Businesses everywhere in Britain are finding difficulty in obtaining finance for start-up or expansion, or indeed for maintaining existing business operations and investing in new products and processes. With the economies of Britain and the rest of Europe showing little signs of being able to grow strongly in 2012 as a result of the problems in the Eurozone and the continuing efforts being made to reduce public sector deficits, the difficulties can only mount.
In Wales the problems for smaller and would-be new businesses are often particularly acute, with data suggesting Welsh companies rely more on bank debt funding than any other economic region of the UK. Yet, bank lending looks like remaining restrained, as the big financial institutions continue to rebuild their balance sheets.
This conference will examine what can and is being done at UK and regional level. A particular focus will be the regional growth funds set up by the Westminster Government to try to alleviate the problem and the role this new source of assistance could play. Other sources of finance, including equity finance, will also be explored in what is planned as an interactive event bringing business people in Wales and beyond together with the sources of finance.
A key speaker will be the Business Growth Fund’s chairman, Sir Nigel Rudd. He will be joined by other senior figures from the worlds of finance and accountancy.