Funding Future Growth – Supporting brokers across the North East
Join us in Newcastle
Does your firm finance clients in the North East? Or are you looking to expand your brokerage’s reach in the region? Whether you’re an experienced operator or just seeking to learn more, the NACFB’s fourth Funding Future Growth event at the County Hotel in Newcastle could be for you.
What to expect…
Free for brokers to attend, including lunch and refreshments, the event brings together commercial intermediaries, lenders, suppliers and leading national trade bodies to explore growth opportunities for small businesses throughout the North East. Here’s what you can expect from the session:
Agenda
10:00 – Registration & networking
Tea & coffee to be served
10:50 – Welcome & NACFB Survey insights
With Jim Higginbotham
In 2023 NACFB Member brokers facilitated £38 billion in lending to SMEs across the UK – a fall of 16% compared to the year before. What does this mean for brokers and their clients, including those in North East, and where is the market heading in 2024 and beyond? NACFB CEO, Jim Higginbotham, shares key insights from the largest survey in the intermediary-led commercial finance sector.
11:00 – Expert panel session and Q&A
Nicholas Murphy, Head of Membership at the NACFB, will host a small panel of experts who will share regional insights on both the challenges and opportunities for small businesses in the North East, and the finance they need to survive and thrive.
Specifically, you’ll hear from Shaun Fooy of The British Business Bank, as well as Reshma Begum from the FSB, and Mark Dolphin from Redwood Bank. Crucial to sourcing appropriate funding solutions, brokers will be encouraged to participate, so come with questions!
11:30 – NACFB Partner: Red Flag Alert
Presentation by Richard West, managing director at Red Flag Alert.
11:45 – Meet the lenders
Representatives from lender Patrons including Atelier, Bibby Financial Services, Lloyds Bank, MFS, NatWest, Premium Credit, Reward Funding, Roma Finance, Shawbrook Bank and Time Finance will be attending. Chosen for the value they add to the modern commercial finance broker, there will be plenty of time to meet and learn about their offerings.
12:00 – Lunch & a listening ear
Lunch is served. A member of the NACFB team will be on hand to help with any regulatory issues you may have. They can also walk you through the latest FCA developments and directives affecting commercial finance brokers.
13:00 – Event closes
Speakers
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Mark DolphinBusiness Development ManagerMark is a Business Development Manager for the North East region and joined Redwood Bank in 2018. He is highly experienced in customer and broker relationship management with a focus on property finance and has worked for Atom Bank, Santander, and Lloyds Bank.
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Nicholas MurphyHead of Membership, NACFB -
Reshma BegumDevelopment Manager North East England - FSBFSB is not-for-profit, non-party political and the largest business support organisation, representing small to medium enterprises and sole traders across the UK. Members receive an exclusive package of great value business support services, and crucially, a powerful voice in government both at local and national levels. FSB aims to enable smaller businesses to achieve their ambitions.
Reshma is the FSB Development Manager for the North East of England, working with volunteer members and staff teams, both locally and nationally, to deliver and manage FSB activity across the area to ensure local businesses are effectively supported and represented.
Reshma’s role includes policy and advocacy across the North East and Tees Valley on behalf of small businesses, working with local government, MPs, and other key stakeholders to ensure decision-making and delivery is representative of the needs of SME’s and sole proprietors/freelancers. Additionally, she is the lead spokesperson for FSB in the region, managing all local media activity, as well as organising and delivering local events to build a strong small business network and community.
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Richard WestManaging Director, Red Flag AlertRichard West is the Managing Director of Red Flag Alert. A UK leader in business data intelligence and analytics for predicting early warning signs of financial distress, insolvency and growth both domestically and internationally. The company has a strong focus on innovating how business data is delivered to businesses to make it both effective and actionable.
Red Flag Alert also offer intuitive global compliance and monitoring software that have been designed to fit seamlessly into process and not present an impediment to doing business. They recently secured £4.5 million in Series A investment, led by Foresight, and are strongly focused on growth; aiming to become the UK’s leading provider of business data intelligence and analytics to predict growth, global compliance risk and insolvency by 2025.
Richard joined the business in 2013 and has 15 years of experience in sales leadership, across three continents and has generated over £20,000,000 in recurring revenue. -
Shaun FooySenior Manager, UK Network North East & Tees Valley, British Business BankShaun is the Senior Manager for the British Business Banks, UK Network for the North East England & Tees Valley and has worked for the bank for over 4.5 years
The UK Network seeks to enhance business finance ecosystems across the UK so smaller businesses, wherever they are, can grow and prosper. It also helps the Bank develop a deeper understanding of small business finance markets in all parts of the UK so that, ultimately, the Bank can improve its support to smaller businesses everywhere.
Shaun has spent the majority of his 32-year career supporting smaller businesses in the North East providing funding solutions as a relationship manager and business development manager. He has worked for a number of banks in the commercial and corporate banking market, including Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group and RBS/NatWest Group
