By the first decade of the 21st century, a basic public policy rationale for factoring remains that the product is well-suited to the demands of innovative, rapidly growing firms critical to economic growth. A second public policy rationale is allowing fundamentally good business to be spared the costly, time-consuming trials and tribulations of bankruptcy protection for suppliers, employees and customers or to provide a source of funds during the process of restructuring the firm so that it can survive and grow.