Small firms struggle to afford new credit

OVER a third of small firms say new credit is unaffordable, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

The trade body has urged smaller businesses to look beyond “traditional debt products”, after research found that 42 per cent of 984 … Read More

Small firms facing credit squeeze

SMALL UK firms are struggling to access new finance with credit approvals at their lowest level in over two years, according to new research.

The survey from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) showed that only 60 per cent of … Read More

Invoice finance: The business lifeline

IT’S NO secret that cashflow is an issue for many small businesses in the UK, which has led to the growth of a booming invoice finance market. According to trade body UK Finance, invoice finance hit £18.9bn in the third … Read More

Small business confidence drops for fourth consecutive quarter

SMALL business confidence is continuing to decline, driven by surging operating costs, weak domestic growth and flagging consumer demand.

The Small Business Index (SBI), released by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) on Friday, stood at -2.5 in the fourth … Read More

See EU later

The UK’s decision to split from the rest of the bloc sent shockwaves around the world, but what does it mean for peer-to-peer lending?

THERE is a blight on the land, and its name is Brexit. As we progress towards … Read More

The P2P Power 50

PEER-TO-PEER lending has rapidly grown into a multi-billion-pound industry, bringing together the best in banking and technology as well as lawyers, regulators, analysts and fund managers.

So, who are the key players influencing the UK’s P2P sector? The inaugural Peer2Peer … Read More

SME borrowing declines amid Brexit uncertainty

SMALL businesses are borrowing less, which could threaten their future growth, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has warned.

New figures from UK Finance on Thursday showed that bank lending to non-financial businesses fell by £698m in July.

And the … Read More

Business groups herald plans for post-Brexit data sharing

BUSINESS groups have welcomed the government’s new proposals to ensure data sharing continues with the EU after Brexit, but urged for more support for smaller firms to cope with incoming changes.

The UK government will set out its plans on … Read More

Small firms cutting back to cope with national minimum wage

ALMOST TWO thirds of small businesses have reported lower profits due to the national living wage (NLW), new research has shown.

A survey by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) highlighted ways that bosses have coped with the increase of … Read More

Bank of England revises down growth forecast as rates are held

THE BANK of England has revised down growth forecasts for the UK as it held interest rates yet again this month.

It is now a year since the last cut in the Bank of England base rate, with many expecting … Read More