The average interest rate on new bank loans for businesses has suddenly jumped from 2.56% to 3.05% in the last month as banks turn increasingly cautious on Brexit risks, says Growthdeck, the private equity investment firm. Rates on new business loans are now at their highest level in more than a decade. Average rates fell […]
While uncertainty about the exact timing of Brexit looks set to linger on into 2020, chartered accountant Wylie & Bisset is advising SMEs to prepare for change now by applying for a Brexit Support Grant. Funded by the Scottish Government, the Brexit Support Grant provides a minimum of £2,000 and a maximum of £4,000 to […]
NatWest today brings its business banking customers Apple Pay, which is transforming payments with an easy, secure and private way to pay. With Apple Pay on iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad and Mac, customers can make fast and convenient purchases in stores, in apps and on websites. NatWest has launched the new feature across its full […]
The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) today announced significant progress in its trade financing initiatives in the third quarter of 2019 (Q3), boosting inclusive growth and shared prosperity across OIC Member Countries with financing transactions totalling over US $2.2bn. Major Framework Agreements were signed with Djibouti, Kyrgyzstan, Senegal, Tunisia and Uzbekistan to strengthen ties […]
Doncaster-based Chantal’s Perfect Day Florist is a business that is going from strength to strength, thanks in part to a flexible funding solution designed specifically to support a small business’ individual timescales and cash flow. Owner Chantal Kirk previously ran a florist in a nearby village before a change in personal circumstances obliged her to […]
Millions of older workers are joining and benefiting from the freelance sector, new research from IPSE (the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed) has found. IPSE’s research shows there are now almost two million (1,907,000) self-employed people over the age of 50 in the UK: a number that has increased by 58.5% in the […]
Overall business confidence increased by 4 points to 6% in October, according to the latest findings from the Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking Business Barometer. While still below the long-term average of 24%, it was slightly higher than the previous three months where business confidence averaged 5%. Optimism in the economy also saw an improvement in […]
The Quality Franchise Association ( QFA ) was founded by long standing franchising entrepreneur Joel Bissitt on 15th November 2018. Not even a year on the QFA has almost 100 members. The franchise association can also boast many other achievements including the successful launch of it’s own professional accreditation, the Verified Franchising Professional ( VFP […]
The Financial Intermediary & Broker Association (FIBA) is asking members and non- members to heed the warnings in the Bank of England’s latest quarterly credit conditions survey about lenders cutting access to funding in Q4 and beyond. The BoE survey points to a deteriorating funding situation for businesses, including SMEs, with a deteriorating economic climate […]
Growth Street today announced the launch of a new digitally-driven growth strategy. Over the past year, Growth Street has been developing new data and risk profiling capabilities to enable it to adopt a purely digital focused approach. This realignment is based on extensive analysis of Growth’s Street’s data, which shows consistently that SMEs have a […]
