NEWS
Bank EFG scheme continues to falter
Monies lent against the EFG, the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme, fell to a record low in Q4 2018 of £55.6m and 78% below its peak in Q2 2009. The EFG scheme is used to facilitate lending to viable SME businesses with turnover less than £41m that would normally be turned…
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Banks no longer first port of call for half of Britain’s SMEs
A new survey from has revealed that the number of people who have considered going somewhere other than their bank for finance is on the increase. The insights come from a new survey conducted by business finance provider Growth Street. The firm canvassed more than 2,000 directors and employees of…
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Snowball has moved!
Snowball Alternative Finance would like to announce some exciting developments. In response to an increased demand for our services, resulting in the expansion of our team we are pleased to announce our move to substantially larger premises. We are now located at The Granary, Dingle Bank Farm, Holmes Chapel Road,…
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The future is bright for business growth
The banks may be closed for business but, thanks to the emerging alternative finance market, business won’t be short of funding options, according to North West based finance expert, Peter Black. Black, managing director of Snowball Alternative Finance, supports those businesses looking to gain investment from alternatives to high street…
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Preston Trampower appoints funding advisors
Snowball Alternative Finance has been appointed by Preston Trampower to secure the £25m funding for its project to get trams running in Preston for the first time since 1935. The deal will see Snowball advising on funding strategy as well as producing business plans and financial models for the project.…
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DISAPPOINTING IPOs?
There have been two fairly high-profile IPOs recently and both have disappointed on the market. Firstly, Funding Circle whose shares are down 10% from opening, albeit at one point they were down over 20%. Secondly, Aston Martin, who are down almost 20% since the IPO. It appears that the company…
Read MoreCVA CLAUSE
There have been a number of high-profile Company Voluntary Arrangements (CVAs) this year including the likes of Carpetright, Mothercare, Carluccio’s and New Look. Whilst on the face of it the rationale behind the CVA may be sound where businesses have genuine trading difficulties, some landlords feel CVAs are being abused…
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THRESHOLD FOR PROSPECTUS
A recent change in rules means that the threshold below which UK companies can raise money without the need for a costly investment prospectus is now €8m (£7.07m) – it was previously €5m. This means some larger businesses that were previously put off by the need for an expensive prospectus…
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Insight Webinar – The New World of Business Finance 15th November 11am – 12noon
We are delighted to announce our first webinar in conjunction with the Institute of Directors. The webinar is open to members as well as non-members of the IOD. On Thursday 15th November between 11am and 12 noon our managing director, Peter Black, will be exploring the types of funding available,…
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