Banks are making it difficult to get finance – is there another way?

A survey last week by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Fair Business Banking looked into the main High Street Lenders and whether they were open or closed to providing SMEs with the Government’s Bounce Back Loans. In particular, whether they were open to helping customers who were not currently their clients. The results might...

Raising business funding today - More than just CBILS

The Government’s Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) has received plenty of press in recent weeks. It has provided an opportunity for some business to receive finance which they might not otherwise have been able to access. The scheme has also come into some criticism (which we won’t get into here). But there are other...

How to find a commercial lender that works for you and your business?

Did you know that there are over 300 banks and 45 additional building societies in the UK? That’s quite a lot! So how do you know which lender is the right one for you and your business? At ASC we offer a refreshingly personal service for business owners. This is an experience that may not always be received...

Bank Managers are people too – never forget that!

We’re going to open this article up with a story straight from the archives. Once upon a time, we knew a bank manager who would never finance a baker. A middling pub with decent financials? He’d consider it. A leasehold manufacturer looking to buy its freehold? He’d make an informed decision. A freehold bakery, with...

There are a few main categories that banks look at - here's our article in Electrical Times talking about how that impacts electricians!

Payments on your loan can be a confusing prospect. Our new ASC Infographic helps explain your options.

Lenders, Lenders everywhere – which one is right for you?

If you had to name every lender in the UK, do you think you could? We doubt it. When most people think of “lenders”, what they’re really thinking of is high-street banks. It’s certainly possible to name all of those, but at most that’s going to be around 20-25 different lenders. This might seem like...

Can I Repay a Business Loan Early?

When you’re looking at a business loan, you’re normally looking at a fixed-term prospect. A business loan is based on a set repayment schedule over an agreed period of time. So we’d like to talk about a question we sometimes get. Can you pay back your loan early? Every business would love to pay back...

Knowledge at Your Fingertips

The modern world runs on data analysis. Everything from stocks and finance trading to marketing and advertising runs on a foundation of solid data that helps direct decisions and focus attention on how a company’s actions impact its business offering. Whilst not as data-derivative as, say, stockbroking, the lending world is no different in this...

Basic Opinions

It’s no secret that lenders live and die by their interest rates. Exactly what interest rates a lender charges has a major impact on potential clients. As such, a change in the Bank of England’s base rate is a serious event. If the base rate rises, it could mean more profit, but if their rates...