Businesses urged to capitalise on exceptional lending rates for asset finance
Lenders battling for the custom of Brexit-wary SMEs are offering some amazingly competitive deals, a leading financial broker has said.
Karina Gallagher says there has been a huge shift in the landscape in recent weeks, with lenders aggressively pricing funding to win business.
It comes against the backdrop of many businesses holding back on accessing funding to invest in assets as they await the outcome of Brexit.
But now may be the best time to act, says Karina, especially for companies operating in sectors where vehicles are a core part of the operation.
“For strong businesses, I am seeing some extremely attractive rates as the lenders compete for these deals” said Karina, the managing director of Cumbria-based Hornby Commercial.
“Lending at the moment, particularly in the transport sector is incredibly cheap, so for a business looking to buy, say a coach, a HGV or something similar, now is a very good time to take action.”
SME borrowing reached a two year high in June, increasing by £375m, a growth rate of 0.8%, figures from the Bank of England revealed. Borrowing by firms increased overall by £2.5bn in June and during the first half of 2019, borrowing was stronger than the same period in 2018.
But Karina, who has more than 30 years’ experience in the banking sector, says there has been a marked slowdown in SME lending in the last quarter, attributing much of it to a lack of certainty over the UK’s exit from the European Union.
And she says a lack of confidence is leading a majority of businesses to postpone the implementation of growth or investment plans.
But that, she believes, presents an opportunity for the bold to capitalise by investing while their peers and competitors do not.
“It is understandable that many businesses have Brexit-induced jitters,” she said. “But what that means is there is a real chance here for those companies who have the courage of their convictions to really thrive.
“Putting investment off until such a time that everyone decides the climate is right only means you follow the pack.
“Any decision to invest must, of course, be backed by a sound financial plan and projections. And if it is not right for the business for any reason, I see a part of my job as communicating that.
“But with rates this low, if the time is right, it is right regardless of the hand played by the prime minister in Europe.”
Business owners are also being encouraged to consider that the Government’s Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) is currently under a temporary uplift to £1m until 31 Dec 2020.
This means that there can be significant additional tax benefits of investment during this period that will not be available when the AIA limit reverts to its usual £200k on 1st January 2021.
“We always encourage discussing any investment plans with your accountant to make sure you have considered all the benefits and risks ahead of any purchase,” said Karina.