The Interface Financial Group Offers to Support Small Businesses Based on Third Quarter 2009 SBA Small Business Indicators Report

BETHESDA, MD--(Marketwire - November 18, 2009) - The Interface Financial Group (IFG), North America's largest alternative funding source for small businesses, announced that the company offers support to small businesses that are still suffering losses prior to economic recovery. IFG provides short-term financial resources including single invoice factoring to companies in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore.

According to the Small Business Association's latest quarterly indicators report, "Third Quarter 2009: The Economy and Small Business," the U.S. economic recovery began in the third quarter of 2009 as real gross domestic product grew an annualized 3.5 percent. Public expenditures buoyed growth, particularly the first-time homebuyers' credit and the "cash for clunkers" auto rebates. Real consumption rose at a 3.4 percent annual rate.

The report also says there was strong growth in real private fixed investment, real exports, and real imports, due to strengthening of the global economy. Manufacturing output rebounded and industrial production increased an annualized 11.7 percent.

Highlights from this report include the fact that the U.S. unemployment rate rose to 9.8 percent in September. Total nonfarm payroll jobs lost since December 2007 are at 7.1 million. Every economic sector has experienced net job losses except for education and health services. Nonfarm labor productivity increased at a 9.5 percent annual rate in the third quarter.

The National Federation of Independent Business's (NFIB) index and the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment survey reflected more favorable views of the economy. The Federal Reserve voted to keep interest rates low as it attempts to stimulate overall economic demand. The Senior Loan Officers' Survey continued to show weak demand for commercial and industrial loans.

SBA lending went up dramatically, with lending volume up $247 million and 504 loans up $305 million from June to September. The number of venture capital deals slipped, but dollar volume rose from earlier in the year. Inflationary pressures remained modest as consumer prices were up an annualized 2.5 percent, with the core inflation rate, excluding food and energy prices, at just 1.3 percent.

Chief Executive Officer of The Interface Financial Group (IFG) George Shapiro said, "The SBA report indicates that small businesses are not out of the woods. Even though there was growth due to the global economy, many small to medium-sized businesses are still suffering losses. That is why we believe that right now, invoice factoring can be of benefit to many small businesses."

Invoice factoring is not a loan rather it is the purchase of financial assets, or receivables, from a factoring company. Factoring differs from traditional bank loans in that bank loans involve two parties, while factoring involves three parties. Banks base their decisions on a company's credit worthiness, whereas factoring is based on the value of the receivables. With invoice factoring there are no minimums, no maximums, no long-term commitments and no lengthy application processes.

Today IFG is finding single invoice factoring to be a popular new tactic allowing companies to factor one invoice at a time. Invoice factoring benefits businesses that do not get paid for 30 to 60 or 90 days by advancing up to 90 percent against invoices. IFG looks at the creditworthiness of the client's customers and can fund within as little as 24 hours. The company does not expect to buy 100 percent of a company's receivables, and there are no minimum or maximum sales volume requirements.

Factoring is not a loan -- it is the purchase of financial assets, or a company's receivables. Bank loans involve two parties, while invoice factoring involves three parties. Banks base their decisions on a company's credit worthiness, whereas factoring is based on the value of the receivables. IFG looks at the creditworthiness of a client's customers and once approved, pays within as little as 24 hours. IFG does not expect to buy 100 percent of a company's receivables, and there are no minimum or maximum sales volume requirements.

IFG's recent private label factoring products introduced by IFG include Export Factoring, providing factoring services for companies who export from the United States and Canada; P.O. Funding to finance purchase orders when a company receives a purchase order and needs to purchase supplies to fulfill the order; and Inventory Financing, a solution promoting a company's growth by funding then when they must expand and purchase inventory.

About The Interface Financial Group (www.ifgnetwork.com)

The Interface Financial Group (IFG) is North America's largest alternative funding source for small business, providing short-term financial resources including invoice factoring (invoice discounting). The company serves clients in more than 30 industries in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and offers cross-border transaction facilities between the U.S. and Canada. With more than 140 offices across North America and over 35 years of experience, IFG provides innovative invoice factoring solutions by offering short-term working capital to growing businesses. Single invoice factoring, or spot factoring, is an extremely fast way to turn receivables into cash.

IFG was founded in 1972 to provide short-term working capital to help small to medium sized businesses grow. The IFG organization operates on a local level, providing clients with local knowledge and experience and business expertise in numerous diverse areas in addition to accounts receivable factoring, including accounting, finance, law, marketing and banking.

Contact Information: Media Contact: Kristin Gabriel MarCom New Media T: 323.650.2838 E: Headquarters: The Interface Financial Group, Inc. 7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 1430 Bethesda, MD 20154 T: Toll Free: USA; 877.210.9748; Canada; 877.340.6893