Raising finance to grow your business is not about today, it is about tomorrow. The right finance package can be a positive force within your business, one which can be used to propel your business forward.
Building a bigger, better future… that’s what we do
When you’re looking for finance to grow, a lender will want to see a well constructed Business Plan. A great Plan sets out a clear vision for the future, a future in which you soar above your competition.
Helping business owners soar… that’s what we do.
The whole process of raising finance can be a distraction and divert your attention away from what’s important. With mounting priorities it’s a case of which one has to wait. Typically raising finance is one task that can grind you down.
Making it happen… that’s what we do
No one wants to stay in the same place; it’s boring and monotonous. Growth is much more exciting but getting to the next level takes money and with it a range of financial options to consider.
Taking your business to the next level… that’s what we do
In this clip taken from a live seminar Rob Warlow talks about the history of crowdfunding, and how the credit crunch led to the launch of crowdfunding sites.
From raising finance via equity to business loans crowdfunding is a growing alternative to the banks.
In the latest Business Finance Bulletin Rob Warlow looks at the latest bank lending figures from the Bank of England… a mixture of good news and not such good news!
One finance sector which is booming is the Asset Finance industry and Rob looks at the latest growth figures from the Asset Finance Based Association which are in sharp contrast to that of the High Street banks.
Rob also talks about a new crowdfunding site, CrowdProperty which is looking to match private investors with property developers and Buy-to-Let owners on the hunt for finance. One for you to look at if you are in the property game.
And in the Business Finance Tip of the Week a clip from a live seminar in which Rob shares one question that banks will ask of themselves when reviewing your business finance request.
Latest figures from the Bank of England of lending to businesses show a continuation in the decline of total money lent to UK businesses. But small businesses appear to slightly better off than their larger corporate counterparts.
The figures to June 2014 reveal that the total amount of loans (including overdrafts) currently outstanding to businesses decreased by £3.4 billion in June, compared to the average monthly decrease of £0.9 billion over the previous six months. This results in a twelve-month fall of -3.8% in the stock of loans currently outstanding in banks.
However, a glimmer of hope for small businesses. Within these figures, loans (including overdrafts) outstanding to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) increased by £0.2 billion, compared to the average monthly decrease of £0.5 billion over the previous six months. So unlike their larger corporate counterparts, UK small business owners are coming out on top.
That said the overall stock of loans advanced to small businesses has contracted by -2.8% over the twelve-months compared to June 2013 but this compares favourably to the overall fall of 3.8% for businesses of all sizes.
One important point to remember is that these figures relate to the amount outstanding at the end of the month i.e. existing loans, plus new money lent in the month, less money paid back during the month. When we delve further into the figures, particularly in relation to small businesses, the amount of new money being lent each month is showing a slight increase,
Monthly New Loans to Small Businesses
April £4.1b
May £4.3b
June £4.8b
Of course, these new loans are being netted off against monthly loan repayments and overdrafts paid down and here we see that small businesses are more or less paying back what they taking in new loans
Monthly Repayments by Small Businesses
April £4.5b
May £4.3b
June £4.7b
The net result looks like this:
Month New Loans Repayments Net Amount
April £4.1b £4.5b -0.5b
May £4.3b £4.3b 0.0b
June £4.8b £4.7b 0.1b
So are we seeing early signs of banks stepping back in to the SME market? If so, this growth is being offset by small businesses which would rather pay debt off than take on more; the appetite amongst small businesses to borrow may not as strong as many believe it to be.
Of course the other argument is that the ‘new loans’ figure should be a lot higher resulting in positive growth but it is the banks that don’t have the appetite to lend.
In reality it’s a bit of both!
One aspect of a bank’s credit assessment process in reviewing your business loan request is how you are going to use the money lent to you. BLS’s Rob Warlow shares three key things you need to be aware of in how the bank will review your business loan application.
In this week’s Business Finance Bulletin Rob Warlow looks at the impact late payment can have on growth plans with a recent survey from Close Bros Finance demonstrating how it can hold your business back.
Rob also looks at how crowdlending platforms Funding Knight, ReBuilidngSociety and LendInvest have reached new highs and milestones as they continue to challenge the traditional High Street banks.
And in the Business Finance Tip of the Week Rob shares some thoughts in an interview he did on what a good Business Plan looks like.
In the latest episode of the Business Finance Bulletin a look at what business owners who are selling an equity stake want from their new partners. The relationship between banks and business owners has been strained but a new survey from Albion Ventures reveals a surprisingly high number of businesses getting a ‘yes’ from their banks.
On the alternative finance scene Rob looks at the latest government proposals to force banks to refer borrowers who have been declined finance to sources of alternative finance.
Late payment continues to be an issue for businesses and Rob shares the findings of a recent survey which reveals that a large percentage of businesses are missing out on an important piece of the late payment jigsaw puzzle.
And in the Business Finance Tip of the Week a clip from a live seminar in which Rob discusses the history of crowdfunding.
When looking at getting a business loan one aspect of your business you must be comfortable with is your financial performance… you have to know your numbers. And yet being able to read (and understand!) a Balance Sheet and a Profit and Loss is one aspect of running a successful business that eludes many business owners.
In this clip from a seminar Business Loan Services’ Rob Warlow looks at the importance of knowing your numbers when applying for a business loan or any form of business finance.
Small businesses on the hunt for bank finance are seeing a higher success rate in getting a yes than in previous years, with 80% of applicants receiving a positive response.
The survey, carried out by Albion Ventures as part of its annual Growth Report, revealed the success rate had increased from 71% in 2013 to 80% in 2014, a sign that banks are becoming more responsive as the economy improves.
Access to finance has been a prominent concern for UK business owners since the onset of the recession but it seems that the situation is now proving to be less of an issue. The survey found that access to finance now ranks fifth as a key concern for business owners.
However it may be that businesses are being more realistic in their chances of success in getting finance as the report reveals that only 10% of those surveyed said they had applied for funding compared to 17% in 2013. Are they assuming they will get a ‘no’ and so not bothering applying?
But the future is not so bleak when businesses were asked about their plans for the next 12 months. Looking ahead a third said they are planning to raise finance over the coming 12 months with 27% being for business development purposes and 23% to expand their premises.
This move to a more positive reason to raise finance was backed up by a 25% drop in those looking to raise cash to support trading (24% in 2014, down from 32% in 2013); an indication that businesses are moving in the right direction.
The news that businesses are feeling more positive comes on the back of the government announcement that in autumn it will be introducing legislation to force banks to refer businesses which they can’t support to alternative lenders. With small businesses being given more guidance we could see a further increase in the already fairly healthy success rate.
In this week’s episode of the Business Finance Bulletin I look at the news that Paypal is launching its Working Capital programme in the UK to provide its clients with access to business loans. So if you’re a PayPal merchant this is for you!
The alternative finance continues to grow with news from AlternativeBusinessFunding that it has brought new alternative lender partners on board.
I also look at a survey from Beggies Traynor on small business investment plans and news from the Competition and Markets Authority about its plans to undertake a full review of the UK SME banking market.
The Business Finance Tip of the Week is taken from a live seminar I delivered for the ACCA on access to finance. In this clip I look at one source of finance which tends to remain hidden in the business… stock.
Thanks for watching and enjoy!
In this episode of the Business Finance Bulletin Rob Warlow looks at a survey from Bibby Financial Services on how business owners are financing their business. Also news about the launch of The Business Finance Guide issued by the ICAEW and the British Business Bank.
If you are thinking about selling equity in your business via crowdfunding then Rob looks at a way of how private investors can join in alongside experienced Angel investors.
And in the Business Finance Tip of the Week Rob has a chat with Steve Taylor, the latest member of the Business Loan Services, in which he shares tips on raising finance.
Rob kindly agreed to attend the recent Pontypridd RFC sponsors networking evening and delivered what can only be described as an excellent talk on 5 Tactics to Boost Your Business and Your Profits. He kept the audience engaged throughout and the feedback from everyone was excellent. Rob is very knowledgeable on business and finance and on top of that is a genuine nice guy. We hope to have him back at a future event and I have no hesitation in recommending Rob’s services.
Rob delivered a series of 3 workshops aimed at understanding how finance houses look at finance propositions with the aim for us as a team to deliver more of a bespoke offering to our customer base. The training was delivered to a mixture of staff who work with new businesses start-ups and existing established businesses across Mid & South West Wales. Rob delivered the training with an abundance of passion and has really helped my team look at financial propositions in a different light, many thanks again Rob and I look forward to work with you in the near future.
Further to your recent presentation at LEAD Wales just wanted to say it was very refreshing to see somebody talk passionately and positively about finance, very insightful!
Hi Rob, it was so interesting and entertaining listening to you at the Kevin Green Wealth Coach Workshop in Reading this weekend! I didnt realise you can find Finance proposals such fun!. Brilliant tips! Thanks.
I wanted to thank you for such an insightful, energetic, and entertaining talk at the Kevin Green Wealth event on securing funding and creating a successful plan. It was brilliantly executed and a pleasure to listen to and the ideas I’ve learned are definitely going to help me in going forward.