Should we all pay our taxes? It is well known that the UK has suffered over the last 5 years since the global financial crisis and that we continue to experience significant funding problems. There is a big debate at the moment regarding the payment, or non-payment, of UK corporation tax by Google, Amazon, Starbucks […]
Why funding problems are likely to get worse as the economy improves!
It is nice to be able to write about better news for the UK economy following a whole range of encouraging data releases. The CBI The CBI’s latest survey data forecasts growth of 0.3pc this quarter, rising to 0.4pc for the next two quarters and between 0.5pc and 0.6pc for each quarter of 2014. They […]
Business Finance Partnership: A guide to alternative funding
Following on from our recent article on the new Business Bank, this is the second in a series explaining the various government funding schemes available to businesses in the UK. Business Finance Partnership (BFP) Background It is a fact that 85% of all business loans are still handled by the “big four” banks as Barclays, […]
Business strategy 101: Complexity theory and Turnaround strategy
Instability not stability! Management has always traditionally focussed on how to control events. The science of Chaos and Complexity concentrates on instability, not stability! This science explores how organisations are formed by the inter-reactions of individual agents and NOT their individual properties. By focussing on the emergent properties, ie the whole system and the properties […]
Can the Enterprise Finance Guarantee help with your funding problems?
Following on from our recent article on the new Business Bank, this is the first in a series explaining the various government funding schemes available to businesses in the UK. The Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) The Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) is a loan guarantee scheme to facilitate lending to viable businesses that have been turned […]
Funding for Lending not working? How it may increase business finance
It seems that the main effect of the Funding for Lending scheme so far is that it has made access to finance in the property market easier to come by! My first reaction to this was why has more not been done to channel much needed finance into the struggling SME market place? Commentators don’t […]
Business Strategy 101: Think like a banker for new business finance
Think like a Banker for better results with your Business Finance applications When you need new or replacement finance you will often put together a plan for the bank to support your application. Over the years I have put together many of these documents, and whilst we always try to show a good bottom line […]
How to save your company when the Bank says NO to business finance
When the bank says NO it isn’t the end of the line! Whether it is a refusal for a new loan, or you feel that they are making things very difficult and the relationship has broken down with your existing facility – THERE ARE ALWAYS OPTIONS!!! Here are five valuable tips that have worked for […]
6 quick steps to planning a turnaround strategy
The hardest part of planning a company turnaround is recognising that you have problems, and that action needs to be taken to avoid a terminal decline. Once you have done this, anything is possible, however bad you believe the situation is. I fully recognise that time is of the essence in these situations, so here […]
5 self survey questions: Need a Turnaround strategy or new finance?
5 big picture questions to help you decide if you need to look at a Turnaround Strategy or business finance support and advice. It’s often difficult when you are in the middle of a situation every day to see the big picture. What I’m suggesting here is that you take yourself outside the day job […]