RBS and NatWest unveil £6.6bn loans bonanza for SME’s

RBS and NatWest unveil £6.6bn loans bonanza for SME's

A massive £6.6billion of new business loans will be offered to small and medium-sized businesses by Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest. The banks will be contacting 23,000 small and medium-sized business customers in a move that comes ahead of a new inquiry by MPs into bank lending to firms. Ian Cowie, chief executive of business and commercial banking for NatWest and RBS, said: ‘We are proactively speaking to customers to let them know how much we could lend if they want to invest.’ If you are an existing customer

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7 mistakes to avoid when approaching investors

7 mistakes to avoid when approaching investors

When trying to raise money and even before pitching to investors many entrepreneurs make mistakes. Here are 7 of the most common mistakes which should be corrected before approaching an investor. 1. Pitching the wrong money Many people waste time sending business plans to any investor that they can find (Banks, Angels, VC’s, Crowdfunding etc). If you use this kind of “Shotgun” approach in your finance-raising strategy, you’ll experience rejection, frustration and waste a lot of your valuable time. Research the best source of finance for your stage of business

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Why a non-exec Director may be just the tonic your growth strategy needs

Why a non-exec Director may be just the tonic your growth strategy needs

Many SME’s think that a non-exec Director is for big businesses with big budgets but this couldn’t be more wrong and is probably the best kept secret of some of the country’s fastest growing small businesses. Here are just 6 reasons why we think you can’t afford NOT to appoint one! Accountability Many small businesses, particularly if owner managed, may not bother to have board meetings at all – or if they do, they turn into long rambling affairs where nothing significant is achieved. A non-exec will facilitate and chair

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