Don’t bank on it: Alternative finance for small businesses

Alternative funding and finance is something we hear a lot about, but what is it and how might it help your business? All businesses need cash to fund growth and make the most of new opportunities. But with much of their value tied up in business assets and future orders, even the most successful businesses find there’s little ready cash on hand to invest in the future. Access to working capital and funding growth is a big challenge for today’s business. With a reduction in lending from the traditional big lenders such a banks, more and more small and medium businesses are turning to alternative finance, such as crowdfunding, angel investors and peer-to-peer lending. Our guide looks at how the alternative funding market is helping support the ambitions of UK businesses and providing billions of pounds worth of capital. With flexibility around funding, short and long term investments and often fast decisions on loans, alternative finance connects businesses who need money to people who want to lend it. Find out more about using alternative finance to fund and grow your entrepreneurial opportunities.

Get your free guide to alternative finance

• What is alternative finance?
• Guide to the main forms of alternative finance (including crowdfunding, invoice trading, peer-to-peer lending and angel investors)
• The amount you may be able to borrow
• How quickly you can get your hands on capital
• What to watch out for
• How to get started