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Starting A New Business: Best Ways To Raise Finance

Raising finance is one of the biggest challenges that many new businesses face. Moreover, if you have big plans for the future, you may even require additional funding. For example, this may be as simple as boosting production or an ambitious step, such as buying another company. Regardless of your goals, there are many different ways to seek funding, which don’t always mean you need to rely on traditional avenues, such as banks. The most appropriate funding option for you will be determined by your circumstances, including the size of your company and the nature of your growth plans. This article will find some of the best ways to secure financing for your new business.

Bootstrapping Your Business

Self-funding, also known as bootstrapping your business, is an effective way of financing, especially when you’re just starting out. It is common for first-time business owners to have difficulties securing funding without showing some traction or a plan for growth. As a result, many entrepreneurs invest from their own savings and ask their family and friends to contribute. This is normally easier to raise, as there will be fewer formalities and compliances to consider. Bootstrapping your business may be a good funding option if the initial requirement is small. However, if you need money from day one, you may want to consider other solutions.

Bridging Loans

Bridging loans can be used by businesses to cover their funding requirements in a variety of situations. They’re designed to be used in limited circumstances and typically in anticipation of a business receiving long-term funding. Advias is an experienced and reputable financial advisor who specialises in bridging finance, development finance, and premium mortgages. Thanks to their in-house analysis tools and extensive database of lender contacts, they can deliver accurate solutions in a timely manner. When it comes to starting a new business, bridging finance can help fill in the gaps and ensure that all necessary purchases can be made to kick-start the process.

Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is a way of raising finance, which involves asking a large number of people to each invest a small amount of money. There are several different types of crowdfunding, including donation, equity, and debt. Donation crowdfunding means that people are willing to donate money to your enterprise simply because they believe in your vision and goals and will want nothing in return. Equity crowdfunding refers to people who invest in your business in exchange for shares and a stake. Finally, debt crowdfunding means that people lend you money, which they expect to receive back with interest.

To find out more about how we can assist you with your Bridging Finance requirements, please click here to get in touch

Credit Cards

Business credit cards are some of the most readily available ways to fund a new business, as they offer a quick way to get instant money. This may be a good funding option for you if you have just opened your business and don’t have many expenses. You can use a credit card and continue to pay the minimum payment. Nevertheless, remember that interest rates and costs associated with credit cards can build up very quickly. As a result, if you don’t use your credit card responsibly, you may accumulate debt, which can damage your business owner’s credit.

Business Grants

Your business may be eligible for a small business grant, which can help you cover certain types of expenditure. Take a look at the business finance support, that is available for start-ups and other small businesses. It can cover things such as the cost of premises, IT equipment, and machinery. Each grant will require a different application process, including strict qualification criteria. While there is no guarantee that you’ll be eligible, it’s still worth exploring your options, especially if you have just started a new business.

Discover our Bridging Loan services.

Angel Investors

Angel investors are typically high-net-worth individuals who invest in businesses during the early stages of their development. Usually, investors use their disposable finance to provide equity finance to a company. In exchange, they will normally take shares in the business and express an active interest in the company’s growth. Therefore, they must believe in the business and in you. In addition, angel investors will support you with their knowledge and expertise so that they can see a strong return on their investment within three to eight years.

Venture Capital

You may consider a venture capital firm if you need a serious amount of money in exchange for a big percentage of your company. However, this is a competitive area, so you will need an outstanding strategy, as well as a great business plan and an impressive pitch. In general, a venture capital investment may be suitable for small businesses that have moved past the start-up phase and are already generating revenue. Keep in mind that this may not be the best option for you if you’re not interested in mentorship and compromise.

By Sam Allcock

Source: Business Mole

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A look back at the short term lending market for 2017

2017 was preceded by a long spell of huge growth and this year is no different, but it hasn’t been without a few bumps in the road. The sector suffered a short period where business levels dipped following the referendum, and again after the rate rise, but quickly bounced back on both occasions demonstrating its resilience and ability to adapt.

There have been many new entrants to the market, with a particular focus on the heavy refurb and development markets; this is largely down to the extension of permitted development rights. The rise in refurbishment lending could also be indicative of an increase in desire to improve existing properties rather than move, coupled with the lowest mortgage approval rate on new homes for over a year. Another reason for growth could be that mortgage delays continue to be the leading reason for the use of short term finance.

Overall, there has been a lot of liquidity in the market with fierce competition which has driven rates down even further. The lowest available rate is currently 0.44% pm and the most competitive we’ve ever seen.

Short Term Lending product of the year

This year, Interbay, part of One Savings Bank launched in to the short term lending market. Brightstar were fortunate enough to be selected to trial their product with a headline rate of 0.44% pm. This offers non-regulated clients the ability to benefit from the UK’s most competitive short term lending rates, starting at just 5.28% PA for loans up to 55% LTV.

The product can also be used for property requiring light refurbishment.

The LTV brackets are 0.44% up to 55% LTV, 0.54% up to 65% LTV, and 0.64% up to 75% LTV.

All LTV brackets carry a 2% fee with no exit fee or ERC.

Source: Financial Reporter

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Rise of 115% in numbers applying for a short-term loan to pay their mortgage of rent

THE number of people in the UK turning to short-term loans to cover their rent or mortgage has more than doubled, according to new statistics.

In the past two years the number of people applying for short-term credit who said they needed help paying for their accommodation increased by 115 per cent.

New data from FCA authorised credit broker CashLady found the total number of people applying for loans has also nearly doubled since 2015, with a 93 per cent increase in volume.

As well as the number of loan applications rising, the average loan amount requested by those struggling in the UK has increased by 45 per cent from £224 in 2015 to £325 this year. The statistics from CashLady come just weeks after the Financial Conduct Authority revealed that one in six people in the UK (17 per cent) would struggle to pay their mortgage or rent if it increased by just £50.

Earlier this month, the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee announced it would increase interest rates for the first time in ten years — from 0.25 per cent to 0.5 per cent.

Figures also revealed that NHS workers still top the list of employees who most require emergency financial help.

They are followed by supermarket staff from Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s. Struggling members of the armed forces also make up the top five workforces requesting loans.

Managing director of CashLady, Chris Hackett, said being able to keep a roof over your head is “a basic human right.”

He added: “These figures, uncomfortable as they are, lay bare the state of the nation as people are struggling to cover their rent or mortgage payments.

“Wages for some of our most valuable members of society are just not high enough for them to manage basic living costs and they are regularly being forced to seek out short-term financial help.

“Housing expenditure is the largest monthly expense for our customers and they should be able to comfortably afford this before turning to emergency finance.

“We act as a broker for short term credit to help our customers find financial assistance from FCA authorised credit providers instead of seeking out illegal or potentially dangerous alternatives.”

The CashLady figures have been released after Chancellor Philip Hammond was accused of leaving ‘ordinary’ Brits out of yesterday’s budget, by failing to mention a wage boost for public sector workers, despite claiming to “support our key public services.”

Source: The National

Short-term lending industry shows increased consumer confidence
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Short-term lending industry shows increased consumer confidence

The highly controversial high-cost short-term (HCST) credit industry has seen a huge increase in consumer confidence in the UK.

The high cost loans, otherwise known as payday loans used for emergency purposes, have always been subject to huge criticism from the press and MPs. In particular, payday giant Wonga was once accused of “usury” for facilitating loans with an APR of over 6,000 per cent. However, following new regulation, the industry has seen a dramatic change in transparency and consumer confidence.

The introduction of FCA

The Financial Conduct Authority took over as the main regulator for consumer credit in 2014, officially launching in January 2015.

One of its first changes was to ensure that all lenders and brokers trading in the payday sector were fully authorised and fit to carry out regulated activity. Companies were granted “interim permission” whilst applications were being processed, with most companies taking around 12 months to become fully authorised – such as QuickQuid, Peachy and Uncle Buck.

The rigorous process managed to remove more than half of the companies offering high-cost short-term loans from the industry – allowing only the most compliant to survive.

The role of authorisation has significantly de-powered the role of brokers in the industry, who until this point had been regularly capturing data and re-selling it multiple times for profit. Prior to 2015, it was unclear for many consumers which website was a lender or broker, hence many applicants would fall victim to their details being sent to hundreds of companies, bombarded by text messages and phone calls and in several cases, upfront fees being taken out as a cover for “admin fees”.

This led to the payday industry receiving over 10,000 complaints between Jan and March 2014. But since the introduction of FCA regulation, the process of brokers selling data has diminished significantly.

The price cap

In addition, the FCA the introduced a price cap for the payday industry to limit the amount that lenders could charge. This capped daily interest at 0.8 per cent, equal to £24 per £100 borrowing and meaning that customers would never repay double the amount they asked to borrow. This resulted in several more companies leaving the industry, deeming that the margins were no longer “commercially viable”. A price cap on default charges was also established, limited to a one-off fee of £15.

One function of the price cap was to encourage new competitors in the market to compete over other factors such as even lower rates, flexible product offerings and customer service.

Checks

All lenders were required by the new FCA regulation to carry out full credit and affordability checks prior to funding a loan. This indicates that lenders have to prove that a borrower can afford to repay without falling into financial difficulty. The role of underwriting was somewhat loose previous to FCA – with several loans granted by lenders in an attempt to increase profits by extending loans and triggering late fees. In fact, several large lenders were fined millions of pounds for failing to demonstrate adequate checks. Wonga was fined over £200m in October 2014 and QuickQuid fined £1.4m in November 2015.

However, with strict checks now a requirement, there is an emphasis on only giving loans to those that can afford it. The downside is that less and less people will be approved for loans as lenders become more restrictive. Wonga notoriously cut its number of approved loans from one million in 2014 to 550,000 in 2015.

Transparency through comparison websites

In an attempt to increase transparency of prices, all lenders are now required by the FCA to include a link to a comparison website clearly on the website homepage. This should allow the user to see clear comparison tables and compare the rates of that lender against other competitors. Leading comparison sites in this industry include Money.co.uk, All The Lenders and Quiddi Compare.

How consumer confidence has increased

The role of regulation has significantly increased consumer confidence for those looking for a high cost loan.

As we approach the three-year anniversary of the FCA’s regulation in the industry, we see that applicants have a much better idea of what lenders charge, without fear of very high costs or their personal details being sent to numerous companies and fees being taken out for no reason.

This has been emphasised by the number of people searching for payday related products on Google and the topic being mentioned considerably less in the press.

In addition, a recent review by the FCA of its price cap indicated that it was “happy” with how it was being conducted and how there were overall significantly less complaints in the industry. The price cap and regulation for the high-cost short-term credit industry will not be reviewed again until 2020.

Source: Real Business

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How & why short-term business loans make sense for experienced entrepreneurs

Many business loans are substantial, long-term commitments that come with a mountain of paperwork to wade through and complicated lending terms that are foreboding for business owners that only need a reasonable amount of extra money for a limited period.

While long-term business lending is intended to cover expansion requirements, buying out a competitor or for another critical need, short-term business loans are suitable for businesses that have some immediate expenses or ones that are upcoming over the next few months. The typical shorter loan period is repayable over a 12-month period, although there are some that run longer than this to provide a bit more time to repay.

Which Businesses Can Access a Short-term?

In this first instance, short-term business loans are available to UK businesses registered as a limited company, operate as a sole trader, or as an incorporated partnership. For companies, they must be registered with Companies House as a UK company with its company filings being up-to-date.

Most lenders will want to see at least one year of business operations (often longer), with the most recent yearly statutory accounts filed with Companies House confirming a 12-month turnover that exceeded £100,000. While a short-term business loan is often unsecured, being a homeowner is usually a plus. The debt obligations of the business must be manageable at their current levels – preferably with a good deal of slack to afford the additional repayments of a short-term loan – and the director shouldn’t have any outstanding creditors from a previous business either.

See https://www.merchantmoney.co.uk/small-business-loans/short-term-business-loans/ for a guide on the application specifics for small business owners looking for short-term funding.

How Much Can Be Borrowed?

The maximum loan amount depends on the lender’s policies and loan criteria. A business that’s only been operating a year with limited profitability will not be offered as much as a more established business with a million-pound turnover and six-figure profitability every year.

Short-term small business loans fall between the £3,000 and £150,000 range, which keeps the repayments reasonable and the total interest and closing costs affordable.

Best Uses of a Short-term Business Loan

Managing the demanding cash flow requirements of a company is tricky. There are times accountants make a mistake or omit some important upcoming expenses, which leaves an unexpected hole in the accounts that must be filled. It’s a situation that usually can be traded out of using future profits to fill in the hole where the miscalculation was made, but in the meantime, the company faces the likelihood of running below a zero balance until they can recover. To ensure they can keep trading profitably, a short-term loan is a useful, structured way to deal with the issue rather than using an overdraft facility that often seems to work like quicksand; the more you use it, the deeper you sink.

A lower than expected seasonal sales season can cause a problem with balancing the books through the worst periods of the year. With a company that is showing positive signs of sales growth the rest of the year but is suffering through their usual seasonal dry spell, a short-term facility makes sense to survive the period and use upcoming profits to pay off the loan a few months’ later.

Expanding staff or larger facilities to handle a surge in business where the cash flow drags behind the gross sales is another area where a long-term lending facility won’t make much sense, but a 12-month one certainly does. Having enough staff on-hand improves morale while the business is under strain from rapid expansion. Similarly, opening an annex or taking over the next-door office helps to manage staff numbers ahead of the rise in profitability.

When Is the Wrong Time to Take Out a Short-term Loan?

Taking out a short-term loan for a business that’s declining isn’t the smartest move. There’s no telling whether the sales decline is going to continue when it’s not due to known seasonality reasons. It is best to survey the customers (especially the ones not buying the product or service) to determine what is causing them to pass on your offer? Then fix the problem.

A company that is perennially short of working capital won’t benefit much from a short-term facility because unless the fortunes of the business improve in the short-term too, it will be ill-equipped to repay the loan in time. Taking out a new lending facility to repay the first one won’t work like it does with a credit card minimum payment because short-term loans are not necessarily paid in full all on the back-end.

There should always be sound, well-considered reasons for taking out any lending facility. Otherwise, it’s an expensive way to meander along in a business being unsure what to do with the extra cash. More money and no plan surely are a bad idea, especially for a company that will need to repay the loan, plus interest, inside of a year or less. Borrowing prudently is the best idea.

Source: BM Magazine

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Short Term Loans Solutions in the UK

If you have to pay unexpected expenses urgently, you may consider using short term loans, often referred to as payday loans or payroll deductible loans in UK. These are quick and effective punctual solutions. At the same time, if they are not used with care, they can cause more financial problems. If you think that a short term loan may be useful for you, you should learn as much about the subject as possible and evaluate its advantages and disadvantages before making an application. Use this guide to make the right decision as a borrower.

With short term loans, you can get cash quickly. This is to your advantage. You will have a sufficient amount of money to solve the financial emergency that you are experiencing. These loans are fairly easy to obtain as well. Most lenders have flexible qualification criteria and some do not even perform credit checks. When you borrow the money, you will have to leave a cheque on the loan amount plus interest and fees with the lender. The lender will cash it on your next payday. This way, you will pay off your debt automatically. It is possible to negotiate an extension of the repayment term, but you will continue to pay interest and other charges may apply as well. As a result, the loan will become more expensive and harder to repay. You will find that short term loans are some of the most expensive lines of credit available to consumers and UK-based companies. They, mostly, use payday UK login.

The APR (annual fee) which shows the total cost of the loan can be several hundred percent. The interest rates are high and so are the fees charged by the lenders. If you use a loan of $ 100, for example, and you have to pay it in two weeks, you will have to pay $ 120 to the lender. If you do the calculations, you will find that the APR on this loan is 426%. This is higher than the APR in traditional personal loans. The main disadvantage of short term loans is its high cost. If you find it difficult to pay what you owe, you can ask for more money or extend the term of the loan, but this can only make you into more debt. Eventually, you may end up in a debt trap that is hard to leave. Short term loans are not suitable to use when you do not have enough income to pay your expenses.

If you use them to fill the gaps in your budget, you will have even lower disposable income over the next month. They can be useful only as punctual solutions when financial emergencies arise. If you have to pay an unexpected medical bill or to buy a new refrigerator, you can use such a loan with confidence. You’ll have to manage on a smaller budget over the next month, but the situation will return to normal after that.

Source: Feast Magazine

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Are Short-Term Loans Cheaper Than Overdraft Fees?

There’s been a lot of news recently about overdraft fees — the fees charged by banks to their account holders after an account dips below a £0 balance, meaning the account holder has a loan balance, even if small, from the bank.

Earlier this year, The Telegraph published its “worst offender” index, listing banks that charged the highest overdraft fees for their customers.

Santander was one of the top offenders, with an unarranged overdraft fee of £6 per day capped at £95 per month. On arranged overdrafts of up to £2,000, Santander charged daily fees of one pound per day; rising to £3 per day for overdrafts of £3,000 and above.

Other banks were similarly expensive. Borrowing money on overdraft from Halifax could result in charges of up to £3 per day, according to the July 2017 article. Unarranged overdrafts incurred a whopping £5 per day fee, capped at a maximum of £100 in overdraft fees per month.

RBS and NatWest also charged heavy unarranged overdraft fees, with an £8 per day fee limited to a total of £80 per month.

With as much as £100 in monthly overdraft fees from many bank accounts, it’s been suggested that borrowing money through short-term loans could be a more affordable option for people in need of quick access to cash.

The numbers seem to agree. An August 2017 article in The Guardian calculated that many of the most widely used bank accounts in the UK charged APR rates of up to 52%, making them more expensive — in certain cases, depending on borrowing habits — than payday loans.

Banks, to their credit, appear to be changing their overdraft fee structures in an attempt to make borrowing less expensive for customers. However, many have admitted that as much as 10% of account holders could end up paying more for overdrafts under the new fees.

Despite public warnings about short-term loans, it turns out that overdrafts — even if used rarely and responsibly — could be a far bigger cost for many British bank account holders.

For example, a loan of £300 over 3 months from a short-term loan provider such as Mr Lender, results in a total repayable of £444.00 (£300 capital and £144.00 interest*) at an interest rate of 0.8% per day on outstanding capital.

The same amount borrowed via an unarranged overdraft could result in £300 in fees through a high street bank using many of the fee structures listed above.

Public perception of borrowing money — and the true costs of borrowing money — isn’t always in sync with financial reality. For years, borrowing from the bank has been viewed as a safe, cheap way to access finance; borrowing from a short-term lender has been viewed as the opposite.

The reality, however, is that the best loan for your personal circumstances may not come from the source that you first think of. Study and compare interest rates and fees and you could find that borrowing money via short-term loans is more cost effective than using your bank overdraft.

Source: News Anyway