Could Cyprus be the trigger for yet another, potentially fatal Eurozone crisis? This is a problem that the EU have tried to ignore, but to no avail, it is now coming back to bite them, and in particular the Germans, in a big way! In a worst case scenario, this could lead to the exit […]
Business strategy 101 – Business funding update – March 2013
1. Funding for Lending Scheme update Banks taking part in the Funding for Lending Scheme (FLS) have cut lending sharply in the last three months according to a report this week. The lower than expected FLS figures have dampened hopes that the project could help revive economic growth. The joint initiative between the Bank of England […]
15 need to know points about the UK rating downgrade and business finance
On Friday 22nd February Moody’s downgraded the UK economy from AAA to AA1. The reasons Moody’s gave for the downgrade were that they consider the UK to have a weak economy and is suffering from sluggish growth. The likely effects of the downgrade are: The pound will drop, which means our imports will cost more. […]
How do I get new business funding? 6 tips for when your bank says No
When the bank says NO it might feel like a very lonely place. My main piece of advice is: DON’T PANIC! There is always something that can be done! Just follow these 6 tips: 1. Don’t over-react Don’t blame the funder that is saying no. The business funding world has changed dramatically since the heady days […]
Business strategy 101 – Business funding update – February 2013
The Bank of England’s ‘Trends in Lending’ report, published on 21st January shows business funding options remain hard to come by for SMEs. The underlying message from the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013 is that Finance for the SME sector remains elusive and, as a consequence, demand is subdued. Let’s take a […]
Bank Bailouts: Is the business funding crisis an unintended consequence?
Recently, I was with some friends and business colleagues when we met another contact of mine who was unknown to the wider group. All were in business in some form or another and I was shocked by the reaction. When my contact told the group he was a banker, there was actually some booing. It […]
Invoice Finance – A genuine alternative to Bank Funding
In a time of reduced bank lending and increased pressure on cash flow, it might be useful to look at the various ways businesses can use their sales ledger to fund working capital. Traditional invoice finance products: Factoring This is one of the oldest types of invoice finance and is where the Factor simply provides […]
10 things not to do to your invoice finance provider
As the new year approaches, I feel it is worth reflecting on 2012. It has been a difficult year for so many small and medium size organisations. The economic climate, and the UK government’s reaction to it, has hit hard this year. Recent data shows things aren’t going to be getting better very quickly so […]
Business funding update: will things be better in 2013?
For many of our clients and readers, access to business finance remains one of their biggest concerns going into 2013. As we have mentioned in previous blogs, the paradox of banks not lending and SMEs not borrowing leads to an increasingly downward spiral of funding. The government is trying to do something about it with […]
Starbucks, Amazon and Google: Who’s in the wrong?
This is a great story. The government has suddenly decided to come down hard on company’s not paying tax – shock horror. Have any laws been broken? The amazing thing here is that nobody has broken the law (allegedly). We have some offshoring and some transfer pricing, and some nice tax havens, but these companies […]