In the latest Business Finance Bulletin Rob Warlow reviews findings from the recent SME Finance Monitor Report which reveals that demand for finance amongst business owner is low. But what does that do for growth?

According to another survey Rob discusses how many businesses are planning to invest this year but that they have a low understanding of how alternative finance works and how it could benefit them.

If you are looking to raise equity then news of a support program run by Crowdcube to help you through the process.

In the Business Finance Tip of the Week, a clip from a live seminar in which Rob explains how your financial information needs to be kept up to date.

You can access this Bulletin in two ways… watch the video on our You Tube Channel or listen and download the Bulletin to your phone via SoundCloud

In this clip taken from a live seminar Rob Warlow talks about the history of crowdfunding, and how the credit crunch led to the launch of crowdfunding sites.

From raising finance via equity to business loans crowdfunding is a growing alternative to the banks.

In the latest Business Finance Bulletin Rob Warlow looks at the latest bank lending figures from the Bank of England… a mixture of good news and not such good news!

One finance sector which is booming is the Asset Finance industry and Rob looks at the latest growth figures from the Asset Finance Based Association which are in sharp contrast to that of the High Street banks.

Rob also talks about a new crowdfunding site, CrowdProperty which is looking to match private investors with property developers and Buy-to-Let owners on the hunt for finance. One for you to look at if you are in the property game.

And in the Business Finance Tip of the Week a clip from a live seminar in which Rob shares one question that banks will ask of themselves when reviewing your business finance request.

In this week’s Business Finance Bulletin Rob Warlow looks at the impact late payment can have on growth plans with a recent survey from Close Bros Finance demonstrating how it can hold your business back.

Rob also looks at how crowdlending platforms Funding Knight, ReBuilidngSociety and LendInvest have reached new highs and milestones as they continue to challenge the traditional High Street banks.

And in the Business Finance Tip of the Week Rob shares some thoughts in an interview he did on what a good Business Plan looks like.

In the latest episode of the Business Finance Bulletin a look at what business owners who are selling an equity stake want from their new partners. The relationship between banks and business owners has been strained but a new survey from Albion Ventures reveals a surprisingly high number of businesses getting a ‘yes’ from their banks.

On the alternative finance scene Rob looks at the latest government proposals to force banks to refer borrowers who have been declined finance to sources of alternative finance.

Late payment continues to be an issue for businesses and Rob shares the findings of a recent survey which reveals that a large percentage of businesses are missing out on an important piece of the late payment jigsaw puzzle.

And in the Business Finance Tip of the Week a clip from a live seminar in which Rob discusses the history of crowdfunding.

Figures released by the Peer to Peer Finance Association reveal that lending via the peer-to-peer and crowdlending sector has soared in the first six months of this year. During this period the amount lent has doubled with platforms having lent out over £500m in the six months putting it on track to break the £1bn barrier for 2014.

The figure lent comprises of funds advanced to both consumers and businesses but it was growth in money lent to businesses that has led the way.

In the first quarter of 2014 £132m of new money was lent to business and this increased to £146m in the second quarter. The number of businesses borrowing via P2P has also increased from 5,169 in the first quarter to 5,919 as at the end of June.

There has also been an increase in the number of lenders supporting businesses with a movement from 31,616 to 35,477.

The growth demonstrates how businesses are quickly embracing this innovative way of raising finance.

The growth in crowdfunding comes on the back of clear signs that businesses are looking to expand and hence on the hunt for finance. A recent survey from Albion Ventures showed that a third of businesses plan to raise finance in the next 12 months. Of these 27% are targeting capital for business development and 23% looking to expand their premises. With crowdfunding sites such as Funding Circle already entering the commercial mortgage market the peer-to-peer market is well placed to satisfy demand from businesses.

If you want to know how you can use crowdfunding and peer-to-peer lending to support your growth plans read more here or simply complete the contact box at the foot of this page.

In this episode of the Business Finance Bulletin Rob Warlow looks at a survey from Bibby Financial Services on how business owners are financing their business. Also news about the launch of The Business Finance Guide issued by the ICAEW and the British Business Bank.

If you are thinking about selling equity in your business via crowdfunding then Rob looks at a way of how private investors can join in alongside experienced Angel investors.

And in the Business Finance Tip of the Week Rob has a chat with Steve Taylor, the latest member of the Business Loan Services, in which he shares tips on raising finance.

This is a special edition of the Business Finance Bulletin which was filmed on Wednesday at the 2014 Commercial Finance Expo at the NEC Birmingham.

This annual event is hosted by the National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers and attracts key lenders and commercial finance brokers from across the country.

With the alternative finance scene continually changing I had a chance to chat with the likes of Funding Knight, Lancashire Mortgage Corporation, PensionLedFunding, Pay4 and Funding Circle to find out more about how they are supporting businesses which are in need of finance.

It is good to see that the number of lenders in the market continues to grow so watch this week’s edition to hear what these lenders are up to and how they could possibly help you.

If you want to discuss your particular needs we’d be happy to have a chat – just drop us an email.

I mustn’t forget… a special thanks to BLS team member Steve Taylor for being cameraman for the day!

In this episode of the Business Finance Bulletin Rob Warlow looks at the latest review on the UK banks Loan Appeal Process – how successful are business owners in turning a ‘no’ into a ‘yes’?

Crowdcube, an alternative source of finance, has launched a Mini-Bond scheme and Rob explores how that works and how you could use it in your business.

Banks and crowdfunding platforms are now starting to accept that working together may be the way forward with news that a UK High Street bank has partnered with a leading peer-to-peer lending platform.

And in the Business Finance Tip of the Week Rob talks with Alister Betts of Lucid Ventures on how to get you and your business ready to seek outside investors via selling equity.

Posted on 30.05.2014, by Rob Warlow

In this week’s episode we look at the first quarter figures of the government’s Funding for Lending Scheme (not all good news I’m afraid). Better figures though come from the British Bankers Association first quarter figures on bank lending, which shows a steady increase in bank lending.

A survey from Close Bros Invoice Finance reveals the different types of finance business owners are using and, in another piece of research, a look at how crowdfunding continues to grow at a rapid rate.

The Business Finance Tip of the Week is a clip from a live seminar Rob Warlow did recently in which he shares his thoughts on what to do if your bank has said no… move on!