Mid-market firms shop around for finance

Survey from BDO Stoy Hayward finds businesses considering moving on from long-standing banking relationships

Pick and mix: one in three mid-market firms now deals with more than one bank

Mid-market firms are still struggling to find funding with many now shopping around to consider numerous banks and other finance providers, research has claimed.

Figures from auditor BDO Stoy Hayward reveal 55 per cent of UK mid-market companies find the process of obtaining credit lengthy and onerous. BDO claims that, despite the availability of finance from core institutions expected to improve, 46 per cent of respondents do not believe borrowing costs will ease off in the next year.

The auditing firm quizzed staff responsible for maintaining banking relationships and two-thirds claimed their opinion of banks has diminished in the last year. Despite this, most still trust their own bankers, with 85 per cent reporting no change – or even an improvement – in their relationship.

The survey finds 62 per cent of respondents feel their bank understands the changing needs of their company. Despite this, one in five firms has turned to an independent advisor to try and improve access to funding. The vast majority of these reported positive experiences.

Two-fifths of firms are entertaining the idea of completely changing how they source their finance, with many considering asset-based lending. One in three firms now also maintains relations with more than one bank.

Neil McDaid, BDO's director of debt advisory, warned that a lack of banking price competition could impact on lending terms. Nonetheless, he counselled companies to widen their net and, where possible, negotiate with banks.

"The availability and cost of bank debt continues to be a problem for businesses, and an obstacle to economic recovery," he said. "The lending commitments of the state-owned banks have failed to make a significant impact on borrowers so far.

"Banks will increasingly want to lend to good businesses but, given the low base of debt providers in the market, there will be no need for them to undercut one another for some time to come.

"There is a little negotiating room creeping back into pricing – especially for the strongest credits – but not much. The suggestion that terms are non-negotiable because ‘this is market standard’ can, and should, be gently challenged.”