In the latest Business Finance Bulletin we start by looking at news from Funding Circle of £40m from the British Business Bank to invest in business loans alongside private investors. In addition to this there’s news of £82 million raised to support Funding Circle’s growth plans.

How hungry are small businesses to borrow money in 2017? That’s a question posed by Zurich in their latest SME Risk Index survey. Are businesses looking to borrow more or less than in 2016?

To close, we take a look at separate findings from the Federation of Small Businesses and Smith and Williamson on how confident small business owners are entering 2017. It’s clear that many are choosing to ignore any gloomy economic messages.

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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.

After 18 months in the planning the government’s Bank Referral Scheme has been launched. In this episode of the Business Finance Bulletin we look at how the scheme is designed to improve small business access to finance.

Despite post-Brexit confidence remaining relatively high we take a look at the latest statistics from the Insolvency Service, which reveals an up-tick in the number of businesses going down the insolvency route.

On a more positive note we close the Bulletin looking at news from the Bank of England that bank lending to small businesses continues to rise. We also share news from Crowdcube on how they are supporting a record number of businesses looking to raise finance by selling equity.

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.

Access to finance can be a challenge at the best of times but research has shown that female entrepreneurs struggle more than their male counterparts when it comes to raising funds. In this episode of the Business Finance Bulletin we take a look at the launch of a new, female-only crowdfunding platform, which not only provides access to equity funding but also to an Angel Network, business support and mentoring.

One long awaited element of The Small Business Enterprise and Employment Act is the appointment of a Small Business Commissioner. Part of the role will be to ensure the scourge of late payment is tackled but it appears that government is still not ready to roll out this much-needed resource.

Having a clean Credit Report is often overlooked when it comes to raising finance and in this Bulletin, we share a recent lesson on why it’s important to know what your Credit Report contains.

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In the latest episode of the Business Finance Bulletin we share news of the launch of Peer Funding, a new player in the Peer to Peer finance world. What do they have to offer growing businesses in need of finance?

Regional loan funds are a growing source of finance for small businesses and those operating in Worcestershire will now benefit from a new loan fund. We look at how the fund is designed to help those local businesses which aren’t getting support from traditional lenders.

Turning back to the alternative finance world we look at the latest statistics from the Peer to Peer Finance Association on how the sector performed in terms of money lent in the 3rd quarter of this year.

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 this episode of the Business Finance Bulletin we take a look at a report issued by the UK Peer to Peer Finance Association reviewing the benefits of using Peer to Peer finance and how an about-turn by a former City grandee has provided a thumbs up to the sector.

Currently no Bulletin would be complete without a look at the ongoing impact of the forthcoming Brexit! We dip into two surveys carried out by Deloitte and the British Chamber of Commerce which examines how industry leaders and sectors view the current and future situation.

We are often told by business owners that they wonder how they can use the Annual Accounts prepared by their accountants. Calculating and reviewing a series of financial ratios is one useful action and in the Bulletin we give you a heads-up of a new video in our occasional series on working with ratios. This video reveals how to focus on efficiency and hence drive up profits.

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.

In this Business Finance Bulletin, we look at the mixed messages coming out about business confidence amongst small business owners with a survey from the FSB which features both bad news and good news.

Much has been made of the Bank Referral Scheme which will see banks referring businesses they can’t assist on to a panel of government-approved funding platforms. We look at how the scheme is taking shape.

When you take a commercial mortgage from your bank you may think that’s it. However, following a call for help from a business owner, we share one thing you should watch out for if you unwittingly change the basis on which your commercial mortgage was agreed.

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 start off this week’s Bulletin with the question of how many people who had a dream to run their own business actually took the step and if they didn’t, what was stopping them. Turning to more established businesses we look at findings from a recent report, DNA of an Entrepreneur, on how business owners view their current and future prospects.

The government has been keen to stimulate competition in the banking sector and three years ago a current account switching service was launched to make it easier for individuals and small businesses to move banks. Three years on, how has it performed?

Supermarkets can sell most things we need but who would have thought they would enter the crowdfunding market? That’s what has happened with the launch of a crowdfunding platform by Tescos focused on helping food and drink manufacturers raise finance.

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.

Kicking off this Business Finance Bulletin is a look at findings from the latest SME Finance Monitor Report which includes a focus on small business borrowing appetites. The report reveals that a large number have no interest in taking on finance.

The British Business Bank has been supporting a number of alternative lenders with additional funds for them to on-lend to small businesses. We look at the funding passed onto an Asset Finance company based in the North West which is set to support growing businesses in need of asset finance solutions.

Have you ever lost a cheque or forget to pay one into your bank account? According to a survey from Barclays it’s not an uncommon occurrence and you may be surprised as to how much money is lost this way!

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