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Merchant Cash Express champions future development.

Merchant Cash Express Ltd (MCE) provides the UK's leading Business Cash Advance service. The Business Cash Advance aims to fill a gap for access to money that is not met elsewhere in the financial world. Our mission is to give people access to the funds they need to run their business in a no fuss,  let-you- get- on with- it way. This can be done without going through the lengthy process of applying for a bank loan or having to submit a business plan.  As part of this ethos we also believe in encouraging talent and helping people optimise their future potential whatever their business. 

For example, Sophie Santillo is like any ordinary school girl. She has just completed her GCSE's and will be going to Sixth Form College to do her A Levels. She has a black belt in Karate. Sophie also happens to be a multiple gold medal winner in various weights and titles in Karate in the UK. She has been chosen to represent England in the Junior World Championships in Malaysia 13th - 16th October 2011.

MCE is sponsoring her on her journey to the World Championships in October. As our founding directors Richard and Ian say " We want to show that UK talent can be the best in the world. We believe that Sophie has a great future and are proud to be helping her compete in Malaysia. Similarly many small business owners in this country have suffered a lack of growth because of funding issues. The Business Cash Advance is here to change that.

April 14th, 2011
Garage thrives thanks to Business Cash Advance

Alternative forms of finance are becoming increasingly popular for garages thanks to a change in the way people pay for car maintenance.

Where once most payments at garages were made by cash or cheque and only a small proportion made by debit or credit cards, now the majority of customers choose to pay this way.

This means garages can take advantage of a new form of finance when the banks say no.

"Bank loans can still be tough and involve a lengthy application process", says Business Cash Advance Director Richard Morley. "That's where an unsecured Business Cash Advance comes into its own. The money is advanced against future debit and credit card takings. A decision's made quickly and you can use the money however you want."   

Mark Smith of Smith Brothers Garage in Norwich certainly found a Business Cash Advance useful. "It's an absolutely superb service. We decided to go for it because unlike cheques, card payments can take a while to come through so we needed some money to tide us over and buy new diagnostic equipment.

"It's brilliant the way it works. The repayments are deducted at source from card takings so you don't notice the money going out."

Small independent garages can take advantage of a Business Cash Advance because more transactions are conducted by card now rather than cash or cheque. As Mark explains: "A few years ago only 30 per cent of our business was paid for with cards. Now it's nearer 70 per cent. So that makes it easier for us to access this new form of finance."
 

March 25th, 2011
Britain is open for business says chancellor

"Let it be heard around the world... Britain is open for business," is the message from George Osborne’s budget speech on March 22nd. For Business Cash Advance clients - from pubs and restaurants, to hairdressers, motor traders and online retailers - there were some wins on the finance front…

Here’s a snapshot of the measures in the 2011 Budget announcement affecting small businesses:

• Fuel duty to be cut by 1p per litre. The April 2011 inflation-only increase in fuel duty will be deferred to 1 January 2012; the April 2012 increase will be implemented on 1 August 2012
• Business Rate Relief holiday for small businesses extended for 12 months
• A three year moratorium on the introduction of new domestic regulations on businesses with fewer than 10 employees
• 21 new enterprise zones to be created with the first 11 set for Birmingham and Solihull, Bristol, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, Leeds, Liverpool, Greater Manchester, Sheffield, the Tees Valley, Tyneside, the Black Country and London
• Entrepreneur's Relief to double to £10m from April 6 2011
• The abolition of 43 tax reliefs whose rationale is no longer valid based on recommendations by the Office of Tax Simplification
• Research and development tax credits for small to medium sized businesses to be raised to 200% in April and to 225% in 2012
• Government to consult on merging income tax and National Insurance
• 40,000 new apprenticeships for unemployed young people
• Funding for 100,000 work experience placements
• Income tax personal allowance for people under 65 to rise by £630 to £8,105 in April 2012
• Launch of the new Startup Britain scheme to encourage more UK entrepreneurship

To read how small businesses, and online retailers feel about the impact of the budget click here

March 16th, 2011
Hotels find fresh funding for new season expansion

With the holiday season on the horizon, hotels and B&Bs are finding successful new ways to fund vital business expansion as finance from traditional lenders continues to prove elusive.

The leading supplier of advances to small businesses, Business Cash Advance, has reported a 120 per cent increase in advances to small hotels and bed and breakfast businesses in the past year. 

Many hoteliers and publicans who use Business Cash Advance report how pleased they are with the way the company has supported them and recognised that their businesses were viable in these tough financial times.

Sally Tomkins, who runs the King’s Head in Bridgwater, Somerset, used an advance from Business Cash Advance to boost her turnover and improve her profitability.

“Banks and building societies just aren’t interested. You can’t get an overdraft, loans or anything. We couldn’t even borrow on our credit card! So Business Cash Advance has been great. It's brilliant the way you repay the money. They take the repayments straight out from our credit card sales so we don't miss it.

“What I like about Business Cash Advance is that they can see you have a thriving business by what you take in card payments. They trust us to be able to pay it back. Unlike the banks.”

This is echoed by Business Cash Advance’s director Richard Morley who explains why so many independent hotels and B&Bs like using the service. “We agreed with Sally how she could use the advance from us to increase her profitability, turnover and improve services for her customers. What we offer is not a loan but an advance on future credit and debit card receipts. The money is then repaid out of card sales.

“So when a business is doing well, the money is repaid quickly. Likewise, when business is slack, repayments reflect this. There are no penalties for late or early repayment and the advances are unsecured.

“It’s also much quicker and far less onerous to obtain a Business Cash Advance than a bank loan or overdraft. This is also a major reason why so many hoteliers and other retailers like financing their businesses through us this way. It saves time. Bank lending has not only become much more difficult to obtain – it’s also time consuming and many of our clients resent having to jump through countless hoops often only to be told no at the end of it.”

The average size of an advance to the hospitality sector is £17,500 and the number of deals Business Cash Advance is doing for hospitality has more than doubled. The largest single advance was for £70,000 for a hotel in Carmarthen where the funds were used for renovation and the purchase of fittings.

“More independent hotels and B&Bs are finding this the perfect way to finance their business. And we don’t have strings attached to our advances. We’re delighted if the money is used, for example, to buy new stock, develop a website or start a marketing campaign. All areas banks have traditionally been reluctant to lend for,” added Richard Morley.

The money advanced by Business Cash Advance is typically used for:-

•    refurbishment
•    new equipment such as cookers, ‘fridges, washing machines and dryers and also new linen.
•    Marketing and advertising, including website design
•    Decoration
•    Structural improvements.

For more success stories from Business Cash Advance please click here.

March 9th, 2011
Hotels gear up for Spring and Summer

With one of the harshest Winters on record almost behind us, hotels and restaurants are now gearing up for the Spring and Summer seasons.

This is a chance to make up any income lost as a result of the snow, or profits dented by the need to make essential repairs caused by freezing temperatures. “We find that many of our clients use this time, just before the Spring season begins, to stock up ready for what they hope will be a big influx of trade,” said Business Cash Advance director Richard Morley.

In fact, unlike many banks, Business Cash Advance is very happy to advance funds to enable those in the hospitality and retail trade to buy stock so they can take advantage of the many business opportunities coming up. Business Cash Advance is also happy to advance funds for marketing purposes – something that can make a big difference to trade but for which banks are traditionally loathe to lend.

“There’s Mother’s Day followed by Easter, both of which are traditionally good times for retailers, hotels and pubs and this year we also have an extra bank holiday for the Royal Wedding which also offers extra trading opportunities,” added Richard Morley.

“Everyone needs a bit of a boost at this time of year, something to look forward to. We long to leave the hard days of Winter behind and welcome back the longer lighter evenings.

“Spring is a chance for renewal, a time to make a fresh start. This is why we’re always very happy to receive applications for funds to restock or refurbish, which a lot of our clients like to do in early March. It’s the perfect time of year to freshen up premises that have perhaps become a bit tired and customers appreciate places that have made the effort,” added Richard Morley.

If you think your business might benefit from refurbishing or restocking and you need some funds to facilitate this, click here to find out how an advance from Business Cash Advance could help you.
 

February 28th, 2011
How your underwear affects the economy

Did you know that the kind of underwear you have on is a reflection of the state of the economy? This is just one of a number of unofficial retail indicators that illustrate how well the economy is doing.
According to the consumer pants index people buy more pants when they are feeling wealthy and make do with their faded smalls when times are tight. So if you're wearing new underwear as you read this, that could be a sign better times are here.

But this kind of indicator is nothing new. One of the first and most famous consumer indicators was the hemline indicator. In 1926 American economist George Taylor proposed something he called the Hemline Index. This claimed that as the economic indices slide towards the floor, so do dresses. Whereas in an economic boom, skirts get shorter. It was thought part of the reason for this might have been because women could not afford silk stockings so covered their legs instead. Or it could be that when women are feeling more optimistic, their skirts get shorter. That was certainly the case in the 1960s whereas the mini was more fashionable in the less economically certain times of the 1970s.

Now fashion is not so rigid instead cosmetic surgery is a guide. The number of plastic surgery operations fell by 18% in the US in 2009 but things have now improved – for cosmetic surgeons - as the American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports there were 13 million more people going under the knife in 2010.

And while we may not like it when fuel prices rise, that also is a sign that the economy is on the mend. This is because when the economy is booming, demand for oil from industry and motorists rises, and so does the price. However the problem with this indicator is that if the oil price gets too high, the economy could go back into reverse. The current upheaval in the Middle East is another factor that could affect oil prices, as it did in the 1970s.

Another test to see how well the economy is doing is to take a look at your nearest railway station car park. If it is full or nearly full most days, that is a sign that the economy is doing well. A half empty car park could indicate lay offs or people saving money by walking to the station.

Industry gossip is another indicator. In good times people chat about promotions, who’s moving where, vacancies, pay rises and bonuses. In the bad or uncertain times, it’s all closures, cutbacks and redundancies.

Property pages in the newspapers are also a good indicator – when they are bulging, so is the economy. But a really good test of how things are is how much money is being advanced by Business Cash Advance which advances money based on future credit and debit card takings. Commented the director of Business Cash Advance, Richard Morley: “We are seeing a definite trend upwards here at Business Cash Advance. The type of small retail outlet that is the mainstay of our client base is looking very healthy at the moment. The way our business works is a good way of judging how the economy is doing. That is because when times are tough our clients tend to retrench rather than expand. But in good times, or when they’re feeling more optimistic they will apply for more Business Cash Advances from us as they know expansion of their trade will mean they can easily afford it.”
 

February 23rd, 2011
Shops must diversify and go online to survive

A report out this week by the Local Data Company has shown that there are more empty shops on the high street. And the numbers are expected to increase.

This is partly due to escalating rents and business rates and of course the current state of the economy. But it is also indicative of a larger picture. Patterns of shopping are changing. Many shoppers now prefer malls to high streets, partly due to the recent spate of very bad weather but also because they find them more convenient, more comfortable and with good security, parking, child friendly facilities such as creches and play areas, entertainment and refreshment. They like getting everything under one roof.

This trend shows no sign of changing. Quite the opposite.

So what can a smart retailer do? Some are retaining a high street presence but now do a lot more of their business online with the store front becoming just that - a store front. This is how they survive. Diversification is the key if you can not get into the malls which tend to have more expensive rents than on the high street. "Independent retailers need to realise that they still have something special and unique to offer the shopper. If you're an independent retailer, you will find that many shoppers do still like the personal touch." said Richard Morley, director of Business Cash Advance.

"For those who wish to diversify - say by an online operation with the necessary marketing to get their websites noticed - an advance from Business Cash Advance can be ideal as, unlike many banks, we are always happy to consider advancing funds for this purpose and many of our clients have used our funds for this.

"Other ways shopkeepers have found is to diversify by offering a collection service for postal or food deliveries. Something different that keeps their customers satisfied and coming back." added Richard Morley.
 

February 17th, 2011
Need to celebrate saves many retailers

While Christmas may have brought little cheer to many high street retailers, it appears that the need to celebrate remains strong with the buying public as Valentine’s Day was a godsend for florists. Mother’s Day and Easter are also promising to help florists as well as hairdressers, restaurants and pubs.

“An advance from Business Cash Advance has helped many of our clients restock for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Easter.” commented Richard Morley, director of Business Cash Advance. “It’s been a long hard Winter - one of the hardest on records - but Spring is finally on the horizon and people want to forget the harsh weather and celebrate Spring.

“So as well as Valentine’s Day helping our clients to boost their trade, we expect Mother’s Day and Easter to do the same. Mum will want to get her hair done before being taken out for a restaurant or pub meal by the family. And flowers are always appreciated at any time of year, but especially so when they are freshly in bloom.

“Of course people are cutting back in these tough economic times. But there will always be a need for treats and celebrations. An advance from Business Cash Advance helps retailers to make the most of those times when consumers tire of reigning in their spending and decide it is time for treats.”

February 8th, 2011
Banks again told to lend – but will they?

Calls this week by business secretary Vince Cable for the banks to lend to SMEs are unlikely to change much, according to the BBC’s Business Editor Robert Peston

Ministers want banks to increase the credit the banks make available to support economic recovery, says Peston on his BBC blog. But the hard version - that banks would pledge to lend a specific sum - is not going to happen, he says. And this why: “The banks' independent shareholders would not tolerate the banks lending to businesses that could not afford to repay the money. Even taxpayers - who own a huge slug of RBS and Lloyds shares - might feel queasy at the thought that the banks were lending merely in order to hit targets rather than to generate profits.”

So if Chancellor George Osborne wants billions injected into businesses, regardless of any judgment of the credit-worthiness of those businesses, he would have to nationalise RBS, Lloyds, Barclays and HSBC - which is not going to happen, says Peston.

“The banks are therefore making a soft promise: they will lend only if it makes commercial sense, if there is demand for the money from businesses able to make a convincing case to the banks that they can pay the money back,” adds Peston.

"However many small retailers prefer not to get finance from their banks" commented Business Cash Advance director Richard Morley: “We advance funds to small retail businesses for a variety of reasons but often for those areas where banks are reluctant to lend, such as say for stock, advertising or renting new premises.

“So while it’s good news that banks are prepared to ease up a bit on recent very tight lending rules, we still think there’s a strong business case for some retailers to use an advance from Business Cash Advance instead of more traditional methods of borrowing.”

A Business Cash Advance can be agreed far more quickly than a bank loan and the advance is unsecured with payments coming from future credit and debit card receipts. “This form of financing suits many of our clients and it’s highly likely that it will continue to” added Richard Morley.

February 2nd, 2011
Shoppers turn to plastic for everyday goods.

A report out today shows more consumers are using credit cards for everyday items. According to the latest Post Office Consumer Credit Report, a third of credit card holders spent the last month relying on plastic to cover day-to-day spending.

The report said more than 11.5 million people used their cards in January to fund daily purchases. Figures in the report indicated almost half of credit card holders used their plastic for grocery shopping.

However, although personal finance experts warn this could be a sign of financial distress it can also be seen as a sensible and convenient way to pay for everyday items

With Business Cash Advance repaid through credit and debit card receipts, this could mean that Business Cash Advance clients are able to repay their advances more quickly… and thus maybe think about a fresh business cash advance for more improvements on their businesses or, say, a marketing spend.

Commented Richard Morley, Business Cash Advance director, “The savvy shopper used credit cards to buy items as this gives them insurance and when paid off in full each month, this is a very wise way to use cards.

“Once we wouldn’t have dreamt of using our credit or debit cards to buy groceries or in the newsagent. Now it’s quite common. This increases the number of businesses that can make use of a Business Cash Advance as you only need 12 months of receipts in order to qualify for a business cash advance from us.

“And as we’ve seen with the retail figures out for December, while large stores, chains and shopping malls may have suffered in the snow, small shops did very well. As of course did online shopping and you need credit or debit cards to take advantage of that.”

January 27th, 2011
Some light in retail figures

Though the retail sales figures announced for December showed a decrease when compared year on year, this was to some extent expected because of the snow and very unusually cold weather throughout most of December. There is, however, plenty light amid Winter’s darkest – and coldest – days.
 
“While we’ve seen sales fall in the larger retail outlets and shopping malls, the poor weather was quite a boon for small shops and the high street,” said Richard Morley, director of Business Cash Advance which advances funds to small businesses which are then repaid from future credit and debit card sales.
 
“We are in a very strong position to know what’s going on in the high street as this is where most of our customers are,” added Richard. “So while the overall retail figures do look poor, they don’t explain the whole picture. We also saw an increase in online sales activity. People may have stayed home due to the dire weather in December - but that didn’t stop them shopping thanks to the internet. For many retailers, it was a buoyant time.”
 

January 18th, 2011
Business Cash Advance launches radio campaign

This week, Business Cash Advance takes to the airwaves with a radio campaign in Manchester aimed at garages, hair salons, restaurants and other small businesses and retailers that can benefit from Business Cash Advance.
 
The aim of the adverts is to make it clear that while banks are still not lending to small businesses, Business Cash Advance can often step into the breach.
 
Unlike banks, BCA advances cash to a retailer based on the amount of debit and credit card sales they have made in the last 12 months. Then they simply collect the advance by taking a percentage of future card sales.
 
No business plan is needed. There are no fixed repayments and no security is required. Just a trading record for the last 12 months.
 
To find out more about how an advance from Business Cash Advance may help you and to see if you could qualify for an advance from Business Cash Advance, see more here
 
The radio campaign will run on Key 103 (former Piccadilly Radio) and Magic Radio for four weeks.

January 11th, 2011
Hairdressers call for lower VAT rate

With VAT now at 20 per cent, the National Hairdressers Federation has stepped up its campaign to get the government to reduce VAT on salons to five per cent and thus boost the sector.

There is a European precedent for charging micro labour-intense businesses a lower rate of VAT, says NHF general secretary Eileen Lawson: “The chancellor could have implemented the European Economic and Financial Affairs Council’s concession for a lower VAT rate for labour-intensive small businesses which would have produced the results in our sector that he was looking for – more investment in employment and a more cost-competitive market. He has missed a golden opportunity.”

Business Cash Advance has many hairdressing clients and director Richard Morley is sympathetic to the NHF campaign. “It does seem a bit unfair that labour-intensive industries such as hairdressing have to pay the same rate of VAT as manufacturing businesses that can offset the tax against capital investment. For hairdressers nearly all the investment is in people so it can’t be offset. Higher prices have to be passed onto the consumer as there is often no margin to squeeze. And small businesses are much less able to absorb the VAT rise than larger ones.”

However, this is a good time for hairdressing salons to think about refurbishment and decoration, while salons are traditionally quiet. “It is a quiet time now but that’s why it’s also an excellent time to do some refurbishment or restocking. Or maybe think about marketing. Business Cash Advance has the resources to advance funds for hairdressers who are thinking about using January for this purpose and don’t want to go to their banks for the money nor dip into their cash reserves.”

As well as using January to smarten up their premises, many hairdressers also use this time to take a long look at their marketing strategy and try to find ways to busy up their quiet times. Some ways to do this could be by use of loyalty cards so the client is rewarded by return visits with a free hair-do, the promise of which in January is likely to be very well received.

January 6th 2011
Snow kept shoppers in – but still spending

The first retail figures out in the new year proved what many had feared – the bad weather in December did keep many shoppers at home over the biggest spending period of the year.

But while bad weather caused problems for some retailers, it appears to have helped pizza delivery company Domino's Pizza which reported souring profits. This is thought partly to be because many people simply couldn’t get out to the shops. But also because in difficult times, people enjoy comfort food. And with many takeaway orders now just an app away on a smartphone, this trend is likely to increase.
 
There are many independent pizza and takeout delivery companies which are also likely to have seen trade increase over the Christmas period – scooters are less likely to get stuck in snow than cars!
 
“What we are seeing in retail right now is very interesting and some of it counter intuitive,” commented Business Cash Advance director Richard Morley. “It appears that while middle-ranging big name shops such as Next and HMV may have suffered in the bad weather, the luxury end, and small shops, have held up well.
 
“Of course we don’t yet know the impact of the VAT rise but people will always need to shop and even treat buys such as a trip to the pub, restaurant or takeout, are unlikely to disappear. If anything, the poor weather seems to have been a bit of boost for the high street as many shoppers stayed local. And when some people couldn’t get to work due to the snow – they went for a pub lunch instead.”
 
The picture online is mixed. Some retailers report an increase in online shopping but there’s also evidence that towards the end of December, shoppers took fright that their Christmas presents wouldn’t arrive in time so there was less activity.

December 20th 2010
Service sector takes big hit

The sudden snowfall this weekend hit the service sector particularly bad with takings generally down by seven per cent on last weekend. “We thought takings would be up, not down” said Richard Morley, director of Business Cash Advance.
 
Due to the way Business Cash Advance works, the company is in a unique position to know exactly how well the high street and service sector is doing because money advanced to businesses is repaid through credit and debit card sales. So if business is good – as it was last weekend - this is reflected in the money repaid to Business Cash Advance.
 
“The takings were down across the board and not limited to any particular geographical area,” added Richard Morley. “The service industry businesses will not get this last weekend back so they may need extra cash to get them through January and February. Many will have been relying upon this weekend for bumper trade.
 
“Fortunately, temporary setbacks in cashflow is something Business Cash Advance can help with,” he added.

December 13th 2010
Christmas shoppers in weekend blitz

With the thaw at the weekend, shoppers hit the stores in a blitz of Christmas shopping as if to make up for the time some lost during the recent snowstorms.

Business Cash Advance figures confirm that it was a very strong weekend across all sectors. Commented director Richard Morley: “We saw a 30% increase in our customers’ sales over the weekend with the pub, restaurant and hotel sector being particularly strong.”

The way advances are organised, Business Cash Advance can pinpoint cashflow and trade extremely accurately and extremely quickly in this way. This is because repayments of advances they make to businesses are tied to credit and debit card receipts with the advance paid back directly out of credit card takings.

So Business Cash Advance is in the unique position of being able to take an instant snapshot of how well the high street is currently doing. “When reviewing cash receipts for last weekend – when snow still lay thick on the ground - against those for this weekend, it seems the thaw has definitely driven up spending in the shops,” added Richard Morley.

The Financial Times reports that more than a third of traders think they’ll do better this year than last and retailers appeared to be holding their nerve on discounting with just over half surveyed by Price Waterhouse Coopers saying they were holding sales compared with 60 per cent last year.

But now the thaw has come, so has the knowledge that many shoppers lost valuable days getting everything they needed for Christmas. And it appears over the weekend, they took full advantage of easier conditions to get to the shops and make up for that lost time.

That may be especially true with arctic conditions set to return to Britain this weekend – the last one before Christmas.

December 7th 2010
Snow worries for all retailers

With the snow still heavy in many parts of the UK this week it’s to be expected that retail sales will be down. Yet for some, it’s been a big bonanza, as BBC business reporter Pauline McCole told Monday’s Radio 4 programme You and Yours. “While it’s been a quiet start to this December, not all retail outlets have fared badly in the snow. Small stores in some rural areas are doing spectacularly well because people just aren’t getting into their cars.

“Supermarkets have learned their lesson from last year when people couldn’t get into their car parks and they’re now better gritted. But the roads leading to them often treacherous,” added McCole. So in some parts of the country, it’s the big retailers such as supermarkets and shopping malls, that are taking a hit in sales while small retailers flourish – especially corner shops.

However, for outlets that are affected by the snow, an advance from Business Cash Advance and make all the difference to their business weathering the storm. Commented Richard Morley, Director of Business Cash Advance: “If you’re suffering in the snow and business is down, the last thing many retailers or owners of pubs or restaurants want to do is tell their bank! This may quite unnecessarily set off alarm bells. Instead an advance from Business Cash Advance can often tide a merchant over till both the weather and business improves.”
One restaurant owner who took advantage of an advance from Business Cash Advance for this purpose was Ian Simpson of the Glenkindie Arms Hotel, Aberdeen. He used some of the money advanced to him by Business Cash Advance to tide him over the last bad snowfall. He said: “For three months we just had snow - I even lost Hogmanay, the biggest night of the year and several parties had to be cancelled.

“But I still had bills and rent to pay. I needed to borrow money to get me through the winter and back on my feet. I took an advance from Business Cash Advance and without it I really don’t know what I would have done. The money helped my cash flow during this difficult period and now I’m back to being busy.”

December 1st 2010
Economy doing better than expected

November 22nd 2010
People prefer pubs for grub

In the week that Business Cash Advance is sponsoring a major award in the pub industry comes news that many Brits would rather eat in a pub than a restaurant.

Business Cash Advance is sponsor of the “Team of the Year Award” at The Publican Food & Drink Awards being be held on Thursday November 25th at London’s Intercontinental Hotel.

It’s a great week to celebrate achievements in the pub industry as findings just out show more people now go to pubs to eat than drink according to leading research organisation Mintel. This is because customers find the atmosphere less stuffy in pubs than restaurants.

Mintel analysts say that 72 per cent of people now go to the pub to eat, rather than 63 per cent who go to drink.

This is helped by themes such as curry, steak or fish and chip nights and special deals offering main courses for as little as £2.99. And gastropubs in big cities have been a big hit, despite the recession.

A recent UK Pub Retail Summit echoed this saying adaptation, as well as selling food, is the key to survival. Another way to boost trade is to embrace technology. Smartphones allow easy searches for eateries, pubs and bars and can displays offers and provide customer reviews.

Websites such as fancyapint.com and apps like “barfinder” along with Facebook, twitter and others offer a revolutionary opportunity for the industry.

But it’s also important for a pub to look and feel good said Michael Turner, chairman of London's last traditional family brewery Fuller, Smith and Turner: "We've been investing in all our pubs throughout the downturn – whether that's in the kitchens or in the general state of the pub – so that at no stage does it look as if we're in a recession. If you can do that, customers really appreciate you and come a bit more often."

November 16th 2010
Consumer confidence improves in retail run-up to Christmas

With both Christmas and a VAT rise on the way, consumers are hitting the shops again, retailers will be relieved to learn.

Consumer confidence remained steady last month, new figures from Nationwide Building Society show with a six-point pick-up in the Spending Index.

Nationwide’s chief economist Martin Gahbauer explained that while there has been little change in overall confidence, there is nevertheless cause for optimism: “On a positive note, there are signs this month that some faith has returned in relation to the present situation and consumers' propensity to spend in the run up to Christmas."

In a report by accountants and business advisers BDO which includes the heading: If this was a recession, can we have another it seems one of the biggest mysteries of the recent recession is just how resilient retail spending has been.

Christmas is a time when even the most strapped consumer will spend. And not just on obvious items such as presents and food. Many of those businesses helped by a Business Cash Advance will expect to see an improvement in trade. Drivers, for example, will want to ensure their cars are in tip top condition for those all-important family visits. So garages can expect a bumper trade.

Hair salons always do a good trade in the run-up to Christmas and hotel and restaurant owners expect business to be brisk and busy from now till well after the end of the year.

According to the British Retail Consortium 12 per cent of all retail revenue comes in December and traders in the West Midlands were this week urging councils not to cut back on Christmas lights.

November 11th 2010
Record month for business advances

In the tough times being faced by businesses there is one finance provider which has been doubling its efforts to support UK SME’s and make sure they get the cash flow they need when they need it.

Business Cash Advance (BCA) is celebrating a record month of growth in cash advances to small businesses, BCA’s alternative to unsecured business loans. 

Last month (October 2010) saw overall advances by BCA to small businesses increase by more than 100 per cent compared to the same period last year, as new clients see the benefit of the cash advance helping them grow their businesses.

Said Richard Morley of Business Cash Advance’s parent company MCE: “We are delighted with this excellent upturn in business. This is the result of both first-time advances and clients with whom we have well-established relationships returning for renewals.

“We have seen many new clients coming to us seeking funding to develop their businesses in the pub and restaurant trade, retail, health and beauty as well as garages and auto traders too.”

Business Cash Advance posts third successive record month

With continued demand for investment into strong micro-businesses, Merchant Cash Express Ltd's Business Cash Advance posted another record breaking month in October 2010.  Ian Morrison, Director stated "although competition for financing the small business community exists the speed at which the BCA can be delivered seems to make it a highly attractive option when a business person is presented with an immediate opportunity to help growth within their business."  The BCA is an alternative to more traditional Secured or Unsecured Business Loans or Grant Finance.

TV news highlights hairdressers’ lending problems

Though it will hardly come as news to many hairdressers and other small businesses, Channel 4 News  has highlighted the incredibly difficult financial climate facing salons, restaurants and other small businesses.

Even records kept by the banks themselves show how far lending has fallen in the last two years.

Several small business owners told the flagship news programme that while banks were quite happy to lend until two years ago, many now just don’t want to know. Among struggling small businesses, the feeling was that banks would only lend to big businesses because they had security.

“We hear this all the time at Merchant Cash Express, the biggest provider of Business Cash Advances in the UK ,” commented MCE Director Ian Morrison. “But we don’t demand security and we’re very happy to advance money to businesses such as hairdressing salons, restaurants and other companies so they can buy new stock, run a marketing campaign, take advantage of seasonal peaks or even rent new premises that have suddenly become available.”

The five big banks have been called into the Treasury by Chancellor George Osborne to try and persuade them to lend more to small businesses. But with bank lending so onerous now, many companies are finding they prefer the speedy response available from a Business Cash Advance.
 

BCA sponsors Catey awards

Business Cash Advance is sponsoring the Front of House Team of the Year at the 2010 Hotel Cateys. Since their inception in 1984, the Cateys – run by trade magazine Caterer and Hotelkeeper - have cast a spotlight on the industry’s high flyers, strongest performers and biggest names.

This particular award is sponsored by Business Cash Advance because it recognises how important it is to deliver great frontline customer service. BCA is also about delivering excellent customer service to hundreds of people in the hospitality industry. In particular, it recognises how important the seasonal aspect of catering is and aims to support and get behind industries at times when they need cash most.

Said Richard Morley, BCA Managing Director, “We deliver a fast, accessible, service for our clients and have thousands of very satisfied customers in the hospitality industry which can sometimes suffer from a lack of cash that can constrain it. This is why our service is so important and we’re happy to sponsor this award so we can really show our support.”

BCA supports Hairdressers in what they do best

As part of Business Cash Advance’s ongoing commitment to help the kind of small retail businesses that need and use its services most, BCA is sponsoring an award for the British Hairdressing Business Awards, run by Hairdressers’ Journal, the trade magazine and bible for everyone in the hairdressing business. The award that will receive BCA sponsorship is The Innovation/Website of the Year Award.

This as well as the magazine, HJ has a huge online community at Hji.co.uk with an average of over 148,000 users. With so many keen crimpers now using the internet to develop their businesses,competition for the BCA-sponsored award is expected to be fierce.

Commenting about their decision to sponsor this award, BCA Managing Director Richard Morley said: “At BCA we are keen to support successful businesses and to recognise the wonderful achievements of the UK's best hairdressing salons and salon owners. The industry leading BHBA is a fantastic way to get your business successes nationally recognised and your salon put on the map.”

Solve your business cash crisis

The struggle to get cash could be over for many small businesses with the launch of a website offering them an innovative way to raise finance. For several years now Business Cash Advance has been offering cash advances to outlets such as hairdressers, pubs and small hotels based on future credit card takings - a kind of factoring service.

Now with the launch of the Business Cash Advance website, those who need cash fast can apply directly. It’s a no fuss service which promises a fast response just when retailers and small outlets need it.

The Business Cash Advance website explains the quick and simple process with illustrations from satisfied customers who tell their stories.

A warm client friendly approach means anyone who wishes to use the service as an alternative to an unsecured small business loan can see clearly how it works, what’s involved and whether they might qualify. Just a few clicks could solve a cash crisis.

Business Cash Advance is provided in the UK by Merchant Cash Express Ltd.