國際貨幣基金組織(International Monetary Fund)的最新數(shù)據(jù)顯示,全球通脹率達(dá)到7%。通脹升高及其對收入的影響,是我們不得不接受的現(xiàn)實(shí),這是當(dāng)前宏觀經(jīng)濟(jì)環(huán)境的一部分。媒體每天都在曝光一些清晰的跡象,證明我們已進(jìn)入一個新世界,至少是與過去20年全球經(jīng)濟(jì)趨勢截然不同的時代。
雖然我們經(jīng)常從對消費(fèi)者的影響這個角度談?wù)撏ㄘ浥蛎洠P(guān)鍵在于,我們必須清楚通脹的影響并不局限于普通人。它還會影響人們?nèi)温毜墓荆约叭藗冑徺I商品或服務(wù)的商家,而且其中絕大多數(shù)都是中等規(guī)模的公司。
據(jù)世界經(jīng)濟(jì)論壇(World Economic Forum)統(tǒng)計(jì),全球中小企業(yè)在所有企業(yè)中的占比達(dá)到90%,創(chuàng)造了接近70%的就業(yè)和國內(nèi)生產(chǎn)總值。然而由于規(guī)模較小,一旦發(fā)生經(jīng)濟(jì)動蕩,中小企業(yè)通常會受到更嚴(yán)重的影響。
面對通脹壓力,各國接連調(diào)整貨幣政策,試圖控制通脹。過去12個月中,利率大幅升高。在大金融危機(jī)之后,低成本獲得資金的時代已一去不復(fù)返。
面對通貨膨脹,銀行業(yè)的財政保守和審慎是自然反應(yīng)。中小企業(yè)通常無法像大公司一樣輕松地從公共資本市場獲得資金,因此他們必須另辟蹊徑以獲得資金,同時仔細(xì)審查公司可用的資本結(jié)構(gòu)和融資選項(xiàng)。
我們發(fā)現(xiàn)更多中等規(guī)模公司選擇資本結(jié)構(gòu)多元化,包括通過以不同貨幣發(fā)行債券選擇低成本融資,或者考慮非傳統(tǒng)融資途徑等。例如,我們發(fā)現(xiàn)私人債務(wù)領(lǐng)域持續(xù)增長。
中等規(guī)模公司正在采用流動性優(yōu)化解決方案,包括虛擬資金池或目標(biāo)余額結(jié)算等,以減少他們對信貸機(jī)構(gòu)的過度依賴。通過這些方式,公司可以在地理上重新分配現(xiàn)金,并減少透支風(fēng)險。公司的財務(wù)官還在尋找回報更高的資產(chǎn),同時平衡交易對手風(fēng)險和流動性要求。我們發(fā)現(xiàn)公司對短期和流動性更強(qiáng)的投資項(xiàng)目更感興趣,如定期存款。
另外一種常見的策略是通過囤積原材料,減少通貨膨脹對供應(yīng)鏈的影響。但這種做法可能導(dǎo)致成本上漲,并提高流動性要求,導(dǎo)致公司需要額外流動資金。
雖然保證資金來源是公司要解決的問題之一,但我們經(jīng)常會告訴客戶,要擺脫當(dāng)前的困境,提高效率和以批判性思維思考公司的需求與可消費(fèi)項(xiàng)目才是關(guān)鍵。放棄“業(yè)余項(xiàng)目”,心無旁騖地投資核心主張或產(chǎn)品,才能提高公司的韌性。對自己和團(tuán)隊(duì)要做到殘忍和誠實(shí),這從長遠(yuǎn)來看將給你帶來好處。
提高經(jīng)營模式的靈活性同樣大有裨益,你可以根據(jù)不同收入來源和整個行業(yè)的趨勢調(diào)整方向和進(jìn)行投資。經(jīng)過過去四年的混亂,有一個事實(shí)變得顯而易見:敏捷的公司,不受五年計(jì)劃約束或目標(biāo)靈活的公司,能夠存活下來甚至繁榮發(fā)展。
靈活敏捷還意味著公司能夠發(fā)現(xiàn)并且抓住更多機(jī)會。尤其是大公司或更成熟的中等規(guī)模公司,在當(dāng)前的經(jīng)濟(jì)壓力下,能夠找到非營運(yùn)式成長的良機(jī)。看看其他公司。想想業(yè)內(nèi)有哪些小公司或者互補(bǔ)性的公司,能夠增強(qiáng)你的價值主張。我們目前處在一個買方市場,因此應(yīng)該考慮經(jīng)過深思熟慮的戰(zhàn)略擴(kuò)張的機(jī)會。
雖然高通脹給中等規(guī)模公司帶來了挑戰(zhàn),但也為這些公司創(chuàng)造了優(yōu)化業(yè)務(wù)運(yùn)營和提高效率的機(jī)會,讓他們可以認(rèn)真思考公司堅(jiān)持的立場,以及他們想為全世界和客戶創(chuàng)造什么價值。(財富中文網(wǎng))
本文作者塔斯尼姆·吉亞瓦德瓦拉現(xiàn)任花旗商業(yè)銀行(Citi Commercial Bank)的全球負(fù)責(zé)人。
Fortune.com上發(fā)表的評論文章中表達(dá)的觀點(diǎn),僅代表作者本人的觀點(diǎn),不代表《財富》雜志的觀點(diǎn)和立場。
翻譯:劉進(jìn)龍
審校:汪皓
中等規(guī)模公司正在另辟蹊徑,以滿足自身的資金需求。
國際貨幣基金組織(International Monetary Fund)的最新數(shù)據(jù)顯示,全球通脹率達(dá)到7%。通脹升高及其對收入的影響,是我們不得不接受的現(xiàn)實(shí),這是當(dāng)前宏觀經(jīng)濟(jì)環(huán)境的一部分。媒體每天都在曝光一些清晰的跡象,證明我們已進(jìn)入一個新世界,至少是與過去20年全球經(jīng)濟(jì)趨勢截然不同的時代。
雖然我們經(jīng)常從對消費(fèi)者的影響這個角度談?wù)撏ㄘ浥蛎洠P(guān)鍵在于,我們必須清楚通脹的影響并不局限于普通人。它還會影響人們?nèi)温毜墓荆约叭藗冑徺I商品或服務(wù)的商家,而且其中絕大多數(shù)都是中等規(guī)模的公司。
據(jù)世界經(jīng)濟(jì)論壇(World Economic Forum)統(tǒng)計(jì),全球中小企業(yè)在所有企業(yè)中的占比達(dá)到90%,創(chuàng)造了接近70%的就業(yè)和國內(nèi)生產(chǎn)總值。然而由于規(guī)模較小,一旦發(fā)生經(jīng)濟(jì)動蕩,中小企業(yè)通常會受到更嚴(yán)重的影響。
面對通脹壓力,各國接連調(diào)整貨幣政策,試圖控制通脹。過去12個月中,利率大幅升高。在大金融危機(jī)之后,低成本獲得資金的時代已一去不復(fù)返。
面對通貨膨脹,銀行業(yè)的財政保守和審慎是自然反應(yīng)。中小企業(yè)通常無法像大公司一樣輕松地從公共資本市場獲得資金,因此他們必須另辟蹊徑以獲得資金,同時仔細(xì)審查公司可用的資本結(jié)構(gòu)和融資選項(xiàng)。
我們發(fā)現(xiàn)更多中等規(guī)模公司選擇資本結(jié)構(gòu)多元化,包括通過以不同貨幣發(fā)行債券選擇低成本融資,或者考慮非傳統(tǒng)融資途徑等。例如,我們發(fā)現(xiàn)私人債務(wù)領(lǐng)域持續(xù)增長。
中等規(guī)模公司正在采用流動性優(yōu)化解決方案,包括虛擬資金池或目標(biāo)余額結(jié)算等,以減少他們對信貸機(jī)構(gòu)的過度依賴。通過這些方式,公司可以在地理上重新分配現(xiàn)金,并減少透支風(fēng)險。公司的財務(wù)官還在尋找回報更高的資產(chǎn),同時平衡交易對手風(fēng)險和流動性要求。我們發(fā)現(xiàn)公司對短期和流動性更強(qiáng)的投資項(xiàng)目更感興趣,如定期存款。
另外一種常見的策略是通過囤積原材料,減少通貨膨脹對供應(yīng)鏈的影響。但這種做法可能導(dǎo)致成本上漲,并提高流動性要求,導(dǎo)致公司需要額外流動資金。
雖然保證資金來源是公司要解決的問題之一,但我們經(jīng)常會告訴客戶,要擺脫當(dāng)前的困境,提高效率和以批判性思維思考公司的需求與可消費(fèi)項(xiàng)目才是關(guān)鍵。放棄“業(yè)余項(xiàng)目”,心無旁騖地投資核心主張或產(chǎn)品,才能提高公司的韌性。對自己和團(tuán)隊(duì)要做到殘忍和誠實(shí),這從長遠(yuǎn)來看將給你帶來好處。
提高經(jīng)營模式的靈活性同樣大有裨益,你可以根據(jù)不同收入來源和整個行業(yè)的趨勢調(diào)整方向和進(jìn)行投資。經(jīng)過過去四年的混亂,有一個事實(shí)變得顯而易見:敏捷的公司,不受五年計(jì)劃約束或目標(biāo)靈活的公司,能夠存活下來甚至繁榮發(fā)展。
靈活敏捷還意味著公司能夠發(fā)現(xiàn)并且抓住更多機(jī)會。尤其是大公司或更成熟的中等規(guī)模公司,在當(dāng)前的經(jīng)濟(jì)壓力下,能夠找到非營運(yùn)式成長的良機(jī)。看看其他公司。想想業(yè)內(nèi)有哪些小公司或者互補(bǔ)性的公司,能夠增強(qiáng)你的價值主張。我們目前處在一個買方市場,因此應(yīng)該考慮經(jīng)過深思熟慮的戰(zhàn)略擴(kuò)張的機(jī)會。
雖然高通脹給中等規(guī)模公司帶來了挑戰(zhàn),但也為這些公司創(chuàng)造了優(yōu)化業(yè)務(wù)運(yùn)營和提高效率的機(jī)會,讓他們可以認(rèn)真思考公司堅(jiān)持的立場,以及他們想為全世界和客戶創(chuàng)造什么價值。(財富中文網(wǎng))
本文作者塔斯尼姆·吉亞瓦德瓦拉現(xiàn)任花旗商業(yè)銀行(Citi Commercial Bank)的全球負(fù)責(zé)人。
Fortune.com上發(fā)表的評論文章中表達(dá)的觀點(diǎn),僅代表作者本人的觀點(diǎn),不代表《財富》雜志的觀點(diǎn)和立場。
翻譯:劉進(jìn)龍
審校:汪皓
The reality of higher inflation–7% on a global level according to the latest data from the International Monetary Fund–and its tangible impact on our wallets is a challenge we’ve all come to accept as a part of the current macroeconomic climate. There isn’t a day that goes by without some clear indication in the headlines that we are in a new world–or at least one that breaks from the past 20 years of global economics.
While inflation is usually spoken about in terms of the impact on consumers, it is critical to remember that the impact isn’t isolated to the average person on the street. It also affects the companies those people work for and purchase goods or services from, the vast majority of which are mid-sized corporates.
Small and medium-sized enterprises represent 90% of all companies and are responsible for close to 70% of jobs and gross domestic product globally, according to the World Economic Forum. Yet, due to their smaller scale, SMEs are often disproportionately affected by economic turbulence.
With inflationary pressures comes a litany of national monetary policy changes, which attempt to get inflation under control. Interest rates have increased significantly over the last 12 months. The era of cheap access to capital, a hangover from the Great Financial Crisis, has ended.
A natural response to inflation is fiscal conservation and prudence across the banking system. This then drives the need to innovate in financing whilst carefully examining the capital structures and funding options available to companies that don’t typically have easy access to public capital markets like large corporates do.
We’ve seen an uptick in mid-sized corporates moving to diversify their capital structures by including lower-cost financing options through debt issuances in a variety of currencies or considering funding sources that perhaps wouldn’t have been part of their traditional fundraising routes. Private debt, for example, is one area we’ve seen grow.
Mid-sized companies are moving toward liquidity optimization solutions to reduce their overreliance on credit facilities, including notional pooling or target balancing. These allow them to geographically redistribute pockets of cash and reduce overdraft exposure. Treasurers are also hunting for better returns on assets while balancing counterparty risks and liquidity requirements. We’ve seen an increased interest in short-term and more liquid investment options such as time deposits.
Another common approach is a strategy to mitigate the impact of inflation on supply chains by stockpiling raw materials. However, this approach may result in higher costs and increased liquidity requirements leading to a need for additional working capital.
While securing financing is one part of the puzzle, we often tell our clients that finding efficiencies and critically thinking about what you need and what’s expendable is key to weathering the current headwinds. Letting go of “hobby projects” and focusing on investing in your core proposition or product is what leads to resilience. Be brutal and honest with yourselves and with your teams–it will serve you well in the long run.
Building out flexibility in your operating model can also help as you can shift direction and invest in alignment with the trends you’re seeing in your revenue segments and your broader industry. With the tumult we’ve seen in the last four years, it has become abundantly clear: companies that are nimble, those not wed to five-year plans or rigid in their goals, are the ones that survive and even thrive.
Being nimble and flexible also means having the ability to identify opportunities and being in a position to seize them. This is especially the case for larger or more sophisticated mid-sized corporates that can find, in the midst of these economic pressures, golden opportunities for inorganic growth. Look around. Think about your smaller peers or complementary companies in your space that may add to your value proposition. We are in a buyer’s market, so opportunities for strategic and carefully considered expansion should be considered.
While higher inflation comes with its own set of challenges for mid-sized corporates, it does come with opportunities to optimize operations, drive efficiencies, and think truly about what your company stands for and what you aim to bring to the world and your customers.
Tasnim Ghiawadwala is the global head of Citi Commercial Bank.
The opinions expressed in Fortune.com commentary pieces are solely the views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of Fortune.