Where do you stand on the ESG Dial?

June 2021 ESG is the internationally recognised acronym for ‘Environmental, Social & Governance’ standard.  It helps businesses calculate their impact on the Environment, quantify their Social footprint and measure their approach to Governance. Whilst ESG has been around for many years, the push to carbon net zero following ‘The Paris Agreement’ has put it on the radar of business […]

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Local Fitout Firm Secures £1.5m Funding Boost

UK and Ireland specialist contractor Pure Fitout has secured a £1.5m investment from Whiterock Finance’s Growth Finance Fund. The loan helped fund the launch of a new non-toxic fire-retardant treatment for timber and the creation of 20 specialist jobs, alongside furthering Pure Fit Out’s growth plans whilst it enters new markets. The Belfast-based company, which […]

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Creating the Perfect (Funding) Cocktail

June 2022 What funding options are available in the market?  What is the appropriate funding structure for my business? What information do lenders require when assessing funding applications? – just a few of the most commonly asked questions in my recent discussions with portfolio clients and local NI businesses. These discussions brought to light how […]

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Hole-in-One Funding Package

May 2021 In the words of Arnold Palmer, “Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated.”  Such words exemplify how much the game of golf is underpinned by risk and reward.  A risk-reward hole presents the golfer with clear strategic options; a direct route to the green from the tee which requires a hazard to be […]

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Artisan Food Manufacturer Tom & Ollie Secures £300k From Growth Loan Fund

Local artisan food manufacturer and retailer Tom and Ollie has secured £300,000 of funding through Whiterock Finance’s Growth Loan Fund II to help grow its business. The investment has enabled the company to open a new production facility, expand its online presence and retail division and create nine new jobs. Belfast-based Tom and Ollie specialises […]

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How do Lenders assess Development Finance?

April 2021 In last week’s home-schooling tasks, Robyn was asked to build a bridge from junk art.  I was eager to project manage and tell her about the benefits of Development Finance and how to access it.  However, why wife told me the bridge building task is supposed to be fun. Anyhow, if Robyn had […]

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NI Glamping Holiday Company Secures £500k Investment

Luxury glamping firm FURTHER.SPACE has secured £500,000 of funding through Whiterock Finance’s Growth Finance Fund. This investment will fund growth plans to expand across the UK and Ireland for 2021. FURTHER.SPACE take a unique approach to the glamping market by partnering with rural landowners who own pieces of land in one-of-a-kind locations to create micro-tourism […]

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Building resilience in the face of change

December 2020 Looking back on 2020 it is fair to say that it hasn’t quite turned out as most of us anticipated from both a personal and a business perspective. The implications of the COVID-19 pandemic have been significant and continue to unfold as the situation evolves. Whilst the pandemic was impossible to predict, it is […]

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Investment Finance… IRRs and WAULTS

March 2021 A hair salon or large retailer, which is the better tenant……?  In the current pandemic I could make an equal number of arguments for both.  That said, I expect to see longer “socially distanced” queues outside hair salons in the not too distant future. Residential and Commercial investments can offer attractive returns to […]

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Online Bed Linen Company Secures Growth Finance Fund Boost

Luxury bed linen company Linenbundle has secured a £1m funding boost from the Growth Finance Fund. The funding will be used to support further job creation and the increased inventory requirement following 170% growth over the past year. Finance for the £30m Growth Finance Fund has been provided by the British Business Bank, Invest Northern Ireland […]

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Why Lenders love EBITDA – PART 2

January 2021 In Why Lenders love EBITDA –PART 1 we described what EBITDA means and how Lenders assess it when considering a new loan request. By considering a business’ EBITDA, a Lender will have a reasonable indication of how much cash a business generates which will be used to repay existing and new loans.  This […]

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Why Lenders love EBITDA – PART 1

January 2021 If you or your advisor have approached your lenders to seek a loan, I have no doubt that one of the questions asked of you was “what is the EBITDA?”. Lenders love to talk about EBITDA, whether it is past, current or forecast, they cannot get enough of it.  Why so?  It is […]

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