News and Events

Black Country businesses will be given support in raising funding and accessing finance at an event during January 2012

The Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership’s ‘Open Access to Finance’ Forum will be held on Tuesday 17th January 2011 at the Sandwell Council House, Freeth Strett, Oldbury.

The ‘Open Access to Finance’ Forum is being held in partnership with BCRS and Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council and will be the fourth in a series that will be held across the Black Country.

The event, which will run from 1.15pm to 3.00pm, is designed to allow companies to informally meet the wide range of financial services providers operating in the Black Country.

Financial bodies attending the event will include commercial banks, corporate financiers, law firms, business and financial advisors, small business loan funds, accountants and business schools.

Attendance to the event is free but people must register in advance at events@bcrs.org.uk.

To find out more information, or to exhibit at the event, contact 0845 313 8410.

 

Black Country businesses will be given support in raising funding and accessing finance at an event during November

The Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership’s ‘Open Access to Finance’ Forum will be held on Wednesday 16th November 2011 at the Walsall Town Hall.

The ‘Open Access to Finance’ Forum is being held in partnership with BCRS and Walsall Council and will be the third in a series that will be held across the Black Country.

The event, which will run from 4.30pm to 7.00pm, is designed to allow companies to informally meet the wide range of financial services providers operating in the Black Country.

Financial bodies attending the event will include commercial banks, corporate financiers, law firms, business and financial advisors, small business loan funds, accountants and business schools.

Stewart Towe, Chairman of the LEP board, said: “Offering access to finance is on the Local Enterprise Partnership’s key priorities. We hope as many local businesses as possible will get along to the free event at the Walsall Town Hall to receive support that is out there for businesses to raise their funds.”

Councillor Mike Bird, leader of Walsall Council and LEP Deputy Chairman, said: “We are delighted to be hosting this event to offer local Black Country businesses direct access to a number of financial organisations which can offer them support.

“It is important that local government plays its part to help new jobs and investment take shape right across the Black Country.”

Paul Kalinauckas, Chief Executive of BCRS, said: “Our previous Open Access to Finance Forums have received a high level of interest and this highlights that local businesses require more help and information to find out what funding is available and on what terms.”

Attendance to the event is free but people must register in advance at events@bcrs.org.uk. To find out more information, or to exhibit at the event, contact 0845 313 8410.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Black Country Reinvestment Society offers services to new Business Finance Task Force

 

The Business Finance Task Force is a made up of a consortium of six leading banks, who will finance the Business Growth Fund. It will be chaired by John Varley, chief executive of Barclays. Recent reports have shown that lending to SMEs has fallen for five consecutive months. In an interview with John Humphrys on the BBC’s Today programme on 14^th October, Varley said that the purpose of the fund was to assist small businesses with a turnover of between £10m and £100m. The task force would be employed to assist SMEs with applications for financial assistance, and they “will get help if the forms are filled in correctly.” He went on to state that 85 per cent of applications from SMEs for bank finance are approved. But figures published in the Financial Times have shown that the fund will help just 150 small to medium size companies over the next ten years. The size of the fund - £1.5bn – is equal to the size of bonuses Barclays Bank paid out to its staff this year alone. 

 Paul Kalinauckas, chief executive of Black Country Reinvestment Society (BCRS) believes that the formation of the task force will ignore genuine wealth creators who fall below the £10m turnover threshold. Paul Kalinauckas said: “Mr Varley stated that the backbone of the economic recovery will be led by private sector SMEs (small and medium size enterprises). There appears to be some misunderstanding here about what an SME is and a reluctance to accept the fact that small businesses create the most jobs. Mr Varley doesn’t think helping 150 businesses over the next ten years is a modest amount and believes it will make an impact, and that the Business Growth Fund will enable SMEs to have access to equity. “I believe we are in danger of creating a financial underclass. I question whether the 85 per cent of loans applications that the banks claim are granted have been from the first enquiry, and how many were discounted from the outset? This figure certainly doesn’t fit in with what is happening in the Black Country. I would also be interested in hearing what percentages of loans were made in manufacturing heartlands such as the Black Country?  “The banks have enjoyed £850bn UK tax payer bailout. But Bank of England figures have shown that lending has fallen five months in a row. If this new £1.5bn fund is only available for companies with a turnover of between £10m and £100m, it will leave many small, viable businesses out in the cold. The vast majority of SMEs are successful, profitable businesses that turnover far less than £10m and still employ people on good salaries, train their staff and invest in their businesses.  “It is worrying that the banks will not commit to publish lending principles for small business as this indicates that they do not want to serve this market. However, we are prepared to back these entrepreneurs and will hold the banks to their commitment to signpost customers to alternative sources of finance such as BCRS. “BCRS lending is based on a mutual model adapted to meet the needs of these smaller businesses that have been consistently refused by banks in recent years. Mr Varley himself stated that the backbone of the economic recovery would be led by small businesses in the private sector, and that was what the budget was predicated on. I will be writing to him as Chairman of the Business Finance Task Force to offer our services as a lender to small businesses as I think that their report is somewhat disingenuous in this respect.”

 

 

 

BCRS on BBC

 

BCRS calls on Coalition Government 

The Government should look to a small lender in the Black Country as a model for ensuring credit reaches small businesses, according to its boss.

The chief executive of the Black Country Reinvestment Society (BCRS), which lends to businesses making a positive contribution to the social, environmental or economic well being of the Black Country, Staffordshire, said his society’s model offered a solution to get the economy moving again.

BCRS recently celebrated its small business loan fund reaching £5 million, and it also has plans to extend this figure to £10 million within the next two years.

The company was founded in 2002 as a not-for-profit loan fund offering sums of between £10,000 and £50,000 to small businesses in the Black Country who might struggle to find funding from traditional sources.

Black Country Reinvestment Society chief executive Paul Kalinauckas said: “BCRS are in an area where the multi-trillion pound commercial banking sector refuses to operate.”

“If they could, they’d be doing it.

“But they aren’t, because they can’t make money out of it and the transaction costs are too high.

“The transaction costs for a £20,000 loan are similar to a £2 million loan.

“But there’s money to be made from the £2 million loan, none from the £20,000 loan, so it’s not worth the effort.

“That’s the challenge we face.

“The banks say that demands for loans from the SME sector have been slack.

“That’s not surprising. If BCRS offered asset-backed, copper plated guaranteed loans in the way that banks do, we would then require our clients to put up all of their assets - thus putting the futures of their families at risk – and we’d have our pound of flesh.

“But that is completely contrary to the BCRS ethos as a co-operative. We want to back enterprising people, not ruin them.

“Vince Cable has stated that he is worried about the behaviour of the banks. They have already been given trillions of tax-payers money.

“How much more do they need?

“If the coalition government is serious about helping and encouraging small enterprises and innovators, they can do worse than looking at the model we have created here in the Black Country – a workable solution based on mutual principles that can help make the Black Country great again.

“And the time is now if we are to encourage economic recovery.” 

BCRS increases loan fund to £5 million

Black Country Reinvestment Society (BCRS) the Wolverhampton based not for profit loans company, is celebrating their small business loan fund reaching £5 million, with plans to extend it to £10 million within two years.

 

“We’re very proud to be in this position”, said Paul Kalinauckas, chief executive of BCRS. “Since BCRS was founded in 2002 as a not for profit loan fund, we have made loans of between £10,000 and £50,000 to businesses in the Black Country. We have recently expanded into Staffordshire and have now reached a landmark of £5m worth of lending.

 

“Because of the recession more people have needed access to BCRS funds as they are unable to get commercial finance from the banks”, continues Paul. “We’re planning to double this £5m fund to £10m over the next two years. This demonstrates not only our rapid growth, but also the commitment of people in the Black Country to get behind BCRS, to bring in investment to make small business loans. Without their commitment, £5m would not have come into the area.

 

“BCRS created a new financial model, which has been just what was needed to counteract the credit crunch, when bank lending crashed. Our £5m fund comes from people who have prospered in the Black Country and have invested back into BCRS. These are social investors who are committed to our mission of making the Black Country great again. We’ve been able to use that investment to lever in public funds from Advantage West Midlands, who have also been very supportive in ensuring that there is access to finance for small businesses that has been choked off during the recession.

 

“The European Union is attracted to the concept of loan funds as a method of getting more value for money. Local authorities are also now seeing that it’s a good vehicle to promote economic development locally, as they are being inundated by local businesses unable to get finance from banks. Rather than offering a one-off grant that is never repaid, local authorities can place funds with BCRS, we then double it through European funds, create a loan fund, lend it to businesses then repay the local authority – it can only benefit the region.”

 

BCRS has already created a £750k loan fund with Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council and are in discussion with other local authorities in the Black Country. They have created a £1m loan fund with Staffordshire County Council and are looking to expand into Stoke on Trent.

 

 “Impact is our driver”, continues Paul Kalinauckas. “It’s about creating jobs, growth and wealth in the region, so we are looking for people that are running a credible, growing business. We are interested in assisting all sectors, and particularly the new economies, environmental and hi-tech sectors, but we still look after the traditional industries.  

 

“If we want the UK to be more enterprising, then we need more entrepreneurs, and unless they are born with a silver spoon in their mouth they have limited access to sufficient working capital. As we come out of recession these companies will want to service new orders, and if they can’t get funding from banks, or if the banks can only loan half of the finance required, BCRS will work with suitable businesses to complete or match-fund the loan.”

Charles Hanmer, chair of BCRS, says, “It’s simple. We are about reallocating tax payers’ money to help local businesses grow while putting money back into the local economy. People approach us because of our proven experience.”

 

Paul Kalinauckas feels that as a result of the financial meltdown, a lot of commercial institutions are more concerned with making money and rebuilding their balance sheets - rather than actually providing finance to create wealth and assist businesses.

 

“People want a new financial world order, a financial instrument that is solely focussed on customer needs”, says Paul. “Regional loan funds are here to stay. Business will still have their bank account and credit cards but will have alternative loan finance in the shape of their friendly, regional loan funders that understand the marketplace, work on a partnership basis and are genuinely interested in businesses progressing, because they are aware of the social and economic impact they have in the area.

 

“It takes time to build and grow a brand in financial services and, more importantly, to establish trust, particularly with a financial vehicle that’s not for profit and not driven by profit,” concludes Paul. “This is a new development in finance based on co-operative and mutual principles. As a result of the financial crisis, people say they want change, well – here’s change – a new financial instrument has emerged, and BCRS is consolidating it and growing it to a £10m loan fund to take it to the next stage.”

BCRS and Sandwell Council Team up For Business Growth 

Black Country Reinvestment Society (BCRS) the Wolverhampton based not for profit loans company, together with Sandwell Council has helped a West Bromwich facilities management and building contractor grow their business.

The 1^st Site Group, based in Queens Court Trading Estate on Greets Green, construct and refurbish educational establishments and local authority owned buildings in the region. Managing director Neil Matthews set up the company in 2005 with father Ken Matthews, and now employs between 10 and 14 staff on a contract basis.

BCRS has loaned the company finance to create new jobs and secure existing positions through the Sandwell Business Loan Fund. The fund is a £750,000 pot available over the next two years and loans of £10k and £50k are available to local viable businesses that are experiencing difficulty accessing funds in the current credit crisis. The fund is managed by Black Country Reinvestment Society.

Neil Matthews, managing director of 1^st Site Group said, “Thanks to the BCRS and Sandwell funding, we have been able to safeguard five jobs, and we are looking to expand and take on a contracts manager and several new employees.

“We use our headquarters as a showcase for our skills in building, joinery, plumbing and electrical services. The factory unit is fitted with a full kitchen, cloakroom, entrance room and staircase with an enclosed mezzanine containing a projects office. What was an empty and featureless unit now demonstrates what we can offer to our clients, together with advice on everything from layout to finishes – getting the fundamentals right is of prime importance to us.

“I started as an apprentice bricklayer and have worked my way up through the trades, so I understand that a sound foundation and high quality is at the basis of everything. It’s crucial to have the ability to diversify when the going gets tough – my father was a glass cutter at Stuart Crystal for most of his working life until he was made redundant when the factory closed, and he has joined me in the business as director.”

 Tony Wood, business development manager at BCRS, said:

 “Since the launch of Sandwell Business Loan Fund in November 2009, £160k has been loaned to seven companies in Sandwell. This has resulted in 25 jobs being safeguarded and the creation of ten new jobs. The 1st Site Group was the first company to be approved under the scheme and we’re delighted to be helping them. I would encourage other businesses in Sandwell to get in touch with BCRS to find out how the scheme could help them.

“Neil has demonstrated great tenacity in building this business and he possesses the hands-on skills necessary to take it forward. 1^st Site is the kind of company we like to lend to. Neil is dedicated to bringing out the best in his workforce and the funding will be used to grow the business and increase staff and skills, the product of which will be used to improve the build quality of homes, schools and colleges in the area. It’s a great fit with us.”

Councillor Ann Shackleton, Sandwell Council’s Cabinet Member for Employment, Skills and Partnerships, said:

 “1^st Site is responding to a need in Sandwell. It understands the market and responds to customer surveys to improve what it offers. That is fundamental to any business, to know that your product is tried, tested and will sell well. I think this company will go from strength to strength. We’re very pleased to be able to help Sandwell businesses that demonstrate a strong business case during these difficult times.”

 

BCRS Grows Board

 

Pictured above: Ian Oakes

A Wolverhampton based loans company has increased the strength of its board by making two new key appointments.  

Black Country Reinvestment Society (BCRS) has co-opted Professor Ian Oakes, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Research and Enterprise, University of Wolverhampton and Adrian Wilkinson, Superintendent Pharmacist at The Midcounties Co-operative onto the Board. 

Professor Ian Oakes is responsible for promoting the University's research agenda and developing the growing knowledge transfer arena at regional, national and international levels. 

Over the last 10 years, Professor Oakes has held a number of senior management posts in higher education before joining the University of Wolverhampton in 2008.  He has been involved in a programme of national and transnational technology transfer activities operating across a range of sectors and has led the development of a number of initiatives focusing specifically on the transfer of technology from academia to businesses.

Professor Ian Oakes said: "I am delighted to be joining the board of Black Country Reinvestment Society. The University of Wolverhampton has an important and strategic role in stimulating economic development and enterprise across the Black County and West Midlands region. 

"It is vital to harness the skills and talents of our entrepreneurial graduates by helping them stay in the region and with the help of the University's incubator facilities to create new business opportunities. I believe that retaining and growing skills is crucial to the survival and growth of the Black Country and wider Midlands. For this to happen our graduates need to be able to access finance, and BCRS funding could be invaluable to them."

Pictured above: Adrian Wilkinson

Adrian Wilkinson, superintendent pharmacist, became pharmacy development manager with West Midlands Co-op Chemists, now Midcounties Co-op, eight years ago. He has chaired the Disability Diversity Focus Group, has been a school governor at Moreton Community School in Wolverhampton and participates in numerous heath focused community activities.

Adrian Wilkinson said: "The last eight years at what is now Midcounties Co-op have been extremely developmental both in terms of professional and commercial skills but also in terms of gaining a full understanding of our core values of democracy, openness, equality and social responsibility. 

"A position on the BCRS board will provide me with a great opportunity to develop these values in a new environment. I feel that my current role as superintendent pharmacist gives me the correct level of experience to make pragmatic decisions and to fully understand the importance of governance and ethics, and I feel this is an excellent fit with the ethos of BCRS." 

"I'm delighted to welcome Adrian and Ian to the board of BCRS", said Paul Kalinauckas, chief executive of BCRS. "We are set to double in size this year and as a mutual organisation it is important that we are rooted in the community with the highest standards of good governance. Anyone can become an owner in BCRS by subscribing to withdrawable shares, which ensures that we always have new members willing to act as custodians of the society."

 

 £1m of loans coming up for grabs

Burton Mail 19/10/2009

STAFFORDSHIRE County Council is backing plans to provide £1million of loans for small businesses with good ideas but a lack of funds.
The council says it is determined to support businesses and jobs through the recession, with the aim of keeping Staffordshire in poll position to succeed as the economy gets back on track.
The new fund will invest in future jobs and entrepreneurial energy, creating a feedback loop of positive impacts for Staffordshire’s economy.
The council is linking up with the Black Country Reinvestment Society (BCRS) to create the Staffordshire Business Support Fund.
Staffordshire County Council will provide £500,000 of funding which will be matched by European Regional Development Fund money provided by Advantage West Midlands.
From November BCRS will be able to provide loans to small businesses of £10,000 to £50,000 which will be repayable over a four year period.
Companies will have to be based in Staffordshire, employ fewer than 50, and have been turned down by the conventional banks.

 

 £1 million lifeline for Staffordshire businesses goes live

The authority’s cabinet member for economy, skills and enterprise, Mike Lawrence, said the initiative was central to the drive to support Staffordshire businesses, the economy and jobs.

“Access to money is a real issue for small businesses. We want to help address this problem,” he said. “This is about extending support to those who are already running a sound business but need working capital in this time of tight finance.

“Businesses will have to have a compelling business case and a sound business plan.

“This is all about providing Staffordshire’s business talent with the support it needs in a time of austerity.

“It’s a cash injection that will pay for itself and double its value for the people of Staffordshire with match funding.

“As the companies succeed and pay back their loans, a proportion of the money can be recycled again to generate more success and new jobs.

“This is about making the tax payers’ money continue to work hard to benefit the economy.”

 

£750,000 Loan fund for Sandwell Business

A loan fund set up by Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council and partners means that businesses across Sandwell will be able to benefit from better access to finance.

A loan fund of £750,000 has been pulled together from Council, European and Advantage West Midlands sources. The cash will be made available exclusively for Sandwell businesses having difficulty in raising the funds they need from high-street banks during the credit crunch.

Loans of between £10,000 and £50,000 will be made available to viable Sandwell businesses through the Black Country Reinvestment Society (BCRS).

The BCRS is a mutual friendly society that has already lent over £270,000 to Sandwell businesses since the credit crunch started.

"We are delighted that Sandwell Council has taken this initiative to help its local businesses. With the additional funding we will be able to help even more businesses who have been rejected by the banks," said Paul Kalinauckas, chief executive of BCRS.

"Entrepreneurs need access to finance for their businesses and even in these difficult times we have been able to step in where the banks have not been able to help."

Councillor Ann Shackleton, cabinet member for employment, skills and partnerships, said: "Despite the recession Sandwell has some amazing businesses with great potential to help us pull out of the recession and create the jobs we desperately need.

"For some it is proving really difficult to get loans, either because they are new or don’t have a track record, or the recession has badly affected the recent trading position.

"In addition to all the other support Sandwell Council is offering to our local business community, we are pleased to be doing what we can to ensure viable businesses have better access to the finance they need now the economy is starting to pick up."

The new funding will be available from 1st October. Any Sandwell business wishing to apply for a loan should contact BCRS’s local Business Development Manager, Tony Wood, on 07792131735

 

"The Loan Arrangers"

 

 

Read More.....

 

 

Vending Services lands £300k contract with help from BCRS

Jun 1 2009 by GraemeBrown

An established Midlands vending company has expanded its business and won a major contract thanks to help from a Wolverhampton-based business loans company.

Vending Services has supplied Smethwick-based engineering company Hadley Industries Holdings Ltd with refreshment and snack vending machines at its sites across Smethwick and the Black Country in a contract worth an estimated £300,000 per annum.

David Gribble, managing director of Vending Services, based in Codsall, south Staffs, said: “I’ve been in vending for 26 years and it’s all about quality of product. The best machines are made here in the UK and we supply machines made by Coffee Tech and stock them with established brands including Nescafe Gold Blend, PG Tips and Fair Trade tea as well as Coca Cola and leading brands of confectionery. Low-calorie Options hot chocolate is one of our best sellers.”

Vending Services has not seen a significant drop in customers using its services. “We haven’t noticed the effect of the economic downturn so far,” said Mr Gribble. “Some of our sites dropped by around 15 per cent initially but are now back to normal levels. Every five years we renew contracts with our customers and supply them with the latest machines. We believe we offer a high level of aftercare, with constant re-stocking of machines and a breakdown service that promises a response within 20 minutes.

“Refreshment vending is great for both staff and the employer – it’s clean, fast and efficient. Health and safety laws mean that kettles have been banished from many work areas; also in-house vending cuts down on time spent getting refreshments.

“We have been supplying Hadley Industries for over seven years. Their contract renewal coincided with the opportunity to move the business forward as I wanted to expand our range of vending machines including the very latest models.

“I approached all of the banks but they couldn’t help – they are just not lending at the moment. So I approached Paul Kalinauckas at the Black Country Reinvestment Society. I remembered the organisation from five years previous, through Black Country Chamber of Commerce.

“Paul came out to see the quality of the product and to hear about our plans. He could see we were well established and that we understood both our market and our customer, and agreed to loan the company £25,000 to purchase new equipment.”

Mr Gribble said BCRS were “so positive” about Vending Services’ application from the outset, and helped it through “the maze of business planning and cashflow”.

He added: “The rest was easy – our loan is over three years but we are on target to pay it off within 18 months.”

Mr Kalinauckas, chief executive of BCRS, said: “Vending Services is typical of many companies that BCRS have loaned to recently. They have an excellent, tried and tested product, a tight business plan, an established, happy client base and a pedigree in their sector that goes back decades. And still the banks are refusing to lend. There is no doubt in my mind that Vending Services would have lost their contract with Hadley had we not been able to lend the £25,000, resulting in a contract between two local businesses going outside of this region.”

 

BCRS loan helps Wolverhampton supplier MCS to rise again

May 6 2009 by Alun Thorne, Birmingham Post

Black Country Reinvestment Society (BCRS) has helped a construction company to turn its fortunes from disaster to a £5 million turnover in two years.

MCS Ltd, which employs 25 people across two sites, is a Wolverhampton-based supplier and manufacturer of specialist products to the construction industry which has worked on complex projects including St Pancras International station – home of the Eurostar Channel Tunnel rail link.

Phil McDonald, founder and managing director of MCS Ltd, has 20 years’ experience in the construction industry and is no stranger to its unpredictable nature.

 Read more..... 

 

 

Staircase firm Climb with Reinvestment group’s help

Apr 27 2009 by Alun Thorne, Birmingham Post

Black Country Reinvestment Society (BCRS) has helped a Brownhills-based staircase manufacturer to diversify into high-end interiors for the domestic and corporate markets.

BCRS has loaned Lichfield Staircase Manufacturers £25,000 to develop the company’s bespoke staircase range for architects and interior designers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Midland Investment Chief defends high cost of loans

 Feb 24 2009 by John Cranage, Birmingham Post

The head of a West Midland mutual set up to help finance small businesses has defended the high rates of interest it charges on loans.

The Black Country Reinvestment Society, a not-for-profit organisation set up to help companies turned down for loans by banks, charges borrowers 12 per cent interest on average, according to chief executive Paul Kalinaukas. “The days of cheap money are over,” he said.

Read more.....

 

Time for a new financial world order

Feb 12 2009 Agenda By Paul Kalinauckas

Now the country is officially in recession, the rules of the finance game have changed and it’s important for businesses to know how to get through this to the best of their abilities.

The United Kingdom’s economy is built on small businesses. Until very recently, many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have bounced in and out of their overdraft facility to enable them to run smoothly.

In the good times, they’d have taken out healthy dividends and managed their businesses according to the ebb and flow of their sector. It’s now a different game and we are witnessing perfectly viable businesses having their financial arrangements pulled or varied to reduce their overdrafts, some without notice. That’s a practice that can kill a viable business stone-dead in 24 hours.

Read more.......

Stafford firm shunned by banks finds new backer for growth plan

Jan 6 2009 by Alun Thorne, Birmingham Post

The credit crunch has seen access to finance become increasingly difficult for even the most viable of businesses. For those still finding their feet or challenged by issues such as seasonality, raising capital can be nigh on impossible.One of the of the solutions to this problem is the growing number of Community Development Finance Institutions that have thrown open their doors to companies struggling to raise finance through traditional avenues.One company that has turned to a CDFI after being turned away by the banks is Stafford-based River Canal Rescue Service. River Canal Rescue Service is a waterway rescue service for boats and boaters that were founded after mechanical engineer Trevor Forman spotted a gap in the market to provide inland waterway craft with a breakdown rescue service. Alongside his partner Stephanie Horton, Mr Forman founded the company in 2000.

Read more.......

 

 

 

 

 

 

BCRS's credit deal with Co-operative Bank

Black Country Reinvestment Society, (BCRS) the Wolverhampton community finance institution, have welcomed the establishment of a credit deal with the Co-operative Bank.

Read more......

 

 

 

Black Country Reinvestment Society doubles loans to small business

Dec 2 2008 by Alun Thorne, Birmingham Post

BLACK Country Reinvestment Society (BCRS), the business loans company based in Wolverhampton, hase celebrated doubling its lending to small businesses affected by the credit crunch to over £1million this year.
Read more........