Helping your clients plan for growth next year

With the end of 2021 in plain sight, many of your clients will be taking the opportunity to plan for next year (and no doubt you’re in the process of finalising their tax returns). 

Many of your clients could well be looking forward to next year with a sense of optimism and ambition. Perhaps they’re considering hiring new employees or expanding to a new market, or maybe they want to upgrade some of their equipment or machinery. 

However large or small your clients’ short-term business goals are, securing the right type of business funding at the right time can set them on the road to success. 

In days gone by, it could take small business owners weeks, months even, to obtain finance. As an accountant or advisor, you’d have to jump through hoops, spend ages collating the relevant paperwork and wait to receive a response from the bank. Not anymore.

New, flexible business finance lenders and fintechs like Funding Options are helping dismantle barriers to funding by making the market more accessible and easier to navigate.

Your client doesn’t have to have been trading for years or have a perfect credit score. There are a variety of options to explore and choose from - you just have to know where to look. 

Is my client eligible for funding?

Good question. The fact is, eligibility criteria varies - sometimes significantly - from lender to lender. It also depends on what type of finance they need. For instance, an asset loan can only be used for the purchase of equipment, vehicles, machinery and other assets.  

Merchant cash advances are unique in the sense that the lender may require evidence of how many transactions your client processes every day, week and month. 

When it comes to longevity, some lenders need businesses to show them that they’ve been active and profitable for between 1 to two years in order to be eligible for finance. There are lenders on the market who will accept 6+ months though, so don’t rule out newer clients.

Do let your clients know that lenders are likely to pick up on late payments or CCJs associated with their business, and they may also check their personal credit file. 

Some lenders, depending on the type of finance, might require a personal guarantee, or your client might be asked to offer an asset (e.g. property or stock) as security for the finance.

What documentation is required?

Your client will be required to provide the latest accurate information about their business for the lender to make a decision. If you have a client who’s considering taking out finance next year, make sure they’re aware of this in advance so they can prepare.

Typically, lenders will ask for two years of accounts (if available), up-to-date management accounts and bank statements. For lower amounts, some lenders don't require anything.

Technology can make things easier. If you utilise cloud accounting software you can access some of the above on-demand and create useful growth trends/forecasts for your client. Often, when it comes to business funding, timing is everything. 

Cloud accounting software that manages the flow of income and expenditure data directly from your client’s business account can accelerate the process and help reassure the lender that the information they receive is accurate and up-to-date.  

Sign up to Connect today

Before waving farewell to 2021 why not take a moment to create your Funding Options Connect account? It’ll help you prepare for next year, especially when it comes to helping your clients secure the funding they need to succeed and grow. 

Funding Options’ award-winning tech searches the market to match businesses with the right lender and finance options for their needs. 

Whether your client’s looking for asset finance, a merchant cash advance, a revolving credit facility, property finance, a bridging loan, a credit card or another type of business finance entirely, you’ll find Connect a valuable resource.

After you’ve signed up to Connect you can start referring clients using your personalised link, and manage and track all of your referrals via a dedicated dashboard. 

Our record from the first enquiry to money in the bank is 18 minutes, while our record from enquiry to approval is 20 seconds. Most lenders usually reply within 24 hours. Paperwork permitting, your client could secure finance within a day or two.