In the latest Business Finance Bulletin Rob Warlow from Business Loan Services discusses more emerging evidence from Bibby Financial Services and the Federation of Small Businesses of a dip in confidence amongst SMEs. Are we in for a rough ride in 2016?

If you’re a heavy user of fuel and may be struggling to get a commercial credit card because of a poor credit record then Rob shares a new solution which can also reduce your administration burden.

More news about the on-going problem with late payment. Rob shares a recent survey which highlights how much money is trapped in late payment and so holding back growth in the economy.

In the Business Finance Tip of the Week… when it comes to the production of Management Accounts, delegate but don’t abdicate.

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In this week’s episode of the Business Finance Bulletin finally some good news on late payment with the announcement from Tescos of a revision in its payment terms with their small suppliers. Could this be a start of a trend of big businesses listening to concerns around late payment?

Turning to the alternative finance scene news from single invoice discounter Platform Black on reaching a new milestone in terms of finance raised for growing businesses.

Have you ever had a Notice to Close your bank account? It can happen and Rob explains what you can do about it.
With the government keen to ensure finance companies are lending there’s news of a line of funding being granted by the British Business Bank to leasing and asset finance provider Hitachi Capital.

And in the Business Finance Tip of the Week a clip from a live seminar in which Rob shares his thoughts on the importance of knowing what your credit report reveals about you.

You can also listen to and download the podcast version of this Bulletin via our Soundcloud and itunes channel or listen in now by clicking below

In the latest episode of the Business Finance Bulletin Rob Warlow looks at a report from Liberis, a finance provider, on the issues growing businesses face particularly in terms of late payment and how you can avoid it.

The Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme is a little known scheme devised to help both start ups and investors make use of attractive tax breaks. Rob shares findings from a review as to how popular the scheme is and looks at the SEIS eligibility criteria.

Turning to crowdfunding, Rob has news from the Centre for Economics and Business Research which predicts that the amount of money accessed through crowdfunding will grow to a significant sum by 2020.

If you’re a VAT registered business you are probably familiar with the challenges of meeting the quarterly demand! Recent figures from finance provider LDF show a large amount of overdue VAT is outstanding to HMRC and in the Business Finance Tip of the Week Rob chats with Liz Maher from Centurion VAT in which she shares tips on managing your VAT risk.

If you prefer to listen via a podcast version you can download via our Soundcloud or itunes channel or listen in below.

In this episode of the weekly Business Finance Bulletin Rob Warlow examines current trends in late payment with news from the Asset Based Finance Association that despite improving economic conditions late payment problems are on the rise.

Continuing on the theme of late payment online accounting provider Crunch has identified within the world of self employment which businesses are best and worst when it comes to chasing payment. Are you one of them?

Locally run business loan funds are a useful source of alternative finance for smaller businesses and Rob looks at one fund run by Staffordshire County Council and the success it has had in supporting local businesses.

In the crowdfunding world Rob shares news from Market Invoice, the online invoice discounting solution, of another round of funding granted to it by the British Business Bank.

Despite a few hiccups lately in terms of growth and business confidence Rob looks at the findings of a survey from American Express Small Business Services which reveals that businesses are reporting strong growth and confidence for the future.

And in the Business Finance Tip of the Week a clip from an interview in which Rob talks about the typical cash contribution you have make to a deal to get your bank on board.

You can also listen to this week’s episode or download to listen to late via clicking below, or by visiting our Soundcloud or itunes channels.

In this latest episode of the Business Finance Bulletin Rob Warlow looks at an appeal from the CBI for the government to help medium-sized business access long term loans by introducing a number of new initiatives.

Rob shares findings from a new report which suggests that banks are now feeling under threat from the growing band of alternative finance providers with the solution being if you can’t beat them then join them!

To combat struggles that small businesses have in accessing invoice discounting facilities Rob has news about moves by the government to make it easier for businesses to release cash from outstanding invoices. Continuing the theme
of late payment Rob also outlines a useful service which can speed up payments due.

And in the Business Finance Tip of the Week Rob talks about why you need to think about the security you are prepared to offer your bank.

If you prefer to listen to the podcast version of this episode by either clicking below or downloading below via our SoundCloud page or on our itunes channel.

In the latest Business Finance Bulletin episode Business Loan Services’ Rob Warlow takes a look at a recent survey carried out by short-term business loan provider Just Cashflow on business owners skills gaps and what they wished they had known when they first started out in business.

Late payment continues to be a problem for growing businesses and Rob shares findings from two surveys carried out by BACS and the Asset Based Finance Association which reveal a mixture of good news and bad news on late payment experiences.

There is news from Metro Bank, one of the growing number of challenger banks, on the revamp of its small business offering.

And in the Business Finance Tip of the Week Rob shares insights into problems some of the Business Loan Services’ clients have experienced in terms of their credit reports which are vital when it comes to obtaining business finance.

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In this first edition of the Business Finance Bulletin Xtra Rob Warlow takes you through the experiences small business owners have when it comes to raising business finance… are they getting what they want?

The need for business finance can be compounded by late payment and cashflow problems which remain a challenge for business owners. Rob looks at how this is affecting them.

Crowdfunding continues to gain in popularity and Rob looks at news from the P2P Finance Association on how the sector continues to grow.

If you’re looking for more traditional sources of finance then Rob takes you through the five steps to getting the business finance you need.

In the latest Business Finance Bulletin episode Business Loan Services’ Rob Warlow tackles the age-old problem of late payment. Rob looks at recent research from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) which reveals the extent of the problem and possible solutions.

Many businesses don’t realise that to help offset the costs of the impact of late payment they are allow to charge interest and Rob shares news from Lovetts, the debt recovery firm, on how awareness of this right is on the increase.

Unlike bank lending asset finance continues its growth as more businesses turn to this alternative source of finance. The latest statistics from the Asset Based Finance Association show just how popular it has become.

In the Business Finance Tip of the Week Rob looks at the benefits of planning ahead and getting ‘finance-ready’ well before you need to approach a lender.

You can also listen to the podcast version of this week’s Bulletin by clicking below or downloading via our Sounndcloud or itunes channels.

If there is one thing that is going to hold back a business’ ability to grow its late payment.

Not being paid on time can be a barrier to growth and feedback I get from the Business Loan Services team is that this is a major bugbear amongst many of our clients.

But as the economy grows there are signs that payment settlement is showing signs of improvement.

A recent survey from Experian the credit reference agency showed that UK businesses paid their overdue bills on average one day faster between April 2014 and March 2015.

The national average of the number of days in which businesses pay beyond terms dropped by just under a whole day to 24.29 days

Perhaps not surprisingly, because they understand the pain late payment can cause, the smallest businesses were the quickest to tackle overdue invoices, as businesses with one or two employees settled bills 20.58 over agreed terms. This was an improvement of just over half a day.

Businesses with three to five employees showed the greatest improvement, paying bills 1.3 days faster at 21.34 days over agreed terms.

What about the UK’s largest business who typically have the finger pointed at them…. how have they performed?

Although those businesses, employing 501 people or more, took the longest to settle bills at 34.18 days over agreed terms in the year to March 2015, they did improved their payment performance by just under one day.

So well done to the big boys… but you still have work to do!

So if you do suffer from late payment what can you do?

Here are some tips from Experian:

Tip Number 1 – Check their status: Is the business you are dealing with real? Search them out on the web and see what you can find. Do they have a strong internet footprint?

Tip Number 2 Do a Credit Check: Carrying out a credit check will reveal their credit status, trading history and how they have paid in the past. All this will help you decide whether they are worthy of you giving them credit terms.

Tip Number 3 Remain Watchful: Nothing ever stays the same; the economy and individual businesses are constantly changing – a profitable business and a previously prompt payer can quickly turn into a business that is on its way down. The trick is to regularly run updated credit checks so you don’t get caught out.

Follow these tips and you will minimise the risk of being left with a long list of late payers.

In the latest Business Finance Bulletin episode Business Loan Services’ Rob Warlow looks at proposals from the government as part of a new Enterprise Bill to reduce red tape and tackle late payment.

The issue of late payment and how it damages businesses is the focus of a new survey from the insolvency industry trade body R3 which reveals the impact late payment has on potential insolvencies.

Rob also looks at the collaboration between Metro Bank and peer-to-peer lender Zopa which is the first of its kind. Could we see more of this?

Oaknorth is the latest new bank on the block which has just recently launched. Rob takes a look at how it is going to support UK small businesses.

In the Business Finance Tip of the Week Rob chats with angel investor and business speaker Steve Houghton-Burnett and he shares three tips on how to ensure success in a equity crowdfunding pitch.

If you wish to listen to the podcast version of this week’s Business Finance Bulletin click below or download to your phone below or via our itunes channel.