Of those businesses which borrow money, what do they typically spend it on? To open this Bulletin, we review findings from Liberis, the short term lender, when they posed this question to their clients. The feedback reveals a variety of uses for finance raised, however one reason given does flag up a potential area of concern in terms of business health.

We are undoubtedly in uncertain terms and the latest Federation of Small Businesses survey confirms this by revealing a dip in business confidence levels. The FSB’s recent quarterly Small Business Index highlights the feelings of uncertainty and also identifies other areas which are of concern to UK small businesses.

To close, thankfully some positive news! Crowdcube has announced that it has hit a milestone in terms of £1 million plus equity raises. The news shows that far from being suitable for small finance requirements, equity crowdfunding is meeting the needs of larger, more ambitious business owners.

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A seeming reluctance among some small businesses to borrow money has extended to the equity finance world. We open our latest Bulletin with a review carried out by Beauhurst of equity finance transactions undertaken in the first quarter of 2018. The figures reveal a downturn in activity compared to the previous quarter.

Creditsafe, the credit agency, has reported that according to its research, company bad debts and the number of registered CCJs jumped in the first three months of this year. It appears that the pressure of unpaid invoices is beginning to show.

Cyber crime continues to grab the headlines, particularly with the forthcoming GDPR deadline. To ensure businesses are aware of the risks of being targeted by fraudsters, Barclays Bank has launched an awareness campaign with recommendations for businesses on how to keep safe.

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.

Cyber-attacks and cyber security never seem far from the headlines these days. If you were hit, what would be the financial implication for your business and could you withstand the impact? That’s a question posed by Lloyds Bank in a recent survey. What can you do to protect yourself? One way includes checking your IT system with companies such as www.pisys.net

The charge of the mobile-only banks continues. We look at the announcement from Starling Bank of the launch of its business account service. What features does the account have for businesses keen to switch to mobile-only banking?

We finish this edition with news from Crowdcube, the equity raising crowdfunding platform, that over the next five years it’s aiming to double the number of deals originated outside of London and the South East.

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.

The liquidation of the construction giant Carillion has dominated the business news headlines. As well as affecting its employees, small businesses in the Carillion supply chain will take a substantial finance hit. What can you do to protect yourself from the failure of one of your largest clients?

As the deadline to pay your Self Assessment tax approaches, many self employed sole traders are faced with a potential payment problem following HMRC’s announcement that it will no longer accept credit cards. If you had planned to spread your tax payments by settling your bill by card, what are your options?

Raising growth finance via selling equity continues to be a popular source of funding for start-ups and growing businesses. One such company to benefit is equity crowdfunding platform Crowdcube. To close this Bulletin, we look at the figures behind Crowdcube’s record-breaking 2017.

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.

After 18 months in the planning the government’s Bank Referral Scheme has been launched. In this episode of the Business Finance Bulletin we look at how the scheme is designed to improve small business access to finance.

Despite post-Brexit confidence remaining relatively high we take a look at the latest statistics from the Insolvency Service, which reveals an up-tick in the number of businesses going down the insolvency route.

On a more positive note we close the Bulletin looking at news from the Bank of England that bank lending to small businesses continues to rise. We also share news from Crowdcube on how they are supporting a record number of businesses looking to raise finance by selling equity.

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.

Equity crowdfunding has broken a record with the news that Crowdcube has raised the largest sum on the platform to fund its own business growth plans. In this Bulletin we look at the deal and how Crowdcube is supporting other businesses looking to raise finance.

Sole traders and small businesses that deal predominately in cash can suffer from bad debts just the same as any other business. We look at how many businesses are faced with walking away from money owed to them and how mobile payment services such as that offered by Paym can help.

As Peer to Peer lending and crowdfunding grows in popularity, what impact is it having on the UK economy? That’s a question asked in a survey undertaken by the Centre for Economies and Business Research in conjunction with Funding Circle. We look at the key findings and what benefits businesses are gaining from raising finance via this route.

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 off this Bulletin with a look at a record-breaking crowdfunding equity campaign via Crowdcube for children’s pre-paid debit card provider, Go Henry. The amount raised, which was twice the sum originally planned for, has sparked a debate about the maximum amounts which can be raised via crowdfunding platforms.

Turning to debt crowdfunding, we have news from South West based lender, Folk2Folk, which has passed a new milestone in terms of money lent.

New research from NESTA, the innovation foundation, reveals that unlike businesses, the charitable sector is not taking full advantages of the benefits which come from raising money via crowdfunding. We look at what the barriers and benefits are of using this form of fundraising.

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 episode of the Business Finance Bulletin Rob Warlow examines findings by R3 of the impact insolvency can have on small businesses which are left with outstanding payments and little hope of recovery.

2015 saw the crowdfunding sector reach new highs. Rob looks at highlights from Funding Circle and Crowdcube and also two industry pioneers who were recognised in the New Years Honours list.

Invoice fraud – have you been affected? If you’re luckily enough not to have fallen victim Rob shares news of a service now being offered by Experian to help combat this growing scam. Rob also chats with Damon Rands, a cyber security specialist, where he shares tips on how to protect your business.

The Business Finance Tip of the Week focuses on the importance of separating your personal and business finance dealings.

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In this episode of the Business Finance Bulletin Rob Warlow looks at the findings from the latest quarterly SME Finance Monitor report. The report highlights why you should never assume anything when dealing with your bank!

Turning to the asset-based finance sector Rob has news on how this form of finance continues to outpace the banks in terms of support to small businesses.

In the crowdfunding world Rob looks at the announcement from equity crowdfunding platform Crowdcube on a new milestone reached in respect of funds raised.

What are your confidence levels like about where your business is going over the next few months? Find out what business owners said when asked this question by Bibbys Financial Services as part of their regular SME Confidence Tracker.

And in the Business Finance Tip of the Week a clip from a live seminar in which Rob talks about why business owners hate writing business plans.

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In the latest Business Finance Bulletin episode Rob Warlow looks at a recent report from the British Business Bank on the low level of awareness and activity in selling equity to raise growth finance.

If you are sold on the idea of selling equity Rob looks at Crowdcube’s statistics for the first quarter of 2015. Crowdcube are demonstrating how raising growth finance via the crowd can work.

The latest Entrepreneurs Index from Barclays and the Business Growth Fund reveals a strong growth in the number of UK start ups but offset by an apparent slowdown in fast-growth companies. And in terms of business confidence generally Rob looks at the latest survey from Lloyds Bank which reveals growing levels of optimism amongst businesses.

In the Business Finance Tip of the Week a clip from a live seminar in which Rob talks about the importance to the bank of the purpose of your loan request and how you are going to use the money.

If you prefer to listen to the podcast version then simply download it from our SoundCloud page by clicking below.