A new report from the Federation of Small Businesses has highlighted concerns that growth is being held back by restricted access to finance. Is that the case or is there something else going on?

We look at the announcement from Nat West of the launch of Mettle, its new mobile-only banking service. Operating as a standalone service, Mettle is in pilot phase and seeking small business owner to be part of the trial to assist in future development.

To close this Bulletin, concerns from Business Debt Line, a charity which assists small business owners who have got into financial difficulty, that debt levels are on the rise. It’s calling for various support measures for smaller businesses to help them through difficult times.

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 the 2018 Budget behind us we open this Bulletin by looking at finance-specific measures. The British Business Bank, the home to the government finance raising schemes, received several boosts from the Chancellor with the aim of securing business access to finance, particularly post-Brexit.

Earlier in 2018 we looked at the launch of Open Banking and how it is going to revolutionise applying for and controlling finances. How useful Open Banking is going to be is highlighted by the announcement from Iwoca that it has agreed a link up with Lloyds which will speed up access to finance.

To close this Bulletin, we review the latest quarterly statistics from the Insolvency Services. The Quarter 3 figures make gloomy reading with the number of businesses entering into an insolvency arrangement reported as on the rise.

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.

Thanks to all our clients and introducers who helped make 2017 another great year for BLS in supporting growing businesses in need of finance.

We look forward to assisting you and other businesses achieve your growth plans in 2018.

Thanks again and have a Happy New Year!

Raising business finance can be challenging. Business Loan Services is all about taking that challenge on board, leaving you to run your business.

We open our Bulletin with our concluding review of the latest SME Finance Monitor report. How many businesses are really getting a ‘yes’ from their bank? That’s one question the report answers and the reply may cause many businesses to re-think their approach.

Have you heard the term FinTech? If not, you may be surprised to find out that you are one of the majority of businesses which are managing their finances via a FinTech-related application. We look at a recent survey from online Invoice Discounting provider MarketInvoice which reveals how business owners are benefiting from new technology.

There are emerging concerns that an ongoing increase in the size of consumer debt could have a knock-on effect on banks. But if debt is getting out of control, how could it affect businesses?

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.

Following on from the first part of “How Do Banks Assess Your Finance Request?”, we now move on to Part 2.

As outlined in Part 1, when applying for business finance, it’s useful to understand what lenders are looking for.

In this second session, we continue our review of the CAMPARI framework which banks follow when reviewing a finance request. We will be sharing the last three elements which focus on the amount you want to borrow, how you’re going to pay it back and how you can reduce the risk the bank is taking.

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.

If you missed the first part of this mini-series you can check out Part One here.

When applying for business finance, it would be useful to understand what lenders are looking for. In this first of videos, I will be sharing a framework which guides banks when assessing a finance request. Understanding the framework, referred to as CAMPARI, means you can be better prepared when presenting your request.

In Part One, I reveal the first four elements of CAMPARI.

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 Part 2 we continue our look at the CAMPARI framework – check out Part 2 here.

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!

When getting a business loan to finance your growth plans your bank will want to see a contribution from you. In this clip Business Loan Services’ Rob Warlow explains why this is important for both the bank and your business.

Has your bank said ‘no’ to your business finance request?

One reason could be that you have no financial information or it’s out of date. In this interview, BLS’ Rob Warlow explains why you need to have financial information in order to access finance.