Money&Co. went north last week. And a very enjoyable and worthwhile trip it was too. Pictured at a business breakfast attended by over 100 people are (from left to right) CEO of Manchester City Council, Sir Howard Bernstein, local businessman and event host, Steve Bennett of Transition Plus, and Money&Co. CEO Nicola Horlick. They are overlooked by a picture of the late, great Mancunian, Tony Wilson.
Sir Howard spoke about the Northern Powerhouse government initiative to bring more economic prosperity to the North by the economic integration of its great cities and building better infrastructure.
Nicola then explained the alternative finance scene to the packed room at the Albert Square Chop House.
“I’m still associated with mainstream finance ands my many years as a fund manger.” She said. “That’s fair enough, and I still follow economics and general business trends very closely. But my real passion is bringing individuals together with businesses to generate funding for the small and medium-sized (SME) businesses that are the lifeblood of the UK economy and a major driver of its recovery. It’s a win-win model: individuals can get an excellent return on their capital by lending to carefully vetted businesses, and SMEs can find fast, cost-effective funding to grow. We’re filling a gap that banks won’t or don’t seem to be able to fill.
“I’m struck by the energy and enthusiasm, and the business acumen of North-West businesses. There’s so much potential here – especially as relatively few Manchester-based SMEs have made use of the crowdfunding mechanism to fund growth. At Money&Co. we hope to change that.”
“We’d welcome Money&Co. to the North with open arms,” said Terry Clarke of DowntownInBusiness, an organisation that promotes urban businesses in the North. “This has been a very successful event, and the interest from potential lenders and especially SME borrowers is very substantial.”
Money&Co. has facilitated loans of around £7 million to SMEs since the launch of our website in April 2014. We have a new loan in the pipeline, scheduled for this week. We’ll bring news of this tour registered lenders as soon as the offer goes up.
Entrepreneurs and SMEs looking to borrow from Money&Co. should click here. Facts and tips about crowdfunding in general are available by reading our knowledge hub, here.
To learn more about getting good returns on capital potential lenders should click here. Remember, when lending your capital is at risk – please read the warnings on our Home, Lend and Frequently Asked Questions pages.