SMEs concerned about recession risk as demand for finance rises

Small business owners are concerned about the possibility of a recession, according to iwoca’s latest quarterly SME Expert Index. With both the cost of living and of doing business climbing, over three quarters of brokers surveyed (77%) say their small business clients are worried about the possibility of a recession. By contrast, fewer than 7%…

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Recovery Loan Scheme to be extended by two years

The Government has announced that the Government-backed Recovery Loan Scheme to small businesses will be extended by a further two years. The Recovery Loan Scheme was originally launched in April 2021 to help businesses recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic and has supported almost 19,000 businesses with an average of £202,000 in support. The scheme has…

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Value of business lending jumps £12bn in 9 months

The total value of lending to businesses has risen by £12 billion to £533 billion (in the 9 months to the end May 2022) as banks increase their lending following a sharp fall at the end of the CBILS and BBLS schemes according to research by ACP Altenburg Advisory. The research found that the rise…

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One in five SMEs that needed external finance were unable to access it

More than one in five (22%) small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) that needed external finance and/or capital over the last couple of years were unable to access it according to research by Manx Financial Group. Over a quarter (27%) have had to stop or pause an area of their business because of a lack…

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Asset finance new business falls by 16%

21st June 2022 Asset Finance | #asset finance

New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that total asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) fell in April 2022 by 16% compared with the same month in 2021. In the first four months of 2022, new business was 1% higher than in the same period in 2021. The…

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SME lending trends indicate gradual return to normal

UK Finance’s latest Business Finance Review has indicated a gradual return to normal lending trends across SMEs during the first quarter of 2022. The research found a modest uptick in demand for cashflow finance through overdrafts and invoice finance and asset-based lending – as a consequence of both the end of Covid-19 restrictions and the significant…

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One million SMEs denied access to finance last year

One in three UK-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) who sought access to finance were denied in the last year, according to new research from Yolt, Europe’s rapidly accelerating smart payments and data enrichment platform. This resulted in an estimated £3.7bn lost in potential funding for UK SME’s. The research found that in the last…

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Research highlights invoice finance positives

New data from Time Finance reveals peace of mind, flexibility and supporting cashflow to be the top three benefits of having an Invoice Finance facility, according to UK business owners. As well as this, 42% of UK business owners told Time Finance that Invoice Finance gives them more financial freedom, whilst one in four said…

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CRIF launches open banking invoice financing service

Credit information provider, CRIF has announced that it has partnered with invoice financing provider Penny to utilise open banking to enable invoice payments.  The new service utilises CRIF’s Credit Passport®, which uses open banking data to provide a real-time, secure way of speeding up the decisioning process for lenders and providing transparency and advice for…

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Value of UK business loans written off by banks nearly doubles

The value of UK business loans written off by banks nearly doubled in the last quarter of 2021, rising 87% from £190 million in the third quarter to £356 million in the fourth quarter according to new research by ACP Altenburg Advisory. The research report found that write-offs of loans were subdued throughout Covid but…

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Commercial Loans expected to lead recovery for businesses

According to new research conducted by Time Finance, more than 70% of financial intermediaries believe their clients will need some form of funding support over the next 6 months to deal with and overcome the economic challenges that 2022 continues to throw at them. The findings come as many of their SME clients face supply…

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Government approach to Covid business support will cost taxpayer billions

Billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money will be ‘lost to fraud and error as a result of the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy’s (BEIS) approach to its Covid-19 business support schemes according to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). Despite providing important support to businesses across the country, BEIS’ latest estimate is that £4.9…

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Lending to small businesses hits all-time low, with six in ten impacted by late payment   

New findings from quarterly Small Business Index (SBI) has warned that banks ‘are pulling up the drawbridge’ to small firms will further stifle economic growth as its new SBI study shows successful finance applications plunging over the first quarter of this year. Fewer than one in ten (9%) small firms applied for finance in Q1…

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