A collection of our thoughts, opinions, (and sometimes general musings) on everything to do with all aspects of business finance, commercial finance, small businesses, and general news about ASC Finance for Business.
Banks, Business, Economy, Property
Is it a good idea to buy a business during an economic downturn?
Short answer: Yes. Many small and big brands worldwide have started and flourished during economic downturns. As an example, “essential” business such as grocery stores, utility companies and service providers have proven to be relevant and are currently thriving – They are pulling hefty funds, especially business that made smart adaptations to social distancing measures....
According to a recent Bank of England report, net bank borrowing by small and medium sized businesses was a record £43.3 billion in 2020 compared to £1.4 billion in 2019. It is expected that by the end of 2021 UK small business borrowing will exceed £60bn. For small business using governmental and private financing options...
The government announced the March 2021 Budget last week to continue support some of those hit the hardest by the global pandemic with extensions to Furlough, self-employed support, business grants, loans and VAT cuts. There isn’t much that impacts commercial finance, except the confirmation that CBILS loans and Bounce Back loans will end at...
Many businesses use asset finance to increase business growth, spread costs further, and allow fixed payments for simpler budgeting, to name a few. But do you know what Asset Finance really is? There are three main types of Asset Finance – Hire Purchase, Leasing and Asset Refinance. Hire Purchase allows your business to purchase the...
What is a SIPP? A self-invested personal pension is designed for people who want to manage their own pension funds. The main difference between a SIPP and other pensions is that you can invest in commercial property through a SIPP. This means that investors will sometimes purchase a commercial property (either their own business premises...
Many property investors are attracted to HMOs (Houses of Multiple Occupation). This is mainly driven by the potential for higher returns on their investment. There are many reasons as to why the return can be higher. To being with, the total rent charged out to multiple tenants can be higher on a per week basis...
Do I need a finance broker? Can’t I just speak to my bank myself? Well in theory you can. If your bank has the time to speak to you, and you approach the right bank, and you are able to speak to a decision maker etc. etc. A broker is not always a necessity for...
Scattergun Approach vs Targeted Precision – What works best for business finance?
We were speaking to one of our lenders the other day. They were telling me that they kept getting applications from a finance broker, which they always looked at, but always knew that they wouldn’t do the deal. Why? Because that particular broker just sent a two-line e-mail to every lender they could find, in...
It is a question we often get asked. A client wants to borrow finance for their business or a property project but has a poor credit history. They are therefore concerned that they might be declined by lenders for this reason. The short answer is that lenders do take an applicant’s credit history into consideration....
Do I need planning permission to get development finance?
Good question! And it is one we get asked often, as clients can sometimes be caught in a chicken and egg situation. They want to buy a property to carry out a development, but need the finance to buy the property, which might need the planning permission in place to be allow them to buy...
