More and more firms are slipping into the category of ‘the unbankable’. But there is light – and money – at the end of the tunnel for these businesses. Continue reading
Tag: CDFIs
Time to get ruthless?
Banks lend to the most profitable customers. CDFIs lend to customers that are seen as less-profitable, more-risky. They lend smaller amounts, they build relationships with customers and, in most cases, also provide support and advice. This could be giving money management advice to a customer, or helping a social enterprise with its business plan. It is these value added services that are a core part of the CDFI’s social mission, and a core reason why they are effective at helping enterprises and families.
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Ethical lending on the rise as bank lending falls
New research from the CDFA shows that demand for CDFI loans has doubled in the last two years and has now hit almost £1 billion. Continue reading
Demand for non-bank business loans increases
Non-bank community lenders saw an increase in demand from businesses of 36% in the first quarter of 2013, according to the Community Finance Monitor survey. This bucks the trend reported in today’s Bank of England Trends in Lending report, which says demand for bank credit remained weak in quarter one, and that demand from small businesses fell. Continue reading
Community lenders best placed to deliver £300m boost for SMEs
Vince Cable’s announcement that an additional £300m will be made available to SMEs through the business bank is a welcome and much needed step forward. To ensure that this money quickly gets to where it is needed, community development finance institutions (CDFIs) are the obvious vehicle to make it happen.
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CDFIs help Start-Up Loans exceed expectations
2,000 young entrepreneurs have now had their business dreams backed through the Start-Up Loans programme, and community finance providers are playing a key role. The Start-Up Loans Company, which administers the scheme and is chaired by Dragon’s Den entrepreneur James Caan, has helped to start 1,000 new businesses in the last month alone.
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Banks are making fewer loans, in spite of Funding for Lending
The Bank of England has announced that net lending fell by £2.4bn in the final quarter of 2012 compared with the previous three months.
The Funding for Lending (FLS) scheme, which began in August last year, was designed to encourage banks to lend more money, both to individuals and businesses, and boost the economy.
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EFG Scheme delivers a net benefit of £1.1 billion to the economy
New independent research on the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) scheme published last week found that it has delivered a net benefit of £1.1 billion to the economy. Every £1 invested by the government has delivered £33.50 for the economy. Continue reading
‘Mind the Finance Gap’ – We Need to Work Together to Fill It
Guest blog by Dr Steve Walker
With access to finance for small businesses remaining a hot topic, it is good to see the publication of a bank-supported, comprehensive, study of the marketplace.
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Demand for Community Finance soars as ethical lenders take on the Wongas
04.10.2012 Enquiries to ethical ‘community finance’ providers have more than doubled in the last year as individuals seek routes out of high interest debt traps, according to new figures released by the CDFA today. Continue reading