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SEPTEMBER 2015 PRO INSTALLER
PRO BUSINESS
www.proinstaller.co.uk
A match made in
marketing heaven
Purplex Marketing, the full service
marketing agency that specialises in the
window industry, recently teamed up
with award winning trade fabricator Lister
Trade Frames and helped them launch
a niche brand of high-end products
aimed at architects and self-builders.
Designer Range is a plethora
of imaginative and well-engineered glazing solutions for
the more discerning client,
and Listers offer a complete
service from consultation,
surveying to product specification all the way through to
installation.
Five steps to
help secure your
business loan
Bivek Sharma, Head of
Small Business Accounting
at KPMG, writes for Pro
Installer about securing a
business loan without the
‘kerfuffle’.
Getting a loan for your construction business - whether new or
existing - has become a complex
process for UK entrepreneurs in
recent times. Despite the recovery delivering a more positive
economic outlook for a robust
construction sector, lenders and
banks remain cautious with regard
to lending. So how do you secure
that crucial finance to start up or
grow? What sets apart the risky
from the too risky?
KPMG Small Business Accounting takes a look at the current
shape of the lending market and
explains the best route to attaining
that all-important funding.
assessment and scrutiny. Banks
are taking a meticulous approach
to lending in the hope of avoiding
the wrong decision. However, the
finance is undoubtedly out there
- with the right documentation
and approach, your business can
secure it.
2. Explore every option
Finding the right loan for your
business can be a long, drawn-out
process, so be prepared to invest
time and energy into researching prospective lenders. A recent
study from BMG research shows
37% of businesses give up their
search for finance and cancel their
spending plans after their first
rejection, according to www.gov.
uk. The lending market is diversifying. With crowd funding and asset-based lending, amongst others,
there are now more avenues for
finance than ever before.
1. Expect an assessment
The current situation is very
“liquid”, meaning the banks have
substantial capital to lend, having
recovered from the credit crunch.
However, with the volatile nature
of the international markets,
applicant businesses are coming
under increasingly rigorous risk
3. Knuckle down
on the numbers
Any lender will be looking for
robust financial records and forecasts. It doesn’t matter if you’re
an incredible entrepreneur with a
million pound idea; if the numbers don’t add up and you can’t
produce clear evidence of your
financial performance, the bank
may be inclined to reject your
application.
4. Don’t confuse banks
with investors
Many businesses confuse banks
with investors; they’re not the
same thing. While an investor can
get comfortable with the potential
risks of a business idea, a bank is
ultimately concerned with getting
repaid. If you can prove your
ability to repay the loan, with evidence, a well-explained business
plan and forecasts, you’re likely to
have a much smoother application
process.
5. It’s your job to make
them understand
A common misconception in
small businesses is that banks
will instantly understand your
situation. Lending doesn’t involve
a consultation stage; you need to
know your stuff. A lot of companies make the fundamental error
of mistaking profit/sales for cashflow. Making sure you completely
understand your business makes it
much easier to explain it to somebody else.
‘a stunning brochure
complete with high
impact imagery’
Purplex ensured Listers’ website (www.designerrange.co.uk)
was optimised for mobile phones
and tablets, so it complies with
Googles latest algorithm change,
and packed the site full of high
quality, web optimised content.
Purplex also worked closely with
Listers to launch a stunning bro-
chure complete with high impact
imagery.
Mark Warren, managing director of Lister Trade Frames
commented: “Designer Range is
a collection of some of the most
technically advanced glazing
solutions on the market today,
and we needed a high end brand
and premium marketing material
to help us get the message across.
I’m delighted with the logo,
styling, website and brochure and
the enthusiastic response from
architects and consumers tells me
the brief has been achieved. Our
focus now is to drive traffic to the
website and generate online leads
and I look forward to working
with Purplex on this strategy.”
For more information on the
Designer Range visit www.
designerrange.co.uk or for
more on Purplex visit www.
purplexmarketing.co.uk