Welcome

Welcome to the latest edition of Close Matters, our newsletter that brings you up to date with what's happening at Close and in the world of invoice finance. Find out how to protect your cash flow in a downturn, why so many SME businesses are missing out on new technology, check out our report from the biggest business event in the North West and catch up on our latest product news.

The last six months have seen some of the most turbulent financial conditions of the last decade. There is no doubt that a recession is upon us and many of you will be feeling the impact of this on your business. At Close Invoice Finance, we understand the challenges presented by these conditions and remain fully committed to offering you the vital funding and expertise that will meet your specific requirements.

We are an independent provider but have the security of being backed by an established merchant city bank, the FTSE 250 Close Brothers Group. Furthermore, following our successful lobbying campaign, we now have the same access to the Government Guarantee Scheme as the largest high street banks. We pride ourselves on our ability to be fleet of foot and to adapt quickly and easily to Clients' changing needs. So, with bankruptcies the highest in five years, and more and more of our Clients experiencing the impact of bad debt, we have now upgraded our flagship product IDeal^TM to include cover against bad debt. IDeal Protection Plus^TM offers the complete security and peace of mind to help you manage your business through the downturn. If you would like to find out more then please don't hesitate to contact either me directly or one of our team on the number below.

Last year presented some of the most difficult trading conditions of recent times and, like many businesses, we had to respond by making tough decisions which I feel confident have left us in the strongest position to weather the storms ahead. During 2009, we will continue to provide our Clients with first class service combined with our market leading product innovations. Working together, I look forward to a successful year.

David Thomson
CEO, Close Invoice Finance

We hope you enjoy this Winter edition of Close Matters. Please feed back any comments or suggestions direct to us at info@closeinvoice.co.uk. We'd love to hear from you.

If you'd like to find out more about how Close's portfolio of invoice discounting and factoring services can support your business please visit www.closeinvoice.co.uk or call 0800 220 257 to discuss your requirements.