Business Blog

Business Banking

The Banking Traps Every Business Owner Must Understand

March 28, 2014

There has been no shortage of criticism directed at banks over their reluctance to lend to small businesses. Personally, I have seen many worrying things when dealing with the banks’ ‘relationship managers’. Gone are the days when they provided a service to businesses without expecting something in return. And despite announcements such as Lloyds’ commitment to lending an additional £1bn to SMEs in the next 12 months, the recent furore from the Tomlinson review shows that in general banks still don’t treat SMEs well. That’s why it’s so important to watch out for hidden traps when dealing with the banks. Here are some to look out for: »

When Will you Hit Your Domestic Growth Ceiling?

October 21, 2013 ,

Simon Nicholson, Head of International at Barclays Business banking explores SMEs’ options to export by asking “When Will you Hit Your Domestic Growth Ceiling?” In the early stages of setting up your business it’s likely that you focused on getting your product out to market and establishing your brand. However, you may not have predicted what would happen once you had saturated the domestic market. It’s at this point that international trading can turn your business from a start-up into an established SME. »

How Can SMEs Fight Back Against Late Payments?

February 6, 2013 ,

By Sue Hayes, Managing Director, Barclays Business banking Almost every small and medium sized business in the country will have experienced late payments from customers at some point in their life span, and 85% of SMEs admit they’ve experienced this problem in the last two years. But what is the best way to tackle this problem? For many business owners it can be very difficult to decide whether to take any action at all, and if they do so, what the best course of action is. »

Small Businesses Export to Expand

October 5, 2012 , ,

Steve Cooper, Vice Chairman of Barclays Business Banking Click to enlarge The Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the London 2012 Olympics have focused the world’s attention on the UK. It has never been a better time to be British, and that creates tremendous opportunities for small businesses to trade in international markets. The Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) and UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) certainly believe so; they have committed to raising the number of small businesses that export to one in four by the end of 2012. »

You Can Bank on Dave!

July 20, 2012 ,

So what happened in “Bank of Dave”, episode 2 last night? Burnley Savings and Loans has been lending a LOT of money. The problem is that they still don’t have their savings licence and cannot take deposits. But, on the bright side, at Dave’s doing to the local economy, he’s so far lent: »

The Bank of Dave

July 13, 2012

A man in a pin-striped suit, asking for your money. Oh, no, not another banker…! Wrong. It’s Dave Fishwick, who made his millions as an entrepreneur with his own small business, and now he wants to hand some of that cash back to local businesses where the high street banks refuse to do so. »