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.

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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?

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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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To start off this Business Finance Bulletin we take a look at a new milestone achieved by the Start Up Loans Company in terms of the volume of loans disbursed. However, the question is being asked as to how much this government scheme has lost in the form of written-off loans and those that have fallen into default.

According to latest figures from the Asset Based Finance Association this sector, which covers invoice discounting and asset finance, has also reached new heights with a record amount of business being written in the 12 months to June.

What about business confidence post the Brexit vote? We take a look at how business owners are feeling about their prospects and what you should do now in case the mood changes.

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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.

With news that the Bank of England has reduced its Base Rate and an announce of a new scheme to get banks lending and businesses borrowing, in this edition of the Business Finance Bulletin we look at whether these will have the desired impact.

We take a look at the findings from a survey carried out by the British Chamber of Commerce and Bibby Financial Services which reveals low awareness levels of the sources of alternative finance amongst UK SMEs.

Have you been faced with writing off a debt owed to you following being hit by a late payment of an invoice? The latest Bibby’s SME Confidence Index suggests that too many businesses are writing off debts and the average sum involved is not small.

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 edition of the Business Finance Bulletin we start off with a look at where businesses get their financial advice from… and the number one source is not the most reliable.

Alternative sources of finance have been springing up from the least expected of companies and one of those is PayPay. We take a look at an update from PayPal on how successful it’s Working Capital facility has been amongst its UK clients.

Late payment can be a serious topic but Xero, the online accounting software provider, has put a special twist on one of Adele’s songs to highlight the problems late payment can cause. Take a look on our blog where you can watch the video!

Recent Bulletin’s wouldn’t be the same without mentioning Brexit but this week alternative finance provider Capify, presents a positive message about its impact – a nice change!

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In this Business Finance Bulletin episode, we start off with news from Funding Circle of a £100m facility from the European Investment Bank for onward lending to UK small businesses. The facility will sit alongside an investment to be made by Funding Circle’s SME Income Fund.

Another growing source of alternative finance is that of asset finance. We look at the latest figures from the Asset Based Finance Association which reveal that facilities extended to small businesses over the last 12 months have dramatically increased.

Cash is the lifeblood of all businesses and a survey from audit and taxation consultants RSM has found that businesses can release cash trapped in their business by better management of day-to-day working capital. I share one key working capital component where cash can often get stuck. In the Bulletin I also reference another video in which I share how you can calculate your Stock Turnover Ratio – a useful tool to spot when your stock is getting ‘stuck’.

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We start off this Bulletin with a look at a record-breaking crowdfunding equity campaign via Crowdcube for children’s pre-paid debit card provider, Go Henry. The amount raised, which was twice the sum originally planned for, has sparked a debate about the maximum amounts which can be raised via crowdfunding platforms.

Turning to debt crowdfunding, we have news from South West based lender, Folk2Folk, which has passed a new milestone in terms of money lent.

New research from NESTA, the innovation foundation, reveals that unlike businesses, the charitable sector is not taking full advantages of the benefits which come from raising money via crowdfunding. We look at what the barriers and benefits are of using this form of fundraising.

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.