To celebrate, we thought we’d share 5 top tips to keep you and your business feeling focused and festive this holiday season.
Optimum SME Finance Limited has been acquired by eCapital Commercial Finance Limited, a prominent independent invoice finance firm with a strong presence across the UK.
DG Laundry offers top-notch automated linen hire and cleaning services for London hotels, restaurants, and spas. Partnered with Optimum Finance, they use Invoice Finance to bridge the gap between invoice and delivery.
Armstrong’s Fulfilment & Warehousing has found an innovative way of managing its cashflow and expanding its business thanks to a tailored Invoice Finance facility from Optimum Finance.
Since joining us at the turn of the year, Eric has been instrumental in providing businesses with the financial lifelines they need to thrive in a difficult economic environment.
Founder and Director of CCT Demolition, Aidan Tait, identified an opportunity sourcing specialist, temporary labour within the realm of demolition and asbestos removal, and is looking to take the business to new heights thanks to a new tailored Invoice Finance facility.
Founder and Group Managing Director of one of the UK’s fastest growing PR agencies is looking to take the business to new heights thanks to a tailored Invoice Finance facility.
In the midst of a tough market, we've reported another strong H1 - characterised by an enhanced focus on client experience and success
We've promoted Paul to become our Senior Regional Sales Director, allowing us to reach new heights and support more UK businesses with funding facilities.
Jess joins Team Optimum to help us bridge the gap between introducers and retained clients in a time of high demand.
Members from all ranks of Team Optimum are gearing up for the AJ Bell Great Bristol Run in support of Cancer Research UK
Ross Stephenson joins the team to help further drive new business growth and provide support to a growing RM team.
We've partnered with the City of Bristol College to appoint our first apprentice, to develop and attract the next generation of Invoice Finance professionals, and welcoming Saskia to the team.
Today we celebrate International Women's Day, celebrating some of the wonderful women in our team.
Worried about credit risk? Read on to find our top tips on how manage it and keep cash flowing...
Iain Hendry has been promoted to become our National Head of Sales, in recognition both of his own contribution to the team and the exceptional performance of the business in introducing more small businesses to a critical source of cashflow funding.
Optimum Finance Bolsters Operations Team with Appointment of Experienced Risk and Recoveries Manager, Steve Chapman
Hazel Hastings and Savannah Smith join Team Optimum to support its customer service, credit control and new business teams.
Kiera, Relationship Manager and Hannah, RM Support Executive join Team Optimum to sustain new business growth as the company heads into 2024.
Through our partnership with City of Bristol College, we’re on the search for two new Apprentice Business Administrators to join the growing Optimum Team.
We are thrilled to announce that Commercial Team Exec - Madison Hardcastle-Ward was a finalist for the Credit Strategy Women in Credit Awards Rising Star of the Year! Read more below.
We are excited to announce that Head of Operations, Sherie Culley, was a finalist for Team Leader of the Year at the Credit Strategy Women in Credit Awards. Read more below.
We are delighted to announce that Senior Account Executive, Vicky Baber was a finalist for the Credit Strategy Women in Credit Awards Team Player of the Year. Read more below.
We are proud to announce that last month, Chief Operating Officer, Claire Lewis was a finalist for the Credit Strategy Women in Credit Awards Woman of the Year! Read more below.
We are proud to announce that last month, four amazing members of our team were finalists at the Credit Strategy #WiCAwards!
Ming Foods has partnered with Optimum Finance to receive a scalable cashflow funding tool, better suited to fuel growth and provide greater flexibility in its purchasing decisions. This has resulted in a tailored Invoice Finance facility.
One of Scotland's fastest growing organic dairy farms has benefitted from a funding facility, with Optimum Finance helping to expand its range of dairy products and sufficiently manage its cashflow.
On the 3rd of August, the Bank of England raised UK interest rates for the 14th consecutive time to 5.25 percent, the highest level since the 2008 financial crash, as it continues its battles against rising inflation.
British businesses are bouncing back, and with a voracious appetite for funding, if the latest record results from Optimum Finance are anything to go by...
Recruitment is a challenging industry. Meeting payroll obligations on a weekly basis for temporary staff and having to wait two months to be paid by the client leaves a large hole in the cashflow that needs to be plugged. Right Staff Recruitment found the answer in Invoice Finance. And now the business is on a fast trajectory for growth.
Optimum Finance has appointed Mike Jones as a Senior Relationship Manager (RM) to further bolster the team as we continue to consolidate new leads, drive client relations and sustain new business growth.
The brewing industry can be a challenge at the best of times. Throw in a global pandemic, and the strain on business and cashflow increases significantly, demanding different ways of thinking. For Todd Matteson, co-founder and Director of the Mondo Brewing Company, it meant looking beyond ‘traditional’ lending or an overdraft to a cashflow funding tool that better suited his needs.
When a husband and wife team were looking to expand Kielder, their specialist automotive power tools business, they fully understood the critical importance of cashflow. Paying suppliers and staff while waiting to be paid themselves by some of the major resellers was the challenge; the solution was a tailored Invoice Finance facility from Optimum Finance.
We welcome David Tugwell to Optimum, joining us as an Account Executive to bolster our lead generation and new business team
After a year that saw soaring inflation, rising interest rates and substantially increased energy bills conflate into a cost-of-living crisis, the impact has affected businesses and households alike. We’re certainly playing our role, but we need support from the Government. To that end, to what extent does the Spring Budget help the small business community?
Regional Director, Amir Pournasrollahzadeh joins the team to lead regional sales in the East of England following roles at Hitachi Capital and more recently, Muse Finance.
We're excited to announce that we've been successful in reaching the finals of the prestigious British Credit Awards in the Continuity and Resilience category.
We spoke to Liz Barclay, the Small Business Commissioner, recently about the pressures put on businesses from late payments and from that, Liz gave us her five top tips for working with bigger clients.
We spoke to Eloise Smith at The Chef’s Patisserie about her experience using our online invoice finance system.
We're delighted to announce that we're a part of the Good Business Charter, an accreditation that seeks to raise the bar on business practices for employees, tax, the environment, customers and suppliers.
Over the past few months, rising costs of energy have been a source of concern for households and businesses alike. On the 21st of September, our newly appointed Prime Minister, Liz Truss, announced her plan for tackling the energy crisis - but what does this mean for your business?
Key milestones for Optimum this year have been over half a billion pounds advanced to UK SMEs, processing over 400,000 invoices and working with clients in almost 50 different industries.
The Bank of England has warned the UK will fall into recession at the end of 2022 after raising interest rates by the most in 27 years.
When your Cash Conversion Cycle score is as good as possible, it's time to reap the rewards. Let’s look at the benefits of knowing your score.
A negative cash cycle score is the dream but for most businesses it’s just not realistic. Here are some ways to keep your score as low as possible allowing you quicker access to working capital to grow and improve your business.
Cash Conversion Cycle time can then give you an idea of how your business is faring and any steps you need to take to manage your working capital. But how do you interpret the outcome of your calculations?
If you run a business, there are certain indicators that you should be keeping an eye on. One of the most useful, yet underused, is the Cash Conversion Cycle.
As a business owner, you’ll likely need financial support in one form or another to fully optimise your business. Putting your trust in a reliable partner to access this funding is the key to its success.
We’re passionate about supporting SMEs and seeing our clients succeed is really all the reward we need...but a shiny award is a wonderful reminder of why we do it!
We're proud to be signed up to the UK government's SME Finance charter. As an approved member of the charter, here are our commitments to the five principles.
Invoice finance has become a safe way for businesses to grow and support their cash flow. It's a sign that you’re taking steps to secure the future of your business and being smart about your financial choices. Here are five reasons why invoice finance means your business is doing well.
Extended payment terms is a strategy that leverages paying back invoices over a longer period of time. But why put your business in the position of accepting extended payment terms?
Nigel Smith, Managing Director of The Chef's Patisserie, talks to us about how invoice finance gives his company a competitive advantage when dealing with large blue chip customers.
While most businesses used the government support schemes responsibly during the pandemic, a criminal element of fraudsters also took advantage. Could the pre-existing invoice finance system have avoided this?
We spoke to Simon about his role as a Relationship Manager to find out more about how our team work with our clients.
A commonly asked question we get is “who can use invoice finance?”. Regional Director Iain Hendry takes you through a few business types that can flourish with invoice finance
Glenn Blackman, Partner at FundInvoice, lends his expertise to discuss whether a "pre-pack" may be right for your business.
Our client, Anze, made a huge difference to the UK health industry through the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re very proud to be a part of this work, supplying funding and support to the Nottinghamshire based business.
We pride ourselves on one thing above all: providing excellent customer service. Lots of companies say that, but to us, it looks a bit different.
Invoice financing is a powerful tool that can help businesses put additional cash in their bank accounts. Although we know we’re somewhat biased, we genuinely believe that there is real value to invoice financing when it’s used effectively.
Cash is like oxygen to SMEs - and without a reliable supply coming in, you could find your business suffocating. But what exactly does the term ‘cash flow’ mean, and why is managing it so important?
We spoke to Catrina from our credit control team to learn a little more about what it takes to keep your collections and credit control running smoothly.
We've started the year strong being nominated in three separate business awards.
Supply Chain Management (SCM) has become an important part of many businesses. But what is it? And why is it so important?
Regional Director, Mike Stevens, re-joins the team ready to support the business’s growth in 2022 and beyond. Mike's decision to return was due to our exciting plans and growth ambitions.
Jo Maniatt joins the team as Marketing Director, Szym Wasilewski as Finance Manager and Liam O’Shea as Financial Accountant.
We’re making some small changes to how our clients submit invoices and request payments.
Getting your invoices paid before Christmas is a great feeling. It's the most wonderful time of the year, but it can also be super stressful.
This International Leadership Week, we asked the Senior Leadership Team to share their favourite quotes that inspire and drive them in how they lead the company and their teams.
We're delighted to announce that we've been accepted onto the UK government’s Innovate UK Scaleup Programme. The programme is designed to support highly innovative, ambitious, high-growth oriented companies.
Many business owners have faced challenges over the past year and have found themselves with liabilities. Heather Bamforth from Armstrong Watson explains how directors can minimise any risk arising in this situation.
Philip, who was also the former Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Credit Management, aims to champion not only the benefits of invoice finance as a cashflow funding tool, but also the advantages of early settlement in building stronger supply chain relationships.
The amazing Optimum Finance team have raised a staggering amount for Cancer Research UK by running the Great Bristol 10K.
We’ve seen it all and it’s made us experts at recognising the warning signs that indicate you might be about to encounter issues. It is vital that you have effective credit management to ensure your hard work turns into cash in your bank account and not just a profit figure on a set of accounts!
We've welcomed Ewan Clarke as Regional Director for the Midlands to support businesses seeking additional finance for sustained growth, business recovery and turnaround.
Our team work tirelessly behind the scenes to keep funding accessible to our clients for when they need it. We spoke to Caroline, our Audit Manager to find out a little bit more about her role and why audits are so important to keeping funding open.
This September Team Optimum will be running the Bristol 10K in support of our chosen charity, Cancer Research UK.
Relationship Manager, Kerry, gives us her insight into the level of service you should expect from your invoice finance provider.
Assistant Accountant, Reuben, tells us about his role including pressing the big GO button on the hundreds of thousands of pounds we advance to clients.
Paul Green is the latest in a series of appointments as we expand to better service our UK wide client base. Paul joins Optimum as the new Regional Director for the North.
It may seem fairly straight forward and obvious, but managing cash is not always as easy as cash in vs cash out.
Evi joins the Optimum team as a Product Owner focusing on delivering our constantly improving, technology-based functions.
Our friends at accountancy firm Armstrong Watson share their advice on understanding your business’s financial position and how to use this new knowledge in planning your next steps.
We've joined forces with Just Cashflow to support SMEs with even greater access to funding. The partnership will give new and existing clients access to Revolving Credit and more via Just Cashflow.
Regional Director, Iain Hendry, explores the possibility of a wave of insolvencies put forward in a report by the European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB)
This week sees the arrival of two additional software developers to the Optimum Finance team. Muharrem Hatiboglu and Mohammad Redwan Ahmed have joined the team at an exciting time.
We’re overjoyed to welcome Krystal Eddy to the team. Krystal has joined our Commercial Team to make onboarding as smooth and simple as possible for our new clients.
We're delighted to announce the appointment of Vicky Williams, as Chief Financial Officer filling the final slot in the Senior Leadership Team, with women holding a 60% majority.
We brought together business leaders and industry experts to discuss the role that invoice finance could play as we emerge from the COVID-19 recession.
“For the good of SMEs, we need to work as allies.” This week Optimum Finance hosted the first gathering of finance heads to discuss how the invoice finance industry can help more businesses.
Get the customer service you deserve with a dedicated Relationship Manager who understands your business. The help and guidance you receive is what could make or break your funding.
After keeping our laptops and MS teams meetings running for the last two years, Jake now works to make new clients’ onboarding experience as easy and hassle free as possible.
Invoice finance doesn't have to be daunting. Watch this short video to learn exactly how it works and how it could help your business.
The current economic climate has already seen many funders close their doors or decrease their lending amounts. This is a blow to the SME community but there are still options out there.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, has announced the 2021 budget. We take a look at one of the biggest announcements for SMEs, the Recovery Loan Scheme
We're happy to announce the appointment Gordon McIntosh, as Chief Technical Officer furthering their specialism in the FinTech space.
CEO of Optimum Finance Anthony Persse, argues that the new rules in the Prompt Payment Code may actually be detrimental to the SMEs that they’re designed to protect.
We had a chat with Katy, one of our fantastic Relationship Managers, to hear more about her role at Optimum Finance.
We caught up with Assistant Relationship Manager Sian to hear how it’s all going, having celebrated her two-year anniversary with us in November:
Meet Sherie. Sherie is our Head of Operations and has been with Optimum Finance for two and a half years.
Optimum Finance client Anze, manufactures reusable gowns for doctors, nurses and patients, plus drapes and scrub suits. They are at the very heart of the fight to overcome Covid, whose services are playing a vital role in the ongoing battle with the virus.
Leading invoice finance provider Optimum Finance reports on the financial first half-year impact on SMEs of the pandemic and forecasts the outlook to March 2021.
Meet Ivan! Ivan is one of our Financial Controllers and has been with Optimum Finance since August 2019.
Beth is our superstar Assistant Relationship Management Team Leader and has been with Optimum since 2017.
After possibly the most challenging and tumultuous year for business in living memory, Optimum Finance CEO Anthony Persse looks ahead to the next 12 months:
Leading invoice finance provider Optimum Finance has unveiled a new website that facilitates instant funding decisions as part of an updated strategic vision.
Our advice to businesses experiencing a downturn in their performance and looking for turnaround finance and recovery support.
We caught up with CCO Lynn-Marie Jameson to find out how we support companies that are experiencing problems.
More industry heavyweights for Optimum Finance
Optimum Finance appoints Anthony Persse as new CEO
We caught up with Glenn Blackman, partner at FundInvoice LLP, to discuss how using our web app service has bolstered their offering.
Alex Hayward Managing Director at 14 Day UK Ltd, discusses how using Optimum Finance’s invoice finance services helped his business through Covid-19.
Bristol and London-based invoice finance provider and fintech firm Optimum Finance has appointed three industry experts to bolster its offering.
Leading UK invoice finance firm Optimum Finance is hosting a free online webinar for SME owners and managers whose businesses have been adversely affected, financially or otherwise, by the coronavirus pandemic and would like to know how to best to support their financial health.
Our latest innovation in the invoice finance market is designed with intermediaries in mind.
We are extremely excited to introduce our brand new web app for intermediaries.
Optimum Finance CEO Richard Pepler offers strategies to SMEs in planning for recovery
Leading UK invoice finance firm Optimum Finance has announced a new funding line increase to £16 million as it strives to provide small and medium businesses with access to immediate funds to enable a long-term healthy cash flow position.
The Budget scheduled for tomorrow (Wednesday 11 March) looks set to be a defining moment in the Government’s handling of the Covid-19 global outbreak.
We have launched a support service designed for firms in the healthcare sector called Optimum Medic.
In addition to the emergency interest rate cut announced by The Bank of England today (11 March) from 0.75% to 0.25% which will make borrowing cheaper for businesses, here’s a rundown of key Budget measures which will affect small and medium businesses
Open Banking is a financial technology (fintech) term. It refers to the process where open APIs (application programme interface) can be used by third parties to build digital applications which can perform a range of tasks and functions to facilitate the sharing of financial data.
We visited our London based customer, designer fashion brand Hope & Ivy, to speak to company founder Beth Chilton about the business, and why they decided to leave their bank to begin working with us here at Optimum Finance.
It’s important to take stock of how you spend your time and regularly assess whether you are working as effectively as possible.
We visited one of our customers Adan Limited based in Boston, Linconshire and spoke to managing director Steve Plaskitt about his business, the industry and how our services such as factoring and cash flow have improved cash flow for the company.
Optimum Finance has delivered a specially tailored credit control and debtor protection service to Adan Limited since 2018
Dragon’s Den success story Hope and Ivy has achieved faster, more sustainable growth with the support of a flexible invoice finance package from Optimum Finance.
Invoice finance firm Optimum Finance has appointed Lynn-Marie Stephenson as regional sales director for the North, highlighting the company’s continued nationwide growth.
The team at Optimum Finance is comprised of knowledgeable and professional invoice finance experts with a wealth of experience between them and the entrepreneurial skillsets to support our customers in securing the right cash flow and working capital solutions to drive growth.
Invoice finance specialist Optimum Finance has provided funding to support an MBO by leading UK vegetation management, fencing and landscaping firm ATM.
It’s a common story. A new business is launched, proves a big hit, grows quickly and appears to be a huge success. It takes on more staff, moves into a bigger premises, attracts bigger contracts, then suddenly, out of the blue, it collapses.
Specialist lender [Optimum Finance](https://optimumfinance.co.uk/) has announced a collaboration with [Tectona Partnership](http://tectonapartnership.com/) to broaden its business support offering and complement its range of services.
Optimum Finance is launching a dedicated credit management service in a bid to tackle the slow payment of invoices which plagues many thousands of UK small and medium businesses.
The Weston-super-Mare based company, UK Book Binders, has been print finishing for over 40 years, and have a combined experience of over 250 years in the trade. We have been working with them to support their extended growth.
Fast growth firm Optimum Finance is leading the UK invoice finance market by incorporating cutting edge technological solutions into its client approvals, onboarding process and financial reporting systems.
A business news site recently featured the Optimum Finance app for SMEs ([original article](http://www.bristol-business.net/app-with-a-snap-decision-on-funding-for-smes-developed-by-optimum-finance/)) > Bristol-based invoice finance firm Optimum Finance has launched its industry’s first app aimed at accountants to empower them to gain almost immediate funding approval for their small business clients.
The UK drinks market has been experiencing a boom in recent years, the gin category alone reached record highs in the summer of 2019 with sales, both home and abroad, peaking at £2.2 billion, according to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA).
Inconsistent payment terms resulting in cash flow pressure and an opaque financial outlook are the key findings of a survey of SME businesses in the South West.
Specialist in SME finance Optimum Finance has published its first quarter results for 2019 to show growth of 15% in Q1 over Q4 in 2018, and 166% growth compared to Q1 in 2018, as small and medium-sized enterprises continue the upwards trend of using invoice finance and factoring services to manage cash flow.
The expectation of invoice finance as a business function is evolving into something much deeper, it’s no longer just about the money.
Accountants are key influencers when it comes to the management of their clients’ finances. They have a huge impact on SME clients and how funding solutions can contribute to commercial business success.
Darcy Associates is a speclialist recruitment agency for construction workers. The company had worked with other finance companies, however, no one could keep up with their growth. When we started with working with Darcy Associates we immediately supported the businesses growths and values which helps them keep to their USP of paying workers before paying themselves.
We have been working with 3Ks Engineering Company Ltd for six months now and in this short time we have helped to improve their cash flow so they can focus on continuing to provide a fantastic quality service to their customers
To put 2019 in perspective we need to take a look back. In the 3rd quarter 2009, Credit Insurance losses on failed businesses peaked at £89m for the UK. This was the delayed effect of 2008’s bubble bursting and set a new record.
It’s no secret that the survival of small business can be challenging for entrepreneurs in the UK — only four in ten businesses survive past the five year mark of running the business.
More than half of new UK businesses don’t survive beyond their first five years and while SME owners will readily blame the tax system, lack of bank lending or late payments, often the failure is down to something much more basic – bad financial management
We have now been working in partnership with finance brokers [TML Finance and Advisory](https://www.tml.uk.net/) for over a year and we’re proud to say that between us we have established a significant roster of clients across a wide range of industries.
The UK drinks market has boomed in recent years. The gin category alone achieved record sales of £2.2 billion in the summer of 2018 according to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA), while the whisky market has seen an increase in sales of premium blends of 3.1 per cent.
Invoice finance firm Optimum Finance has reported a summer boom for SMEs in the South West compared to growth in previous years and since the Brexit decision two years ago.
It’s that dream contract that could transform your business. A major new deal that is going to ignite growth and propel your company to the next level.
If there’s a horse at Cheltenham this week called ‘Brexit Bull’ I strongly urge you to put a hefty bet on it. It’s sure to be a good runner.
All businesses have trading relationships with both suppliers and customers. Suppliers who extend credit to your business by letting you pay for goods or services after you receive them are your creditors.
In this blog post we highlight a sophisticated scam, which targets trade suppliers of goods, often early stage companies building a client book. Small companies are being advised to be vigilant by increasingly sophisticated frauds such as the one explained below.