Webinar to give SMEs advice on finance available

Hosted by BCRS Business Loans and Responsible Finance, the webinar, titled ‘Financing Your Business When Banks Can’t Help’, will take place during the British Business Bank’s Business Finance Week, on Tuesday, October 1, from 1pm to 2.15pm.

The session is aimed at owners, MDs and finance directors of small businesses, as well as accountants, lawyers, business support specialists and brokers who want to learn about the community development finance institution (CDFI) sector and how it supports small businesses.

BCRS Business Loans Chief Executive Stephen Deakin will open the event and provide key insights on the importance of CDFIs in the market.

British Business Bank Senior Product Manager Sean Hutchinson will discuss the challenges faced by SMEs and how community development financial institutions can help.

Responsible Finance Chief Executive Theodora Hadjimichael will explain what a CDFI is and how businesses can find their local CDFI.

There will also be a panel discussion, where businesses can hear from other CDFIs and SMEs who have successfully accessed finance through a CDFI.

Attendees will have the opportunity to get their questions answered by industry experts in a Q&A session.

BCRS Business Loans Chief Executive Stephen Deakin said: “We are looking forward to hosting this webinar in partnership with Responsible Finance.

“It is a great opportunity for smaller businesses to find out more about the finance options available to them, learn what CDFIs do and explore whether they could help their business to achieve its ambitions.

“Learning about finance options and how to get ready to apply for them makes it easier to find and choose the right finance when your business needs it.”

BCRS Business Loans provides funding to businesses across the West Midlands that are struggling to access finance from traditional lenders. Businesses can secure loans from between £10,000 and £250,000 to support growth and recovery plans.

Responsible Finance is the national membership body for responsible finance providers. With more than 50 members and supporters in its network, its vision is to create a fair financial system in the UK by scaling up the community development finance sector.

With a host of free nationwide and regional in-person events, webinars and more, Business Finance Week helps smaller businesses learn about the different finance options available to them to support their individual needs. The events, which run from Wednesday to October 3 are hosted by the British Business Bank, a government-owned economic bank specialised in helping businesses in the UK access financial support.

Anyone interested in signing up for the webinar should visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/financing-your-business-if-a-bank-cant-lend-tickets-972067288427?aff=BCRS