Business investors discuss finance issues at roundtable event

Investment for SME’s was the hot topic at a gathering of the region’s leading finance providers and business intermediaries.

The Finance Yorkshire event, brought together a wide range of organisations tasked with providing business finance and support.

Representatives from Finance Yorkshire, HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds TSB, Yorkshire Bank, NatWest, Garbutt & Elliott, HW (Leeds) LLP, Armstrong Watson, WW Group Ltd, Winburn Glass Norfolk and Blacks Solicitors attended the event.

The meeting, which was held at 3 Albion Place, Leeds, provided an opportunity for Finance Yorkshire to meet with intermediaries and fellow finance providers to gain valuable feedback and to discuss how businesses are finding access to funding.

David Bagley, Director at Finance Yorkshire, said: “Those who attended the meeting are very close to what is happening in businesses, it is very important that Finance Yorkshire has close links with the finance and business community to ensure that the £90 million is invested effectively across the region.

“It is crucial that Finance Yorkshire listens and responds to the views of the intermediary and banking sectors as we rely on these people to refer quality deals to us.”

The event was also an opportunity for Finance Yorkshire to highlight some of the areas in which it can be involved such as the cost of purchasing or moving premises, funding expansion projects and asset purchases, and providing working capital and headroom funding in areas that would ordinarily be too risky for a bank.

David Bagley added, “Finance Yorkshire has made 81 investments to date and for the vast majority of these we have been part of a wider funding package working alongside the bank or other lenders. Collaboration is key to the success of Finance Yorkshire and we look to work closely with the business community to help their clients raise the finance they need. Our key objective is to ensure the region ultimately benefits from funding provided by Finance Yorkshire in order that companies achieve their growth aspirations, new jobs are created and existing jobs are safeguarded.”

Feedback from the event included the need for ongoing communication from Finance Yorkshire as well as case studies to demonstrate the sectors and types of investments that are being made.

Further events in Hull and Sheffield are currently being organised.

For more information about Finance Yorkshire, please visit www.finance-yorkshire.com or ring 0845 649 0000.

Note: this news article is from Finance Yorkshire’s previous fund. Read more about Finance Yorkshire