Opening this Business Finance Bulletin, after being the key source of finance for 12 months the final figures are out for the Bounce Back Loans and CBILS schemes. The figures reveal the extent of finance taken on by businesses and now it is payback time.

For start ups and smaller businesses getting on the ladder to build a credit score can be difficult, but a new service announced by Tide Bank will ease this problem. Tide’s Credit Builder is designed to help smaller businesses create a credit footprint thereby making future access to finance easier.

To close, we review the latest figures from the Finance and Leasing Association which reveals a significant return to usage of asset finance facilities such as leasing and HP. This is a good sign of the continuing return of confidence among businesses.

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

With the economy starting to get back on track, we open this Business Finance Bulletin with news from the Finance and Leasing Association of large increase in leasing and HP deals written in April. Although still well off the 2020 figures, encouragingly the gap is beginning to close as business investment activity increases.

Business confidence also continues to grow with a survey from the British Chambers of Commerce and Funding Circle revealing business activity levels and sentiments for the future. The survey findings highlight how resilient businesses have been.

To close, analysis from online accountants Mazuma uncovers how many businesses are concerned about their ability to pay back their Bounce Back Loan. What are your options if your cashflow is still tight?

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

We open our latest Bulletin with the announcement from Lloyds as to how much lending it will be committing to UK businesses in 2019. The funding pot will be available to all businesses but with an emphasis on those businesses looking to export for the first time.

The Finance and Leasing Association has released up to date figures on the volume of business written by its members. The level of asset finance transactions is always a good indicator of how business owners are feeling, and the recent figures are a mix of good and bad news.

To close, we look at the call from the FSB for a review of the Prompt Payment Code. This voluntary code is designed to curb late payment, but 12 months on from the Carillion collapse the FSB wants to see it strengthened.

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.

When searching for finance many business owners don’t know where to start looking. To help bridge the information gap the British Business Bank has launched a finance knowledge website. We open our Bulletin by looking at how the portal can help guide business owners to the right source of finance.

Iwoca has been known as a short-term loan provider but they have now announced a new 5 year loan product designed to provide medium term finance to growing businesses. Could you make use of a cash injection?

In recent Bulletins we have mentioned that the first few months of this year saw a decline in the use of Asset Finance. To close this episode, we review the latest statistics from the Finance and Leasing Association which reveal an increase in Asset Finance deals to purchase business machinery, equipment and vehicles.

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 invoice finance and asset-based lending sector is providing an increasing share of finance to UK businesses according to latest data released by UK Finance, the trade body for the finance industry.

The amount of money raised via invoice finance (a method of unlocking cash tied up in invoices) and other asset-based finance such as leasing and HP, is up 13% year-on-year. The total amount outstanding sits at just over £22 billion, which is the highest advances figure ever.

There are just over 40,000 UK business now using this form of finance, although this number has remained relatively static.

With the government focused on driving up UK exports, the exporting picture is particularly strong, with sales from clients through export invoice discounting facilities up 33% year-to-date, and export factoring up 11%.

UK Finance wants to see the government do more to encourage smaller businesses access funding via these sources. They are calling on the government to bring forward long-awaited legislation to give more smaller firms access to much-needed funding.

Many small businesses find themselves trapped by o-called ‘ban on assignment’ clauses, which are sometimes imposed by larger businesses on their smaller suppliers. This can restrict the finance options available to those supplier businesses. To address this, the UK Government is expected to bring forward revised Business Contract Terms (Assignment of Receivables) Regulations in the New Year.

In this Business Finance Bulletin, we have review of the proposals coming out of the Competition and Markets Authority report on how banks can improve services provided to its small business customers. The proposals range from enhanced transparency and the creation of a pricing comparison website.

We look at a survey which reveals how procurement managers are tackling late payment by using dynamic discounting to encourage faster payments or even payment up front. We share one way you can take advantage of this strategy.

Latest statistics from the Finance and Leasing Association show strong growth in the asset finance sector which as we report, put the banks to shame.

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, news that the number of High Growth Firms is on the increase according to findings by the Enterprise Research Centre.

We take a look a new business loan fund launched by a regional lender, Coventry and Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust, aiming to support growing businesses in their locality.

There’s news of support being given by British Business Bank to an alternative lender to help boost funds for on-lending to businesses in need of asset finance.

Staying with asset finance and leasing we take a look at statistics from the Finance and Leasing Association which reveal strong growth in the sector in 2015.

And in the Business Finance Tip of the Week a look at a series of forthcoming videos in which Rob Warlow will be sharing insights into ratios you can calculate to help boost the performance of your business.

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 Rob Warlow looks at a survey carried out by the British Business Bank into the SME finance landscape which draws a number of conclusions on how small businesses view the world of finance.

The use of asset based finance continues to grow and Rob shares news from the Asset Based Finance Association on the increased use of invoice discounting and leasing as an alternative source of finance.

In the crowdfunding world, news of a milestone reached by crowdlender Funding Knight and an announcement by Cambridge and Counties Bank of the opening of a new branch in the North of England.

In the Business Finance Tip of the Week Rob shares a conversation he had with a business owner about the use of management information and how to get the best out of it.

You can also listen to this week’s Bulletin as a podcast. To listen via your PC or download to your phone either click below to listen or click the download symbol.