In this episode of the Business Finance Bulletin a look at the latest statistics from the Bank of England which reveals the current level of borrowing by UK SMEs.

Also a review of the key findings from the recent SME Finance Monitor Report which includes how many businesses are using external sources of finance, the type of SMEs accessing such finance and the number of businesses who are not borrowing at all.

Marketinvoice, the online invoice discounter, has taken a look at late payment experiences across 80 countries and the results indicate that we have a lot of work to do in the UK to speed up payment.

Are you planning to grow or change your business within the next three months? That’s the question posed to 1,021 businesses by Hitachi Capital as part of its regular British Business Barometer Report and the answer reveals that SMEs are now more cautious than before.

And in the Business Finance Tip of the Week a signpost to a recently posted video which shows you how to calculate and use the Creditor Payment Ratio.

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 this episode of the Business Finance Bulletin a look back at 2015 in the alternative finance and crowdfunding market. The latest annual report from NESTA, Pushing Boundaries, provides an insight into how crowdfunding continued to grow in 2015.

If you are looking for an asset finance facility to fund your growth plans there’s news of a funding boost for the alternative lender LDF provided by the British Business Bank.

Xero, the cloud accounting software service, asked business owners what they thought the key ingredient for a successful business is. The entrepreneurs also shared their top three business pain-points. Do you suffer from any (or all) of these three barriers to growth?

And in the Business Finance Tip of the Week when to comes to raising business finance, what influence do past business successes or failures have?

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 a review of the findings from the recent Small Business Finance Market Report. Released by the British Business Bank the report reveals that bank lending to SMEs is on the up and shares the sources of finance being used by small businesses.

Do you know the true of your business loan? That’s a question being posed by Growth Street, the alternative overdraft provider, as it calls for more transparent pricing via the introduction of an APR for SMEs.

Receiving payments via mobile phone may still be relatively new but we look at news from Paym, the mobile phone payment provider, on how usage of their service is rapidly on the increase.

And in the Business Finance Tip of the Week how a calculation taken from your Balance Sheet can test the strength of your solvency.

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.

Here’s an interesting studio discussion on finance options for growing businesses. Running your own business can be hugely rewarding, but also hugely challenging with a multitude of issues to keep on top of and in this discussion there’s a look at the different types of finance available and tips on how to access them.

The panel includes representatives from Santander, Funding Circle and Enterprise Ventures.

In the latest Business Finance Bulletin episode Business Loan Services’ Rob Warlow looks at the latest statistics on bank lending to small businesses which show that banks are starting to provide more support.

Evidence of an increase in bank appetite to lend to small businesses is starting to show as Rob discusses news from HSBC of renewed focus it is giving to supporting UK small businesses.

You may not expect one of the Dragons Den panel to turn to crowdfunding to raise finance but that is exactly what Kelly Hoppen has done. Rob looks at a pitch Kelly has launched on crowdfunding platform Crowdcube.

In the Business Finance Tip of the Week Rob looks at the short term finance market in a chat with Max Woodman from Catalyst Finance and how they are helping businesses fill short term cashflow gaps.

If you prefer to listen to this episode of the Business Finance Bulletin you can listen below or download to your PC or phone.

You can also listen via our itunes channel here.

In the latest Business Finance Bulletin episode Rob Warlow discusses two surveys which touch upon the subject of seeking out advice and support from professional advisors. The first survey looks at how many businesses are currently looking to sell up and why that is. In terms of the start up market Rob talks about another survey from Aviva and the support and advice start ups seek.

Invoice discounting continues to grow in popularity but Rob looks at news from Market Invoice about the lack of transparency and hidden fees which are prevalent in the invoice discounting industry.

Rob also discusses the news that BrewDog, the craft beer brewer is looking to raise £25m to fund its expansion but doing it on their own under their ‘Equity for Punks’ scheme and so bypassing the industry stalwarts.

In the Business Finance Tip of the Week a clip from a live seminar in which Rob talks about the impact on cashflow of carrying too much stock.

If you would to listen to this episode in the podcast version click below to listen or to download to your computer or phone.

In the latest Business Finance Bulletin episode Rob Warlow looks at the latest result from the Begbies Traynor Red Flag report which provides insight into how businesses see their financial condition in the first quarter of 2015.

Having the right skill set within a business is often cited as one of the barriers to growth and Rob looks at a new programme from Close Brothers, the asset-based lending bank, and the University of Sheffield designed to support businesses looking to take on apprentices.

With many alternative providers of finance looking forward to 2016 when banks will be required to pass on clients they cannot assist, one alternative funding platform reveals the extend of help they think UK small businesses will need.

In the Business Finance Tip of the Week Rob chats with sales mentor , author and international speaker Steve Clarke about whether there is any difference between selling products to customers and selling your idea to your bank.

If you would like the podcast version to listen to either on your phone or in the car click below to either listen to or download.

In the latest Business Finance Bulletin episode Rob Warlow looks at a new business programme produced by TV production company Liberty Bell who are looking to bring together ordinary investors and businesses owners on the hunt for finance; a case of crowdfunding meets Dragons Den! Could this be for you?

The creative industry has always found it challenging to raise business finance and Rob looks at support being provided by a network of lenders via the Creative Industry Finance network with news that P2P lender Ratesetter has joined the scheme.

Continuing the support theme the Entrepreneurial Spark team has announced that KPMG has joined the network to provide advice to the businesses seeking mentors and guidance.

In the Business Finance Tip of the Week a clip from an interview in which Rob talks about Business Plans and specifically what should be included in the Staff and Management section.

If you prefer to listen to this week’s Business Finance Bulletin in podcast form then click below and download.

In the latest Business Finance Bulletin episode Rob Warlow looks at a recent report from the British Business Bank on the low level of awareness and activity in selling equity to raise growth finance.

If you are sold on the idea of selling equity Rob looks at Crowdcube’s statistics for the first quarter of 2015. Crowdcube are demonstrating how raising growth finance via the crowd can work.

The latest Entrepreneurs Index from Barclays and the Business Growth Fund reveals a strong growth in the number of UK start ups but offset by an apparent slowdown in fast-growth companies. And in terms of business confidence generally Rob looks at the latest survey from Lloyds Bank which reveals growing levels of optimism amongst businesses.

In the Business Finance Tip of the Week a clip from a live seminar in which Rob talks about the importance to the bank of the purpose of your loan request and how you are going to use the money.

If you prefer to listen to the podcast version then simply download it from our SoundCloud page by clicking below.