The challenges for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including those in the transportation sector, persist, and they have found in non-bank financial institutions, such as Sofom, Sofipo, fintech, among others, an increasingly viable alternative to obtain financing.
According to recent data from Serfimex Capital, these institutions have increased their participation as a source of financing for companies by almost 70%, going from being an option for 3.5% of companies in 2020 to 5.9% currently. This percentage rises to 8.7% among companies with more than three years of operation, positioning them as the third most important source of financing after banks.
Alejandro Macin, Business Director of Serfimex Capital, explained that Sofomes emerged in 2006 with the objective of supporting 90% of productive units in Mexico, especially SMEs. “Sofomes initially emerged to support the SME sector because we detected a lot of backlog there that banks were not able to address or understand, so we first focused on customer service and response times,” commented Macin.
For the transportation sector, Sofomes offer significant advantages that can make a big difference in unit renewal and working capital management.
In this regard, Macin commented that in the case of Serfimex, “we work with all brands. Generally, brand financiers force you to buy from their brand, but if a customer tells us they are looking for a truck of a certain tonnage, we present them with options from different brands, where they can choose the best option in terms of price, fuel consumption, efficiency, etc. And by working with all brands, we obtain some discounts,” he explained.
In terms of financial products, Macin pointed out that at Serfimex they only carry out pure lease and credit operations, they do not handle factoring, while the requirements are that the company has two years of incorporation, sales above 15 million pesos (mdp), and a good credit history, among others.
Sofomes also allow flexibility in payment terms that is crucial for the transportation sector, where capital turnover is vital. “At Serfimex, the average terms are from 12 to 60 months for credits and leases, with amounts ranging from 500 thousand to operations exceeding 100 million pesos,” Macin detailed.
Furthermore, in Sofomes like Serfimex, the possibility of leasing different types of assets is offered, such as racks, warehouse equipment, and forklifts, providing a leasing line in which the client can dispose of their logistics chain as needed.
Sofomes are also expanding geographically in Mexico, with a focus on areas such as the southeast and the central region of the country. “The geographical areas where we are growing significantly are the southeast, especially in the tourist transportation sector and personnel transportation for hotels, and the central and Bajío areas for the last mile,” Macin said.
Looking ahead, Serfimex is committed to sustainability. “We are very committed to the whole ecological issue, seeking to reduce CO2 emissions and betting on electric and hybrid vehicles. In addition to the fact that operating expenses are much lower with these types of units,” Macin affirmed.
Thanks to factors such as nearshoring, it will continue to drive growth in the coming years, highlighting the importance of implementing actions that directly support SMEs, thereby contributing to strengthening the economic environment and facilitating their establishment, growth, and consolidation to meet the growing market.
Sofomes represent a viable and strategic alternative for SMEs, especially in the transportation sector, offering agile, personalized, and flexible financing that responds to their specific needs, thus facilitating unit renewal, working capital management, and operational sustainability.
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