| Start-up business finance is an essential aspect for all | | | | HSBC Bank plco Lloyds TSB Group plco National |
| new businesses. There are many different avenues | | | | Westminster Bank plco Northern Bank (NI only)o |
| that you can approach to obtain this start-up finance | | | | Northern Enterprise Ltdo One London Ltdo State |
| such as lenders, investors, credit cards, friends and | | | | Securities plco Triodos Banko The Co-operative Bank |
| family as well as overdrafts; out of all of these | | | | plco The Enterprise Fundo The Royal Bank of |
| aspects the two most popular are investors, such as | | | | Scotlando UK Steel Enterprise Ltdo Ulster Bank Ltd (NI |
| business angels or venture capitalists and lenders such | | | | only)o Venture Finance plco Yorkshire Bank plc |
| as bank loans; however if you are a small to medium | | | | As with most schemes that are in place there are |
| business then you may not be able to obtain a | | | | main features and criteria of The Small Firms Loan |
| conventional loan because you do not have assets to | | | | Guarantee, which are:o A guarantee to the lender |
| offer as security. The Small Firms Loan Guarantee | | | | covering 75 % of the loan amount, for which the |
| (SFLG) helps to overcome this by providing lenders | | | | borrower pays a 2% premium on the outstanding |
| with a government guarantee against default in certain | | | | balance of the loan, payable to Department for |
| circumstances. | | | | Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR)o |
| The Small Firms Loan Guarantee is a joint venture | | | | The ability to guarantee loans of up to £250,000 |
| between the Department for Business, Enterprise and | | | | and with terms of up to ten yearso Availability to |
| Regulatory Reform (BERR) and a number of | | | | qualifying UK businesses with an annual turnover of up |
| participating lenders. On the date this article was | | | | to £5.6milliono Availability to businesses in most |
| written, the following scheme members were listed on | | | | sectors and for most business purposes, although |
| the web:o Airdrie Savings Banko Bank of Barodao | | | | there are some restrictions |
| Bank of Ireland (NI only)o Bank of Scotland plco | | | | This scheme is a massive help to many growing and |
| Barclays Bank plco Bibby Financial Serviceso | | | | small businesses but as with all schemes and help |
| Doncaster Business Advice Center (Donbac)o | | | | surrounding money it comes with warnings and |
| Clydesdale Bank plco Euro Sales Finance PLCo First | | | | whichever of the lending banks you choose they will |
| Trust Bank (NI only)o General Asset Managemento | | | | carry out a credit check on you and your business. |