The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has just released research that shows “a growing gap in confidence between businesses in Scotland, North East England and Wales and those in the Midlands and the South of England”.
While we are not challenging the FSB’s findings, there’s some surprise and disappointment at Money&Co.
“We’re constantly making trips at Money&Co., with a view not just to spreading the word across the country, but with an eye on opening regional offices in what we see as increasingly important regional business centres,” said Nicola Horlick, Money&Co.’s CEO. “We’ve had exceptionally good experiences with meetings at Chambers of Commerce in Manchester, Birmingham and Hertfordshire, had enthusiastic receptions at Local Enterprise Partnerships in places such as St Albans and Bristol, and seen great enthusiasm for alternative finance in Liverpool, Newcastle and Edinburgh.
“Our experience on the ground has indicated interest and positivity for alternative finance and peer-to-peer crowdfunding in particular. We want to get lenders together with good businesses seeking funding – and our direct experience of demand on the road runs counter to the general thrust of the FSB report.”
The FSB continues: “While there is good news for the UK as a whole in terms of job creation, increasing revenues and improving productivity, firms in the North East of England, Scotland and Wales risk being left behind.
“The Small Business Index, a measure of small business confidence across the UK shows that in the last 12 months, smaller firms in the North East, Yorkshire, Scotland and Wales have all shown a year-on-year decline in confidence. In Wales, confidence has dropped into negative territory for the first time in two years. In Scotland, confidence levels are at their lowest levels since the start of 2013. Elsewhere confidence levels have remained stable, supported in particular by firms in technology and business/professional services.
“Overall confidence across the UK remains in positive territory standing at 21.7 points which is 4.1 points higher than Q4 2014. Nearly two thirds (59%) of businesses anticipate growth relatively unchanged from the last quarter, with almost one in four firms (24%) reporting a growth in revenue in the last three months, the highest since 2010.”
The full text of the report is available here.
P2P Crowdfunding with Money&Co.
The launch of a new loan offer on site is imminent.
At Money&Co. we bring individual lenders together with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) looking for funding. It’s called peer-to-peer (P2P) business lending. Would-be borrowers 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.
We shall have a new loan on site soon. Meanwhile, check out our Lend page to discover lenders who want to sell on their income streams.