Every business owner knows the value of having the right idea at the right time – and going for it.
That’s the attitude of 20-something business owners Dylan Alexander and Alexander Haeusler, co-founders of Melbourne-based beverage company We Are Tailored.
We Are Tailored represents their third business together. Along the way they’ve seen their innovative beverages distributed nationally and they are now making inroads internationally (with more than 25 stockists in New York alone).
Without property to offer as security, Dylan and Alex have been able to take their start-up to new and exciting places using invoice finance facilities from national SME working capital (or business finance) specialist Scottish Pacific Business Finance.
With Invoice Finance (also known as debtor finance), real estate security is not required as funds are secured against receivables. According to Dylan, this is a massive advantage.
“Debtor finance suits our business perfectly as we’re still in our twenties and not in a position to put up property security. Even if we did have property, the amount you can leverage into the business depends on the property’s value, whereas once we sign a deal we can pretty much get finance straight away through Scottish Pacific,” he says.
“Without this security of funding, it would be scary negotiating 90 day terms with large customers and still having to pay suppliers while we are waiting to be paid.”
“Scottish Pacific has been an incredible help in this process. Putting in place a facility with them has allowed Alex and me to keep ownership of the business, which we believe is crucial to its success.”
The duo’s business partnership started when Dylan sublet the office above his Melbourne café to Alex, who was running a music industry event business. They caught up over a drink – espresso martinis – and found they had a lot in common, including an entrepreneurial streak.
Brainstorming how to combine their coffee and events knowledge, they came up with a beverages business and in three years the duo has created brands including Melbourne Martini and Rosé Rosé, acquired Little Drippa and Cold Drip Beverages to expand their offering, and become the exclusive Australian importer of Código 1530 Tequila.
The 2015 Future Music Festival was the perfect trial ground for Melbourne Martini, the world’s first martini in a jar. More than 1000 Melbourne Martinis sold in the festival’s VIP area and they knew they were onto a winner.
Growing rapidly, expanding brands and servicing major national stockists has created what Dylan refers to as “some hair-raising moments” for the business, so he is pleased to have access to fast funds for growth via Scottish Pacific.
Dylan says that even with new investors for We Are Tailored, they are looking to use invoice finance for the foreseeable future, “because cash really is king”.
They are also looking to Scottish Pacific for equipment finance to fund a move into a large new bottling facility that will give them greater control over their operations and increased capacity.
“The thing we’re most proud of is stepping closer towards achieving our “household name” goal by having major national retailers stock our products, and taking that step into consolidating exporting,” both Dylan and Alex agree.
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