Chris Godfrey

If you don’t know what the problem is, you can’t fix it. Many UK businesses spend thousands of pounds every year buying energy that simply goes to waste. Poor insulation, lost heat and cooling, inefficient lighting, machines, and systems. The wastage can be anywhere and everywhere, […]

2022 has seen the wholesale cost of energy rise by up to 800%. Skyrocketing demand in the global bounce-back from the pandemic, oil production reductions, the conflict in Ukraine - they have all come at once and the impact has caused a dramatic rise in prices. 

Climate change is the number one global issue, and governments across the world are reacting to the problem by introducing programmes that urge businesses and private citizens to reduce their carbon footprint. Lowering our energy consumption is a simple, but effective strategy […]

Energy costs have skyrocketed during 2022, with many UK households and businesses now paying more than double for their electricity and gas compared to 2021. To help domestic users pay their bills this winter, the government has introduced an energy price cap to keep a lid on […]

The cost of energy for UK businesses has gone through the roof. Even with recent government interaction to keep a lid on prices, the average business is now paying more than double for their energy, and some have seen increases of over 500%. VAT is a tax paid on energy use. It […]

The days of low-cost energy are over. Even with government intervention, many UK businesses are now paying more than double for their energy than they were a year ago. With this in mind and amid clear signals that further spikes in the price of electricity are coming soon, many […]

Islamic business finance: what is it and how does it work? Add a header to begin generating the table of contents

Business energy help The UK Government has announced a price cap freeze on business energy prices  –  at the same price per unit as households  –  until March 2023. Upload energy bill What can my business do right now? Whilst the government's […]

Development finance explained – how does it work? Add a header to begin generating the table of contents

Invoice finance is a popular choice for many UK businesses. Instead of waiting weeks for payment, receive up to 95% of the invoice sum in just a day or two.

Asset Finance is a fast-growing funding choice for UK businesses. It makes it easier to buy, use and benefit from big-ticket items such as vehicles, plant, and machinery. Instead of paying one large sum upfront, spread the cost over time with smaller, regular payments. Use the items as you pay for the items and take pressure off your cashflow. Alternatively, make more of the high-value items your business already owns. Use those assets as collateral for loans to help your business grow.

It may be relatively new to the business world, but the merchant cash advance is already a prime source of funding for consumer-facing businesses

Supply chain finance explained Add a header to begin generating the table of contents

VAT loans – what are they & how do I get one? Add a header to begin generating the table of contents

Small business loans guide Add a header to begin generating the table of contents

Working capital loans – what are they & how do I get one? Add a header to begin generating the table of contents

Supply chain finance is a co-operation between buyer, supplier, and lender. The lender funds the supplier to help them produce the goods the buyer needs. When the buyer pays for the goods, the supplier pays the lender back. It’s a simple arrangement. But it has a flaw. There are blind spots. At […]

The Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) and the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) are UK Government-backed investment programmes for young, high-growth potential companies. The schemes give generous tax relief to investors in these types of businesses. They invest, you […]

Raising funds for a social enterprise is always tough – gifts and donations can be erratic and businesses and projects that lack a profit feature typically miss investor interest. Fortunately, Social Investment Tax Relief (SITR) can make life easier for those that chase the […]

The VCT and EIS business investment schemes are designed for SMEs and investors, but which one’s best for you? The Enterprise […]

At some stage in their journey, many businesses require more investment to keep momentum going. However, without taking on expensive debt, it can often be difficult to raise the needed funds. The Government supported Enterprise Investment Scheme aims to ease this burden by giving […]

Getting a young company off the ground has never been easy. As well as assembling a team, finding premises, and building the concept, there’s the mammoth task of securing funds. Investors are notoriously wary of entrepreneurs and untested ideas, which is partly why approximately […]

Note: from April 2023 the amount a business can receive in SEIS funding is going up to £250,000, the amount an investor can contribute is going up to £200,000, and the maximum age of the business able to take advantage of the scheme is increasing from 2 yrs […]

Get your free business credit score The deals you can get from lenders depend on your credit score: the better your score, the cheaper it is to borrow. Swoop has joined forces with Credit Passport to rate your business' credit. The service is free and does not affect credit scores, […]

The Start Up Loans programme is a UK-wide, government-backed scheme that offers a personal loan, up to £25,000 to those that have a viable business idea but no access to finance. All successful loan recipients are offered free mentoring and access to exclusive business offers.

Lloyds Bank has been hit with a government and business backlash over its decision to raise bank fees for businesses. As reported in the Daily Mail and the Times […]

UK Government Restart grants are now available to businesses in England that have been most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The scheme provides funds to help retail, hospitality, […]