We start this latest Business Finance Bulletin by reviewing the launch of a new mobile banking service from Barclays which will allow its small business clients to apply for finance and, if accepted, receive funds within one hour.

We take our regular look at what the High Street banks are doing in terms of money lent out to business according to the latest statistics released by the Bank of England.

Family and friends are a popular source of finance amongst business owners mainly because of the ease with which funds can be accessed. However, new research has revealed how failure to pay back can cause relationships to breakdown. But to save the day we have details of a new Peer to Peer platform which can step in to ease the tension.

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, a look at a support package being granted by Santander to charities and community groups raising funds on Crowfunder. The match-funding deal will allow these organisations to further leverage the funds they raise.

Funding Circle have announced an upward movement in the maximum they can lend to certain categories of businesses. We look at how this is a positive move for good quality businesses in search of finance.

Turning to the traditional High Street lenders, we take our monthly look at how much banks are lending to small business owners with the release of the latest Bank of England figures. Is the figure up or down?

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 open this Business Finance Bulletin by taking a look at the latest Bank of England statistics on bank lending to small businesses. The figures to the end of July show strong support to SMEs but will this continue post-Brexit?

Bad debts and writing off irrecoverable amounts is not what you want to happen every day but new research reveals that many businesses are being faced with accepting losses on money owed to them.

Alternative finance continues to be a growing source of finance for small businesses and a new survey from Deloittes shows how many businesses are aware of it and intend to use it to fund growth plans. The findings suggest there is scope for improvement.

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 reasons for business failure can be many but we start the latest Business Finance Bulletin by looking at two key reasons as revealed in a survey carried out by R3, the insolvency industry body.

Banks and small businesses have had a strained relationship and according to a new study just out, it’s not got any better with many businesses owners saying they feel unsupported. We look at as to why that is.

With awareness and usage of Peer to Peer and crowdfunding on the rise we share news of the latest addition to the market. This new player is out to support growing small businesses with a range of financial products.

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.

In our dealings with growing businesses on the search for finance it’s always surprising how many still believe that outside the traditional High Street banks there are few alternative options to consider.

When we mention crowdfunding, short term loans, merchant cash advances and other alternative sources of finance, there is typically a vague acknowledgement that they have heard of such sources but nothing beyond that.

This lack of appreciation that there are sources of finance to tap into outside of the banks has been highlighted in a recent survey carried out by the British Chambers of Commerce and Bibby Financial Services.

The survey of more than 1,000 businesses provides an interesting insight into awareness levels of the primary sources of finance. Perhaps not surprisingly, awareness of overdraft facilities came out top at 93%, even though banks are not as keen in extending overdrafts as they once were!

Next on the familiarity chart are bank loans and commercial credit cards with awareness levels of 88% and 86% respectively. The growth seen in the usage of leasing and HP since the credit crunch is reflected in an 86% awareness levels amongst UK SMEs.

What sources of finance are languishing near the bottom of the pile though?

Trade finance facilities were known by 46% of businesses, peer-to-peer funding by 42% and angel funding by 39% of those surveyed. Propping up the sources of finance list standing at 19% awareness levels is mezzanine finance (a hybrid of debt and equity). No surprise there perhaps!

Despite what you may think there are a plethora of options available but the key problem is that you simply don’t have the time to search the market for the best options.

In fact, one of our clients this week said that they prefer to use us to source finance because we immediately know where to go thereby saving them time. That where commercial finance experts come in.

One other interesting finding from the survey was that of those firms which were successful in securing finance but ultimately rejected the offers, 54% did so because the interest rate offered was too high.

The main question though is ‘too high compared to what?’

Alternative finance is by its nature typically more costly than traditional High Street lenders due to the higher level of risk and the lower standard of security they are prepared to consider. For the alternative finance industry, the next step after raising awareness levels amongst business owners, is to resolve the pricing perception.

Our advice to clients is as long as the finance available to you allows you to achieve what you want to do, benchmark it in the market to check it’s not too wide of the mark, then look beyond the price and get on with building your business.

In the latest Business Finance Bulletin episode Business Loan Services’ Rob Warlow looks at the latest Business in Britain survey from Lloyds Banks which reveals the strong level of business confidence and the one key issue which is holding businesses back.

On the alternative finance scene Rob talks about findings from small business finance company Liberis on how SMEs are sourcing finance and what success they are having.

Staying with alternative finance a look at the latest statistics from the Peer to Peer Finance Association which show further growth in the level of finance support by P2P platforms… but is there a slight blip in the amount lent to small businesses?

And in the Business Finance Tip of the Week Rob looks at the short term loan market and how it can help those businesses which have temporary cashflow gaps.

If you would prefer listening to this episode of the Business Finance Bulletin then check out our podcast version by click or downloading below via our Soundcloud channel or via our 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.

In the 50th edition of the Business Finance Bulletin Rob Warlow looks back over the last 12 months and how the business finance landscape has changed.

Crowdfunding and peer-to-peer lending is one of the growth areas and Rob reviews a report on the sector undertaken by NESTA which highlights this rapid growth.

Rob also looks at the news of a forthcoming review into the banking sector to be carried out by the Competition and Markets Authority.

What keeps small business owners awake at night is a question posed by the ICAEW and it may not be what you think.

And in the Business Finance Tip of the Week, a clip from a live seminar in which Rob Warlow shares his thoughts on when it’s best to share your Business Plan with the bank.

If you prefer you can also listen to this week’s episode as a podcast and download to your phone. To either listen or download simply click below via our SoundCloud page.

In the latest Business Finance Bulletin Rob Warlow looks at how Handelsbanken, one of the UK challenger banks, are supporting SMEs by increasing the amount of money they have lent out.

Rob also looks at the news that RBS may be launching its own peer-to-peer or crowdfunding platform at the end of the year. How times are changing!

Banks are still getting their wrists slapped for the flouting the rules with this week’s revelations that HSBC and First Trust Bank have been pulled up by the Competition and Markets Authority.

Rob looks at a recent survey by Experian which reveal that many business owners are not assessing how creditworthy their clients are before giving out credit terms.

And in the Business Finance Tip of the Week, a clip from a live seminar in which Rob shares a strategy on controlling overdue payments.

You can also listen to this week’s Bulletin in audio as a podcast. To listen either click the image below or you can download the episode to your PC or phone via Soundcloud.