Looking back on 2019…
As 2019 draws to a close, the team at Bathgate Business Finance has been reflecting on the many wonderful businesses that we have had the pleasure of supporting this year, not to mention our referrers, suppliers and wider business network.
It’s been a busy and successful 12 months. Since January we have secured £20 million funding for 400 businesses across the Liverpool City Region, Cheshire, Lancashire, North Wales and beyond. We have given start-ups a boost, facilitated business growth, innovation and team expansions, as well as sourcing financial solutions for the challenging times that businesses often face.
We’re so proud of the businesses that we support that we make sure we shout about them far as wide as well. We’ve generated 75 pieces of media coverage focusing on the businesses we’ve supported with an astonishing reach of more than 2.3 million – a figure that is further amplified by our team’s enthusiastic social sharing!
We’ve enjoyed the challenge of working across a wide range of sectors. In February, we secured £100k funding for Paradrop VR a start-up specialising in virtual reality (VR) attractions, while a few months later we helped Chester-based handmade jewellery designer, ChloBo, embark on an ambitious growth programme by arranging £800k investment.
In May we provided a £35k boost to gourmet chip shop, Chip’d (and had the pleasure of sampling the company’s delicious fare as well), while August saw us working in the automotive and retail sector and allowing a family-run vehicle service centre to achieve ambitious growth with a £45k finance boost.
We’ve also continued many long and successful relationships with businesses that have trusted Bathgate Business Finance’s team to find the best financial solutions for their businesses for many years, most recently the Padarn Hotel in Llanberis, for which we’ve sourced £85k in funding since 2016.
Outside of our ‘day jobs’ we’ve also continued to relish being an active part of our local and professional communities. The second Liverpool Sportswoman’s Lunch, which was co-founded in 2018 by our Natalie Dye, was a roaring success, raising almost £11k for Encephalitis Society.
Our events, from golf tournaments to beer festivals, have continued to bring businesses together and we’ve also made valuable connections allowing us to provide the best support for SMEs across the region.
All in all, it’s been a great year!
We know that next year will be challenging. There will be uncertainty and change, but there will also be support and innovation for SMEs across the North West. We’re looking forward to working with our existing clients and colleagues and new ones as well.
Have a healthy and happy Christmas and a prosperous 2020, from all the team at Bathgate Business Finance.