Alternative Finance Provides Comfort for SMEs
Conventional bank loans, often seen as the traditional option for raising business finance, are being ignored by small and medium-sized businesses due to worries about restrictive eligibility criteria and the wide range of other finance options available, says Bibby Financial Services. Although statistics from the CBI show that bank lending to businesses increased in November 2009 for the first time since January 2009, lack of access to finance over the course of last year saw many businesses turn to other options. Research Bibby Financial Services carried out into the financial intermediaries sector in 2009 found that the question of raising finance is a key concern for four in 10 small and medium-sized businesses but, more alarmingly, three-quarters (74.3%) had found that stricter bank l... »
