“We believe that consumers and SMEs deserve better and we are putting more and more investment into delivering financial expertise that customers can trust, is totally transparent and a genuine alternative to other financial organisations.”
So says the Aldermore website, a new UK bank named after the Alder tree, a tough little customer that manages to thrive in dreadful conditions when all around it, other species are dying off. Nice imagery.
It isn’t often we get a new banking player entering the market. So what’s it all about?
British small business support with a difference
Aldermore launched in 2009 in extraordinary times, with the credit crunch and banking crisis in full flow. They managed to win support from AnaCap, Europe’s biggest private equity investment advisor in the financial services arena. Now they’ve put in place a ‘world class’ banking infrastructure and deliver ‘straightforward and competitive’ products plus ‘exceptional’ customer service and really good lending rates.
‘Exceptional’ service for SMEs? Gosh. That’s not something we hear very often these days, with the UK government having to hand over vast wedges of cash just to get most of the big high street banks lending to small businesses again, the buggers.
If, like thousands of other people, you’re on the brink of setting up a new micro-business, why not give them a go?
Alternative business banking
Aldermore doesn’t have high street branches. They use state of the art computer systems to operate online, working to a simple yet very effective model. They use the deposits British savers stash with them to fund the growth of small businesses in this country, ensuring all that useful capital and funding stays here in Britain. Which means when you put your business finances with them, you’re part of something much bigger.
Aldermore Bank services
- asset finance – buy the assets you need and release capital tied up in your business’s fixed assets
- invoice finance for those times you’re owed money but it isn’t forthcoming, you can unlock capital to finance your business
- domestic and commercial mortgages
- personal and business savings – open a busines savings account in 15 minutes, no messing about
- structured finance for the mid-sized corporate market, tailored to your exact needs
Aldermore works with a broad range of businesses, from small start-ups to SMEs with a £50 million turnover. Their site includes some excellent case studies, here. And here’s their Wikipedia page. If you’re struggling to raise capital for your small business or just starting out, they might just have the solution.