Brexit has dominated the political and business headlines for more than two years. Yet still thousands of UK business owners across the country remain unclear on what the impact on their business will be.
Regardless of the uncertainty ahead, SMEs are not letting it affect their growth aspirations. In uncertainty lies opportunity, but it will need quick, flexible funding if SMEs are to take advantage before the moment is gone.

As we make our way towards March 29 and beyond, banks are likely to become more cautious and decisions are likely to take longer. In an environment where the inability to forecast is among the top Brexit challenges, these delays could cause catastrophic damage to businesses.

Read the full article at: https://www.financialdirector.co.uk/2019/02/11/why-alternative-finance-is-on-the-rise/

Invoice finance and asset-based lending in the UK stood at £22.2 billion at the end of 2017, up five per cent on the funds advanced at the end of 2016, figures published by UK Finance reveal.

Invoice finance and asset-based lending to small businesses increased by 19 per cent in December 2017 compared to the previous year, with advances worth a total of £833 million.

Annual sales of clients supported by invoice finance and asset-based lending stood at a record £311 billion in 2017, up four per cent on 2016.

Annual sales from clients through export invoice discounting facilities stood at £27 billion in 2017, up 21 per cent on 2016.

Read more at: https://www.globalbankingandfinance.com/invoice-finance-and-asset-based-lending-rises-5-per-cent-to-23-4bn-at-end-of-2017/

Although competency based interviews have been about for some time, many candidates remain in the dark about how to excel in this environment.
Here we take a look at why employers use this approach and how candidates can become competency based interview ready.

The purpose of a competency based interview is to find out whether you have the skills to match the job requirements – testing these out in a real work context.
The types of questions asked will give you an opportunity to demonstrate your competence by giving specific examples of when you have previously used your skills to undertake tasks, face challenges and manage problems.

Read more at: https://www.interview-skills.co.uk/blog/prepare-competency-based-interviews/

According to new data the demand for invoice finance is expected to grow by 21 per cent this year in comparison to 2017.

Last year’s lending figures were also eminent throughout spring and summer, with SME’s most likely to seek invoice finance between May and August.

Overall enquiries for cashflow finance also increased significantly in June, suggesting seasonal demand. Staff holidays and overall reduced business hours have a consequential impact on the demand for such funding.

See more at: http://www.bmmagazine.co.uk/news/demand-cashflow-finance-expected-rise-2018/

Alternative finance is badly named. This label suggests that opting for financing routes without involving the big banks is unconventional or “out there”.

But that’s certainly no longer the case, as people increasingly recognise the benefits of these smaller, more nimble businesses.

Last year, around £15bn was pumped into British SMEs from alternative finance firms – an indication of how mainstream the sector has become. And it’s more than just the funding gap that’s prompting this surge, because people are now realising that they can get a speedy service which simply isn’t feasible when going through the banking channels.

In the past, businesses only approached the alternative sector for funding when banks turned them down, but even that is starting to shift.

Read the full article at: http://www.cityam.com/271232/why-alternative-finance-now-mainstream

Every year, tens of thousands of small businesses see their loan applications refused by the big banks.

In fact, figures from the British Business Bank (BBB) indicate that this amounts to around £4bn in loans annually – a staggering figure when you consider that this is preventing businesses from being able to reach their full potential.

SMEs are expected to contribute £241bn to the British economy by 2025, up 19 per cent from last year’s figure of £202bn, according to research from challenger bank Hampshire Trust Bank and the Centre for Economics and Business Research.

So we shouldn’t underestimate how important SMEs are to the economy. And yet many companies are in dire need of finance, which is stunting their growth, and hindering job creation in the process.

Read the full article at: http://www.cityam.com/273886/gbp4bn-problem-stunting-sme-growth-

Business owners that remain cautious with regards to business funding, could be restricting their ability to grow.

The majority of SMEs do not trust traditional lenders to support their businesses according to two disparate reports.

Last week, BDRC issued its latest SME finance monitor, which showed that 8 out of 10 SMEs are refusing to apply for new finance as a result of Brexit uncertainty.
Despite ongoing uncertainty, the report clearly shows SME appetite for growth remains strong, with 45 per cent of small businesses stating they have plans to expand in the coming year, says Mark Sismey-Durrant, Hampshire Trust Bank’s CEO.

Read the full article at: http://www.growthbusiness.co.uk/british-businesses-hesitating-take-new-funding-research-2552298/

The UK’s biggest peacetime repatriation operation has been launched to bring home 110,000 holidaymakers after Monarch Airlines was placed into administration. 
A total of 300,000 future bookings were cancelled as result of the firm’s collapse,  the largest to hit a UK airline, and Monarch passengers were told not to go to airports because there would be no more flights.  
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said it was working with the government to secure a fleet of more than 30 aircraft, flying to more than 30 airports, to bring the stranded tourists back to the UK.
“We know that Monarch’s decision to stop trading will be very distressing for all of its customers and employees,” Andrew Haines, Chief Executive of the CAA, said.  

Read the full article at:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/10/02/monarch-airlines-goes-administration-leaving-110000-holidaymakers/

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European Union regulators approved a British plan allowing bailed-out Royal Bank of Scotland to support smaller alternative banks with funds totaling around 835 million pounds ($1.1 billion) to encourage competition.

The British government struck a deal with the European Commission in July for the plan, after RBS was unable to sell business banking unit Williams & Glyn and failed to meet one of the conditions of its 45 billion pound bailout.

The deal is significant for RBS as it ends the bank’s state aid commitments which is considered a major milestone on its path to recovery as well as its ability to pay dividends again.

see more at: http://www.businessinsider.com/r-eu-gives-nod-to-rbs-competition-plan-lifting-state-aid-curbs-2017-9?IR=T

The City watchdog is to launch a crackdown on peer-to-peer (P2P) lending in a move designed to protect investors from platforms that do not provide sufficient financial information to investors.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is understood to be considering much tougher curbs in a long-delayed review of the crowdfunding industry in the early autumn. It is understood to be ready to demand that platforms such as Funding Circle and Ratesetter provide more detailed information on the past performance of loans. P2P lenders may also have to be clearer about how much due diligence is carried out on companies looking to borrow money on their sites.

P2P has grown rapidly over the past decade as businesses seek alternative forms of finance. The services, which pool investors’ cash and lend to businesses and consumers, have been accused of masking the true performance of the loans. Some have reduced lending rates, leading a number of investors to question whether they are being properly rewarded for the risks they take.

It is understood the FCA has singled out the industry for scrutiny, raising concerns that a valuable source of finance for start-up businesses could be stifled.

See more at: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/watchdog-to-crack-down-on-peer-to-peer-lenders-cfg5sxzkm?shareToken=c62ac46264656693a3839dbaca55b73e

A report from Siemens Financial Services shows that late payments cause UK SMEs to miss out on over £250 billion of liquid cash flow every year.

Unpaid invoices and the costs associated with companies pursuing customers’ payments, as well as long payment terms, mean that SMEs in the UK are missing out on over £250 billion of liquid cash flow every year. Integral to the UK economy, SMEs account for 47 per cent of all private sector turnover.

Delayed payments from customers can threaten SMEs’ ability to trade, stifle appetite for growth and recruitment and, in the worst cases, lead to insolvencies. As a consequence, leaving SMEs to cope with the problem is harming the economy as a whole.

Read the full article at: http://smallbusiness.co.uk/late-payments-uk-smes-2539988/

1.Work on your handshake: Don‘t offer up a flimsy or sweaty hand. Instead, when you meet with prospective employers or interviews, offer a firm handshake, with one or two pumps from the elbow to the hand. It‘s a good way to illustrate your confidence and start the interview off on the right note.

2.Get serious: If you take a casual approach to the initial interview with a company, especially with a screening interviewer from the human resources department, you may be sealing your fate. Job seekers should treat every interview as if it‘s their one and only chance to sell themselves to the recruiter.

3.Get the practice: If you find yourself being offered an interview for a job you are not really interested in, go on the interview anyway; you can make contacts for future job opportunities and get valuable interview practice.

4.Be enthusiastic: Bring a positive attitude to your interview. Most interviewers won‘t even give a second thought to someone who has a negative presence or seems like they almost need to be talked into the job. “You‘re selling yourself, and part of you is the positive approach you‘ll bring to the office every morning,” says Alison Richardson, a recruiter for several New York financial firms. “That smile and friendly demeanor go a long way.”

See more at: http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/how-to-impress-your-interviewer/