The success rate among small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) applying for finance has risen to 80% in 2014 up from 71% in 2013, according to a new report from Albion Ventures.

Despite more SMEs receiving the funds they need to grow, Albion’s second Albion Growth Report shows that just one in 10 SMEs tried to raise finance in the past 12 months compared to 17% last year.

The study, which is designed to shed light on the factors that both create and impede growth among UK SMEs, shows a 25% fall in the number of businesses seeking credit to fund working capital from 32% in 2013 to 24% this year. This suggests that SMEs are moving on from applying for finance to pay the bills to a new, healthier era of business expansion, Albion said.

This is underlined by the fact that 27% of firms raised finance over the past year to develop their businesses and an additional 23% to expand their premises. These are both up on last year’s figures of 26% and 5% respectively.
The next 12 months are likely to see a sharp increase in demand among SMEs for new finance with 33% planning to apply for credit – the highest proportion of these based in Greater London.

SDespite the publicity about the continuing shortage of bank lending, the percentage of SMEs borrowing or funding that was done through bank loans or overdrafts has fallen significantly over the past year from 76% in 2013 to 62% in 2014. Firms have also relied less on asset-based leasing, invoice discounting and credit cards.

The report shows that other lending methods including mortgages (7%), cash loans from friends and family (5%) and equity investments from venture capital and angel investors (6%) have a long way to go before they catch up with traditional bank loans.

In terms of sectors, the number of retail and distribution companies attempting to raise finance has fallen from 17% in 2013 to 14% this year, as did the number of manufacturing businesses (from 26% to 8%). However, manufacturers who applied for credit were significantly more likely to be successful – up to 88% in 2014 from 65% in 2013.

Patrick Reeve, managing partner at Albion Ventures, said: “Demand for bank finance and the reasons for needing it are key proxies for the health of UK SMEs and there are reasons for optimism on both counts. Not only have firms been more successful in applying for finance but their motivations are more about growth than funding working capital.

“Demand for finance is particularly strong among the growing band of so-called ‘threshold’ businesses with turnovers of between £500,000 and £1 million, which are on the cusp of becoming established companies. Twice as many of threshold businesses attempted to raise finance in the past 12 months and 68% of them needed capital to grow compared to 41% of other types of SMEs.”