A new report from Ernst & Young this week claims that SME finance is not just a UK problem but also a global one. However, despite the small business lending challenges, UK SMEs are upbeat about growth in 2012 according to another recent study.
The Ernst & Young review, detailed in the Financial Times, claims that the struggle to secure small business finance is as much an issue in developed countries as it is in emerging ones. It lists a number of key issues, many of which small business owners will not need reminding of, such as limited access to bank SME lending, especially for start-ups. The study also calls for more government action on small business credit, a sentiment that is shared by a growing number of business groups, including the British Chambers of Commerce.
However, despite the small business lending challenges facing directors across the country, these companies remain optimistic about growth in 2012 according to the BDRC Continental SME Finance Monitor. It found that nearly 50% expected future economic growth, an increase on the percentage in its last survey at the end of last year.
What is clear is that SME finance remains a core issue for small businesses and while new schemes such as the GrowthAccelerator £200 million SME investment programme and the StartUP Loan Scheme, launched at the end of May, are a positive influence, there is a more substantial gap to be filled. And, as recent figures from the Asset Based Finance Association show, alternative finance services such as invoice finance, invoice discounting, factoring and asset finance are increasingly filling the void.
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