
Small businesses plan for growth but one in two fear the long tail of Covid
Schools may be going back and the UK may be bracing itself for the easing of Covid restrictions by 21 June, but the long tail of Covid is still causing the...
March 2nd, 2021

March 3rd budget: more government-funded business loans aren’t a sustainable long-term solution
Martin McCann, CEO of Trade Ledger, the global technology provider to the commercial banking and financial services industry, provides the following comment...
March 2nd, 2021

‘Happy holiday home’: five-day funding for stunning seaside cottage
A property investor seized the opportunity to buy the family seaside cottage where he spent his childhood holidays with a £557,000 short-term loan from...
March 1st, 2021

CPS urges Chancellor to help private sector drive recovery
As the Chancellor prepares for Wednesday’s Budget, his immediate priority is to continue to support the economy through the final stages of the pandemic....
March 1st, 2021

Landbay launches revolutionary buy-to-let calculator
Landbay, one of the UK’s leading buy-to-let lenders, has today launched an innovative buy-to-let calculator that is unique to each specific Landbay product...
March 1st, 2021

As talks fail to strike a Northern Ireland deal, customs chaos will only get worse, says ParcelHero
Delays and red tape on goods sent between the UK and Northern Ireland (NI) are set to increase significantly following the failure of a key UK-EU meeting, says...
February 26th, 2021

Optimum Finance scores ex-Microsoft Director as new CTO
Invoice finance firm Optimum Finance has appointed ex-Microsoft Global Director, Gordon McIntosh, as Chief Technical Officer furthering their specialism in the...
February 25th, 2021

Together Financial Services Limited – Q2 Results
Together Financial Services Limited (‘Together’ or ‘the Group’), one of the UK’s leading specialist mortgage and secured loan providers, announces...
February 25th, 2021

UK online shoppers outspend the world and won’t kick the habit when the High Street reopens in April
England’s eagerly awaited non-essential stores’ reopening date of 12 April may come too late to stop a permanent change in the way Brits shop, says the...
February 24th, 2021
Time to bounce back, 52% of SMEs in Europe relied on loans to survive pandemic
CapitalBox, the leading pan-European online lending platform for SMEs, today unveiled research that shows more than half of European SMEs relied on loans to...
February 24th, 2021

Work begins to breathe new life into historic mill with help from Reward Finance Group
A former flax mill in Cleator, near Whitehaven which played a significant role in the development of rights for women workers following a strike by the female...
February 23rd, 2021

Pandemic continues to disrupt rental plans for 76% of tenants
Research from the international rental marketplace, Spotahome, has found that the majority of UK tenants feel safe within the rental market, however, 76% have...
February 23rd, 2021

Lessons should be learned from Bounce Back Loan fraud, says SmartSearch
SmartSearch, the UK’s leading anti-money laundering (AML) solution provider, has called on lenders, brokers and conveyancers to learn the lessons from the...
February 23rd, 2021

Less than one in 10 SME leaders feel supported during the current lockdown
As the UK’s third national lockdown continues, just 8% of business leaders feel supported, research from Nucleus Commercial Finance today reveals.1 Half...
February 22nd, 2021

£4 million facility opens doors for Yorkshire manufacturer
Bibby Financial Services (BFS) has provided a £4 million Invoice Discounting Facility to investment group Modular Group Investments to support the acquisition...
February 19th, 2021

Together teams up with Legal & General to offer short-term finance through its digital platform
Specialist lender Together has added its bridging products to Legal & General’s digital criteria service designed to improve the process of brokers...
February 18th, 2021

Encompass Corporation appoints technology executive Daryn Edgar to Board
Encompass Corporation, the fast-growing provider of intelligently automated Know Your Customer (KYC) solutions, has appointed technology executive Daryn Edgar...
February 18th, 2021

Government-backed loans for smaller builders not enough, claims industry
A new stream of construction loans of up to £10m for SME developers has been launched by the government housing delivery agency Homes England and United Trust...
February 18th, 2021

Roma Finance appointed to MCI’s lender panel
MCI Mortgage Club continues at pace to expand its panel with the addition of specialist lender Roma Finance. The latest lender to join the panel gives MCI...
February 18th, 2021

First 4 Bridging appoints Key Account Manager
First 4 Bridging (F4B) has appointed Sonia Mann as a Key Account Manager to cover the Midlands and surrounding areas. Sonia joins F4B after holding the...
February 17th, 2021

FTBS taking three years longer to get on the property ladder
Research by home buying platform, Yes Homebuyers, has revealed that the time it’s taking for first-time buyers (FTB) to save for their first home has grown...
February 17th, 2021

Fleet Mortgages cut prices on two- and five-year fixes across all ranges
Fleet Mortgages, the buy-to-let specialist lender, has today (16th February 2021) announced a range of price cuts on both its two- and five-year fixed-rates...
February 16th, 2021

2 in 3 builders say new Government VAT policy will lead to cashflow issues and confusion, warns FMB
The Government must scrap new tax policy ‘reverse charge VAT’ to show they are listening to builders and protecting jobs, according to the Federation of...
February 16th, 2021

35% of UK importers are struggling at borders and N. Ireland trade is collapsing warns ParcelHero
The latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) economy figures show businesses are reporting spiralling Brexit challenges. Doubt has also been cast on the...
February 15th, 2021

The Covid long tail for businesses
With global geo-politics in flux, combined with the disruption and turbulence caused by COVID-19 and Brexit, times are tough for UK business. Innovation and...
February 15th, 2021

Subdued levels of activity in January but certain sectors shone
The total value of contract awards in January 2021 was £4.3 billion, a decrease of 12% on December 2020 and also 10% lower than the monthly average in 2020...
February 15th, 2021

West One Loans Buy-to-Let extends borrower exposure to £5m
West One Loans’ buy-to-Let division has announced major criteria changes which will see maximum borrower exposure limits raised by more than three times...
February 15th, 2021

Hanley Economic BS temporarily halts new lending to complete system overhaul
Hanley Economic Building Society has temporarily halted new lending in order to complete the final stage in the overhaul of its mortgage processing platform....
February 15th, 2021

Reward Finance Group adds to Manchester team as deals continue to rise
Reward Finance Group in Manchester is expanding its team further by appointing Christine Daly as portfolio executive, following another impressive 12 months....
February 11th, 2021

Asset finance market fell by 6% in December 2020
New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that total asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) fell...
February 11th, 2021

The PSR plans to bolster protections in payments
Today, the PSR launches two calls for views exploring greater protections for everyone using payment systems: one relating to the protections against APP...
February 11th, 2021

Hospitality and leisure sectors face further disruption and uncertainty with third national lockdown, reveals Duff & Phelps
Business owners across the hospitality and leisure sectors throughout the UK need to take stock and prepare themselves for yet another turbulent year as the...
February 11th, 2021

Debate and research project announced
CCRMagazine and HighRadius are set to produce a new virtual-round-table debate looking at the challenges facing professionals working in the order-to-cash...
February 11th, 2021

Could the Year of the Ox bring a UK property market crash?
While thousands around the world prepare to celebrate Chinese New Year this Friday, welcoming in the Year of the Ox as they do, property market analysis by...
February 10th, 2021

First 4 Bridging launches the F4B Network
Packager First 4 Bridging (F4B) has expanded its intermediary proposition with the launch of the F4B Network. The F4B Network was created on the back of demand...
February 10th, 2021

New US Country Report by Atradius
The United States can anticipate a robust economic rebound in 2021, with political uncertainty decreasing and an injection of fiscal stimulus, reveals the...
February 9th, 2021

Trade Ledger raises £13.5 million in Series A funding
Trade Ledger, the global technology provider to the commercial banking and financial services industry, has raised a total of £13.5 million to complete its...
February 9th, 2021

United Trust Bank steps in to refinance £2.7m Guildford development
United Trust Bank (UTB) has agreed to refinance a £2.7m high quality apartment scheme by Clearview Developments by providing a £1.8m Sales Period Loan....
February 8th, 2021

Comment: Debt levels soar for UK businesses
Figures from EY have shed light on soaring debt levels for UK businesses as a result of the pandemic, with businesses on course to have borrowed £61bn by the...
February 8th, 2021

Comment: Boohoo’s Dorothy Perkins purchase – Are e-commerce giants buying out the high street?
Today’s news of Boohoo acquiring Dorothy Perkins and Burtons, the final sale and piece of the puzzle of the Arcadia Group, serves as a warning towards...
February 8th, 2021

At least three in 10 SMEs will be forced to shut if lockdown is extended
With the third national lockdown already involving an extension until March 8, new research from Nucleus Commercial Finance today reveals that at least three...
February 8th, 2021

Britain’s superstar exporters to ignite the next generation of top international exporters
Britain’s superstar exporters could pave the way for their intermittent counterparts and help add an estimated £4.4 billion to UK exports per year,...
February 8th, 2021

Construction and building firms must be prepared for major VAT change
Construction and building firms, including labour only sub-contractors, must be prepared for a major change to the way VAT is accounted for in their sector...
February 5th, 2021

Together refreshes its commercial and personal finance ranges
Together has lowered rates on its specialist mortgages and bridging loans in a refresh of its product range. The lender has repriced its five-year fixed-rate...
February 5th, 2021

‘Zombie’ stores will plague High Streets for months, warns ParcelHero
‘Zombie’ stores – whose name and online business have been taken over but whose physical stores remain half-alive while stocks are cleared – could...
February 5th, 2021

Banking expert is latest director to join Begbies Traynor Group’s advisory team
Experienced banking specialist Martyn Shakespear is joining Begbies Traynor Group as the leading specialist professional services provider builds its advisory...
February 3rd, 2021

How Many Insolvencies Will 2021 Bring?
New data from Euler Hermes insurers confirms predictions that 2021 is likely to bring a flood of corporate insolvencies throughout the world’s largest...
February 3rd, 2021

United Trust Bank targets larger Asset Finance transactions with new Credit appointment
United Trust Bank (UTB) has appointed Oliver Hobday as Underwriter in its Asset Finance Credit team in preparation of further business growth in 2021....
February 3rd, 2021

FSB in Scotland on lockdown extension
Scotland’s stay-at-home lockdown will continue for another month, Ministers have announced. However, the First Minister has stated that primary schools and...
February 3rd, 2021

New partner appointed at Warwickshire accountancy firm
A leading regional accountancy firm has bolstered its leadership team with the appointment of a new partner to support the development of its corporate...
February 2nd, 2021

Fraudsters continue to use pandemic to steal money and information from the public
Cifas, the UK’s leading fraud prevention service, is highlighting the latest coronavirus scams from the past week, and warning the public to stay vigilant of...
February 2nd, 2021

What happened to the ‘free trade agreement’? The Government must sort out online sales from the EU
Boris Johnson claimed he had secured a ‘cakeist’ Brexit deal, meaning Britain can have its cake and eat it. But the leading international delivery...
February 1st, 2021

New India Country Report from Atradius
India’s economy is forecast to rebound this year despite a sharp slowdown of economic growth in 2020, reports trade credit insurer Atradius. The India...
February 1st, 2021

The Return of Repossessions is Unlikely to Affect Values Significantly
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published updated final guidance, confirming an initial proposal, that as a last resort, consumer credit lenders...
February 1st, 2021

West One Loans’ Buy-to-let launches with Sesame Bankhall Group
West One Loans’ buy-to-let division has announced its latest distribution partnership as it continues to roll-out growth plans for 2021, through Sesame...
January 29th, 2021

Impact Specialist Finance and UTB combine to produce the first Fast-Track 24-hour bridging offer
Impact Specialist Finance, the specialist mortgage broker and distributor, has received a full bridging mortgage offer from United Trust Bank (UTB) within 24...
January 28th, 2021

Data Protection Day: Expert tips on how to protect your business
In the last 12 months, four out of five companies in the UK have suffered breaches. One small business is hacked successfully every 19 seconds in the UK....
January 27th, 2021

Extrovert-run businesses almost 40% more likely to be growing than introvert-run ones
A new report of over 1,000 small business owners and decision makers by Hitachi Capital Business Finance has found that extrovert-run businesses are more...
January 27th, 2021

Contract award values reach £57 billion for 2020 – a 5% fall on 2019
The value of all construction contract awards in 2020 was £57.0 billion. Despite the challenges 2020 brought, this represents a slight decrease of 4.7% on...
January 26th, 2021

Together promotes Sundeep Patel to director in intermediary sales team shake-up
Together’s Sundeep Patel is stepping up to become the specialist lender’s new director of sales as part of a restructure of its intermediary team. Sundeep,...
January 26th, 2021

Fiduciam extends its commitment to TVR with CBILS loan
Fiduciam is extending its relationship with car manufacturer TVR through a further three-year £2 million loan, under the Coronavirus Business Interruption...
January 26th, 2021

Institute of Export return furlough scheme money
The Institute for Export & International Trade, the professional membership body representing and supporting the interests of importers and exporters, is...
January 25th, 2021

Specialist finance company Together completes £500m bond offer
Together, one of the UK’s specialist lenders, has announced the issuance of £500m in six-year bonds at a coupon of 5.25 per cent. The finance company...
January 25th, 2021

Latam most impacted emerging market by coronavirus: Atradius report
Latin America and the Caribbean, Latam, has been the most affected emerging market in the Covid-19 pandemic, report economists from trade credit insurer...
January 25th, 2021

2020 was the worst year ever for retailers but online sales soared 46.1%
The latest ONS retail figures reveal 2020 was the worst year on record for retail, but a huge success for online sales. ParcelHero says December’s figures...
January 25th, 2021

Brexit uncertainty has fueled a new wave of scams
A fraudster’s perfect storm has broken in the UK. When the country voted in favour of Brexit in June 2016 it signalled the start of a long, painstaking...
January 21st, 2021

Funding Xchange and Enterprise Nation launch Business Finance Hub to support businesses struggling to secure finance
Funding Xchange (FXE), the finance platform powering MoneySuperMarket’s business funding channel, and the UK’s fastest growing business support provider,...
January 21st, 2021

Together increases use of digital valuations across its personal finance product range
Together has updated its criteria to allow more automatic property valuations in a move designed to reduce costs and speed up mortgage applications. The...
January 21st, 2021

Manufacturers outperform other sector, amid better growth expectations for 2021
Manufacturers helped push the UK’s economic recovery ahead of the global benchmark in December, according to the latest Lloyds Bank UK Recovery Tracker. The...
January 20th, 2021

United Trust Bank funds £11m redevelopment in a stunning beachside location
United Trust Bank (UTB) has agreed to fund a development of 14 luxury two and three bedroom apartments and ground floor commercial space being undertaken by...
January 19th, 2021

Care home finance remains in the spotlight despite Government support
While new admissions to care homes are beginning to return to pre-lockdown levels, they likely remain sensitive to further restrictions while COVID-19 is...
January 19th, 2021

JPIN VCATS invests £700k leading a £2 million raise for fintech front runner CreditEnable, an AI-driven SME credit marketplace
JPIN Venture Catalysts Ltd (JPIN VCATS) today announces a lead £700k investment into CreditEnable’s pre-series A round. CreditEnable is an AI-driven SME...
January 18th, 2021

Nucleus Commercial Finance secures £200m in new funding to support SMEs in 2021
Nucleus Commercial Finance, the award-winning fintech lender, today announces a new £200 million funding line from two leading global investment management...
January 18th, 2021

Together appoints new account manager for the North
Specialist lender Together has hired a highly-experienced industry professional as a regional account manager for the North. James Briggs, who has worked in...
January 18th, 2021

Permanent TSB partners with Experian’s categorisation service to deliver enhanced customer lending journeys
Irish personal finance provider Permanent TSB has signed up to use Experian’s banking categorisation technology to improve its customer lending journeys....
January 15th, 2021

SFP launches Guide to Business Survival to support small businesses
SFP, the restructuring and turnaround group, has published a new free Guide to Business Survival with easy to follow practical steps which includes a number of...
January 14th, 2021

The 30 most shocking retail fails of 2020 – who will be next?
The home delivery expert ParcelHero says that 2020 was the worst year on record for High Street retailers, with many of Britain’s favourite stores collapsing...
January 14th, 2021

Data shows cautious optimism for 2021 but EU deal ‘gaps’ are a concern says RSM
Today RSM’s Financial Conditions Index indicated signs of cautious optimism emerging for the year ahead. But whilst the Trade and Cooperation Agreement with...
January 14th, 2021

54% of brokers undershot their 2020 targets but 44% describe their outlook for 2021 as ‘exciting’
More than half (54%) of brokers and intermediaries responding to the United Trust Bank (UTB) end of year broker sentiment poll indicated that they had...
January 14th, 2021

SFP completes sale of A2B Plastics and secures jobs
Nationwide insolvency practitioner SFP has successfully completed the sale of Conwy-based manufacturing and injection moulding business, A2B Plastics Limited,...
January 14th, 2021

New restrictions underline need for swift support
The First Minister has this afternoon outlined further tightening of lockdown restrictions in Scotland – including preventing customers from going inside to...
January 13th, 2021

Asset finance market fell by 10% in November 2020
New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that total asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) fell...
January 13th, 2021

Eight in 10 small businesses start 2021 with resolutions to get in shape for the year ahead
After a challenging 12-months, small businesses resilience has not wavered as we start a New Year. Nationally, 83% of small firms say they have a fresh set of...
January 13th, 2021

67% of homebuyers want to see the stamp duty holiday extended while half are worried they’ll miss the current deadline
Research by the world’s leading high-net-worth mortgage broker, Enness Global, has revealed to just what extent the current stamp duty holiday in its...
January 13th, 2021

Rebrand and expansion hails new chapter for PKF Geoffrey Martin
It’s been 40 years since Geoffrey Martin founded the firm that took his name, and now the Leeds and London based restructuring practice is marking a new...
January 12th, 2021

Brexit could cost UK exporters £25bn as full Covid recovery pushed back to 2023
The UK’s exporters could face a Brexit bill worth as much as £25bn in lost revenues in 2021, according to a new report by Euler Hermes. New research from...
January 12th, 2021

Scottish business optimism plunged pre-lockdown
Scottish business confidence crashed in the final days of 2020, according to research from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). The small business...
January 11th, 2021

Britain’s SMEs prepare themselves for a life post the EU
With the UK now officially separated from the European Union, new research from Nucleus Commercial Finance has found that the UK’s SMEs are worried about...
January 8th, 2021

Tower Street Finance partners with Bridging.com
Bridging.com has appointed Tower Street Finance as its first strategic lending partner to provide short-term products that enable quick and easy access to...
January 7th, 2021

Accountancy firm’s shock at lack of support from Government for self-employed
A leading regional accountancy firm has expressed its shock at the lack of support for self-employed people in the latest Coronavirus business support package....
January 6th, 2021

Together remains “open for business” during third lockdown
Specialist lender Together has confirmed its plans to continue lending despite tougher restrictions as the UK enters national lockdown. England was been...
January 5th, 2021

Bulgaria Country Report published by Atradius
Trade credit insurer Atradius has published its latest trading insight report on Bulgaria. The Bulgaria Country Report follows on from recent Atradius reports...
January 5th, 2021

Latest lockdown help for businesses welcome but support for those excluded more pressing than ever
The Money Advice Trust, the charity that runs Business Debtline, has welcomed the Chancellor’s new lockdown grants for businesses in the retail, hospitality...
January 5th, 2021

FSB in Scotland welcomes cash injection
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a new package of coronavirus grant support for businesses in England, with associated consequentials for the Scottish...
January 5th, 2021

Nucleus Commercial Finance aims to lend £200 million to SMEs through CBILS
Nucleus Commercial Finance, one of the UK’s leading fintech lenders, aims to lend £200 million to SMEs through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan...
January 5th, 2021

£1 million facility provides fresh funding for Yorkshire food wholesaler
Tuber Produce, an independent fresh food wholesaler, has renewed its funding facility worth £1m from Bibby Financial Services (BFS) for a further 18 months,...
January 5th, 2021

Help for Scottish business can no longer be a dollar short and a day late
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced a strict new lockdown for the Scottish mainland. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) urged Ministers to...
January 5th, 2021

UK trade credit insurance scheme extended until 30th June 2021
The UK Government has agreed with leading trade credit insurers to extend the Trade Credit Reinsurance Scheme until June 2021. The objective of the 2021 scheme...
January 4th, 2021

Government extends shield to sustain UK trade
The UK government, the Association of British Insurers (ABI), Euler Hermes – the world’s leading trade credit insurer – and other underwriters have...
January 4th, 2021

BExA – UK Export Finance Annual Benchmarking Report 2020
The British Exporters Association (BExA) today launches its 11th annual benchmarking of UK Export Finance (UKEF). The report, titled ‘Exporting in the new...
January 4th, 2021

Free trade deal bodes well for business confidence
Commenting on the post-Brexit free trade deal agreed with the EU, Stephen Haddrill, Director General of the FLA said: “As always in trade talks, the devil is...
January 4th, 2021

MarketFinance lends £342m, end of term report shows trends and insights
More loans, larger businesses and a regional shift – these are some of the trends and insights that fintech business lender MarketFinance observed during...
December 21st, 2020

Bibby Financial Services announces new senior team to drive growth strategy
International SME financier, Bibby Financial Services (BFS), has announced three new senior hires to drive forward its global growth strategy in 2021 and...
December 18th, 2020

Landbay’s Paul Brett to chair FIBA conference panel
Paul Brett, managing director of intermediaries at Landbay, is to be the panel chair at FIBA’s Annual Conference and Expo, taking place on the 20th January....
December 17th, 2020

FSB: Holyrood must prioritise small business recovery
The next intake of MSPs must deliver new laws designed to help Scotland’s local and independent firms recover from this year’s crisis, according to the...
December 17th, 2020

Duff & Phelps Launches New Interim Executive Solutions Service
Duff & Phelps has announced the launch of its Interim Executive Solutions offering. The new service draws upon the firm’s well-established network of...
December 15th, 2020

Three in five bosses admit the pandemic has positively impacted workforce productivity
Three in five bosses (60%) say that the pandemic has unexpectedly impacted the productivity of their workforce in a positive way, according to new research...
December 14th, 2020

SMEs fire Trump and Angela Merkel comes out as most supportive leader during pandemic
CapitalBox, the leading online pan-European SME funding platform, today launches a survey into SMEs sentiment towards world leaders and the support they have...
December 14th, 2020

Consumers to give small businesses a lift in support of Covid-19
New research from Nucleus Commercial Finance found that an overwhelming majority (96%) of consumers not only support their local independent businesses, but...
December 14th, 2020

FSB: Ministers see light on business support
The Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Finance Kate Forbes MSP has announced a variety of new funds to support firms through the coronavirus...
December 10th, 2020

Bloom Community Interest Company seeks Crowdfunding
Bloom Finance Group Community Interest Company (“Bloom Finance Group”) is a mission led Community Interest Company created to contribute positively to...
December 9th, 2020

Leasing industry continues to adapt as it prepares for the ‘Next Normal’
The vehicle leasing industry is braced for yet more challenges as the most turbulent year imaginable comes to an end. The BVRLA’s latest Leasing Outlook...
December 8th, 2020

FSB: 12 days to save smaller firms’ Christmas
People in Scotland now have 12 days to save local businesses’ Christmas, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). With news that covid...
December 8th, 2020

Business Booster Fund to kickstart 2021
Fintech business lender MarketFinance has launched a Business Booster Fund that will make grants of £5,000 available to UK small businesses. The initiative...
December 8th, 2020

Stockport finance firm gives £10k to feed families this Christmas
A Cheadle-based business has made a £10,000 donation to Stockport County FC’s charity campaign to provide meals for youngsters over the festive period. Marc...
December 8th, 2020

Barburrito secures future saving restaurants and jobs with sale to co-founders
RSM Restructuring Advisory LLP has helped Barburrito, Mexican eatery, with a successful Administration sale securing new investment in the business. Barburrito...
December 8th, 2020

Asset finance market fell by 14% in October 2020
New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that total asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) fell...
December 7th, 2020

6 out of 10 Growth Businesses to fail in 2021 unless Government Policy changes
The Enterprise Investment Scheme Association (EISA), responsible for liaising with the Government on behalf of members investing in early stage growth...
December 7th, 2020

SMEs hold out hope for Christmas shoppers
Shopping with small and local businesses has never been more important with almost one third (31%) of the UK’s SMEs relying on the Christmas period to help...
December 7th, 2020

Entrepreneur Seeks To Reform The British Business Bank (Petition Launched)
High Street banks are not opening new business accounts. Entrepreneur and Co-founder of MachFast, Michael Rossman, has launched a government petition and an...
December 2nd, 2020

United Trust Bank wins ‘Development Lender of the Year’ at the NACFB Awards 2020
United Trust Bank has been named ‘Development Lender of the Year’ at the National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers (NACFB) Awards 2020. This...
December 2nd, 2020

New London and South East regional manager at Atradius
Trade credit insurer Atradius has appointed Damien Dawson as its new Regional Manager for London and the South East. Mr Dawson joins Atradius with more than 33...
December 2nd, 2020

Christmas retail footfall will fall 50% despite 24-hour shopping, says ParcelHero
The High Street’s ‘Welcome-Back Wednesday’ will do little to ease the surge in online shopping, forecasts the home delivery expert ParcelHero. It says...
December 1st, 2020

Trade Ledger platform selected by Bibby Financial Services to drive funding automation
Trade Ledger, the global technology provider to the commercial banking and financial services industry, today announced that Bibby Financial Services (BFS), a...
December 1st, 2020

Comment from Nucleus Commercial Finance – changes to Crown Preference
Commenting on the re-introduction of Crown Preference, Ian Bath, Corporate Sales Director, Nucleus Commercial Finance, said: “Although the re-introduction of...
December 1st, 2020

Money and Pensions Service comment on Arcadia administration
Following the news of Arcadia going into administration, please find a comment from MaPS on steps staff should take to manage their finances and prepare for...
December 1st, 2020

Let’s keep building – Fiduciam supports housebuilders with CBILS
Over the last month Fiduciam, the institutionally funded short-term lender to SMEs and entrepreneurs, has completed over £22 million of loans to housebuilders...
December 1st, 2020

SMEs fear for their future as savings are hit hard
Nucleus Commercial Finance has today revealed that a quarter (23%) of SMEs in the UK had little or no savings before the pandemic hit earlier this year,...
November 30th, 2020

Small Businesses turning to finance as confidence starts to return
Following a concentrated period of uncertainty, new research from Hitachi Capital Business Finance found a significant proportion of small businesses are...
November 30th, 2020

More businesses likely to apply for government-backed loans as funds run low and economic emergency set to bite
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, detailed the onset of the economic emergency facing the UK at last week’s spending review. This comes at a time...
November 30th, 2020

Business volumes ‘show no signs of slowing’, says SDL Surveying
National residential surveying and valuations firm, SDL Surveying, has today announced that, despite increased lockdown measures, the level of business volume...
November 26th, 2020

Comment – Hope Capital comment on property sales stats from HMRC
Commenting on property transaction figures from HMRC published today, Jonathan Sealey, CEO, of specialist lender Hope Capital said: “With property sales in...
November 24th, 2020

United Trust Bank appoints new Senior Manager for Property Development
United Trust Bank (UTB) is continuing to expand its Development Finance Division with the appointment of a new Senior Manager supporting housebuilders and...
November 23rd, 2020

Ahead of the Spending Review – Azets urges the Chancellor to take 5 practical steps that will support business and help deliver growth across the regions.
Ahead of the Spending Review, Azets, the UK’s largest regional accountancy and business advisor to SMEs, urges the Chancellor to take 5 practical steps...
November 23rd, 2020

Online sales boomed over 60% in October to lead the retail fightback
October’s retail sales estimates, released today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), reveal sales volumes soared by 5.8% YOY, up 1.2% from...
November 23rd, 2020

Slight drop in value of contract awards in October but activity remains strong
The total value of construction contract awards in October 2020 was £4.9 billion based on a three-month rolling average. This is a decrease of 9.4% on...
November 20th, 2020

Recovery Tracker Survey Shows Further Deterioration in Economic Activity
The results of Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce’s seventh GM COVID-19 Recovery Tracker show a further deterioration in economic activity. The recent...
November 19th, 2020

ESL powers up new contract with working capital plug from Reward Finance Group.
Renewable energy consultancy, Electek Solutions Limited (ESL), is continuing its impressive growth with a short-term working capital injection from Reward...
November 19th, 2020

Plain sailing: Together saves £3m seafront property deal with four-hour funding
Specialist lender Together rescued a £3million deal by providing a short-term loan in just four hours for an investor to buy an exclusive waterside property....
November 19th, 2020

Credit Market Report September 2020 Shows Card Spend Rise Stalling
Global analytics software provider FICO today released its analysis of UK card trends for September 2020, which shows the continuing impact of COVID-19 on...
November 19th, 2020

Fiduciam provides £1.18million loan to fund Cornish hotel beyond Covid
Fiduciam, the institutionally funded short-term lender to SMEs and entrepreneurs, has just completed a £1.18million loan to finance a popular hotel in...
November 19th, 2020

Businesses are warned of a perfect storm brewing with Brexit looming and more stringent lockdown measures impacting on Christmas trading
Insolvency figures released last week by the Government’s Insolvency Service show a 42% reduction in the number of company insolvencies in October 2020,...
November 19th, 2020

Five steps for SMEs to budget properly for the coming year
During the challenging times of COVID-19, it is difficult to forecast orders and costs. This is especially true for SMEs that operate internationally and...
November 18th, 2020

Scotland: Changes will hit smallest traders hardest
The First Minister has this afternoon outlined a range of changes to local coronavirus levels in Scotland, with much of west central Scotland faced with the...
November 18th, 2020

Comment – Small business Barclaycard Payments research
Today, research from Barclaycard Payments highlights two-thirds of small and medium sized enterprises in England felt more prepared for the current national...
November 17th, 2020

Cedar Rose Receives Cyprus Export Services Award
Business intelligence provider Cedar Rose has been presented with the Cyprus Special Export Award for Services from the President of the Republic of Cyprus,...
November 17th, 2020

RSM appoints new forensic partner
Audit, tax and consulting firm RSM has strengthened its forensic practice by appointing a new forensic partner in its London office. Flip Stander joins RSM...
November 17th, 2020

Harley Kagan to be appointed Chief Executive Officer of United Trust Bank
Harley Kagan, currently Group Managing Director of United Trust Bank (UTB), is to become the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Bank from January 2021. The...
November 17th, 2020

Landbay agrees major funding deal with Asset Manager
Landbay, a leading buy-to-let lending platform, has closed an additional funding deal with a leading asset manager. The asset manager aims to fund in excess of...
November 17th, 2020

Together Financial Services Limited – Q1 Results
Together Financial Services Limited (‘Together’ or ‘the Group’), one of the UK’s leading specialist mortgage and secured loan providers, announces...
November 16th, 2020

Landbay joins CFB UK network
Landbay, one of the UK’s leading buy-to-let lenders, has joined the network panel of Commercial Finance Brokers UK (CFBUK). CFBUK is a whole of market...
November 16th, 2020

Optimum Finance bolsters its offering in three regions with two new sales directors and commercial director promotion
Leading invoice finance provider and fintech firm Optimum Finance has appointed two regional sales directors to fulfil the funding needs of SMEs across three...
November 13th, 2020

A great match: Stockport County and Together strike sponsorship deal
Cheadle-based specialist lender Together has made its first signing of a UK football club by becoming an official partner of Stockport County. The move brings...
November 13th, 2020

This trend will undoubtedly follow again in October and November – Comment on the ONS GDP figures for September
Following the GDP figures from the ONS this morning, Richard Pike, sales and marketing director at Phoebus Software, responding to today’s figures from the...
November 12th, 2020

Specialist lender Together partners with Nivo to launch its new app
Commercial loan customers now have access to quicker lending decisions with secure messaging through Together’s new mobile phone app. The specialist lender...
November 12th, 2020

MarketFinance makes senior appointments following £10m grant award
Fintech business lender MarketFinance has appointed The Rt Hon. Baroness Susan Kramer and entrepreneur Shalini Khemka to the MarketFinance Grant Supervisory...
November 12th, 2020

Wedding dreams on safe ground thanks to Fiduciam’s expansion throughout Northern Ireland
Fiduciam is growing its operations in Northern Ireland with the granting of a Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) loan to a wedding and...
November 12th, 2020

Reward Finance Group provides £400k funding to dry sanitiser business to meet huge demand
Wolverhampton-based X-Mist, which has invented a dry sanitation process, is ramping up production to cater for the huge demand created by the COVID-19...
November 12th, 2020

Mid-tier auto supplies manufacturers running on empty must act now, according to Duff & Phelps
Falling consumer demand, combined with supply chain and manufacturing disruption as a result of COVID-19, all mean considerable challenges lie ahead for the...
November 12th, 2020

Small business relief mixed with frustration as toughest restrictions avoided
The First Minister has this afternoon outlined a range of changes to local coronavirus restrictions in Scotland. No mainland Scottish local authorities have...
November 11th, 2020

Comment: Bounce Back Loan Scheme Top-Ups
“Thousands of businesses applied for the first Bounce Back Loan scheme, but there are lessons to be learnt if this time around is to be carried out more...
November 10th, 2020

Furlough extension welcome but certainty needed ‘well beyond’ the short-term
The Money Advice Trust, the charity that runs National Debtline and Business Debtline, has welcomed the Chancellor’s extension of the furlough scheme until...
November 6th, 2020

Jobs support welcome, but new help for local firms required
The Chancellor Rishi Sunak MP has this afternoon announced a range of measures designed to support UK businesses and workers as they face ongoing covid-related...
November 6th, 2020

Government loses potential for £15bn economic boost and job creation
The Government must cut VAT on home improvement works to 5% to boost jobs and stimulate the economy. This is in response to the PMI data, published today,...
November 5th, 2020

Home delivery returns to the Home Front for Christmas as online sales are set to soar by 54%
Thousands of non-essential stores have shuttered once again but couriers and retailers are continuing to deliver to the front door. ParcelHero says stores are...
November 5th, 2020

BFS partners with The Funky Appliance Company to support growth
Independent SME funder, Bibby Financial Services (BFS), has provided a significant funding facility to The Funky Appliance Company, a young UK business based...
November 5th, 2020

November lockdown – the three key elements to make sure your workforce stays safe and connected
With the introduction of a nationwide lockdown from Thursday 5th November 2020, independent UK IT vendor, Richmond Systems, has released top tips for effective...
November 5th, 2020

Asset finance market fell by 11% in September 2020
New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that total asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) fell...
November 4th, 2020

Brexit takes a back seat for small firms due to COVID fears
As the Brexit transition period comes to an end, new research from Hitachi Capital Business Finance has found businesses were twice as likely to be concerned...
November 4th, 2020

Christmas products supplier meets unprecedented demand for its trees, decorations and lights with help from Reward Finance Group
Christmas products company, Mail Order Online Ltd, is meeting unprecedented demand for its range of trees, decorations, and lights, with help from independent...
November 3rd, 2020

SenseCheck – a new peer to peer community to support B2B SME growth
Today sees the launch of SenseCheck, an online platform developed for B2B SMEs to support each other by giving and receiving anonymised, honest feedback on...
November 2nd, 2020

Quarter of business-owners believe conditions will get much worse
Scottish business confidence slumped over the last three months, after a modest recovery earlier this year, according to new figures from the Federation of...
October 29th, 2020

Upgrading IT Could Save Businesses Over £100k Per Year in Lost Productivity
The debate continues whether remote working will continue when the UK is relieved from the effects of the pandemic. But one thing that is seeming almost set in...
October 29th, 2020

Hometrack Index shows 50% more sales transacting than last year – industry reaction
The latest Hometrack UK cities index by Zoopla shows: UK house price growth hits two-and-a-half-year high High demand over the summer has created a sales...
October 28th, 2020

FSB’s McRae: “Blueprint must loosen vice on economy”
The Scottish Parliament will this afternoon scrutinise the Scottish Government’s proposed strategic framework for managing the coronavirus crisis. Ahead of...
October 27th, 2020

United Trust Bank refinances £34m luxury seafront development in Falmouth, Cornwall
United Trust Bank (UTB) has agreed to refinance a development of 53 luxury apartments being undertaken by multi-award winning housebuilders Acorn Property...
October 27th, 2020

Online will overtake store spending for the first time this Christmas
The home delivery expert ParcelHero says that online sales are set to overtake spending in physical stores for the first time this Christmas as Brits brace for...
October 27th, 2020

Treats added to the Seventies Collection this Halloween
Brokers can look forward to a real treat this Halloween as Hope Capital launches a special version of its Seventies Collection, with two revamped bridging loan...
October 27th, 2020

Reward Finance Group continues to grow team in Manchester to meet demand
Independent finance provider, Reward Finance Group, has appointed David Baddiel as business development manager, in its Manchester office, to meet demand for...
October 26th, 2020

Second wave beats Brexit as businesses’ top fear
Almost half of British businesses fear the impact of the second wave of Coronavirus (48%), more than they fear the impact of Brexit (24%), according to new...
October 26th, 2020

ONS retail figures reveal it’s going to be a ‘digital Christmas’ right across the UK
ONS retail figures show retail’s fight-back continued in September, with significant online pre-ordering of new games consoles pointing the way to an online...
October 26th, 2020

Employee benefits platform, comments on the Chancellor’s new business support measures
“This is welcome news for small firms that are allowed to stay open, but have seen trade dry up because of local restrictions, such as businesses in the...
October 23rd, 2020

Vantage Finance receives Feefo Gold Trusted Service Award 2020
Vantage Finance has won the Feefo Gold Trusted Service award, an independent seal of excellence that recognises businesses for delivering exceptional...
October 22nd, 2020

United Trust Bank provides funding for £7.6m new homes development near Milton Keynes
United Trust Bank (UTB) has agreed to fund a £7.6m development of new houses and bungalows close to Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire. The development, in the...
October 22nd, 2020

Key industry report suggests lenders return to SME lending, but eyes are on Covid
The respected quarterly SME Lending Monitor, published by government appointed lending portal Funding Xchange, reports signs of ‘green shoots in Autumn’...
October 21st, 2020

Why SMEs are key to success in the UK’s fight against climate change
The fight against climate change has always been a collective effort. But for small or medium-sized business, it can sometimes feel like you’re a small fish...
October 21st, 2020

Enra Specialist Finance completes first securitisation with £268m portfolio
UK mortgage lender Enra Specialist Finance has announced today, Monday 19th October, that it has priced its first residential mortgage backed securities,...
October 19th, 2020

Optimum Finance appoints fintech expert, Anthony Persse, as chief executive officer
Invoice finance provider, Optimum Finance, today announced that fintech expert, Anthony Persse, has taken up the role of chief executive officer, following the...
October 19th, 2020

Resurgent small business confidence holds firm in countdown to Christmas
For the first time this year, small business confidence has held firm from one quarter to the next. The day after the Government announced its three-tier Covid...
October 19th, 2020

Landbay joins Synergy network
Landbay, one of the UK’s leading buy-to-let lenders, has joined Synergy Commercial Finance’s network panel. Landbay was already on Synergy’s packager...
October 19th, 2020

Europcar brings flexibility to business fleets with 3month+ lease product
Europcar Mobility Group UK are pleased to announce the introduction of their business focused Flex+ product to broker members of the Leasing Broker Federation....
October 19th, 2020

United Trust Bank appoints Nathan Mollett as new Head of Asset Finance
United Trust Bank (UTB) has appointed Nathan Mollett as the Bank’s new Head of Asset Finance. Nathan joins UTB from Metro Bank where he has been Director of...
October 16th, 2020

South West interiors specialist secures £1 million funding
SME funder, Bibby Financial Services (BFS) has provided a £1.1 million funding line to LWS Interior Solutions and South West Kitchens, part of the LWS Group....
October 16th, 2020

Record month of applications and exchanges for Just Mortgages
Just Mortgages has achieved its best ever month for both applications and exchanges in September. There were 1,750 applications and 1,500 exchanges last month...
October 15th, 2020

Fiduciam receives £430 million of CBILS loan requests to date and expects a further £200 million
Fiduciam, the institutionally funded short-term lender, expects to receive at least another £200 million of requests for Coronavirus Business Interruption...
October 15th, 2020

SAGE documents reveal non-essential stores have a ‘very minimal impact on R values’
New documents released by SAGE, the Government’s scientific advisory group for emergencies, reveal the closure of non-essential stores has ‘very minimal...
October 13th, 2020

Venio launches operations in Mexico in support of its
Venio, the mobile application providing “nano-credit” facilities to unbanked consumers in emerging markets accessed via a smartphone, today...
October 13th, 2020

Reward Finance Group marks 10th anniversary with record deal
Alternative finance provider, Reward Finance Group, has delivered a record £3.45 million deal as it celebrates its tenth birthday. The Business Finance deal,...
October 12th, 2020

Landbay partners with Primis Mortgage Network
Landbay, one of the UK’s leading specialist buy-to-let lenders, today announces its partnership with Primis Mortgage Network, one of the largest mortgage and...
October 12th, 2020

Asset finance market fell by 18% in August 2020
New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that total asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) fell...
October 9th, 2020

Nucleus Commercial Finance appoints new business development director to bolster property-finance proposition
Nucleus Commercial Finance today announces the appointment of Andy Bird as Business Development Director of Property Finance. Andy brings with him 30 years’...
October 8th, 2020

Automotive brands leading the way
As the nation reflects on over six months of forced business closures and near financial ruin, the automotive industry is one of many that continues to provide...
October 8th, 2020

Small business owners prioritise health and wellbeing
Motivating staff and maintaining a happy workforce is now a top priority for more than one in two small business owners (55%) – rising to 60% among younger...
October 7th, 2020

New Covid ‘red alert’ plans: couriers prepare once more for the front door to become the front line
At the height of the coronavirus national lockdown in March, the Government prioritised delivery drivers as key workers. Under the Government’s new...
October 7th, 2020

Comment: Bounce back loans – Taxpayers may lose up to £26 billion
“In the rush to contain COVID disruption, public and private sector organisations implemented measures, at pace, to protect the economy. Expediency may...
October 7th, 2020

‘Scottish Government must set out second wave help package’
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) in Scotland has written to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon urging the Scottish Government to outline the support it...
October 7th, 2020

SMEs stand tall in face of pandemic, with over half adapting to survive
As the fear of a second wave of Covid-19 increases, SMEs are demonstrating their resilience, as research from Nucleus Commercial Finance reveals nearly three...
October 6th, 2020

Sunk revenue: SMEs lose £2.2bn as customers fall into administration during lockdown
SMEs across the UK are counting the cost of the lockdown as they prepare for a testing final quarter of 2020. Risktech business Nimbla, surveyed1 2,000 UK SMEs...
October 6th, 2020

SMEs stand tall in face of pandemic, with over half adapting to survive
As the fear of a second wave of Covid-19 increases, SMEs are demonstrating their resilience, as research from Nucleus Commercial Finance reveals nearly three...
October 5th, 2020

Together and F4B complete a commercial loan in just four hours
Together has praised its specialist distributer partner First 4 Bridging (F4B) for its expert packaging of a commercial mortgage application – allowing...
October 2nd, 2020

Conveyancing Association urges all member firms to endorse HBSG buying and selling pledges
The Conveyancing Association (CA), the leading trade body for the conveyancing industry, has today urged all its member firms to endorse a series of home...
September 29th, 2020

More than 1 in 4 (26%) of UK consumers not confident about their finances post Covid19, says CISI
Following the stresses and strains of the Covid-19 pandemic, 26% of UK consumers say they are not confident about their financial situation, according to a...
September 29th, 2020

FSB welcomes jobs help, but argues more support is required
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has today announced a range of measures designed to support employment as UK businesses grapple with a range of new trading restrictions...
September 24th, 2020

October ‘circuit breaker’ second lockdown will turn the lights out permanently on extra 5,000 stores
20,000 stores are already expected to fail this year – and a second major lockdown would claim a further 5,000 shops, warns the home delivery expert...
September 24th, 2020

UK e-commerce businesses report revenue spikes in excess of 15% since the coronavirus lockdown
UK e-commerce companies have seen significant growth, both in revenues and repeat orders since lockdown. Firms report average annual revenue increases of more...
September 24th, 2020

MarketFinance awarded £10m grant
Fintech business lender MarketFinance has been awarded a £10m grant from the Capability and Innovation Fund (CIF), announced today by Banking Competition...
September 23rd, 2020

Lockdown tech trends here to stay
Six months on from the official government lockdown, Robert McKechnie, Open Banking Expert at Equifax UK, believes technology and digital transformation will...
September 23rd, 2020

FSB: Second wave covid business support required
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon this afternoon outlined new measures designed to combat the coronavirus pandemic, including restrictions upon hospitality...
September 23rd, 2020

Nolan appointed new CICM Chair
Debbie Nolan FCICM(Grad) has succeeded Pete Whitmore FCICM as Chair of the CICM Executive Board of Trustees. She is joined in her new position by Phil Rice...
September 21st, 2020

SMEs running on empty as CBILS deadline looms
Bounce Back loans, the most popular HM Treasury support measure, used by SMEs are running low, finds the latest insights from fintech business lender...
September 21st, 2020

DIY fever prevents a second retail slump but it’s the High Street that really needs fixing up
Today’s ONS retail figures show the value of retail sales grew just 0.7% in August – in contrast to July’s 4.4%. The home delivery expert ParcelHero...
September 21st, 2020

Coronavirus–hit family businesses in the financial services sector continue to be the backbone of the economy
The new IFB Research Foundation The State of the Nation: The UK Family Business Sector 2019–20 report published this week showcases the unwavering relevance...
September 18th, 2020

Fiduciam provides £840,000 loan to children nursery – how CBILS boosts local businesses and communities.
Fiduciam, the institutionally funded short-term lender, has just completed a Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) loan for £840,000. The loan...
September 18th, 2020

Brexit has already cost more than the International Space Station – and it’s still rocketing!
The cost of Brexit to the UK economy is already over £130bn. By comparison, the International Space Station cost £115bn. It is not rocket science to see that...
September 17th, 2020

Small business leaders reveal plans for new economic climate
More than four in five small business owners (81%) have made key changes to their business and services in order to prepare for the economic uncertainty in the...
September 17th, 2020

FSB on GDP stats
The Scottish economy contracted by almost a fifth between April and June of this year, according to new official statistics. Andrew McRae, the Federation of...
September 17th, 2020

Covid-19 forces over four in 10 SMEs looking to sell to put sale plans on hold
SMEs across the UK have had to tear up business succession plans due to COVID-19, according to research from Nucleus Commercial Finance. Prior to the pandemic,...
September 16th, 2020

Business levels rebound at LM
Business levels are on course to return to normal at automated decisioning provider LendingMetrics. The company behind the award-winning* ADP underwriting...
September 15th, 2020

Bibby Financial Services call for targeted extension of the furlough scheme
The UK Government needs to extend the furlough scheme urgently and ensure that targeted support is available to those sectors who have been worst hit. Edward...
September 14th, 2020

Established plant nursery to develop garden centre complex with help from Reward Finance Group
Ravensworth Nurseries in Richmond, North Yorkshire is investing £1.1m in developing an upmarket retail garden centre to enhance its already successful plant...
September 11th, 2020

Second Covid wave will leave retailers and suppliers with nowhere to hide, says ParcelHero
As Brits brace themselves for a second wave of the coronavirus, the leading home delivery specialist ParcelHero says retailers and manufacturers are already...
September 11th, 2020

UK’s small family businesses doing the most to protect jobs
With the Government’s job retention scheme ending in a month’s time, new research suggests the nation’s oldest and most traditional small family...
September 10th, 2020

Buyer demand for new homes plummets to lowest levels in six years, says FMB
Demand for new homes has reached its lowest level since 2014, according to small to medium-sized (SME) house builders. The new figures, published today in the...
September 10th, 2020

Fintech veteran Ben Sher joins finance portal Funding Xchange as Chief Commercial Officer
Funding Xchange, the leading business funding market place using its innovative platform to link businesses to the funders who are most likely to have an...
September 9th, 2020

Asset finance market fell by 22% in July 2020
New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that total asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) fell...
September 7th, 2020

MarketFinance banks £50m as it ramps CBILS support for SMEs as deadline looms
Fintech business lender MarketFinance has secured an additional £50m from one of Israel’s largest asset managers, Viola Credit, to lend to UK SMEs under the...
September 7th, 2020

First international customer live with Line of Credit for SME and Consumers
As of September 1st, the Finnish fintech company OPR-Finance is live with Line of Credit for Consumer (EveryDayPlus) and SME customers (Yritysluotto Flex) in...
September 7th, 2020

Fourth Recovery Tracker shows demand has been hit by local restrictions and holiday season
The August holiday season and additional restrictions imposed in Greater Manchester have contributed to a dampening of demand, according to the fourth GM...
September 3rd, 2020

Atradius Insolvency Report forecasts 27% climb in UK business failures
Insolvencies in the UK are forecast to jump by 27% this year, slightly higher than the global average rise of 26%, reveals a new economic research report by...
September 2nd, 2020

Euler Hermes Chairman – the worst is yet to come for trade
The full economic and business impact of the Covid-19 crisis is yet to be felt, with the preservation of cashflow and investment in new technologies to predict...
September 2nd, 2020

Hitachi Capital Business Finance launches Smart Business Planning programme
As a part of its continued commitment to support small business owners, Hitachi Capital Business Finance has launched its very first Smart Business Planning...
September 1st, 2020

Growing business confidence encouraging, but SME workers still bearing the brunt of challenges
If you are writing about the Lloyds Bank Business Barometer results, Rob Marshall, Managing Director at WorkLife by OpenMoney, commented: “After an extremely...
September 1st, 2020

CBILS Loan Support Set to End – don’t miss out
The British Business Bank has confirmed that applications for the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) will close on September 30th. The...
August 27th, 2020

Cash Collection and Credit Management with Klass Academy
Klass Academy produces and markets Blended Training and Services for Finance, Sales & Order to Cash departments of companies. The start-up, headquartered...
August 25th, 2020

Keeping it in the family
Almost a quarter of business owners have employed relatives in recent months – sparking a revival of traditional family businesses. The study of 500 small...
August 25th, 2020

Mann Island Finance Joins the ‘Bounce-Back’ With Record Volumes
The continuing reports of an encouraging bounce-back in used cars, coupled with a level of pent-up demand have helped Mann Island Finance to achieve two...
August 25th, 2020
Nucleus Commercial Finance supports SMEs with faster decision making on applications
Nucleus Commercial Finance today announces it has digitised the end-to-end user journey for all finance applications, including loans through the Coronavirus...
August 24th, 2020

OakNorth Bank completes £20m loan-on-loan facility to Ultimate Finance Group to support growth in bridging lending
OakNorth Bank – the UK bank powered by OakNorth – has completed a £20m loan-on-loan facility to Ultimate Finance Group, the specialist asset-based lender....
August 24th, 2020

Global FinTech company Ferratum enters the FIA WorldRX with its own racing team led by Jani Paasonen from Finland
A global FinTech company Ferratum continues its successful cooperation as the title sponsor of the FIA WorldRX, started in 2019, this time bringing in its own...
August 24th, 2020

Aberdeen Longer Lockdown: Financial package will cushion blow
Today the First Minister today confirmed that a local lockdown will continue in Aberdeen for another seven days. She also announced, in response to calls from...
August 20th, 2020

UK Fintech sets out survival plan for small businesses post Covid
Analysis by London based global fintech Paysend into the critical issues facing small businesses in a post coronavirus environment point to a new world in...
August 17th, 2020

SMEs spending over £20,000 to reopen a fifth planning to use personal savings
As businesses begin to reopen across the country, research from Nucleus Commercial Finance today reveals that SME owners are having to spend on average...
August 17th, 2020

FSB: Help required for Aberdeen businesses if lockdown continues
The First Minister today confirmed that a local lockdown will continue in Aberdeen for at least a further seven days. David Groundwater, FSB’s development...
August 13th, 2020

Can sustainability survive another recession?
Twelve years ago, the UK was in the middle of a terrible recession. Almost 50 small businesses closed every day because of the economic fallout, with mass...
August 13th, 2020

Budget must accelerate construction recovery, says FMB
The Government must use the forthcoming Budget to bring forward greater investment in the construction sector to help boost jobs and activity, says the...
August 12th, 2020

Half of managers fear their employees are at risk of ‘burnout’, as WHO officially recognise burnout as a medical diagnosis
47% of managers believe their employees may be at risk of burnout, following a change in work pattern or behaviour bought on by Covid-19. Over a third (36%) of...
August 12th, 2020

The Chartered Institute of Credit Management presents – ‘Managing the New Credit Future’ – a collaboration with ITN Productions
The Chartered Institute of Credit Management (CICM) and ITN Productions will be co-producers of a content series ‘Managing the New Credit Future,’ produced...
August 12th, 2020

‘Jobs figures are a taste of things to come’
The number of people employed in Scotland fell by 15,000 between April and June, according to official statistics published today. The figures – published by...
August 12th, 2020

Asset finance market fell by 41% in June 2020
New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that total asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) fell...
August 6th, 2020

Optimum Finance appoints three new industry heavyweights
Bristol and London-based invoice finance provider and fintech firm Optimum Finance has appointed three industry experts to bolster its offering. The company...
August 6th, 2020

FSB on Aberdeen lockdown
The First Minister has today announced that the Scottish Government is implementing a limited local lockdown in Aberdeen, including the enforced closure of...
August 6th, 2020

Is Remote Working The Best Choice After Lockdown?
The beginning of August marks the end of the Government’s advice to work from home and signals an era when many offices will re-open and employers and...
August 5th, 2020

FORS launches new training package to help fleet operators manage fatigue
FORS has unveiled a new training package designed to help fleet operators better manage driver fatigue. Time Smart is the latest addition to the FORS...
August 4th, 2020

Registry Trust Half Year 1 2020 England and Wales Business Statistics – For Immediate Release
County Court Judgments (CCJs) registered against businesses England and Wales fell by nearly 30 percent in the first half of 2020 (HY1 2020), compared to the...
August 3rd, 2020

A new report by Nexus Global reveals the state of business confidence in Wales amid Covid-19
The current pandemic has thrown drastic obstacles in the way for UK businesses. With a total business confidence score of 91.89 out of 190 in Wales, these...
July 31st, 2020

FSB: GDP figures don’t show scale of crisis
Statistics published by the Scottish Government this morning show that the Scottish economy contracted by 2.5% in the first quarter of 2020. However, other...
July 29th, 2020

Cavendish gears up for leasehold reform with boost to enfranchisement team
Cavendish Legal Group has responded to the Law Commission’s recent proposals on leasehold reform by announcing plans to boost its enfranchisement team....
July 29th, 2020

United Trust Bank continues to expand its Development Finance Division with two appointments
United Trust Bank (UTB) is continuing to expand its Development Finance Division with the appointment of a new Director and a new Manager. Hardeep Thandi joins...
July 29th, 2020

3 UK-based businesses putting sustainability at the heart of their growth strategy
Sustainability has taken on a whole new meaning for businesses. Annual CSR reports are behind us; customers and stakeholders are now demanding real-time...
July 29th, 2020

New £2bn ‘tax on the frail’ planned: online shoppers must not be the fall guys who pay the Government’s Covid bill, says ParcelHero
The Government is reportedly examining how the ‘the tax system raises sufficient revenue’ to cover the cost of lost business rates, as the coronavirus...
July 28th, 2020

Hygiene firms look to clean up with £4m funding line
Bibby Financial Services Ltd (BFS) has provided a £4m Invoice Discounting facility to the Bothongo Group UK, which has interests in the rapidly growing...
July 28th, 2020

Hope Capital gears up for growth with an eye on recruiting talent
Hope Capital is gearing up for a period of sustained growth, as it proceeds with the next phase of its ambitious expansion strategy. The specialist short-term...
July 28th, 2020

Care homes facing long-term funding crisis need to act now
The high number of deaths in care homes, combined with the reluctance of families to place elderly residents in care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, means...
July 28th, 2020

Scottish firms regain confidence but “tale of two economies” revealed in new research
FSB’s Scottish small business confidence index jumped from -154.8 points in Q1, the lowest ever figure recorded, to -10.1 points in Q2. Over the same period,...
July 27th, 2020

Duff & Phelps appointed Joint Administrators of Winfresh UK Limited (the ‘Company’)
Established in 1994, Winfresh is one the UK’s leading suppliers of bananas including Fairtrade bananas from smallholders in the Caribbean. The Company...
July 24th, 2020

Bibby Financial Services appoints Jonathan Andrew as Global CEO
Bibby Line Group has today announced that Jonathan Andrew will join their Bibby Financial Services business as Global CEO on 1st September. Jonathan joins the...
July 23rd, 2020

Short term lender Fiduciam receives CBILS accreditation from the British Business Bank for loans up to £5m
Fiduciam, the institutionally funded short-term lender, has been approved for accreditation by the British Business Bank as a lender under the Coronavirus...
July 22nd, 2020

Ultimate Finance reaches £60m loan book milestone after record-breaking month for Asset Finance
Specialist asset-based lender Ultimate Finance is today reporting that June 2020 was a record-breaking month for its Asset Finance offer, with a 50 per cent...
July 20th, 2020

First 4 Bridging strengthens specialist lending panel with Hope Capital addition
First 4 Bridging (F4B) has moved to further strengthen its specialist lending panel with the addition of Hope Capital. This partnership will see F4B’s...
July 20th, 2020

Small business confidence bounces back as nation re-emerges from lockdown
The proportion of UK small businesses predicting growth has almost doubled in just three months – from 14% to 27% – giving one of the first tangible...
July 17th, 2020

FSB: Scots jobless rise shows crisis “is here now”
Commenting on today’s figures showing that unemployment in Scotland rose to 4.3% between March and May, Colin Borland, FSB’s Director of Devolved Nations,...
July 16th, 2020

Leading SME lending portal awaits anticipated Chancellor’s announcement emphasising the proposed bold steps are critical to the viability of 60% of SMEs
Funding Xchange, the leading government approved portal helping small businesses access loans which have been unavailable through their mainstream bank, is...
July 15th, 2020

Inefficiencies rife (and rising) in UK companies, say majority of finance teams
More UK finance decision makers have labelled their company as inefficient than two years ago while the number of teams who describe their business’ internal...
July 15th, 2020

Hope Capital strikes first ever AVM deal
Hope Capital has completed its first ever loan based on an automated valuation model (AVM), which it introduced just a few weeks ago. The property – a...
July 14th, 2020

Two thirds of SME business leaders say they are more environmentally focussed following COVID-19 outbreak
Two thirds of Britain’s SME business leaders say they are now more environmentally conscious in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, according to new...
July 13th, 2020

Yorkshire Finance Director Survey: 57% of Yorkshire businesses expect to make Covid-19 redundancies; 87% brace for second lockdown
A survey of more than 60 Yorkshire-based finance directors has gathered new data highlighting the extent of the impact of the global pandemic on the region’s...
July 13th, 2020

Atradius appoints new Head of UK Commercial
Atradius is pleased to announce James Burgess is appointed Head of UK Commercial with effect from 01 July 2020. James, who has been with Atradius since...
July 10th, 2020

Over half of brokers are open for business with full pre-Covid-19 capacity
53% of property and commercial finance brokers responding to United Trust Bank’s most recent Broker Sentiment Survey have reported that they are open for...
July 9th, 2020

Short-term measures like ‘eat out to help out’ could cause more problems than they solve
Phil Mills, head of food and drink at Old Mill comments on what the chancellor’s announcements today mean for pubs and restaurants: “The Chancellor, Rishi...
July 9th, 2020

Engineering group to power growth with over £1 million funding
Bibby Financial Services (BFS) has provided a £1.1 million Invoice Discounting and Asset Finance funding facility to First Components Group Ltd, a West...
July 9th, 2020

41% of Brits Bothered About Staying in Hotels and Airbnbs
York-based insurance company, The Insurance Emporium, recently surveyed over a thousand people across the UK during lockdown to find out how the COVID-19...
July 9th, 2020

Reward Finance Group joins leading broker network
Alternative finance provider, Reward Finance Group, has joined The National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers (NACFB) which has more than 2000...
July 9th, 2020

COVID-19 has caused a drastic positive culture change in family firms
The impact of COVID-19 has forced a drastic positive culture change in family firms, creating stronger solidarity and cohesion within the company and causing...
July 9th, 2020

New grants for insulation provide boost for small builders, says FMB
In response to reports that tomorrow the Chancellor will announce a package of measures to improve the energy efficiency of our leaky homes and buildings,...
July 7th, 2020

BFS Corporate team make £40m of new funding available in June
Independent invoice financier, Bibby Financial Services (BFS), provided £40m in new funding facilities to corporate businesses throughout June as it continues...
July 7th, 2020

Duff & Phelps secures future for Vapiano (“the Company”)
Vapiano, the restaurant chain which offers pizza, pasta and salads at seven locations across the UK has been rescued following the appointment of Allan Graham...
July 7th, 2020

New survey shows over 60% of small businesses using tech to survive Covid-19
According to new research from the Centre for Policy Studies, 22% of SMEs still don’t use digital platforms, such as Google, Facebook and LinkedIn, or...
July 7th, 2020

Ultimate Finance adds Bridging Finance to its accreditation by the British Business Bank for Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS)
Specialist asset-based lender Ultimate Finance is today announcing that it can offer Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) backed Bridging...
July 6th, 2020

Asset finance market falls by 60% in May 2020
New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that total asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) fell...
July 3rd, 2020

Nucleus Commercial Finance becomes latest fintech lender to support SMEs through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme
Nucleus Commercial Finance has today been accredited by the British Business Bank as a lender under the government-backed Coronavirus Business Interruption...
July 1st, 2020

Fleet Mortgages’ Q2 Rental Barometer reveals only a ‘slight softening’ in rental yield
Fleet Mortgages, the buy-to-let specialist lender, has today launched the second iteration of its Buy-to-Let Rental Barometer covering Q2 rental yields across...
July 1st, 2020

HMRC business loan stats further proof of the struggles for small businesses
Robert Marshall, Managing Director of WorkLife, a digital employee benefits platform that provides free financial advice to workers, says “With over £11bn...
July 1st, 2020

High-Profile Commercial Property Wins Boost Landwood Group
Landwood Group’s Commercial Asset Management division in Manchester has bucked the trend of a Covid-19 downturn with a raft of high profile new instructions....
June 30th, 2020

Scottish Transport group on the road to success with £9m Group funding deal
Bibby Financial Services (BFS) has provided a £9m Group funding facility to support the re-finance of Currie European Transport Ltd, a transport and storage...
June 30th, 2020

Further drop in contract awards for May but there are signs of improvement as planning approval figures steady
The total value of construction contract awards in May 2020 was £2.4 billion based on a three-month rolling average. This is a decrease of 45.9% on April and...
June 25th, 2020

FSB: Employers “breathe sigh of relief” at school reopening plans
Today, Education Secretary John Swinney announced in parliament that schools will reopen full time from August 11, subject to safe Covid levels. Colin Borland,...
June 24th, 2020

Siemens and Salesforce partner to deliver the future experience for safe workplaces
Today, Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) and Siemens announced a strategic partnership to develop a new workplace technology suite that will support businesses globally...
June 24th, 2020

Financial Forecasting and Accounting Software Skills the most desired beyond 2020
Accountants must become more proficient in financial forecasting and using accounting specific software if they are to be of value in the future, according to...
June 24th, 2020

United Trust Bank launches asset refinance and acquisition CBILS products for SMEs
United Trust Bank has launched a range of Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) facilities designed to assist a wide range of SMEs which have...
June 23rd, 2020

First 4 Bridging adds Hampshire Trust Bank to lending panel
Specialist distributor First 4 Bridging (F4B) has announced the addition of Hampshire Trust Bank (HTB) to its lending panel. This panel addition will offer...
June 23rd, 2020

Former Small Firms Commissioner joins Forum of Private Business Board to boost support for small businesses
Former Small Firms Commissioner joins Forum of Private Business Board to boost support for small businesses Paul Uppal, the Government’s Small Firms...
June 22nd, 2020

Sue Chapple appointed new CEO of professional credit management body
Sue Chapple has succeeded Philip King as Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Credit Management, the world’s largest professional credit management...
June 22nd, 2020

Bresco Electrical Services Ltd (In Liquidation) (Appellant/Cross-Respondent) v Michael J Lonsdale (Electrical) Ltd (Respondent/Cross-Appellant)
On appeal from: [2019] EWCA Civ 27 JUSTICES: Lord Reed (President), Lord Briggs, Lord Kitchin, Lord Hamblen, Lord Leggatt BACKGROUND TO THE APPEAL This case is...
June 22nd, 2020

Small firms disappointed as reopening timetable pushed
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon this afternoon announced that shops that sell products other than food will be able to re-open from Monday 29 June, but...
June 19th, 2020

Reward Finance Group celebrates two milestones in Manchester
Alternative finance provider, Reward Finance Group, is enjoying a double celebration this month. As well as marking the first anniversary of the opening of its...
June 19th, 2020

London, Scottish and North East SMEs worst hit by coronavirus
London, Scottish and North East-based SMEs will be the worst affected by coronavirus, according to new research by small business insurer Simply Business. The...
June 18th, 2020

United Trust Bank now offering Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme to SME house builders, developers and property investors
UTB has been approved for accreditation by the British Business Bank as a lender for the Government backed Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme...
June 17th, 2020

Fine foods wholesaler secures £5m funding line
Bibby Financial Services (BFS) has provided a £5m funding facility to Hider Food Imports Ltd, a wholesale food supplier based in Hull. The family-run...
June 16th, 2020

United Trust Bank agree to fund £7.2m redevelopment project by Hawkfield Homes
United Trust Bank (UTB) has agreed to fund Hawkfield Homes’ latest project providing 22 new homes in the charming Gloucestershire town of Wotton-under-edge....
June 16th, 2020

FSB in Scotland on GDP figures
The UK’s economy shrank by 20.4% in April, the largest monthly contraction on record, according to new figures released by the Office for National...
June 15th, 2020

Reward Finance Group push the boundaries to raise money for charities
Having raised £20,000 for its chosen charities last year, Reward Finance Group, is going all out this year to try and beat that total, despite COVID-19...
June 12th, 2020

Crisis forces Scottish smaller firms to adapt
The coronavirus crisis has spurred many Scottish smaller firms to sell more online; to introduce new products and services; and to use digital technologies to...
June 12th, 2020

Digital recruitment company receives £850k funding line
Leading independent SME funder, Bibby Financial Services (BFS), has provided a £850,000 funding facility to innovative recruitment specialists, MBA and...
June 11th, 2020

FSB welcomes new tourism timescales
This afternoon Cabinet Secretary for Tourism Fergus Ewing suggested that from 15 July Scottish tourism businesses may be able to resume operations. The...
June 11th, 2020

SME funding and sustainable long-term recovery – comments
It’s been revealed that 14% of SMEs owners have used their personal savings for immediate financial support during the pandemic, according to a survey...
June 11th, 2020

Hope Capital launches unique new Combi Loan product
Hope Capital today launches a wholly unique bridging loan – the Hope Combi Loan. This brand-new product combines the Discounted Rate Loan with the Hope Flexi...
June 11th, 2020

One in seven SME owners using personal savings to keep business afloat
The coronavirus pandemic is causing SME owners across the country to take drastic action in order to ensure their business survives. According to research by...
June 10th, 2020

Pre-paid meals and ‘hairdresser style’ rebooking could be the answer for pubs and restaurants forced to operate under social distancing rules
Pubs and restaurants may have to ask customers to prepay for their meals if they are going to survive under social distancing measures, argues Phil Mills, head...
June 10th, 2020

Care in the home provider creates 80 new jobs with help from Reward Finance Group
Reward Finance Group’s Manchester office has reached its 100th deal by helping Warrington-based Care at Home Group (CAHG) to recruit an additional 80 carers...
June 9th, 2020

Asset finance market falls by 47% in April 2020
New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that total asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) fell...
June 8th, 2020

Atradius Announces New Regional Director in UK & Ireland
Stuart Ramsden has been named as Regional Director UK & Ireland for leading trade credit insurer Atradius. Stuart, who has been with the firm since 1991...
June 8th, 2020

Reward Finance Group enjoys nine years of continuous growth as income grows by 16 per cent
Alternative finance provider, Reward Finance Group, which has offices in Leeds and Manchester, has posted record year-end figures for the ninth consecutive...
June 5th, 2020

Ultimate Finance expands CBILS to include Asset Finance
Specialist asset-based lender Ultimate Finance is today announcing that it has expanded its Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) accreditation...
June 4th, 2020

Euler Hermes welcomes landmark UK state support scheme
Euler Hermes, the world leader in trade credit insurance, welcomes the UK government’s agreement to support intercompany trade by guaranteeing transactions...
June 4th, 2020

Atradius Welcomes Trade Credit Insurance Support Scheme
Leading Trade Credit Insurer Atradius welcomes today’s announcement by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy that the UK Government has...
June 4th, 2020

Hope Capital launches Discounted Rate product
Bridging lender Hope Capital today launches a new product which gives borrowers control and flexibility of their cashflow. The Discounted Rate loan is designed...
June 4th, 2020

eacs secures refinance and upsize deal
Managed services provider eacs has secured a multi-million refinance deal thanks to brokers Knight Capital Funding, and corporate lender Shawbrook Bank....
June 4th, 2020

UK businesses becoming ‘less financially agile’ despite increasing agile working
UK businesses are becoming less “financially agile”, new research has suggested, with the proportion of companies proactively using budgets to manage their...
June 3rd, 2020

FSB welcomes inclusive grants changes
The Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for the Economy Fiona Hyslop this afternoon confirmed that businesses which occupy shared premises, such as those...
June 3rd, 2020

5,000 extra stores will fail because of the two-week delay in reopening non-essential shops
Under Phase 2 of the Government’s Covid-19 recovery strategy roadmap, non-essential stores were supposed to open in phases starting on Monday. In the event,...
June 2nd, 2020

COVID-19 is changing SME view on funding
A survey conducted by commercial data and analytics firm Dun & Bradstreet found that prior to the coronavirus outbreak only 22 percent of small and medium...
June 2nd, 2020

Duff & Phelps secures the future for Oddbins
Philip Duffy and Matthew Ingram, both of Duff & Phelps, have announced the sale of a substantial part of the business and assets of Whittalls Wine...
June 2nd, 2020

Luxury toiletries business freshens up with £850k funding
Bibby Financial Services (BFS), has provided an £850,000 funding facility which includes Invoice Discounting and Trade Finance to H Bronnley and Co UK Ltd, a...
June 2nd, 2020

Hope Capital launches new product range
Hope Capital today launches a new product range, taking into account the needs of individual customers and catering for the needs of different borrowers and...
June 2nd, 2020
Nucleus Commercial Finance delivers £50,000 facility to Energy Angels, supporting business continuity during COVID-19 crisis
Nucleus Commercial Finance has provided a £50,000 facility to Energy Angels, enabling the business to continue operating at full capacity during the crisis...
May 29th, 2020
Fiduciam continues to support house builders with development loans despite Covid-19
Fiduciam, the short-term and marketplace lender, has just closed two development loans, with a total value of £2.5million, with one using its ‘Stepping...
May 28th, 2020

Chamber Releases the Way Forward – Highlighting the Next Phase of Recovery
Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce today launched its recovery plan for Covid-19 – “The Way Forward”. At its heart the plan highlights 4 key...
May 28th, 2020

Hope Capital set to launch the Custom Collection
Hope Capital is set to launch its new Custom Collection range of bridging loans. This collection is a set of six different products, features and options which...
May 28th, 2020

Excluded smaller firms set to get new grant help following FSB drive
The Scottish Government today announced that coronavirus financial help will be expanded to include businesses that share properties, such as indoor markets,...
May 27th, 2020

Remote working doesn’t need to affect innovation, new research reveals
Employees that work from home are unlikely to be less innovative, according to new research by the University of Cologne and the Leibniz University Hannover....
May 26th, 2020

Anticipated drop in construction contract awards confirmed in April figures
The total value of construction contract awards in April 2020 was £4.4 billion based on a three-month rolling average. This is a decrease of 36.4% on March...
May 26th, 2020

The Great Dying of the High Street: April’s retail sales figures will mean cull of indie stores
Today’s Office of National Statistics (ONS) retail sales estimates for April will result in the extinction of many much-loved stores, fears the UK home...
May 22nd, 2020

What is Driving Car Buying Interest Right Now? The Top 10 Reasons
“People have been looking for cars actively during the lock-down. In the case of findandfundmycar, more have also taken their interest to the next level by...
May 22nd, 2020

Emergency guide to credit control for all levels
A webinar will be run on at 3.30 on the afternoon of Friday 22 May by the CICM East of England Branch. With many disbanded credit teams across the UK,...
May 22nd, 2020

FSB: Firms need guidance to unlock economy and save jobs
The Scottish Government has today published a four-phase plan to ease lockdown restrictions. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) welcomed the news that...
May 21st, 2020

Duff & Phelps appoints Rob Armstrong as Managing Director in its Global Restructuring Advisory practice
Duff & Phelps, the global advisor that protects, restores and maximises value for clients, today announced that Rob Armstrong has joined the firm as a...
May 20th, 2020

Invoice finance firm announces new funding line for SMEs
Leading UK invoice finance firm Optimum Finance has announced a new funding line increase to £16 million as it strives to provide small and medium businesses...
May 15th, 2020

Government reinsurance scheme – statement
Atradius welcomes today’s Government announcement that it intends to develop a treasury-backed temporary reinsurance scheme to help businesses recover from...
May 14th, 2020

Temporary reinsurance backstop
Euler Hermes, the world leader in trade credit insurance, welcomes the plan announced by the UK government to provide support to the private sector by offering...
May 14th, 2020

Innovation funder Rocking Horse partners with Quilam Capital to provide UK SMEs greater access to Government funding
UK Innovation funder Rocking Horse has today announced a multi-million-pound partnership with London-based specialist investment firm Quilam Capital who have...
May 14th, 2020

Reward Finance Group supports business diversification in a bid to fight virus
A West Midlands company has repurposed its business model in order to produce vital PPE stations and acrylic protection screens to the medical sector, with...
May 13th, 2020

Saudi Arabi’s industrial expansoin plan mapped out in new report
Saudi Arabia’s efforts to boost both non-oil and private-sector growth, while moving swiftly to introduce measures aimed at mitigating the impact of...
May 13th, 2020

UK finally sees automation success as 6 in 10 UK businesses invest in RPA and process mining
The UK is making great strides in adopting process automation technologies like robotic process automation (RPA) and process mining, according to new research...
May 13th, 2020

FSB in Scotland welcome Sunak’s shrewd jobs help moves
The Chancellor Rishi Sunak this afternoon announced that the UK Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will be extended for another four months. In...
May 13th, 2020

Duff & Phelps secures future for mattress and bedding division of Breasley Pillows Limited (“the Company”)
The mattress and bedding division of Breasley Pillows Limited (trading as Breasley, Breasley Foam, Salus and Uno) one of the UK’s leading producers of rolled...
May 13th, 2020

Loan schemes offer huge influxes of cash but what is the best way to use it?
The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the newly introduced Bounce Back Loan Scheme are now thought to have provided over £10billion worth of...
May 12th, 2020

Government’s Covid-19 Strategy will damage the ‘innovative delivery models’ it seeks to support
The UK courier specialist ParcelHero has welcomed the UK Government’s new Covid-19 Recovery Strategy, which reveals its plans for rebuilding the economy...
May 12th, 2020

Duff & Phelps appointed Joint Administrators to Arlington Automotive Group (“the UK Group”)
Allan Graham, Jimmy Saunders and Matthew Ingram of Duff & Phelps Ltd were appointed Joint Administrators of the UK trading companies in the Arlington...
May 12th, 2020

From Pandemic to Profit
I’m not pretending any of this is easy. The situation we have found ourselves in personally and professionally is like nothing else. The one vital thing to...
May 11th, 2020

Asset finance market falls by 28% in March 2020
New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that total asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) fell...
May 7th, 2020

Government needs to act now to support non-bank lenders as forbearance requests reach almost 1.2 million
The FLA has renewed its call to the Government and the Bank of England to take urgent action to support the non-bank lending market. New figures released today...
May 7th, 2020

Subcontractors are facing mounting pressures as sites begin to reopen
Subcontractors are entering the most challenging period of the COVID-19 outbreak according to Jim Davis, Managing Director for Construction Finance at Bibby...
May 7th, 2020

Business Monitor shows low confidence as businesses wait for end of lockdown
Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce’s fifth weekly Business Monitor survey shows business confidence remains low as employers wait to see how and when the...
May 6th, 2020

Thousands of businesses could be missing out on Bounce Back Loan funding
Thousands of small businesses could be missing out on up to £50,000 worth of funding that they aren’t aware they are eligible for. The government’s new...
May 6th, 2020

Ultimate Finance approved for accreditation by the British Business Bank for Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS)
Specialist asset-based lender Ultimate Finance is today announcing that it has been approved for accreditation to the government backed Coronavirus Business...
May 6th, 2020

Nucleus Commercial Finance delivers £1.3m facility to Leyton Group, supporting growth for specialist steelwork firm
Nucleus Commercial Finance has provided a £1.3m facility to steelwork specialist firm Leyton Group, enabling the business to take on larger projects and...
May 5th, 2020

Plastic recycling business secures £6m funding facility
Independent SME funder, Bibby Financial Services (BFS), has provided a £6m funding facility to Bright Green Plastics Ltd, a plastic recycling specialist with...
May 5th, 2020

Bounce back loans should be grants if there is little prospect of them being repaid
100% government-backed Bounce Back loans are available from today at a set interest rate of 2.5%. Mark Neath, director at Old Mill says the fact that all rates...
May 5th, 2020

Is now the time to join a hotel franchise?
With the COVID-19 pandemic far from over, now could be the time for independents to consider if they should become part of a franchise. This is according to...
May 5th, 2020

Begbies Traynor in Hull strengthens team with director promotion
Experienced insolvency practitioner Laura Baxter has been promoted to director, based at Begbies Traynor’s growing offices in the Humber region. After...
May 5th, 2020

One in ten want to start a business because of the coronavirus crisis
UK startup competition The Pitch has conducted independent research into entrepreneurship during Covid-19. Out of 2,000 UK adults surveyed, 11% said they...
May 1st, 2020

FSB welcomes new Scottish Government small business support
A new £100 million Scottish Government package of additional grant support for small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) and newly self-employed people opens...
May 1st, 2020

Small business growth outlook collapses
The proportion of UK small businesses predicting growth has plummeted from 39% to just 14% in the last three months – with 31% of business owners scaling...
April 30th, 2020

BFS provides specialist recruiter with £600K funding facility
Independent SME funder, Bibby Financial Services (BFS) has provided a £600,000 funding facility to Tech Professionals Ltd. a technical recruitment company...
April 29th, 2020

British Exporters Association (BExA) responds to International Trade Committee Inquiry on Covid-19 impact
BExA has submitted a response to the International Trade Committee’s Inquiry on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on international trade. “The current...
April 28th, 2020

FSB Scotland welcomes new “bounce-back” micro-loan scheme
Welcoming today’s announcement by the UK Government is establishing a new emergency loan initiative for small businesses, including a 100% government...
April 28th, 2020

CBILs loans worth just 2% of £212bn owed to coronavirus-hit businesses
The funds sent to UK businesses through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) are worth less than two per cent of the £212.8 billion in...
April 27th, 2020

Accountancy firm offers top tips on what businesses can do for themselves to survive COVID-19
COVID-19 has impacted virtually all businesses across the UK in some way. Whilst some have shut their doors (possibly permanently) others are enjoying the sort...
April 27th, 2020

UK Food and Drink sector buck trend as pandemic sees international trade fall in Q1
Food and drink businesses defied an overall drop in UK exports during the first quarter of 2020 as supply chain disruption and international efforts to combat...
April 27th, 2020

Comment from Baldwins’ National Head of Banking & Finance on CBILS approvals
Commenting Martyn Shakespear, National Head of Banking & Finance, at Baldwins Accountancy, part of the Cogital Group, said: “Many of the issues...
April 27th, 2020

MarketFinance acts to plug £20b cash flow gap from furlough payroll strain
Already cash strapped SMEs across the country will be (up to) £20b out of pocket when the first round of salaries are paid to the 8 million people currently...
April 22nd, 2020

Onguard Selects Rackspace to Improve Agility and Customer Support
Onguard, the leading specialists in order-to-cash and credit management, has selected technology services company Rackspace to boost the agility of its...
April 21st, 2020

Ultimate Finance bolsters North West team with recruitment of regional directors
Specialist asset-based lender Ultimate Finance is today announcing the appointment of two Regional Directors to its North West team to support the region...
April 21st, 2020

The impact of the crisis is spreading from the most vulnerable businesses to more established businesses
Research being collated daily by Funding Xchange, the principal online platform appointed by the Government to help businesses declined for loans by their...
April 20th, 2020

ScaleUp Institute response to Government’s new support package for high growth innovative firms hit by coronavirus
The Government’s announcement today is welcome in addressing the finance challenges presented by the Covid-19 crisis to scaling businesses across sectors and...
April 20th, 2020

FSB on Scottish Government grant funding figures
The Scottish Government has released figures showing that £215 million of coronavirus grant funding has been released to 18,528 Scottish businesses. The...
April 20th, 2020

Scottish refrigeration specialist receives £3.5m funding facility
Independent SME funder, Bibby Financial Services (BFS), has provided a £3.5m funding facility to Capital Cooling Refrigeration Limited, a refrigeration...
April 16th, 2020

Reward Finance Group in Manchester strengthens board with appointment of leading industry figure
Reward Finance Group has strengthened its ambitious growth plans with the appointment of Steve Noble as managing director of its North West region. This is a...
April 15th, 2020

Small business help package launched after FSB campaigning
The Scottish Government has announced new coronavirus support for smaller businesses and self-employed, following representations from the Federation of Small...
April 15th, 2020

Asset finance market falls by 7% in February 2020
The IT equipment finance and plant and machinery finance sectors reported new business up in February 2020 by 10% and 1% respectively, compared with the same...
April 14th, 2020

Stonebridge extends COVID-19 business support with new hub
Stonebridge, the mortgage and insurance network, has today (9 April 2020) launched a new COVID-19 support hub page for its appointed representative (AR) firms,...
April 14th, 2020

Nick Smith appointed group managing director of Reward Finance Group
As part of the succession programme at Reward Finance Group, Nick Smith has been promoted to group MD. He takes over the role, at the alternative finance...
April 9th, 2020

Mid-tier market support addressed as funding gap closed
Chancellor Rishi Sunak MP’s 3 April announcement that financial support for the vital mid-tier sector is now available for businesses with up to £500m...
April 8th, 2020

Second Business Monitor Survey confirms severe impact of coronavirus on businesses
Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce’s second Business Monitor survey has confirmed the extent of the impact of coronavirus on local businesses. The...
April 7th, 2020

Accredited CBILS lender, AskIf, appoint two new team members to aid delivery of CV-19 loans
AskIf – an inclusive finance company that facilitates business loans for startups and SMEs who may have been denied funding by other lenders –...
April 7th, 2020

Nucleus Commercial Finance appoints new business development manager to strengthen presence in the Midlands
Nucleus Commercial Finance today announces the expansion of its Business Development team in the Midlands with the addition of Stuart Smith as Business...
April 6th, 2020

‘It’s Interest that’s Stopping Interest in the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme,’ says ParcelHero
The small business champion ParcelHero has welcomed the latest revisions to the Government’s much-criticised Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme...
April 6th, 2020

Old Mill on CBILS changes: Gov is reacting to media pressure rather than making well-thought through decisions
Following the changes announced today to the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), Mark Neath, Director in the Commercial Team at experts Old...
April 6th, 2020

Air Group launch Coronavirus updates and Business Continuity Resources Hub
Air Group, the collective of companies covering a range of retirement and later life services, has today launched a new Hub for advisers providing Coronavirus...
April 3rd, 2020

Comment on FCA temporary financial relief proposals
Aneesh Varma, Founder and CEO at Aire, comments: “We welcome the FCA’s proposed measures to support users facing financial difficulties due to...
April 3rd, 2020

F4B and Grosvenor Funding combine to achieve four-day bridging loan to secure BTL completion
Specialist distributor First 4 Bridging (F4B) and Grosvenor Funding have combined to secure a four-day completion on a bridging loan facility which allowed a...
April 2nd, 2020

Nucleus Commercial Finance appoints regional sales director to build northern presence
Nucleus Commercial Finance today announces the expansion of its Asset Based Lending team (ABL) in Yorkshire, with the appointment of Riana Azam as Regional...
April 1st, 2020

Call for government to include import taxes in payments to be deferred
The Institute of Export & International Trade is calling on the government to include import taxes in its COVID-19 measure of deferring the VAT, duty and...
March 31st, 2020

Alcohol brand in high spirits after securing a multi-million-pound facility
The Lakes Distillery, a whisky maker with an artistic ethos, has received a £3.5 million asset-based lending facility from Secure Trust Bank Commercial...
March 30th, 2020

Response to self-employed income support scheme
Richard Harris – Chief Legal Officer at global recruitment consultancy (31 countries) Robert Walters Plc: “The Chancellor’s announcement offers a...
March 27th, 2020

Relief for the self-employed, but dedicated hardship fund ‘needed now’
The Chancellor’s introduction of a Self-employed Income Support Scheme for self-employed people affected by the impact of Coronavirus is welcome but does not...
March 27th, 2020

New guide to managing cash in a crisis as Institute reveals early squeeze on credit
A new free guide to help small businesses manage their cashflow during the current COVID-19 crisis has been published by the Chartered Institute of Credit...
March 27th, 2020

Fiducia Group launches new asset finance division to help coronavirus-hit firms access speedy funding
Fiducia Group, one of the UK’s leading financial services brokers, has launched a new asset finance division offering bespoke funding solutions to support...
March 26th, 2020

Corona crisis: this is what you, as an entrepreneur, can do now
Clients are hesitant to commit, there are no orders coming in currently and new jobs are being postponed. Your business is largely grinding to a halt. And so,...
March 26th, 2020

FSB: Self-employed play key role in every community in Scotland
Figures released by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) in Scotland show that there are thousands of self-employed people in every Scottish local...
March 26th, 2020

Over 2.6 million UK SMEs predicted they would be out of business within a month if they were suddenly and unexpectedly unable to trade
With coronavirus already affecting businesses, new research from Nucleus Commercial Finance reveals that prior to the virus having an impact, nearly half of...
March 25th, 2020

FSB welcomes opening of £1 billion Scottish business support fund
Scottish businesses can now apply for grants and rates reliefs to help them deal with the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, according to an announcement by...
March 24th, 2020

FLA members report new business growth of 2% in January 2020
New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that FLA members provided £11.1 billion of new business in January 2020, 2%...
March 24th, 2020

Car Leasing Company Launches Virtual Quiz for Working From Home Team
A family-owned Manchester vehicle leasing company has launched its disaster recovery plan in response to the Coronavirus. There has been a huge change in...
March 24th, 2020

Government must extend loan guarantee scheme to new lenders to save businesses, says Alternative Finance Association
The Association of Alternative Business Finance (AABF), representing many of the new lenders that have been the backbone lenders of many businesses following...
March 24th, 2020

European Business P2P Lending Industry to Reach $6.5bn Value This Year
Over the last decade, business peer-to-peer lending, also known as crowdlending, has become an appealing alternative financial source for many European...
March 24th, 2020

Twindig uses new research to level the UK’s property playing field
Property technology startup, Twindig, has today announced key findings from research on the UK housing market, carried out earlier this month. Their survey...
March 23rd, 2020

Landbay launches new application process and refreshed product range
Landbay, one of the UK’s leading, institutionally funded buy-to-let lenders, today improves its application process with the introduction of an instant...
March 23rd, 2020

UK government announces support for mid-tier businesses suffering from coronavirus impact
Following this week’s announcement of £330 billion to help Britain’s small and medium enterprises (15% of UK GDP) cope with the economic fallout of...
March 20th, 2020

Devil in the Detail
Response from Optimum Finance CEO Richard Pepler to the latest set of economic support measures announced Tuesday 17 March: “UK Plc is facing a challenge...
March 19th, 2020

FSB welcomes new Scottish Government economic package
This afternoon the Scottish Government outlined a new package of support for businesses facing difficulties because of the coronavirus outbreak. The value of...
March 19th, 2020

£330bn support package – comment
Commenting on the Government’s new economic support package, Dave Miller, client account manager at Spicerhaart Corporate Sales, said: “Less than a week...
March 18th, 2020

Economist commentary – OPEC+ Oil agreement & prices
Following the breakdown of OPEC+’s production agreement, Warwick Knowles, Senior Economist at commercial data & analytics firm, Dun & Bradstreet,...
March 17th, 2020

Fiduciam extends operations in Ireland and plans new Belfast office
Fiduciam Ireland has started 2020 with a substantial increase in new business, both north and south of the border, and is bullish about the prospects for rest...
March 17th, 2020

Atradius year-end result increases 12.4% to €227.7m, insurance premium rises 6.7%
Atradius’ insurance premium revenue grew 6.7% to EUR 1,759.5 million in 2019 from EUR 1,648.5 million in 2018 (6.1% at constant exchange rates). The...
March 17th, 2020

Old Mill: The key points of the Budget were the changes we didn’t see
The Budget, understandably, focussed on the coronavirus and the implications on both a health and finance basis, meaning other changes that may impact...
March 16th, 2020

The Budget breakdown – what SMEs need to know
In addition to the emergency interest rate cut announced by The Bank of England today from 0.75% to 0.25% which will make borrowing cheaper for businesses,...
March 12th, 2020

CPS responds to the March 2020 Budget
Robert Colvile, Director of the Centre for Policy Studies, said: On coronavirus ‘This was an extremely impressive performance from the new Chancellor – and...
March 12th, 2020
FSB: Policymakers right to pull out stops for smaller firms
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has delivered his first Budget, outlining a number of new measures to support smaller firms during the coronavirus outbreak. In...
March 12th, 2020

Hitachi helps struggling farmers with new finance product
Hitachi Capital Business Finance today announces the launch of its Inputs Finance product directly to British Farmers to help spread the cost of acquiring...
March 11th, 2020

Small businesses urge chancellor to provide increased support
UK SMEs are calling on the Government to tackle issues around business rates, late payments and the rollout of 5G in this week’s Spring Budget, according to...
March 9th, 2020

New CEO at insolvency and restructuring trade association R3
Liz Bingham OBE has been appointed CEO of R3, the insolvency and restructuring trade association. She joins R3 after a 35-year career in the insolvency and...
March 6th, 2020

Ventilation business secures £500K funding line
Bibby Financial Services (BFS) has provided a £500,000 funding facility to FEL Group Ltd. a ventilation and air conditioning specialist with have over 20...
March 6th, 2020

Business purchase processes “getting worse” say finance bosses
Purchasing processes within UK businesses are getting worse and driving down productivity, according to a new study, with the number of finance decision makers...
March 5th, 2020

Landwood Group launches commercial asset management division
Landwood Group has strengthened its offering with the launch of a new commercial asset management division. The Manchester-headquartered firm of chartered...
March 3rd, 2020

Brexit deal negotiations begin
As negotiations on a final Brexit deal with the EU begin, experts from the University of Salford Business School offer advice to the negotiating team. Dr Maria...
March 2nd, 2020

A reassuring picture and the budget may well give us a nice surprise – comment
Following the BoE mortgage lending figures today, Richard Pike, Phoebus Software sales and marketing director, says “This is our first insight into the...
March 2nd, 2020

One in four owners of SMEs in financial difficulty dip into personal savings to help business
Research conducted by Nucleus Commercial Finance, an alternative finance provider, has revealed that nearly four in 10 (39%) of UK SMEs encountered financial...
March 2nd, 2020

Coronavirus: The latest setback for global trade
Since 2007, we’ve had a financial crisis, a rise in populism that has seen many countries question the soundness of globalization as well the imposition of...
March 2nd, 2020

P.Keenan drive forward with FORS
P.Keenan Road Surfacing has revealed its recent success in the Northern Ireland Road Safety Awards is thanks to FORS. The family-run business, which is based...
February 28th, 2020

BBB reports that asset finance provided to small businesses grew by 32% between 2014-18
Commenting on the publication of the British Business Bank’s Small Business Finance Markets 2019/20 report, which shows that asset finance provided to small...
February 27th, 2020

Nucleus Commercial Finance strengthens Asset Based Lending team with two new hires
Nucleus Commercial Finance today announces the expansion of its Asset Based Lending team (ABL) with the appointment of Niall Dunphy as Senior Relationship...
February 27th, 2020

Optimum Finance reports record year as it plans for further expansion in response to small business funding growth
Invoice finance firm Optimum Finance is reporting a record year for 2019 having reached a major milestone in over £100 million invoices funded last year (up...
February 27th, 2020

Late payments are ‘business as usual’ for small businesses in difficulty
Late payments from customers are ‘business as usual’ for many small business owners in difficulty, according to new research from the Money Advice Trust,...
February 26th, 2020

Announcing Eligible’s Advisory Board
Eligible has assembled a new Advisory Board. Comprised of mortgage industry leaders, the Advisory Board will work with management to ensure that it stays at...
February 24th, 2020

New FSB report shows way forward on immigration
One in five small businesses could close or radically change their business model due to difficulties in recruiting EU workers, according to new research from...
February 24th, 2020

Duff & Phelps safeguards the largest home-to-school service provider in the UK with property sale
Matthew Ingram and Tyrone Courtman, both of Duff & Phelps Ltd., Joint Administrators of Accessible Transport Group Limited, have successfully sold the...
February 21st, 2020

Fiduciam finances a corporate acquisition spanning three jurisdictions
Bridging lender Fiduciam has closed a complex cross-border loan with a transaction value of €10m in the student accommodation sector, involving the...
February 21st, 2020

FSB Scotland reacts to new immigration plans
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) in Scotland has voiced the concern of its members over the costs and administrative burdens of the UK Government’s...
February 19th, 2020

Euler Hermes launches TradeMatch, an application to help companies identify export risks and opportunities
Euler Hermes, the global leader in trade credit insurance, launches TradeMatch. This new, free and easy to access web application identifies export business...
February 19th, 2020

Scottish small businesses confidence falls again
Scotland’s small businesses ended a tough 2019 with confidence and profits falling, new figures from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) reveal. In the...
February 17th, 2020

CICM Agree New Corporate Partnership with Menzies LLP
Menzies LLP, a top 20 UK accountancy firm, has become the Chartered Institute of Credit Management’s newest Corporate Partner to increase the visibility of...
February 14th, 2020

Consumer finance new business grows by 1% in 2019
New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that consumer finance new business grew in December 2019 by 12% compared with...
February 13th, 2020

Asset finance market reports record new business level in 2019
New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that total asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) grew...
February 13th, 2020

Nucleus Commercial Finance enhances cashflow finance product
Nucleus Commercial Finance has today announced enhancements to its cash flow finance product, responding to feedback from brokers and broadening its appeal to...
February 13th, 2020

Market Insights – North America
A new insight report by trade credit insurer Atradius shines the spotlight on North American markets, providing an inside track for any business trading in the...
February 12th, 2020

UK firms move into overseas markets in post-Brexit landscape
With the UK adjusting to life outside the EU, three in four UK businesses (78%) are putting plans in place to adapt for growth post-Brexit. 18% of firms have...
February 12th, 2020

Atradius publishes new economic report on Argentina: 100 days and counting
Trade credit insurer Atradius has published a new, economic review of Argentina. The report, entitled Argentina: clock is ticking 100 days after elections, is...
February 11th, 2020
First 4 Bridging in Beneficial Network partnership
First 4 Bridging (F4B) has today become a preferred specialist distribution provider for the Beneficial Network. This partnership will offer Beneficial’s...
February 11th, 2020

Full steam ahead for new leisure destination in Pickering with £800k funding from Reward Finance Group
A £1 million innovative glamping and leisure complex, next to the popular North Yorkshire Moors railway, is on track to be completed in Spring with £800k...
February 7th, 2020

Duff & Phelps appoints Chris Coley as Managing Director in its Restructuring Advisory practice
Duff & Phelps, the global advisor that protects, restores and maximises value for clients, has appointed Chris Coley as Managing Director, further...
February 4th, 2020

Ultimate Finance launches Structured Finance proposition
Specialist asset-based lender, Ultimate Finance, is today announcing the launch of its Structured Finance proposition providing a streamlined solution for UK...
February 3rd, 2020

Brexit statement
After more than three years since the UK voted to leave the EU, the UK and European Union have parted company with a structured withdrawal agreement. On Friday...
February 3rd, 2020

The Serious Fraud Office DPA with Airbus formally approved in court – comment
Last week saw the President of the Queen’s Bench Division give formal approval to the deferred prosecution agreement between the Serious Fraud Office and...
February 3rd, 2020

The internet – not Open Banking – is revolutionising finance
Ahead of the second anniversary of Open Banking legislation, Roger Vincent, COO of Trade Ledger, the specialist mid-market Lending-as-a-Service platform for...
January 30th, 2020

Hope Capital further enhances its competitive Seven 5 product
Hope Capital has enhanced its highly competitive Hope Seven 5 bridging product due to demand from brokers and borrowers. For the first time, the Hope Seven 5...
January 30th, 2020

Airbus reaches deal to settle corruption probe – Opinion
Airbus says it has agreed a settlement with French, British and US authorities following lengthy investigations into allegations of bribery and corruption. In...
January 29th, 2020

Asset finance new business holds steady in November 2019
New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that total asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) in...
January 28th, 2020

Small Business Commissioner appointment comment: Liberis Finance
Rob Straathof, CEO at Liberis Finance, an award-winning finance provider on a mission to transform small business finance for good – comments on the...
January 28th, 2020

CICM Chief appointed interim Small Business Commissioner
Philip King, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Credit Management (CICM), has been appointed interim Small Business Commissioner (SBC). Mr King will...
January 28th, 2020

Nucleus Commercial Finance secures £25 million in new funding from Paragon Bank
Nucleus Commercial Finance (Nucleus) and Paragon Bank PLC (Paragon) today announce a £25 million funding line that will support more SMEs through secured...
January 28th, 2020

Top three most effective negotiation tactics for small businesses
It can feel like as a small business, you’re already on the back foot when it comes to negotiations, especially if you’re negotiating with a larger...
January 28th, 2020

UK manufacturing exports fall despite strong demand for consumer goods
Overseas demand for British luxury goods, homeware and sports and leisure products helped an index of UK manufacturing exports recover from a seven-year low in...
January 23rd, 2020

FSB: New economic plan needs to be backed by a pro-business Budget
The Scottish Government’s refreshed Economic Action Plan will only deliver if backed by concrete pro-business measures in the forthcoming Scottish Government...
January 23rd, 2020

Leonard Curtis Business Solutions Group is seeking a buyer for Botleigh Grange Hotel and Spa
Neil Bennett and Andrew Duncan, Directors at Leonard Curtis Business Solutions Group, were appointed by MSP Capital Limited, one of the largest property...
January 22nd, 2020

Optimum Finance invests in market leading Open Banking and Open Accounting technology to improve financial processes for UK SMEs
Fast growth firm Optimum Finance is leading the UK invoice finance market by incorporating cutting edge technological solutions into its client approvals,...
January 22nd, 2020

UK export growth set to outstrip leading European economies in 2020
Growth in the value of UK exports will outstrip the rest of Europe this year with only China, the US and Canada set to record bigger increases globally,...
January 22nd, 2020

Profit margins tumble for food suppliers amidst currency volatility
Small food and drink producers are being urged to enhance their risk mitigation processes in a sector report by trade credit insurer Atradius. The Food Market...
January 21st, 2020

Three quarters of Scottish smaller firms opposed to council rates move
Three quarters of Scottish firms believe that giving councils additional powers over non-domestic rates would be bad for business, according to a new survey...
January 17th, 2020

Small businesses twice as likely to predict sales growth than cost-cutting for 2020
More than three in four small business owners (77%) are priotising new initiatives for 2020 to make their business stronger. With 2019 being characterised by...
January 16th, 2020

RSM unveils growth strategy for creditor services business
Audit, tax and consulting firm RSM has announced major growth plans for its creditor services business, including substantial new investments in products,...
January 15th, 2020

Ultimate Finance provides more than £1.6bn of funding in 2019
Specialist asset-based lender, Ultimate Finance, broke its own annual lending record by providing funds of more than £1.6bn to SMEs across the UK last year....
January 13th, 2020

One in two business leaders fear they will be behind the tech curve in 2020
British business leaders do not believe their companies are fully up to speed with developing technologies – with only around half (53%) saying they are...
January 8th, 2020

Duff & Phelps secures future of InLink Limited
Sarah Bell and Steven Muncaster of Duff & Phelps have secured a sale of the business and assets of InLink (“The Company”) having reached an agreement...
January 8th, 2020

Businesses want to become greener – and hope to save cash too
Almost two thirds (64%) of small and medium-sized businesses want to improve their environmental sustainability, according to Lloyds Bank Commercial...
January 8th, 2020

Resilience from UK SMEs as business performance exceeds expectations in 2019
Research from Nucleus Commercial Finance, an alternative finance provider, found that the majority of businesses have performed better than expected in 2019....
January 7th, 2020

What SMEs should be focusing on in 2020
It’s safe to say the past decade hasn’t been a smooth ride for SMEs. During the first half of the 2010s, the nation was still busy recovering from the...
January 7th, 2020

Rising costs and squeezed margins challenge the UK steel sector
Insolvencies in the UK steel sector are forecast to rise by 5% in 2020, according to a report from trade credit insurer Atradius. The Atradius annual Market...
January 6th, 2020

Specialist lender Together appoints UK head of field sales
An experienced banking expert has joined Together to lead its professional sector and auction teams as the specialist lender bolsters its presence across the...
January 6th, 2020

FSB in Scotland on Queen’s Speech
The Queen has outlined the new UK Government’s agenda, revealing plans for more than 30 Bills. Andrew McRae, FSB’s Scotland policy chair, said: “The new...
December 20th, 2019

Chirag Shah, CEO, Nucleus Commercial Finance comments on the Queen’s Speech
Chirag Shah, CEO, Nucleus Commercial Finance comments: “After what may have been one of the most defining general elections of our time, it’s encouraging...
December 19th, 2019

Asset finance new business grows by 2% in October
New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that total asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) grew...
December 18th, 2019

Three quarters of SMEs believe their actions impact climate change
Three quarters of SME senior decision makers in the UK and Ireland believe their business can help tackle climate change, according to Close Brothers Business...
December 18th, 2019

Retail and construction failures drive rebound in large corporate failures
Major insolvencies have rebounded as retail and construction accounted for more than a quarter of world’s large corporate failures in Q3 2019, according to...
December 16th, 2019

Augmenting Intelligence: what 2020 has in store
Contribution of digital workers will grow by 50% “75% of organisations are struggling to recruit digital skills, making room for a boom in the number of...
December 16th, 2019

Graydon Business Intelligence Unit rewarded with national economic crime award
Graydon, one of Europe’s leading providers of business data, insights, analytics and solutions, won the prize for Outstanding Fraud Consultants at the...
December 16th, 2019

The Prime Minister now has mandate to drive and deliver what the electorate and the economy need
Gary Bailey, Hope Capital’s managing director, says “With this emphatic victory for the conservatives, it proves that the people of the UK want a swift end...
December 16th, 2019

Country CEOs appointed in Euler Hermes Northern Europe Region
Euler Hermes, the worldwide leader in trade credit insurance, has appointed three country chief executive officers (CEOs) within its Northern Europe Region....
December 12th, 2019

Back to school for two-thirds of SME leaders as business confidence increases
The majority of leaders of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across the country have plans to brush up their skills in 2020, according to new research from...
December 12th, 2019

Trade ledger partners with Mambu to accelerate mid-market commercial lending
Trade Ledger and Mambu have partnered to transform bank and alternative finance lending to businesses. Trade Ledger will overlay its platform on the Mambu...
December 12th, 2019

Venian Group secures £650k in funding to drive growth
Bibby Financial Services (BFS) has provided two funding facilities to businesses under the Venian Group of Companies. Venian Recruitment Ltd., a specialist...
December 11th, 2019

Comment: UK GDP figures
Markus Kuger, Chief Economist at Dun & Bradstreet speaks about how the general election is impacting GDP growth and the wider economy. And although...
December 11th, 2019

Ultimate Finance supports Brookes HC Recruitment turnaround
Brookes HC Recruitment has enjoyed a complete turnaround in fortunes thanks to Ultimate Finance providing an invoice finance facility and back office support....
December 10th, 2019

ONS construction output statistics – comment
Commenting on today’s construction output data from the Office for National Statistics, Neil Knight, business development director, Spicerhaart Part-Exchange...
December 10th, 2019

Reward Finance Group announces new regional managing director in Leeds
Reward Finance Group has promoted Gemma Wright to regional managing director for Yorkshire and the North East. Gemma joined the alternative finance provider as...
December 9th, 2019

Britons say spending time with family is the best part of Christmas, research from Ferratum reveals
Spending time with family and loved ones is the most important aspect of Christmas, research from Ferratum Group, a global provider of mobile financial...
December 9th, 2019

More than half (54%) of business owners have been impacted by Brexit uncertainty in 2019
Brexit uncertainty is taking its toll across the UK, with more than half (54%) of SME owners stating that the ongoing process is impacting how they run their...
December 9th, 2019

Ho! Ho! Hope Capital slashes rates by 25 per cent
‘It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas’ for bridging customers as Hope Capital brings ‘Joy to the World’ with its ‘Ho! Ho! Hope!’ product...
December 5th, 2019

Figures released ahead of Small Business Saturday show more Scottish firms per capita
Scotland has more registered businesses per head of population now than at any point over the last ten years, according to official figures. Statistics...
December 5th, 2019

Bibby Financial Services appoints Jim Davis as Managing Director for Construction Finance
Bibby Financial Services (BFS) has appointed Jim Davis as Managing Director for Construction Finance as it looks to further its support for SME businesses in...
December 4th, 2019

Grit and resilience driving small businesses through unchartered times
Set against a backdrop of unprecedented change – British small businesses are remaining stoic and are facing the next three months with renewed focus and a...
December 2nd, 2019

Carmichael International: how to become a market leader with external funding
For Sam Carmichael, a career in the wholesale timber industry has been a hugely successful one. After gaining over 15 years’ experience working for big...
November 29th, 2019

Small firms point to market uncertainty as their key barrier to growth
In just six months there has been a 26% rise in the number of small businesses saying that market uncertainty is holding their business back from growing...
November 29th, 2019

FSB alarm at proposed rates changes
Tens of thousands of small businesses could face big business rates hikes as a consequence of a decision made today by a Scottish Parliament committee. Today...
November 29th, 2019

Small Business Funding most certainly available
Following news from the Bank of England (BoE) that UK firms are to face their biggest lending squeeze since the financial crisis, Liberis Finance, an...
November 29th, 2019

6 ways your SME can thrive during the Christmas season
It’s that time of year again. For some, it may feel like it’s been creeping up for a while, but for others, Christmas can really feel as though it’s come...
November 27th, 2019

Brace yourself – Brexit impacts on future workspaces and way of life with the UK as an economic springboard
The UK has narrowly avoided a recession by the skin of its teeth. Many sectors have been affected, along with their terms of trade, but avoiding a recession...
November 27th, 2019

Business leaders worried about post-Brexit tech threats
At a time when both main political parties have made separate pledges to tackle cyber-crime, new research shows a worrying lack of preparedness among...
November 26th, 2019

Castle Corporate Finance Scaling New Heights
Independently owned corporate finance adviser, Castle Corporate Finance, is a proud sponsor of the Scale-Up category at the Lloyds National Business Awards....
November 26th, 2019

Homeowner business loan of £103k helps client’s office relocation
A businessman is set to move offices and upgrade his company’s IT systems thanks to a commercial loan secured against his family home. Specialist lender...
November 25th, 2019

BFS appoints Steve Taylor as Business Development Manager
Global SME partner, Bibby Financial Services (BFS), has announced the appointment of Steve Taylor as Business Development Manager for Construction &...
November 25th, 2019

Contribution of digital workers to grow by 50% in two years, finds new global research
New survey from leading research firm IDC has revealed the true extent of software robots supporting humans in the workplace. The IDC whitepaper, Content...
November 25th, 2019

“Let’s move beyond Brexit and focus on the real priorities of businesses across the country,” says Forum of Private Business
Investment is on hold, and no one is taking risks in the current environment, because Brexit uncertainty has stifled businesses, according to leading business...
November 21st, 2019

Recruitment company secures £800,000 facility to drive growth
Bibby Financial Services (BFS) has provided a £800,000 funding facility to D&A Recruitment Ltd., an independent recruitment company specialising in a...
November 20th, 2019

Shawbrook Bank unveils new business savings accounts as it announces launch of its revamped SME savings proposition
Shawbrook Bank has today announced the launch of a new Business Savings Easy Access account as it begins the roll‐out of its enhanced SME savings...
November 20th, 2019

First 4 Bridging adds InterBay Commercial to lending panel
Specialist distributor First 4 Bridging (F4B) has announced the addition of specialist lender, InterBay Commercial, to its lending panel. This addition will...
November 19th, 2019

Hitachi Capital Business Finance to offer relief funding for flood affected small businesses
With many areas of the country facing further flood alerts over the new few days – with 115 areas expected to be hit – leading asset finance firm...
November 19th, 2019

1st Stop Group’s loan book passes £250 million mark
1st Stop Group Limited, the specialist consumer lender, is delighted to announce it has passed £250 million of outstanding loans. 1st Stop Group – a...
November 19th, 2019

Over half of UK’s SMEs are unprepared for Brexit despite another missed exit date
Over half (54%) of the UK’s SMEs, equating to 3.1 million businesses, admit they had not prepared in any way for Brexit ahead of the 31 October deadline...
November 18th, 2019

Castle Corporate Finance Ready to Scale New Heights
Independently owned corporate finance adviser, Castle Corporate Finance, is a proud sponsor of the Scale-Up category at the Lloyds National Business Awards....
November 14th, 2019

MarketFinance set to transform business lending industry
MarketInvoice has today updated its name to MarketFinance. The fintech business lender established in 2011, has provided over £2.6 billion in lending to...
November 12th, 2019

Scottish engineering specialist secures £750K funding line
Bibby Financial Services (BFS) has provided a £750,000 funding facility to Pentland Material Supply Ltd., a specialist engineering solutions provider serving...
November 12th, 2019

ONS construction output – comment
Commenting on today’s construction output data from the Office for National Statistics, Neil Knight, business development director, Spicerhaart Part-Exchange...
November 11th, 2019

BFS makes key trade finance appointment
Global SME partner, Bibby Financial Services (BFS), has announced the appointment of Karl Leitelmayer as its Head of Business Centre for Trade Finance....
November 7th, 2019

Corby-based renewable power specialist expands global reach with funding from Reward Finance Group
Corby-based Aten Global, a specialist in the design, installation and implementation of innovative solar renewable power solutions, is extending its global...
November 6th, 2019

New figures show 26 more Scottish businesses per day
Official figures published today show the number of businesses operating in Scotland is at a record high and that small and medium sized firms now account for...
November 6th, 2019

Nucleus Commercial Finance makes changes to cash flow finance product
Nucleus Commercial Finance, an alternative finance provider, has today announced changes to its cash flow finance product, delivering more finance options for...
November 6th, 2019

Financial tips and tricks to enhance your business’s bottom line
Paperwork isn’t the most exciting part of running a small business, and spending valuable time balancing payments or issuing invoices is no-one’s idea of...
November 6th, 2019

Chirag Shah, CEO, Nucleus Commercial Finance comments on today’s CBI SME Trends Survey
The full report can be found here and the main findings show business optimism amongst SME manufacturing firms deteriorated in the three months to October, at...
November 6th, 2019

New breed of CFO has emerged, says Sage report, as data analytics drives finance
A new report from Sage, the market leader in cloud business management solutions, says the role of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) has changed forever. Their...
November 6th, 2019

Asset finance new business grows by 5% in September
New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) grew by 5%...
November 6th, 2019

Atradius Releases Report On Eastern Europe
A report by trade credit insurer Atradius reveals the top trading risks within Eastern Europe’s major markets. The Eastern Europe Country Report is designed...
November 6th, 2019

David Capdevila appointed new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Atradius N.V.
From 1 January 2020, he will replace Isidoro Unda who has announced his departure after 12 years as the insurance company’s Chief Executive Officer. At...
November 5th, 2019

Liberis funding helps florist bloom
Doncaster-based Chantal’s Perfect Day Florist is a business that is going from strength to strength, thanks in part to a flexible funding solution designed...
November 4th, 2019

Half of private sector jobs dependent on resilience of smaller Scottish firms
Scottish firms should prepare for unsettled trading conditions as governments take action on climate change and the country grapples with a series of major...
October 31st, 2019

Global lending automation platform Trade Ledger announces £1.5m funding round led by Hambro Perks
Trade Ledger, the ground-breaking business lending platform, which automates commercial lending processes for global banks and alternative finance providers,...
October 31st, 2019

Atradius: Economic uncertainty takes its toll on UK business payment practices
Sales on credit are on the up despite the prevailing economic challenges as UK businesses strive to appear more attractive to potential customers, reveals the...
October 29th, 2019

MarketInvoice to bolster UK economy by supporting larger businesses as it increases credit facilities
Business finance company MarketInvoice, has launched a new specialist team to provide finance facilities for Britain’s larger businesses. Having provided...
October 29th, 2019

Joint call to make deposit scheme work for smaller firms
As a Holyrood committee calls for comments [1] on Scotland’s proposed deposit return system [2], small business leaders and environmentalists have come...
October 29th, 2019

UK trade volumes fall but numbers of manufacturers exporting rises
UK exports fell in Q3 amid a global slowdown in economic growth and rising international trade tensions, according to the latest Lloyds Bank International...
October 29th, 2019

Celebrating Christmas improves productivity for finance workers
Implementing Christmas traditions in the workplace can boost productivity levels, new research has found. A study carried out by Christmas Tree World, the...
October 25th, 2019

UK trade volumes fall but number of manufacturers exporting rises
UK exports fell in Q3 amid a global slowdown in economic growth and rising international trade tensions, according to the latest Lloyds Bank International...
October 25th, 2019

Housing development takes shape following £7million funding package
Established specialist lender Together has agreed a £7million funding facility for a luxury family-orientated homes development in the North West. Bespoke...
October 24th, 2019

Just Loans Group named as a ‘Company to Inspire Britain’ in new report
JLG Group is focussed on providing a real alternative to traditional UK Business Banking and has been identified as one of London Stock Exchange Group’s 1000...
October 24th, 2019

City and sector breakdown of businesses in UK preparedness levels for Brexit
Almost two in three UK businesses (63%) say they will not be ready for Brexit by 31 October – and 26% say they need a further 6-12 months to get their...
October 24th, 2019

Jade McClellan joins Bibby Financial Services’ Trade Finance team
Bibby Financial Services (BFS) has appointed Jade McClellan as a Relationship Manager for Trade Finance. Jade joins BFS with 18 years’ experience in the...
October 23rd, 2019

Avetta Names Arshad Matin Its New President and Chief Executive to Drive Next Stage of Growth
Avetta, one of the world leaders in providing cloud-based supply chain risk management solutions, announced today that its Board of Directors has appointed...
October 23rd, 2019

Institute of Export & International Trade Appoints New Director General
The Institute of Export and International Trade is pleased to announce the appointment of Marco Forgione as its new Director General. Mr Forgione, currently...
October 23rd, 2019

Start-Up Loan helps to bring a new lease of life to Polegate gastropub
Vibrant, family-friendly community pub, The Junction, opens in Polegate following support from a start-up loan. The project will revive a run-down pub into a...
October 22nd, 2019

Fiduciam continues rapid expansion
Fiduciam has met its target of hiring 25 new staff members in 2019, hiring ten new people during the Summer. Its team now combines 15 nationalities speaking 21...
October 22nd, 2019

Potential Brexit outcomes put the construction and manufacturing sectors at risk
The UK’s impending exit from the EU is likely to be an epochal moment. Depending on the form of the exit, there could only be minor impacts, or there could...
October 18th, 2019

BFS signs-up to SME Finance Charter to provide Brexit support for UK businesses
Global SME partner, Bibby Financial Services (BFS) has announced its support for the Business Finance Council’s SME Finance Charter, in a bid to improve...
October 17th, 2019

Ultimate Finance signs the SME Finance Charter to counter business Brexit uncertainty
Specialist asset-based lender, Ultimate Finance, today announced its commitment to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the face of Brexit uncertainty...
October 17th, 2019

Eskuta on the road to success – next stop: Europe
After a successful career in the fashion industry, Ian O’Connor decided to develop a new electric bike / scooter business. Having witnessed the rise of...
October 17th, 2019

Atradius’ publishes South Africa trade report
Trade credit insurer Atradius has published a report on South Africa for businesses trading, or considering trading, within the country. The South Africa...
October 16th, 2019

Manufacturers are taking control of energy saving with Energy-as-a-Service
A new research paper from Siemens Financial Services (SFS) says innovative Energy-as-a-Service solutions can help UK manufacturers save up £5.6 billion over...
October 15th, 2019

Big rise in small businesses taking legal action on late payment
Two in five small business owners (40%) say they are taking legal action against customers not paying them on time and many bosses are foregoing their own...
October 14th, 2019

CPS welcomes new CBI figures on cost of renationalisation
The CBI is set to release a new analysis of Labour’s renationalisation plans on Monday 14th October 2019. It estimates the upfront cost of taking the...
October 14th, 2019

Global network of financial centres plan huge growth in sustainable finance and launches regional programme for Africa
Maintaining the momentum of the Secretary-General’s Climate Summit last month, a global network of 30 financial centres – accounting for $61.3 trillion in...
October 11th, 2019

Price Bailey makes four more senior-level promotions
Price Bailey has made four more senior-level promotions including Sarah Pool to Director and Stephanie Lloyd, Gemma Thake and Louise Fox to Senior Manager with...
October 10th, 2019

Asset finance new business holds steady in August
New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that total asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) held...
October 10th, 2019

Fiduciam expands into Scotland
Bridging lender Fiduciam has expanded into Scotland and has now completed its first transaction there, enabling the refinancing of a Glasgow care home. This...
October 10th, 2019

Providing SMEs with Flexibile replayment options in challenging times
Hitachi Capital Business Finance this week launches a new Smart Funding flexible payment plan to help thousands of small business owners secure growth funding...
October 10th, 2019

Benchmarking launch
The British Exporters Association (BExA) today launches its 10th annual benchmarking of UK Export Finance (UKEF), which provides an analysis of UKEF’s...
October 9th, 2019

Report Busts Myth that Social Businesses are Slow-Growth Businesses
Social Businesses are becoming an increasingly important area of the UK economy but need support to grow faster, a new report – produced jointly by the...
October 8th, 2019

World’s SMEs say rising costs are greatest challenge in 2019
Rising costs are the greatest challenge facing small businesses around the world, according to the latest Global Business Monitor study from global SME...
October 8th, 2019

Ultimate Finance strengthens North West presence
Specialist asset-based lender Ultimate Finance is building on the strength of its record H1 results by investing significantly in its North West sales team....
October 7th, 2019

The Fiducia Group launches New Corporate Finance Division
The Fiducia Group, one of the UK’s leading financial services brokers, is today launching Fiducia Corporate Finance. Fiducia Corporate Finance will...
October 7th, 2019

UK construction and MUS sector decline – Brexit commentary
“Although most of Western Europe is showing increasing level of stress against the backdrop of slowing global growth and an escalating trade war, the...
October 2nd, 2019

IndustrialComms takes on bigger projects with the help of Siemens Financial Services
IndustrialComms is enjoying greater cash flow flexibility as a result of Siemens Financial Services’ (SFS) Extended Payment Terms (EPT) tool. Launched...
October 2nd, 2019

Bibby Financial Services appoints Head of Operations for Construction Finance
Global SME partner, Bibby Financial Services (BFS), has announced the appointment of Alberto Argentieri as its Head of Operations for Construction...
October 1st, 2019

Huntswood appoints Martin Dodd CEO
Martin Dodd has been appointed Huntswood’s new Chief Executive Officer. He joins from Lloyds Banking Group, where most recently he was Managing Director of...
October 1st, 2019

No-deal preparations coming at a cost for small firms – comment
“When we combine persistent uncertainty and lack of planning resource, it’s no surprise to see smaller businesses voice their concern about the no-deal...
September 30th, 2019

Businesses report that continued Brexit uncertainty is now having real impact
As the Conservative Party gathers in Manchester for its Annual Conference, the Greater Manchester Chamber’s latest Quarterly Economic Survey, completed by...
September 27th, 2019

R3 responds to Transport Minister’s airline insolvency plans
More consultation is needed before the Government progresses plans to change how planes are used in airline insolvencies, R3, the insolvency and restructuring...
September 26th, 2019

Lloyds first UK bank to partner with blockchain trade finance platform
Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking is to become the first UK bank to partner with komgo to enable quicker international commodity trade finance using distributed...
September 25th, 2019

Liberis Finance reveals new identity and website for an enhanced customer experience
Liberis Finance has had a facelift, with a new identity and website that better reflects its status as one of the UK’s leading alternative finance providers....
September 24th, 2019

Bank of England forecast – Comments
“Today’s decision to maintain the current monetary policy stance comes against the backdrop of further easing in the euro zone and in the US. However, as...
September 20th, 2019

Impact Specialist Finance goes on tour with Autumn Breakfast Broker Seminars
Impact Specialist Finance, the specialist mortgage broker and distributor, has announced a series of Autumn Breakfast Broker Seminars. There will be five...
September 20th, 2019

Southampton developer to progress scheme with funding facility from Reward Finance Group
Firgrove Holdings Limited, which operates a range of companies within the land, property, funding and development sectors, is preparing to complete its latest...
September 19th, 2019

Atradius Payment Practices Barometer: Eastern European businesses increase sales made on credit but future outlook clouded by insolvency
Businesses in Eastern Europe are conducting significantly more sales on credit to boost their competitiveness in overseas markets, reports leading trade credit...
September 18th, 2019

What Brexit blues? New research reveals nearly half of UK businesses believe Brexit will have a long-term positive impact
A new state-of-the-nation study into how UK businesses are prepared for Brexit, has revealed a staggering 43% of businesses believe the process of exiting the...
September 18th, 2019

Nucleus Commercial Finance delivers £414,000 facility to leading Midlands electrical contractor to fund business expansion
Nucleus Commercial Finance has agreed to provide a £414,000 finance facility to On Power Electrical & Mechanical, supporting the company’s business...
September 17th, 2019

Iceland’s slowdown underlines the need to fix structural issues, says OECD
Sound macroeconomic policies and favourable external conditions have enabled Iceland’s economy to emerge stronger from a decade of post-crisis management....
September 17th, 2019

Commenting on the price of oil following the attacks on Saudi Arabia’s production facilities
Commenting on the price of oil following the attacks on Saudi Arabia’s production facilities, Lionel Kruger, Director at JCRA, said: “In a sobering display...
September 17th, 2019

Commenting on the rise in oil prices following an attack on Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure
Commenting on the rise in oil prices following an attack on Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure, Artur Baluszynski, Head of Research at Henderson Rowe, said:...
September 16th, 2019

Wholesaler secures £800,000 funding line ahead of festive period
Bibby Financial Services (BFS) has provided a £800,000 funding facility to Triflora International Ltd, an importer of seasonal homewares supplying prominent...
September 16th, 2019

Asset finance market grows by 8% in July
New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) overall...
September 12th, 2019

Bibby Financial Services appoints Theo Chatha as Chief Financial Officer
Global SME partner, Bibby Financial Services (BFS), has announced the appointment of Theo Chatha as Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining BFS, Theo spent...
September 12th, 2019

Over half of SMEs have business ambitions they cannot fund
Research from Nucleus Commercial Finance, an alternative finance provider, reveals that more than half (52%) of UK SME owners have business ambitions they feel...
September 12th, 2019

Atradius Collections releases latest International Collections Handbook
The annual publication International Debt Collections Handbook of Atradius Collections covers extensive debt collections approaches in 48 countries around the...
September 12th, 2019

Small business owners turn to their pets about work problems
With many Brits facing burnouts at work and with cases of business stress on the rise, the new research suggests that most small business owners build a...
September 12th, 2019

Together helps customer to bridge the gap with 36 hour turnaround
Specialist lender Together has helped a customer renovate his new home and pay a solicitor’s bill after he was hit with an unexpected three-month delay on...
September 11th, 2019

Norman Broadbent Group plc receives multi-million funding line from Bibby Financial Services
Bibby Financial Services (BFS) has provided a multi-million funding line to Norman Broadbent Group plc (AIM: NBB), a leading London listed Professional...
September 9th, 2019

Commenting on the Euro zone’s meagre GDP growth for Q2
Commenting on the Euro zone’s meagre GDP growth for Q2, Chris Towner, Director at JCRA, said: “Q2 GDP from the EU was confirmed at 0.2%. Meagre growth and...
September 9th, 2019

Beat your managers’ “back to work blues” by giving them a tough project, hard work… and a bit more respect
While there is a strong and overdue focus on improving the work-life balance in many organisations, new research shows most managers are still at their...
September 6th, 2019

Business organisation launches simple checklist to helps firms keep the cash flowing through Brexit
A simple checklist for businesses to help keep the cash flowing regardless of the Brexit outcome has been published by The Chartered Institute of Credit...
September 5th, 2019

David Fletcher Joins Credit Kudos as VP of Sales
Credit Kudos, challenger Credit Bureau, has strengthened its team with the appointment of David Fletcher as VP of Sales. David joins Credit Kudos after 5 years...
September 4th, 2019

Esker becomes new CICM corporate partner
Esker, a leader in Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven process automation solutions, has become a Corporate Partner of the Chartered Institute of Credit...
September 4th, 2019

CICM offers cautious welcome to new proposals to tackle late payment
The Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Credit Management Philip King has given a cautious welcome to the Government’s call for evidence in...
September 4th, 2019

Bibby Financial Services appoints Global Head of Innovation to lead the development of new products and services
Bibby Financial Services (BFS) has appointed Jonathon Preen as its new Global Head of Innovation to help bolster its global business offering. Jonathon joins...
September 3rd, 2019

1st Stop Group announces significant increases in funding facility
1st Stop Group Limited (“1SG”), the specialist consumer lender, is pleased to announce that it has increased its credit facilities with its current...
September 3rd, 2019

Sickness absence and presenteeism in small businesses
Employees are an important part of any business. But in SMEs, a smaller team means that your people are even more vital to the overall success of your...
September 3rd, 2019

FSB comment on Scottish Affairs bank closures report
The Scottish Affairs Committee will be publish a new report today that recommends new action to prevent bank branch closures and protect Scotland’s cash...
August 29th, 2019

Veenak International plans for ambitious growth with additional funding
Birmingham-based business, Veenak International, has established itself as one of the UK’s leading wholesalers in the healthcare space. Their medicines,...
August 28th, 2019

First 4 Bridging expands into second charge market
First 4 Bridging (F4B) has expanded its specialist distribution offering into the second charge mortgage market. The specialist distributor has set up a...
August 28th, 2019

Forum of Private Business lobbying pays off as the Pub Code Adjudicator steps down
Leading business support organisation, the Forum of Private Business, is heralding the announcement that the Pub Code Adjudicator is to step down as a victory...
August 27th, 2019

Asset finance market grows by 6% in June
New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) grew by 6%...
August 22nd, 2019

Customer currently not number 1 for CFOs as 32% of companies still yet to start their digital transformation
According to almost two-thirds of CFOs (65%), digital transformation will result in fewer jobs, despite the fact that 32% of organisations aren’t currently...
August 20th, 2019

Specialist lender Together appoints corporate relationship director in the North
A property finance expert has joined specialist lender Together as its corporate relationship director covering the North of England. Alex Garland, who has...
August 20th, 2019

Bright future for Egypt’s health tourism industry
Egypt’s rapidly expanding health tourism industry and its role in helping the country to educate and retain medical professionals is explored by Shady Ali...
August 19th, 2019

Landlords much more likely to purchase via limited company vehicles, Foundation Home Loans research reveals
The latest landlord research from Foundation Home Loans, the intermediary-only, specialist lender has revealed that landlords who are planning to add to...
August 16th, 2019

Jersey expansion for CVR Global
Insolvency and restructuring firm CVR Global is strengthening its overseas presence after acquiring an office in Jersey. The Moore Stephens Restructuring and...
August 15th, 2019

Why firms need to make sense of their space for flexible working
UK employees now have a legal right to request flexible working, and while employers don’t always have to accept, the direction of travel is clear. More and...
August 15th, 2019

Small business confidence on the rise after two year low
Set against the warnings of a shrinking UK economy and full-blown recession, the nation’s small business community is holding strong – with an upturn...
August 15th, 2019

White & Case and Cooley join 42 other law firms harnessing Shieldpay’s solutions
London based fintech Shieldpay today announces that 44 law firms are utilising Shieldpay to improve efficiencies and deliver secure payments to help rid the...
August 14th, 2019

UK business owners admit their biggest regrets
UK business owners have revealed their biggest regret was the way they financed their business during the start-up period. Significantly almost one in four...
August 13th, 2019

Just Mortgages to offer commercial mortgage advice thanks to partnership with commercial broker Fiducia
Five brokers in Just Mortgages’ self-employed division will now be trading as commercial brokers thanks to a partnership with leading commercial broker...
August 13th, 2019

Second charge repossessions fall in Q2 2019
New figures released today by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that the number of second charge mortgage repossessions in Q2 2019 was 24, 38.5%...
August 8th, 2019

Paragon Bank completes development finance migration onto Phoebus
Paragon Bank has completed the migration of its development finance lending portfolio onto the Phoebus development finance module. It follows Paragon’s...
August 8th, 2019

Atradius welcomes Darren Power to its Northern Hub
Trade credit insurer Atradius has confirmed the appointment of Darren Power as head of commercial for the north. Darren, who has more than 20 years’...
August 8th, 2019

8 Top Tips for Improving Your SME’s Cash Flow
According to Bacs (the company which runs Direct Debit in the UK), 52% of SMEs in the UK are owed monies from late payments. The average late payment debt now...
August 6th, 2019

Response to CBI SME Trends Survey
Chirag Shah, CEO, Nucleus Commercial Finance comments on today’s CBI SME Trends Survey: “Amid broader political uncertainty, it’s hardly surprising to...
July 31st, 2019

New Consultant Partner for Forums International
Forums International is delighted to announce that Martyn Brooke has joined the organisation as a Consultant Partner and will be working closely with Laurie...
July 30th, 2019

Lex Jones appointed chief executive of Registry Trust
Lex Jones takes over as chief executive of Registry Trust on July 30, having been interim ceo from March 1. Registry Trust is the mission-led non-profit which...
July 30th, 2019

Leading business advisory firm strengthens its presence in the UK
One of the UK’s fastest-growing business advisory firms has strengthened its footprint across the UK with a flurry of acquisitions. The Baldwins Group have...
July 30th, 2019

Smaller businesses in Scotland, Wales and NI react to PM funding pot announcement
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is visiting Scotland for the first time today since taking office and has announced a £300 million funding pot for communities in...
July 30th, 2019

Forum of Private Business outlines 8 actions for Boris and his new government
The Forum of Private Business (FPB) has outlined 8 action points it believes should be top of the new government’s priority list, following Boris Johnson’s...
July 29th, 2019

Nearly half of SMEs are struggling with cashflow as Brexit burden drains resources
Nearly half (44%) of the UK’s SMEs, equating to 2.5m businesses, are struggling with cashflow as they attempt to prepare for Brexit, according to the latest...
July 29th, 2019

Commenting on annual wind energy provided to the UK grid achieving record levels
Commenting on annual wind energy provided to the UK grid achieving record levels, Harry Merrison, Investment Manager at Kingswood, said: “The figures...
July 26th, 2019

Increase in entry levels for industry technology awards at UKCCC
A record number of entries have been reported for this year’s Credit and Collections Technology Awards, devised by Credit Connect and hosted by the Credit...
July 26th, 2019

UK exports fall in the face of global trade tensions
Whilst the export of goods from the UK fell in Q2 2019, larger UK manufacturers remain focused on export growth with the highest proportion of companies...
July 25th, 2019

Crystal and Together complete tasty deal with The Food Group
Nine directors of the same company have secured a £1million funding package – through second charge loans secured against their homes – to expand...
July 25th, 2019

Rise in CCJs again businesses
County court judgments against businesses in England and Wales rose four percent in the first half of 2019, according to figures released today (July 24) by...
July 25th, 2019

Experian & Funding Xchange team up give SMEs better chance of securing finance
Today sees the launch of a new partnership between Experian and Funding Xchange, the leading online small business funding platform. Their collaboration will...
July 24th, 2019

SMEs access finance in minutes with new partnership between Experian & Funding Xchange
Today sees the launch of a new partnership between Experian and Funding Xchange, the leading online small business funding platform. Their collaboration now...
July 24th, 2019

Luxury outdoor furniture increases global presence with funding from Reward Finance Group
Akula Living, which provides top quality outdoor furniture to many of the world’s luxury hotels, cruise ships and hospitality venues, has stepped up...
July 23rd, 2019

Smart financing is enabling manufacturers to invest in energy optimisation without the need to commit capital
Siemens Financial Services (SFS) has released a new research paper examining how UK manufacturers can more easily implement energy optimisation solutions to...
July 22nd, 2019

Body-worn cameras “not nearly enough” to resolve bailiff problems on their own
The Ministry of Justice has today announced the introduction of compulsory body-worn cameras for certificated bailiffs and High Court Enforcement Officers,...
July 22nd, 2019

Enforcement industry supports body worn video
Responding to the Justice Ministers’ decision to mandate the use of body-worn video for civil enforcement agents, Russell Hamblin-Boone, CEO of the Civil...
July 22nd, 2019

TALL Group / AIB Bank Launch New Image Quality Tool…
The TALL Group of Companies, the UK leader in the provision of secure paper and electronic payment solutions, has developed an API that allows financial...
July 22nd, 2019

Atradius welcomes Darren Power to the Atradius Northern Hub
Darren, who boasts over 20 years’ experience in the insurance industry, will join the Manchester based Atradius Northern Hub this month. Mr Power moves to...
July 22nd, 2019

Specialist lender Together hires corporate relationship director for the North West
An experienced banker has joined Manchester-based financial institution Together as its corporate relationship director covering the North West region. Alex...
July 22nd, 2019

Boost for Scottish business as decrees plummet
According to figures released today (July 17 2019) by Registry Trust, the number of decrees against Scottish businesses dropped by 28 percent in the first six...
July 22nd, 2019

TransUnion Announces New Partnership With Leeds United
TransUnion – a leading credit reference agency and global information solutions provider – has announced its partnership with prestigious football club...
July 22nd, 2019

Personal insolvencies more common among women, and people living by the sea or in the North East – R3 comments on 2018 statistics
More women than men in England and Wales became insolvent in 2018, following a pattern which has been in place for several years, says insolvency trade body...
July 22nd, 2019

18 more businesses penalised for failing to pay suppliers on time
Eighteen companies – including BT Plc, British American Tobacco, and Centrica – have been suspended from the Prompt Payment Code for failing to pay...
July 22nd, 2019

Specialist financial recruitment consultancy sees 44% rise in revenue
Woodrow Mercer Finance, the Leeds-headquartered financial search and selection consultancy, is performing strongly with revenue continuing to show significant...
July 22nd, 2019

Shield’s RegTech Solution Wins Two Categories in Prestigious FinTech Awards 2019
Specialist RegTech provider Shield is proud to announce it has won two categories in the well-respected Wealth and Finance International FinTech Awards 2019....
July 22nd, 2019

New research shows customer complaints experience at odds with financial services firms’ perception of service
UK financial services firms are underperforming when it comes to complaints handling, despite their growing belief that customers are satisfied with their...
July 22nd, 2019

Family-run food wholesaler flourishes with £1 million funding facility
Tuber Produce, an independent fresh food wholesaler, has secured a Trade and Invoice Finance facility worth £1.15 million from Bibby Financial Services (BFS)...
July 22nd, 2019

Eight years of continuous growth for Reward Finance Group as income grows by 39 percent
eward Finance Group, the Leeds and Manchester alternative finance provider, has posted record year-end figures for the eighth consecutive year, as it continues...
July 22nd, 2019

Almost two-thirds of CFOs expect digital transformation to impact employment
The majority of CFOs (65%) expect digital transformation to significantly reduce the number of jobs in the financial services industry, according to the...
July 22nd, 2019

BFS provides funding line to Yorkshire automotive manufacturer
Bibby Financial Services (BFS) has provided a funding facility to Complete Automotive Aftermarket Solutions Ltd., a Yorkshire-based automotive manufacturer...
July 22nd, 2019

Indesser appoints Rhona Parry as CEO
Indesser, a joint venture between TDX Group (an Equifax company) and the Cabinet Office set up to manage consumer debt to government departments more...
July 22nd, 2019

Safer Scotland signs up new Finance Manager as growth and development drive continues
Rapidly-expanding, tech-driven security specialist Safer Scotland has strengthened its financial infrastructure with the appointment of a new Finance Manager...
July 22nd, 2019