Express to Partake in Philadelphia Fashion Panel

David Estrakh, Senior Vice President

Express Trade Capital, Inc. (ETC) is a founding sponsor of the theBrooklynfashionincubator (“BFI“– #thebrooklynfashionincubator) at Berkeley College, one of five fashion incubators spearheaded by Macy’s. In its inaugural year, BFI chose four candidates and provided them with access to work-space, supplies, and advice from leading experts in all facets of the fashion business, including sourcing, production, marketing, e-commerce, and finance. The businesses range from African-inspired designs to clothing for infants and toddlers. ETC specializes in financing apparel businesses through programs including, but not limited to, factoring, purchase order funding, letters of credit, and asset-based lending. ETC’s participation with BFI is part of a larger effort to give back to the fashion community through education, funding, and outreach, in addition to its daily commitment to provide quality service at the most competitive market rates for designers and small businesses.

As the incubator’s sponsor and leading expert on finance, ETC will participate in a seminar on financing for the apparel industry hosted by Philadelphia Fashion Incubator (PFI), on Wednesday, July 13, 2016. Like BFI, the Philadelphia Fashion incubator selects promising designers to partake in a twelve-month residency as the 2016 Designers-in-Residence (DIR) where they attend business workshops with industry leaders to help build their brands, sustain their businesses, and obtain resources to help them break into the fashion marketplace.

ETC’s participation in the seminar is an extension of its role as financial advisor and educator to BFI and PFI. The role of educator is especially important because finance is too often neglected by designers who are understandably focused on design, manufacturing, sales, and general operations. Express’ goal is to educate participants about various lending options so they can most efficiently manage their production growth. Too often new businesses struggle to balance mounting production and operating costs with current cash flow projections. The purpose of the seminar is to help clarify some common misconceptions so that participants can avoid pitfalls of obtaining improper financing.

For designers who manufacture goods to fulfill customer purchase orders, purchase order funding is targeted to solve precisely this issue and the cost is usually three to ten times cheaper than other non-bank options that many designers obtain. For designers who sell on open terms, factoring is a cheap and efficient option that usually combines collections, insurance, and lending into a single, seamless service that also improves operations and makes them more transparent.

Cost is not the only concern when considering lending options. Do you have to leave collateral? Are personal guarantees necessary? Is it a good idea to give a lender access to your bank account? Do you want a partner who can help you navigate the pitfalls inherent in the apparel industry? Is it better to borrow funds or to raise capital by selling equity?

These are the questions ETC helps designers answer and they are important because the answers may make the difference between a business that thrives and one that fails.

ETC is proud to give back to the fashion community by educating designers and serving as a yet another BFI and PFI resource that designers may use to reach their fullest potential. We are honored to serve in this capacity and look forward to growing together.

David Estrakh has an extensive background in international financial transactions and advises large multinational clients from a wide-range of industries including commodities, textiles, furniture, foodstuffs, and consumer goods. As an executive at Express Trade Capital, David is involved in operationsand legal matters, as well as business development, consulting, and management.  You can visit Express Trade Capital at its website www.expresstradecapital.com or you can contact David via email david@expresstradecapital.com. 

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