If you have plans to grow your business, don’t underestimate the vital role cashflow has to play. Fresh from delivering a workshop on financing growth for business growth specialist Gavin Preston, BLS’s Rob Warlow shares the importance of managing cashflow when you’re going for growth… an important lightbulb moment for those attending the session.

The banks are starting to learn from the alternative finance players with news from RBS/Nat West that they are launching an online platform where new and existing customers can apply for loans up to £150,000.

Marketinvoice, the online invoice discounting platform, has announced an enhancement to its service with Marketinvoice Pro which will allow frequent users more flexibility in accessing funds.

If you would prefer to listen to the podcast version you can click below or download to listen to later via our Soundcloud, Stitcher or itunes channel.

Getting finance for a start up business has always been tough but with the Start Up Loans Company, the pain has been eased. In this Bulletin, looking back on the loans they made in 2016, which UK start up hotspot cities have taken advantage of the loans available?

Different methods of calculating interest rates can make comparing finance options a challenge. We take a look at a new online tool from short term lender Fleximize, which can help you compare finance offers on a like-for-like basis.

The latest SME Confidence Tracker survey from Bibby Financial Services reveals the top three challenges facing UK manufacturers. The top slot is taken by concern about rising prices but other constraints are also weighing heavy on the minds of UK SMEs.

If you would prefer to listen to the podcast version you can click below or download to listen to later via our Soundcloud, Stitcher or itunes channel.

With alternative finance becoming an increasing source of finance we kick off this Bulletin with news of the launch of The Association of Alternative Business Finance. Formed by seven players on the alternative business finance scene, the Association is focused on delivering higher standards in the industry.

Time is moving closer to government action on late payment. To lessen the prevalence of late payment I take a look at the forthcoming Duty to Report regulations which places an obligation on large businesses to disclose details of their payment practices.

Are there signs that business appetite to borrow money from banks is beginning to wane? We examine the latest bank lending figures released by the Bank of England.

If you would prefer to listen to the podcast version you can click below or download to listen to later via our Soundcloud, Stitcher or itunes channel.

It can be frustrating when you are in desperate need of finance to expand your business and you get a resounding ‘no’ from your bank.

Why have they refused?

Very often it’s a reason which, if you had known about at the start of the process, you could easily have addressed.

The old saying ‘forewarned is forearmed’ is very apt in this case.

In this podcast BLS’s Rob Warlow talks about the 7 reasons why a bank would say ‘no’. Take notes and get yourself prepared for the next encounter with your bank!

We open the latest edition of the Business Finance Bulletin with a look at two surveys from the Federation of Small Businesses and Barclays Bank. The question asked of small businesses is how Brexit will impact those trading overseas and whether confidence has taken a knock. What are our SMEs thinking?

We take our regular look at how the alternative finance sector is performing following the release of the last quarter 2016 statistics by the Peer to Peer Finance Association. Lending to both businesses and individuals continues to remain strong.

Scale-ups appears to the latest ‘new thing’ with the news that the government has appointed a Scale-Up Champion. What is the government looking to achieve?

If you would prefer to listen to the podcast version you can click below or download to listen to later via our Soundcloud, Stitcher or itunes channel.

According to the Centre for Entrepreneurs new company formations are at an all-time high. In this episode of the Business Finance Bulletin we look at the numbers and where the entrepreneurial hotspots are.

Metro Bank, one of the so-called challenger banks, has committed to helping more small businesses in 2017 with funds to support growth. How could they help you?

Cashflow problems can hit a business at any time but quarter end and quiet seasonal periods can be particularly tough. We take a look at how short term loans can provide much needed cashflow relief.

If you would prefer to listen to the podcast version you can click below or download to listen to later via our Soundcloud, Stitcher or itunes channel.

In the latest Business Finance Bulletin we start by looking at news from Funding Circle of £40m from the British Business Bank to invest in business loans alongside private investors. In addition to this there’s news of £82 million raised to support Funding Circle’s growth plans.

How hungry are small businesses to borrow money in 2017? That’s a question posed by Zurich in their latest SME Risk Index survey. Are businesses looking to borrow more or less than in 2016?

To close, we take a look at separate findings from the Federation of Small Businesses and Smith and Williamson on how confident small business owners are entering 2017. It’s clear that many are choosing to ignore any gloomy economic messages.

If you would prefer to listen to the podcast version you can click below or download to listen to later via our Soundcloud, Stitcher or itunes channel.

We start this latest Business Finance Bulletin by reviewing the launch of a new mobile banking service from Barclays which will allow its small business clients to apply for finance and, if accepted, receive funds within one hour.

We take our regular look at what the High Street banks are doing in terms of money lent out to business according to the latest statistics released by the Bank of England.

Family and friends are a popular source of finance amongst business owners mainly because of the ease with which funds can be accessed. However, new research has revealed how failure to pay back can cause relationships to breakdown. But to save the day we have details of a new Peer to Peer platform which can step in to ease the tension.

If you would prefer to listen to the podcast version you can click below or download to listen to later via our Soundcloud, Stitcher or itunes channel.

In this Bulletin, we kick off with our monthly round-up of how lenders are supporting businesses in terms of accessing finance. We look at the latest figures from the Asset Based Finance Association which reveal record business being written by the asset finance sector and levels of support given by the traditional High Street banks.

We review research from Aldermore Bank which shows that business confidence continues to define expectations with SMEs positively looking forward to 2017. How are they planning to expand?

The government is finally beginning to share the rules and regulations they plan to implement in 2017 to curb the late payment epidemic. We look at the steps they will be taking with effect from 1st April 2017 and no doubt large businesses will be concerned about another set of bureaucratic rules to follow!

If you would prefer to listen to the podcast version you can click below or download to listen to later via our Soundcloud, Stitcher or itunes channel.

Due to illness, BLS’s Rob Warlow has been unable to prepare his weekly video Bulletin, so this week, a text-only version.

A Triple Whammy Cashflow Crunch

Whilst this time of year is the season of joyful celebration, for some business owners it can be a stressful time when it comes to juggling and managing cashflow.

As we approach the year-end there are businesses which can face a triple whammy hit to their cashflow. Each of these reasons is bad enough but combined, they can cause chaos to your cash position.

• If March is your Financial Year-End, then your Corporation Tax will be due by the end of December
• This quarter could coincide with your VAT payment period
• And if that’s not enough, you may be faced with a fall in sales and hence reduced cashflow, associated with the holiday period

In order to keep you credit record and payment profile ‘clean’ you need to be what you can to ensure these commitments are met.

But what to do?

Here are some steps to take.

1. To preserve cashflow consider talking to a select number of your creditors and see if they will agree to extended payment terms
2. Chase any outstanding invoices owed to you which are overdue – don’t be shy in chasing, this is money legitimately owed to you!
3. Take out a short-term loan (terms from 3 months to 24 months) to help put your cashflow back on track
4. Consider using Selective Invoice Discounting to unlock cash tied up in outstanding and new invoices

Don’t be hostage to a cashflow crisis; take firm action.

If you want to know more about short-term loans or Selective Invoice Discounting get in touch and we will be happy to chat you through the options.

Personal Guarantees… What Exactly Are You Signing Up To?

If you have every borrowed money and operate through a Limited Company then, as a Director you have probably been asked to sign a Personal Guarantee.

But do you know what signing such a document entails?

According to findings in a survey carried out Wirefund, a working capital loan provider, a large number of business owners are not aware of what they are signing.

When asked to describe what they understood a Personal Guarantee to be, just 45% could accurately outline what was at stake, which is that the bank would ultimately be able to repossess your personal assets if the business cannot pay back the loan.

Worryingly 21% said that a business owner/director who signs a Personal Guarantee would simply be personally guaranteeing that the money owed would be paid on time, to the best of their ability… a long way off reality.

Despite this lack of understanding, the majority of business owners have agreed to provide a Personal Guarantee when borrowing money. The survey revealed that 79% stated they had not been put off taking a business loan simply because it included a request for a Personal Guarantee.

The bottom line is that ultimately your personal assets can be at stake but in the survey 61% were not aware of this.

In the vast majority of cases, when lending to Limited Companies, lenders will want a Personal Guarantee, so be mindful of what you are entering into. Wirefund on the other hand is one the rare lenders which don’t insist on a Personal Guarantee.

To find out more about their loan product visit their website www.wirefund.com

That’s It…

That brings this text-only version of our weekly Business Finance Bulletin to a close. We hope that normal service will be resumed next week!