Blog Archives - askif Inclusive Finance

Fintechs: Building Back Better with Humanity

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Date:

Fintechs: Building Back Better with Humanity Could the Covid-19 crisis be the platform upon which we create a more resilient, inclusive and fairer financial services ecosystem? By seizing the opportunity presented by the huge spike in demand for SME lending, the Fintech sector has shown itself to be supportive, long-term in its thinking and above all human. On November 26th 2020, BrightTALK hosted an online event co-ordinated by The Financial Services Forum and Teamspirit, in which a select group of... Read More...

CBILs FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions About Coronavirus Business Interruption Loans

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Date: October 23, 2020

All you need to know about a CBILS loan from AskIf AskIf offers CBILS loans in partnership with the British Business Bank. Since March, we’ve proudly helped many ambitious UK SMEs get back on track, overcome challenging conditions and even grow – in spite of the challenges caused by COVID-19 – could your business do with a helping hand this year? The CBILS is open to applications until the March 31st 2021, meaning there is still time for small businesses... Read More...

AskIf Founder and CEO shares her passion for helping other SMEs and Start Ups

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Date: October 23, 2020

AskIf Founder and CEO, Sam Bamert, sat down with Syndicate Room to discuss helping small businesses get the funding they need, and deserve. We were delighted to secure follow-on funding from Syndicate Room’s Fund Twenty8 in December 2019, having begun our partnership with them at the beginning of last year. This has enabled us to grow our business and to help many small credit-worthy businesses that others were unwilling to back. As a small start-up we know the challenges others... Read More...

The impact of the CBILS scheme

Source:
Date: October 23, 2020

Everyone from pastry shops to tech startups are building back better with support from the CBILS scheme As October quickly disappears, it’s almost impossible to believe it’s been six months since England was forced into national lockdown. We have all become accustomed to the only certain aspect of life being the presence of uncertainty and as we approach the Winter months with a tiered lockdown plan, it seems this isn’t about to change. The public health, social and economic implications... Read More...

AskIf appoints new Director of Operations and Projects

Source: AskIf
Date: August 11, 2020

As AskIf continues to grow, our fresh-thinking start-up is now scaling up with new senior hires to help us achieve our mission to do better for UK SMEs. Meet the newest member of the team, Wasim Mushtaq, Director of Operations and Projects. Wasim is a passionate advocate for entrepreneurship and business transformation. A former Vice President at Barclays Bank Plc and recent graduate from MIT Sloan School of Management, Wasim will bring a wealth of experience to the AskIf Team.... Read More...

Helping SME’s create energy efficient businesses

Source: AskIf
Date: July 31, 2020

“Our role in the Q-Energy Project will ensure energy efficiency is not only financially viable, but the most cost-effective part of any business plan.” Ask Inclusive Finance (AskIf) will be partnering with Qbots energy on the Q-Energy project, a landmark programme with an aim to develop a platform which will improve energy efficiency across the UK’s 5.9m SMEs. With research showing SMEs are currently responsible for over 50% of business energy use, it is hoped the project will kickstart the... Read More...

AskIf CEO’s Open Letter to Chancellor

Source: AskIf
Date: April 20, 2020

AskIf urges Government to resist calls for 100% guarantee on CBILS With pressure on the government to increase the CBILS guarantee to 100%, AskIf believes this is NOT the solution and there are much better ways to reduce complexity, improve access and increase the speed with which businesses can access the funding they so desperately need. AskIf CEO, Sam Bamert sets out why she believes a 100% guarantee would be damaging to UK SMEs, damaging to the taxpayer, and damaging... Read More...

AskIf, appoint two new team members to aid delivery of CV-19 loans

Source: AskIf
Date: April 6, 2020

AskIf appoints former CEO of Start Up Loans to their senior management team.Also recruiting former Director of Corporate Portfolio Management at Santander as new Head of Credit Risk.Both will play a critical role as the firm delivers the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS). Joanna Hill, former CEO of Start Up Loans, has been appointed as Commercial Director at AskIf - one of the 40 CBILS Accredited Lenders. Joanna was instrumental in building the Start Up Loans Company, which supported... Read More...

AskIf Funding Limited accredited as a lender for the term loan variant of the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) Scheme.

Source: Business Money
Date: March 4, 2020

Through the EFG scheme, AskIf Funding will be able to lend to viable smaller businesses with insufficient security under normal terms. EFG provides the lender with a government-backed 75% guarantee against the outstanding facility, potentially enabling a ‘no’ credit decision from a lender to become a ‘yes’. Read More...

AskIf launches AskIf funding, a lender accredited under the British Business Bank’s Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme

Source: British Business Bank
Date: March 4, 2020

Ask Inclusive Finance, the inclusive tech-enabled funding platform, today announces its plans to transform the finance ecosystem serving small and microbusinesses in the UK, to help kickstart economic growth needed up and down the country. AskIf’s ambition is to ensure that every creditworthy small and micro business in the UK can get the funding and help it needs to achieve its full potential. AskIf Funding, the first ‘AskIf-arranged’ lender on the platform, has gained formal accreditation from the British Business... Read More...