Is your accountant providing the right lending advice?

16/01/2019

Some businesses could be missing out on the right funding because of their accountant’s lack of knowledge of the commercial finance market, according to new research from Market Invoice.

While only 66% of accountants say they refer their clients to external lenders, 36% of those that don’t cite “a lack of understanding” as the main reason for their reluctance.

Another one in five (19%) admit the “time and cost burden associated with sourcing third party options” would prevent them from suggesting alternative lenders, while a further 18% say they are put off by the “potential administrative stress” in managing the relationship between a potential lender and their client.

While accountants play a vital role for businesses of all sizes – particularly in tax savings, managing complex accounting tasks and saving time – this hesitancy and lack of knowledge indicates they may not always represent the best resource for businesses looking for a new funding facility.

What else did the research show?

It was more encouraging to see the diversity over which funding types accountants tend to recommend to their clients.

Of those that refer their clients to external lenders, 51% recommend they speak to a bank. A further 36% suggest an invoice finance provider, ahead of 34% referring clients to business loan providers.

Whereas previously these figures may have been more heavily skewed towards banks, nowadays there are so many more options available to businesses of all sizes over how they fund their activity.

From more traditional forms of funding, such as invoice finance and asset finance, there has been a surge in new lenders offering short-term facilities such as loans, making it easier to obtain a facility that’s tailored to a business’s specific funding requirements.

But what is the best way to find the right funding fit for your business?

Search or research?

Many businesses typically begin their search for new finance facilities online. A quick search for any finance product will return dozens of lenders, each offering different variations, service levels, charging structures and expertise.

Other businesses will rely on recommendations from business associates, friends and family, who might have had a positive or negative experience with a particular product or lender.

Whilst acting as a great starting point, neither of these resources can be relied upon extensively to find the most suitable facility. Aside from the time that’s required to compare different lenders, using a search engine, for instance, requires you to know which form of funding is best for the business’s particular requirement – and if it’s even available.

It isn’t always clear which lender out of the many your search returns represents the best fit for your business, either – not to mention the role each company’s marketing budget has played in the order of the search results.

Likewise, just because the product and lender your friend or family member recommended benefited their business, this doesn’t mean it represents the right combination for yours too.

How can Hilton-Baird help?

As an independent commercial finance broker, we can save you time in your search and introduce the most suitable funding and provider according to your needs.

Not only are we used by businesses of all sizes, whether they’re looking to improve cash flow or finance a major project, we also partner with accountants to give their clients access to valuable expertise.

Commercial finance is our specialist area and has been for 21 years. We are passionate about what we do and take pride in ensuring we remain abreast of the evolving funding market, understanding the pros and cons of all products – traditional, existing and new.

With an in-depth appreciation of the service levels each funder can deliver to our clients, as well as that all-important insight into their underwriting appetites, we can quickly identify the most appropriate solutions for any business.

So, whether you’re a business looking for a new finance facility or an accountant who, alongside your clients, would benefit from our services, we’d love to speak.