Once primarily used as alternative financing for the garment district in the United States, factoring has broadened its appeal across sectors. According to the Wall Street Journal’s How to Guide for Small Business Funding, “now billions of dollars in accounts receivable flow through factors each year, many of whom specialize in particular industries such as trucking, construction or health care. Some companies use it as a stop-gap measure to temporary meet cash-flow needs. Others prefer factoring to banks, which often require more paperwork, or other outside investors, who may want a piece of the business.”