Finance and Funding

Tips and advice on finding small business loans and other funding for your enterprise

Most businesses need a bit of help with finance at some stage – whether it's for startup or growth. You might need funding for a dip in revenue or cash flow, or for new equipment or recruitment. In this section we'll explain how to prepare for the process and look at the options from banks, investors, alternative lenders or business grants, and what the implications are for your business.

Open Banking: What Does it Mean for SMEs?

Open Banking: What Does it Mean for SMEs?

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Open Banking: What Does it Mean for SMEs?

Open Banking has the power to transform how the financial industry works for consumers and business in the UK. We take a look at what this means in practice for SMEs

Construction Equipment Leasing vs Financing

Construction Equipment Leasing vs Financing

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Construction Equipment Leasing vs Financing

Patrick Hogan, CEO of Handle, explores the pros and cons of equipment leasing and financing to guide you through which is a better fit for your construction business

Common Financial Pitfalls & How to Avoid Them

Common Financial Pitfalls & How to Avoid Them

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Common Financial Pitfalls & How to Avoid Them

Chris Woodard, Co-Founder of Handle.com, explores some of the biggest financial mistakes that new business owners make and how to avoid them

A Guide To Chasing Late Payments

A Guide To Chasing Late Payments

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A Guide To Chasing Late Payments

It's important to be aware of how to chase up unpaid invoices to protect your business and its cash flow. Here's Sage's guide on how SMEs should approach chasing late payments

A Sole Trader’s Guide to Alternative Finance

A Sole Trader’s Guide to Alternative Finance

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A Sole Trader’s Guide to Alternative Finance

If you're a sole trader operating in the UK, it's worth considering the alternative finance options available to you. Here's our guide covering crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, and more.

​Credit Control Checklist for Small Businesses

​Credit Control Checklist for Small Businesses

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​Credit Control Checklist for Small Businesses

If you offer your products or services on credit, it's vital that this is carried out in a controlled manner and a strict collection procedure is in place

How to Prioritise Investment Within Your Company

How to Prioritise Investment Within Your Company

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How to Prioritise Investment Within Your Company

It can be difficult to know which parts of your SME to invest in when looking into business growth. Lewis Miller of Nelson Frank shares his expertise on how to prioritise company investments.

Creating a Pitch Deck To Secure Investor Funding

Creating a Pitch Deck To Secure Investor Funding

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Creating a Pitch Deck To Secure Investor Funding

Creating your first pitch deck can seem like a daunting task. To help you get started, Mike Sims of ThinkLions shares three ways to leverage your pitch deck to win over investors

Streamlining Financial Processes for Growth

Streamlining Financial Processes for Growth

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Streamlining Financial Processes for Growth

Neil Robertson of Compleat Software shares his thoughts on how streamlining financial processes can facilitate sustainable business growth

The Start-up Guide to Business Funding

The Start-up Guide to Business Funding

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The Start-up Guide to Business Funding

Here’s a quick look at the main funding options available to budding startup founders across the UK, including bank funding, angel investment and government grants

What is Fintech?

What is Fintech?

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What is Fintech?

Here's our view of how fintech works and the impact it's having on the landscape of the UK economy

Is Vehicle Leasing the Right Option for Your SME?

Is Vehicle Leasing the Right Option for Your SME?

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Is Vehicle Leasing the Right Option for Your SME?

To buy or to lease? Many SMEs struggle to weigh the pros and cons of leasing a fleet of vehicles versus purchasing outright. Tom Preston talks us through the key points to consider

How to Improve Your Company Credit Score

How to Improve Your Company Credit Score

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How to Improve Your Company Credit Score

Credit scores are one of the most telling reflections of your business' financial health. We look at how to improve your credit score and the influence it can have on finance applications

The Construction SME's Guide to Securing Tools

The Construction SME's Guide to Securing Tools

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The Construction SME's Guide to Securing Tools

Tool theft can be a huge strain on any construction company, and can even put some out of business. Storage Giant's Simon Williams explores the best ways to secure your tools

How SMEs Can Overcome Financial Restraint

How SMEs Can Overcome Financial Restraint

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How SMEs Can Overcome Financial Restraint

Real Business Rescue’s Keith Tully explores some of the most common financial issues you might have to deal with as a business owner and how to overcome them

The Accelerator Helping to Build Future Britain

The Accelerator Helping to Build Future Britain

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The Accelerator Helping to Build Future Britain

By nurturing some of the UKs very best startups, accelerator Geovation is supplying much-needed support to the UK tech industry to fuel future innovation

Small Business Online Accounting Software

Small Business Online Accounting Software

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Small Business Online Accounting Software

Finding the perfect online accounting software for your business can be tricky with so many providers available to choose from. Here's our guide.

How to Avoid Early Repayment Charges

How to Avoid Early Repayment Charges

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How to Avoid Early Repayment Charges

If you’re taking out a business loan, you may wish to repay it early. But how can you avoid early repayment charges? Find out in Fleximize’s handy guide

How to Download a Bank Statement

How to Download a Bank Statement

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How to Download a Bank Statement

A simple guide to downloading a bank statement from all of the major UK banks, including Lloyds, Barclays, NatWest, HSBC, Nationwide, Santander and RBS

Card Surcharge Ban: How SMEs Can Offset the Cost

Card Surcharge Ban: How SMEs Can Offset the Cost

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Card Surcharge Ban: How SMEs Can Offset the Cost

It's now illegal for businesses to charge customers for debit and credit card payments. How can companies manage the impact of the card surcharge ban?