the Finance gap is a particular concern.

I recently wrote an article for GTNews discussing how new financial technology (FinTech) players and large online e-tailers are changing the game for SMEs, cutting through the bureaucracy and operational restrictions inherent in traditional financial solutions. These new Supply Chain Finance players are finally opening doors for SMEs that have, until recently, only been available to large enterprises.

The article also addresses the benefits of supply Chain Finance to SMEs, which includes:

• The ability to build strong, global relationships by providing assurances to manufacturers and suppliers that they will be guaranteed payment upon timely performance;
• Benefits of longer payment terms for buyers;
• How online platforms are re-writing the rules and potentially even cutting out the middleman so that small retailers can contract directly with manufacturers overseas.

Click here to read the full piece.

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