A view of Lancashire, Matt Robinson Fund Manager
Matt Robinson, Fund Manager for Rosebud Finance gives his view on Lancashire and the resilience of the business community and how Rosebud can support the economy to once again thrive through Lancashire loans for Lancashire businesses.
Lancashire has a rich industrial history, from the days of coal mining and textile production to the modern-day manufacturing operations, and it has long stood as a centre for entrepreneurialism. The region’s willingness to do business has been evidenced throughout the ages.
In an advert, a Lancashire-based business once stated: “in the future as in the past we shall do our best to continue, in spite of the difficult period we are all passing through, to give an unrivalled service.” Whilst this dates back to 1951, the words are still as fitting today as they were almost 70 years ago. The business in question is still trading and has done for over 100 years – surviving two world wars – and serves as a symbol of just how resilient Lancashire businesses truly are.
Rosebud Finance has received a number of encouraging enquiries showing that some Lancashire businesses are still growing despite the current climate. We’re here to support economic growth across Lancashire and increase the region’s prosperity with our local fund for local growing businesses. It’s great to see that amongst certain sectors, Lancashire’s business community has remained robust. However, there is support available for those adversely affected by Coronavirus, and we remain hopeful that in the coming years, we will also be able to support some of these businesses on their growth journey also.
It’s important that we work with entrepreneurs across the region, raising awareness of the alternative finance options available to them and the opportunities this can bring when they are ready to pursue their growth ambitions. With banks likely to tighten lending policies once the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and Bounce Back Loan Scheme come to a close, there may be a perceived lack of funding available for SMEs. However, being declined by the bank does not mean that expansion and growth are out of reach. Funding is available for businesses in Lancashire, and in a county with so many innovative businesses, why not take the same approach to finance and think outside the bank?
Working with Lancashire’s Boost and Access to Finance programmes, Rosebud Finance has supported many companies in the region over the past 30 years with more than £2m lent in the last 12 months alone. We believe that no hard-working business should have to work hard to get a loan, which is why we’ve made our enquiry process as simple as possible.
For those businesses which are not yet seeking finance to grow but are looking for funding to enable them to withstand existing business interruptions that COVID-19 has brought, you may wish to look at the CBILS for which GC Business Finance are a delivery partner. Access to Finance are also a great source of information: they will support you in finding the right funding for you and your business, whether that is Grants, Bounce Back Loans, CBILS and more, as well as support you through the application process.
We look forward to the near future, where Lancashire businesses will without doubt prove their resilience in the face of uncertainty and come back stronger than ever.
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