Expert View GETTING ON THE FRONT FOOT by Matt Robinson 


Demand for debt is at an all-time high, whether that be for government-backed loans from businesses in survival mode or even start-up loans as budding entrepreneurs seek to capitalise on opportunities thrust upon them. Regardless of the purpose, these tips for raising finance remain the same.


  business plan is your chance to get all the valuable knowledge and information stored in your head into a document that the lender 


 providing enough information on critical


 market analysis and management should feature in any plan but I would recommend tailoring other sections to the type of loan 


If the business is already established,   analysis and they will want to understand the direction of key metrics such as gross 


Serviceability of the debt is paramount and one way of assessing this is by comparing loan repayments to earnings before interest, tax,  have a grasp of this before speaking to your





   there is an element of guess work in forecasts but there must be some rhyme and reason   particular, this is an area where prudent lenders and optimistic entrepreneurs can  


 the mindset of a prospective lender, anticipate 


a specialist in what you do, so ensure you 


  track record and have supporting evidence to justify your assumptions in your plan, the 


  need to have a clear plan to ensure the investor 


Padiham-based CoolKit is a specialist manufacturer of temperature controlled vehicles and has accessed funding to support   


 has a £12m turnover, has used funding to help it relocated to larger premises and to invest in 


 have to set your stall out in terms of being


able to present clearly what the vision of your 


 from the funding and exactly what you are 


A positive net asset position gives lenders


comfort that the business has assets they can liquidate into cash in case of default


 themselves plenty of time in their search for a  to be made quickly, nor is it one you should 


 important and you’ll want a funding partner  looking for a longer-term growth story, you  


Paul Spencer, director at Haworths Chartered Accountants, says businesses looking at   


  management accounts are essential, combined with projections of at least a minimum of 12 months but ideally, three  


 benefit from appointing a commercially savvy non-executive director to the board to supplement their experience and skillset 


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FUNDING


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