BNP Paribas Fortis offers complete mobility solutions. Sometimes a four-wheeled fleet is not enough for your mobility needs.
As a reliable partner, we can help you with every step – or pedal – of your mobility trajectory.
Mobility analysis and advice
Our mobility managers can work together with your relationship manager to develop a future-focused mobility strategy.
We start by listening to you: we want to understand your needs and concerns when it comes to mobility. This is our starting point for creating the best mobility solution for you and your company. We will build on this foundation with our expertise, while also taking Belgium's specific legal and fiscal ecosystem into account.
New mobility solutions
As well asfull-service leasing,we also offer our core product giving you access to our full mobility range, a wide range of basic services and added-value services such ascar parts,carpool management,bicycle leasingandmobility cards. All of our mobility services and their associated services such as parking, electric charging, fuel, tolls and car washing are within reach.
Managing your mobility budget
We'll help you and offer advice about implementing the federal mobility budget[VBK1] in your company. If that's too limited to meet your specific needs and aims, we can develop a personalised mobility budget solution to manage your mobility costs in line with the legal framework, just as we've done for a number of clients previously.
We've already implemented some tailored cost-neutral solutions, allowing our clients to combine lease cars with lease bicycles or other mobility solutions. This means the company can meet its goals while also making good on its promises and obligations.
Those ambitions might range from an ambitious CO2 agenda to a competitive offer to attract talent or a solution to solve your lack of car parking spaces.
Operational leasing is offered by Arval Belgium SA/NV, with the intervention of BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV – Montagne du Parc/Warandeberg 3, B-1000 Brussels, Brussels Register of Companies VAT BE0403.199.702.
Promotion only available from Thursday 21 January up to and including Wednesday 31 March 2021 and is only available to professional clients (self-employed, liberal professionals and SMEs) of BNP Paribas Fortis and Fintro.
The information provided here does not constitute an offer. An offer is made only after your file has been accepted and is always subject to Arval Belgium SA/NV's General Terms and Conditions.
02.05.2022
Opt for a more sustainable mobility offer thanks to bicycle leasing
Sustainability isn't a hype – it's a must. The transition is also in full swing in terms of mobility. With bicycle leasing, you offer your employees a high-quality bicycle package and choose a more sustainable mobility offer. And it's tax efficient.
Cycling to work is popular
Not only our way of working has become hybrid; so too has the way we travel to work. More and more people are seeing the benefits of cycling to work, whether or not electric. An e-bike or speed pedelec is no longer just a gadget. Thanks to these, you can now comfortably cycle longer distances. So, bicycles are certainly part of a sustainable mobility policy. Bicycle leasing allows you to offer your employees a healthy and sporty option that reduces your organisation’s carbon footprint.
How does bicycle leasing work?
Bicycle leasing is much more than just financing bicycles. Maintenance, repairs, breakdown service and insurance are all included in the package. With Bike Lease, our mobility partner Arval offers an operational, full-service solution for 36 months. With over 120 brands and all types of bicycles, the range is extensive: city bikes, sports bikes, e-bikes, speed pedelecs, mountain bikes, folding bikes, etc. Your employees choose the bicycle that suits them best. An annual maintenance budget is provided for maintenance and repair by professionals. Bike Lease also includes indemnity for accidents, theft and vandalism of the bicycle with a fixed excess based on the value of the lease bike. And finally, a 24/7 breakdown service is provided within 45 minutes, anywhere in Belgium.
Good for everyone
Including bicycles in your mobility offer offers both your company and your employees many advantages.
- Tax-efficient
The leasing costs are deductible for your company if your employees use their bikes to commute. By using this bike to commute, they avoid a taxable benefit in kind.
- Healthy
Cycling makes healthier and fitter employees who suffer less from stress. And your company benefits from this as well.
- Affordable
A bicycle is a cheaper alternative or complement to a company car for short to medium-distance trips. You save on fuel, maintenance and parking costs. It also allows you to offer mobility to a wider target group.
- Flexible
Once your employees have chosen a type of bicycle, they decide for themselves when they pedal to work. Through all kinds of weather, when the sun is shining or when there are too many traffic jams and a bicycle is the perfect alternative to a car. They can also enjoy their bikes in their free time.
- Sustainable
A bicycle has of course a low ecological footprint and fits perfectly in a sustainable mobility policy. By offering your employees a bicycle, your company emits less CO2 and your organisation becomes more socially responsible.
Operational leasing is offered by Arval Belgium SA/NV, with the intervention of BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV – Montagne du Parc/Warandeberg 3, B-1000 Brussels, Brussels Register of Companies VAT BE0403.199.702.
The information provided here does not constitute an offer. An offer is made only after your file has been accepted and is always subject to Arval Belgium SA/NV's General Terms and Conditions.
28.01.2021
The road to alternative mobility
Nowadays, responsible fleet management is built around sustainability. We're here to help you identify and realise your Corporate Social Responsibility ambitions.
Together we can cut your company's carbon footprint, improve employee mobility, and make sure these steps become a central pillar of your company's added value. In short, our aim is to have an alternative mobility policy.
Energy transition
We can help you make the switch to alternative mobility and new technologies to reduce your carbon footprint. Our SMaRT approach ensures your fleet has the best energy mix to match your strategy and driver profiles.
Alternative mobility needs new technologies to go hand in hand with new infrastructure. That's why we offer not only electric cars, but also the right charging solutions, too. As part of our integrated service provision we can determine how many charging points you need, install them, and manage how they are used both at the workplace and at the driver's home.
Soft mobility
Modern mobility management is about more than just cars or vans. You need a 360-degree approach. We'll work with you to determine your mobility strategy and needs. Greener cars are just one of the options available. We have a number of mobility management solutions (such as the Mobility Card) and alternative mobility solutions (such as bicycle leasing) to inspire your organisation to offer a more flexible range.
Focus on employees
When you put your employees at the heart of your organisation, you're in a better position to find skilled employees, satisfy them, and retain them. Go a step further than just an alternative mobility solution: focus on their safety and let them play an active role in achieving your sustainability goals. Trust us to improve their safety and integrate new technologies.
Operational leasing is offered by Arval Belgium SA/NV, with the intervention of BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV – Montagne du Parc/Warandeberg 3, B-1000 Brussels, Brussels Register of Companies VAT BE0403.199.702.
Promotion only available from Thursday 21 January up to and including Wednesday 31 March 2021 and is only available to professional clients (self-employed, liberal professionals and SMEs) of BNP Paribas Fortis and Fintro.
The information provided here does not constitute an offer. An offer is made only after your file has been accepted and is always subject to Arval Belgium SA/NV's General Terms and Conditions.
09.12.2024
Managing business uncertainty with BNP Paribas Fortis
Every entrepreneur will tell you that financial markets are unpredictable, entailing inherent risks. We provide tailored solutions to protect your business as you navigate these volatile markets.
Whether you’re a small or large business, operating domestically or internationally, one thing is certain: if you enter a market and do your utmost to grow your business, sooner or later there inevitably will come a time when you expose yourself to risks. Frédéric Raxhon, Head of FI Midcap Sales, BNP Paribas Fortis Transaction Banking, is our go-to expert. Here, he explains how BNP Paribas Fortis helps customers manage this uncertainty.
Raxhon knows how market volatility can impact the daily operations of small, medium and large enterprises. Thanks to his experience of working as a banker in corporate finance, shares and derivatives, and advising holding and listed companies, he understands how the market works like no other.
Raxhon: "We are keenly aware that price uncertainty, in the form of volatility on the financial markets, can have a serious impact on the operations and profitability of businesses. That’s why we constantly monitor the markets and their volatility: if prices fluctuate sharply, our customers run the risk of buying high and selling low. The past few years are a good example of what can happen, with a sudden rise in interest rates, an energy crisis with very volatile prices, and a sharp rise in inflation. We will continue to see volatility in these markets, due to geopolitical tensions and ongoing wars. However, elections can also cause volatility, as they often cause a change in economic policy. President-elect Donald Trump has already said that he will hike tariffs on goods coming from outside the U.S., which will have an impact on global growth and inflation. The transition to a more sustainable society because of the energy transition, however positive this may be, is also a source of uncertainty. Companies will be required to make significant investments, and it is not yet clear which technologies will prevail.
All of these factors show that companies need guidance in the form of a tailor-made solution to ensure that volatile markets minimise the impact on their operations so that they can focus on their core business."
Solution-oriented
The solution to this volatility comes from a partner who is a market leader when it comes to safeguarding national and international business.
Raxhon: "At BNP Paribas Fortis, this often means managing the risks of companies that have a number of straightforward wishes: they want to conduct business on a daily basis without unnecessary complications; buy at a stable price where possible; pay wages in a stable environment; sell to customers with a profitable, stable margin, and so on. If they experience market uncertainty in their business operations, we are there to advise them and suggest solutions in different scenarios. This can range from companies that want stability when buying or selling goods in another currency, to controlling fluctuating interest rates on current or future loans, or even creating a stable financial environment in which they can steadily pay their wages. We also hedge raw materials: companies that require large quantities of energy, metal, or wheat, for example – just a few of the commodities that are subject to price fluctuations – can rely on our expertise to turn their uncertainty into certainty. When companies are calculating their budgets for the coming years at the end of the year, assumptions about budgets and costs are a factor that future markets do not take into account. This, in turn, could lead to inconsistencies in business operations during the next financial year. We regularly suggest solutions for this, which inject trust into the entire process. We help entrepreneurs make their business more resilient to market fluctuations. Because at BNP Paribas Fortis, we are always focused on finding solutions, in any given scenario."
International intelligence
Belgian companies are increasingly expanding their horizons, which is why an international perspective is so crucial.
Raxhon: "Everything is intricately connected in the economic space. The energy crisis, for example, was not a national crisis. In Belgium, electricity prices were directly impacted by the drop in nuclear power production in France in 2022. The American elections have a direct impact on international business, with anxiety gripping investors and the markets. And I can give you many more examples.
Moreover, we expect this interdependence and volatility to continue for quite some time: there are a large number of economic and global trends that are feeding this uncertainty. And that is why it is so important that we keep up with developments in this uncertain global environment. At BNP Paribas Fortis, we rely on a global network of experts who are always on the lookout for the latest updates. Whatever happens and wherever it happens, there are always people from our bank on the ground who monitor the situation and provide us with real-time advice on how best to inform our customers. This network has proven its worth time and again, both for us and our customers."
07.11.2024
BNP Paribas Fortis Factor: the oxygen to your growth story
Factoring is playing an increasingly important role in promoting the growth of Belgian and international companies. BNP Paribas Fortis Factor provides the oxygen to their growth story.
You want your business to grow and thrive, and so all the help and guidance you can get are more than welcome. The reason is clear: support brings extra energy to your entrepreneurial spirit and essential resources to fuel your innovative growth plans.
BNP Paribas Fortis Factor, a subsidiary of BNP Paribas Fortis, offers a service designed precisely for that: to relieve stress and motivate, to promote and nurture your growth. In this interview, Jef Ramaekers, Head Factoring Benelux at BNP Paribas Fortis Factor, and Audrey Bourguet, Working Capital Advisor at BNP Paribas Fortis Corporate Banking, come together to discuss one key topic: Factoring and the positive role it can play for Belgian businesses and their international branches.
Explaining factoring succinctly, however, is a challenge. Jef Ramaekers, Head Factoring Benelux at BNP Paribas Fortis Factor, clarifies: “To start with, factoring is a means, not an end. It’s a tool for business owners or CFOs to optimise working capital. Every financial manager, in any company, will at some point ask the same question: ‘Who do I need to pay, when, and how can I pay them with the resources I have?’ Simply put, factoring enables businesses to pay suppliers without waiting for customer payments to come in. We finance invoices by converting them into directly available cash for the business.”
This process actively alleviates concerns and reduces stress factors, allowing entrepreneurs to focus on what they do best – running their business. Ramaekers adds, “We like to say ‘giving oxygen to growth stories.’ But I certainly see the value in the term ‘relieving stress’ here. By giving an entrepreneur or CFO the freedom to focus on core activities and by taking on a key part of the financial management, we create extra time and opportunities. And they also have less to worry about."
Positive shift
According to Ramaekers, the traditionally negative perception of factoring is a thing of the past: “Factoring was once seen by many business leaders as a ‘lender of last-resort’ – a way to borrow money from the bank by using assets, receivables, or customer invoices. In other words, a company’s last resort. Fortunately, those days are long behind us. We’ve evolved towards a very open attitude to factoring, allowing our division to grow into a true service provider. Our clients’ primary need remains short-term financing. Today, one in five invoices in our country is paid through factoring. Factoring is now a substantial market, representing more than one hundred billion euros per year. BNP Paribas Fortis Factor manages 41 per cent of this market, accounting for EUR 55 billion at the end of 2023.
Growth
From the bank’s perspective, factoring also represents a significant growth story. Audrey Bourguet, Working Capital Advisor at Transaction Banking for BNP Paribas Fortis, explains: “Today, factoring is the financial product that nicely aligns with the rising turnover of our companies. It provides a practical solution for working capital and is part of a suite of Transaction Banking services. In addition to Factor, this also includes Global Trade Solutions, Cash Management, Fixed Income, and Working Capital Advisory. All these services share a common goal: provide the best possible solution for our clients’ financial needs and be there for them in all situations where they can benefit from our support.”
Factoring, from the bank’s standpoint, represents an increasingly strong and positive story, unlinked from its past connotations. Bourguet adds, “You can see this in how we truly integrate factoring within our bank and the group, and in how we offer this service to businesses across all sectors and sizes. We work with a wide range of companies in the Belgian economy. As a result, we have seen that it is precisely those companies that succeed in optimising the funding of their working capital by making use of our factoring services, among other things. This reinforces our belief that it is a very positive story: we’re talking about a form of financing that seamlessly adapts to the growth of any business, large or small.”
Natural evolution
Factoring is available to small, medium-sized, and large companies alike. Ramaekers says, “We aim to provide a solution that supports businesses throughout their entire lifecycle – we’re genuinely unique in the market in this regard. This means that we are there for start-ups, SMEs, multinationals, and every type of business in between. We are the only bank on the market to have a digital solution for small businesses in the form of Easy2Cash. This digitalisation makes it a very cost-effective option with highly competitive margins, but also a reliable, particularly fast and up-to-date link with our customers and their accounting, using a digital yet personal approach. Although Easy2Cash is digital, it includes a dedicated contact person, making the solution both personal and accessible. For start-ups, for example, it’s often challenging to secure credit. For these modest, short-term credit needs, we provide a solution in consultation with the BNP Paribas Fortis banker, enabling them to keep growing without being hindered by their expanding requirements for financing, automation, accounting, etc. Factoring gives them additional resources to meet these needs.”
Ramaekers notes that the steady growth of young companies also demands an adaptation of financial services: “It’s a natural evolution that benefits both partners. If your business grows, we grow with you – it’s that simple. During all those specific growth moments – when entrepreneurs start considering additional staff or potential exports – factoring grows with them. And we do this together with the bank; the group behind this story plays as a team. And let’s not forget, we’re here even if more challenging times come. We’re well aware that a company’s journey is not always easy. It’s at those moments that the value of our expertise and the support we provide really stands out.”
When a company grows into a large enterprise with the profile of a multinational, the importance of factoring further increases. Ramaekers says, "More than 65% of the really large companies in Belgium, with a turnover of more than EUR 1 billion, use factoring services. And half of them are our customers. Factoring often provides additional economies of scale for large enterprises. For example, we can finance receivables that have no impact on a company’s debt ratio. By combining invoice pre-financing with credit insurance, companies can avoid having debt on their balance sheet, with the approval of the company auditor. It’s a technical matter, but it is this combination of various financial elements that makes factoring efficient, high-performing and valuable for many companies.”
Economic fabric
The two agree on the value of factoring in supporting the economic fabric. Bourguet explains, “Part of this supportive role is due to the fact that factoring is a completely transparent financial service – you can only finance what is effectively there.” Ramaekers adds, “Absolutely. Plus, factoring sits right in the middle of the value chain, embedded in the economic fabric. We work alongside our clients, their customers (debtors), the bank, and so on. This makes us a key figure in this chain. We coordinate and facilitate. And for this we need to have our feet firmly planted on economic ground, often for the benefit of all our customers. When we succeed in, for example, reducing the payment terms of invoices for a business, it has a positive ripple effect not only for that company but for the economic process as a whole. This is why I am convinced that we play a broad role in the economic ecosystem – often broader than is generally perceived.”
Opportunities and fair guidance are also crucial in this financial field. Ramaekers says, “At Factor, we engage in transparent discussions with the bank and our clients to find the best solution for their needs. This means we identify opportunities and often suggest them, but also act as an honest, proactive sounding board. It’s about dialogue, analysis, and constructive critique.” Bourguet concurs: “I completely agree. With a service like factoring, we are deeply involved in our clients’ economic activity – the entrepreneurs who rely on us. So, we take a broad view of every case, looking beyond just a banking product or a single solution. This is what makes BNP Paribas Fortis’s approach so strong: we operate as a team, consisting of specialists from both Factor and the bank. This group of experts from different, well-coordinated entities provides entrepreneurs and companies with a comprehensive approach, even for complex cases. These are the moments when we truly rely on our internal expertise: years of experience; colleagues with solid knowledge; reliable economic data applicable to numerous scenarios. This combination enables us not only to guide companies in the right direction but also to provide financial support that is fair, safe, and sound.”
Future
Just like the bank itself, BNP Paribas Fortis Factor frequently considers its strategic direction for the future. As a provider of forward-thinking services, it’s essential to adopt a future-oriented approach to financial services. Ramaekers notes, “Earlier, I mentioned our digital solution, Easy2Cash. I think we can be quite proud of this because it is a glimpse into the future – today. Beyond that, our services are evolving very organically towards the future: we’re constantly striving to make them accessible to an ever-wider group of clients across the economic landscape. Additionally, we’re very focused on sustainability.”
Bourguet adds, “This last aspect is a natural extension of what we do at the bank every day. Our commitment to sustainability extends seamlessly to factoring: we encourage and motivate our clients to join us on this sustainable path.”
The two teams also collaborate closely in developing new services. Ramaekers explains, “We see a significant evolution in the commercial sector, with many online stores offering deferred payment options, such as a 30-day extension. This practice is also increasingly common in the B2B market. Factoring can innovate in this area, so we see it as part of the future we’re actively developing. From a European perspective, there are other innovations too: e-invoicing, for example, is soon to become the standard for all businesses. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity in terms of services and advisory, which we’re shaping together with the bank.”
The two partners have also developed new services. Ramaekers: "We have observed a remarkable evolution in the commercial sector, where many online stores offer payment delays of 30 days, for example. This practice is also increasingly common in the B2B market. Factoring can offer an innovative solution, so this is part of the future that we are currently developing. On the European level, there are also new features: e-invoicing will soon become the norm for all companies. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity in terms of services and advice, which we are developing together with the bank."
Bourguet concludes, “It’s clear that this is a story of synergy, one where we work together seamlessly. This isn’t just rewarding for us but also for our clients. We’re rooted in the heart of the economic marketplace, yet we’re also focused on creating platforms and products that will lead the way and shape the future of this market.”
More information: https://factor.bnpparibasfortis.be/