In this week’s episode of the Business Finance Bulletin Rob Warlow looks at the progress online invoice discounter Marketinvoice made during 2015 and their aims for 2016.

In the latest quarterly Red Flag Alert report insolvency firm Begbies Traynor reveals findings that an increasing number of firms are in financial distress and confidence levels in 2016 are on the wane. Rob looks at the reasons behind this dip in business confidence.

Would you recommend your bank? Rob looks at a new survey which finds that an increasing number of businesses are willing to do so. But who are these businesses?

In the Business Finance Tip of the Week, a look at why your bank would insist on reviewing your personal financial circumstances when extending finance to your business.

If you 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.

If you prefer to listen to the podcast version you can tune in below or download via our Soundcloud, itunes or Stitcher channels.

During 2015 the Business Finance Bulletin has featured business and finance tips from various industry experts. In this compilation of interviews carried out in 2015 there are tips on growing your business, boosting profits, developing entrepreneurial staff, pitching for finance, using crowdfunding and managing VAT.

These collections of tips and ideas come from Dr Paul Thomas, Mike Ogilvie, Rebecca Jones, Steve Clarke, Steve Houghton-Burnett and Liz Maher and thanks to them for sharing their knowledge and expertise.

Get ready to take notes to kick start your business in 2016.

You can also listen to the podcast version by clicking below or downloading via our SoundCloud , itunes or Stitcher channel

In this last episode of the Business Finance Bulletin for 2015 Rob Warlow looks back over the key business finance news in 2015.

Rob reflects on 2015 being the year when improved business confidence took hold with more business owners than ever feeling positive about the future.

How did the High Street bank perform in 2015 when it came to supporting small businesses? Rob takes a look at the banks’ attitude towards businesses and how the year saw banks forging alliances with providers of alternative finance such as Funding Circle and Assetz Capital.

Staying with the alternative finance scene 2015 was the year which witnessed new highs and greater level of awareness amongst business owners of crowdfunding and other sources of finance.

2015 was also the year when new legislation was introduced to help businesses tackle late payment and for banks to pass on introductions to lending platforms where the bank can’t assist.

If you prefer to listen to the podcast version you can listen in below or download via our Soundcloud, itunes or Stitcher channel.

In this episode of the Business Finance Bulletin Rob Warlow looks at a new service launched by credit card services provider Worldpay in partnership with Liberis, supplier of working capital facilities to SMEs. The WorldPay Business Finance package is designed to release funds against future credit and debit card receipts.

There’s news from Ratesetter and how, with support from the British Business Bank, it is looking to increase the level of business loans it’s currently giving to small businesses.

Up to date financial information, a perhaps better said, the lack of it, can have an impact on business growth plans. We look at a report from KPMG which highlights the importance of keeping financial information up to date.

In its latest Business Barometer report Close Bros reveal some mixed messages on business confidence and growth plans.

And in the Business Tip of the Week, one question the bank will ask of themselves when assessing your loan application.

If you prefer to listen to the podcast version either click below or download to listen to later via our Soundcloud or itunes channel.

Because our usual weekly Business Finance Bulletin included outtakes and fails to celebrate the 100th episode, this didn’t fit our usual podcast version. In order that those who prefer to download and listn don’t miss out we have recorded a ‘podcast-only’ episode in which we look at preparing a cashflow forecast, success rates in getting business finance, the Loan Appeal process, extension of the Funding for Lending Scheme and writing a Business Plan.

To listen in just click below or you can access our Soundcloud channel to download for later listening. You can also access via our itunes channel.

If you want to watch the video version of Episode 100 including all the outtakes and fails just click below and have a laugh!

Here we are at episode 100 of the Business Finance Bulletin!

As a departure from the norm this week is all about outtakes and fails.

Yes, we’re sharing clips where things didn’t exactly go to plan; outtakes and fails which show that filming these Bulletins can sometimes be a bit frustrating!

We look back to the first episode in October 2013 and little did we think that we would reach 100 episodes but here we are and looking forward to the next 100.

Thanks for watching over the last two years and of course normal service will be resumed next week!

In the latest episode of the Business Finance Bulletin Rob Warlow reviews the recent Entrepreneur’s Index survey released by Barclays Bank and the Regional Growth Fund. As well as looking at the UK business scene the report focuses on High Growth businesses.

Turning to growth finance raised via equity crowdfunding a new report issued by Altfi poses the question of how businesses have fared in raising equity by this method. The ‘Where Are They Now? Report reveals some interesting findings on the benefits of equity crowdfunding.

Staying with alternative finance Rob looks at study by GLI Finance and Cambridge University Centre of Alternative Finance which states that there a significant funding gap faced by SMEs which are unaware about sources of alternative finance.

If you’re suffering from cash flow problems Rob takes a looks at a product from Just Cashflow called BusinessPlus Mastercard which is designed to ease the cash crunch which SMEs typically face.

And in the Business Tip of the Week…. invest, don’t spend!

If you prefer to listen to the podcast version click below or visit our Soundcloud or itunes channel.

In this episode of the Business Finance Bulletin Rob Warlow reviews peer to peer lender Folk 2 Folk and how they won the recent accolade of Best Lending Platform for Small Businesses.

High growth, or scale ups are they are sometimes referred as, are gaining attention in terms of the support and finance they need to meet their potential. We look at the announcement from Barclays Bank of its recent creation of a High Growth and Entrepreneur unit designed to support high growth businesses.

Turning back to the crowdfunding world, news of two more local councils joining Funding Circle as lenders to provide financial support to small businesses in their area. These two councils join the growing number of councils providing finance on the Funding Circle platform.

In the Business Finance Tip of the Week Rob continues his occasional mini-series looking at how you can calculate and use key ratios from your Profit and Loss and Balance Sheet to spot areas of improvement. In this episode Rob looks at calculating your Creditor Payment Days, or how long on average it takes you to pay your creditors – a potential red flag to your bank!

If you prefer to listen to the podcast version click below or download it via our Soundcloud or itunes channel.

In the latest episode of the Business Finance Bulletin Rob Warlow looks at an alternative to the traditional bank overdraft. With banks providing less support in the form of overdraft facilities a new service has been launched by Growth Street to fill the gap.

There is news of a possible rival to PayPal which could be marketed by Apple in 2016, so one to watch.
Turning to challenger banks Rob looks at the results from Shawbrook Bank which shows strong growth in profits and increased support to SMEs.

Late payment continues to be a problem for growing businesses and in a new survey Rob shares findings that many businesses are reluctant to chase for payment or even charge interest as is their statutory right.

One way to alleviate the impact of late payment is to look at Invoice Discounting. To see how this works Rob chats with Kelvin Thomas from ABN Amro Commercial Finance on how it helps growing SMEs.

If you prefer to listen to the podcast version of this week’s Bulletin listen in below or download via our Soundcloud or itunes channel.