Providing boosts to business in difficult times

Business Funding: Credo Asset Finance

Customer service, listening to clients’ needs and responding quickly with finance solutions tailored to individuals and businesses are at the heart of our success, and our reputation is now winning a national audience.

Established in 2005, we have developed unique products, gained access to a wide range of lenders and are investing more money than ever into our own book lending from our business funds; a lifeline for customers declined funding by traditional lenders.

Everything that has been going on, as a result of the Covid-19 crisis, has been disconcerting for a lot of people. Investment in the short term was put on hold but, fairly consistently since then, we have been seeing a strong demand for borrowing money and a large number of people looking to invest in their businesses.

As a Norwich-based independent finance broker, we have been able to help customers because of the efficient and friendly way we operate, with quick, decision-making from our own book lending option and our size and stature in the local market.

Credo is here to help you if we can, and we are able to work flexibly. You have a conversation with us, and it is our understanding of your business that can ultimately benefit that business; that remains our key strength.

Going the extra mile for customers

No one could have predicted what was going to happen in March 2020 and, like so many businesses, we were affected too. But, despite staff working remotely from home, we focused on our loyal customers and went that extra mile to ensure our five-star customer experience shone through.

Our priority was to contact all customers with whom we had agreements to make sure they were okay. We quickly arranged new payment plans to cut many customers’ costs, even though it hit our income, and continued to have constructive conversations to help them. We also helped customers refinance assets to release cashflow, so they could keep their businesses running or diversify into new markets.

We were delighted to offer government initiatives including the CBILS. And even though we didn’t offer them directly, we encouraged other customers to take up Bounce Back Loans if that was a better option for them. We were happy to act as a business advisor, as much as a supplier, because our ethos is built on honesty, trust and creating long-term relationships.

Launched in April and running until March 2023, we are now advising and helping customers to benefit from the Treasury’s Super Deduction Tax Incentive, where businesses can cut taxes by up to 25p for every £1 they invest. Companies can claim 130% capital allowances on plant and machinery investments that would usually qualify for 18% tax relief. There is also a first-year allowance of 50% for assets that would usually qualify for the special rate of 6% tax relief.

One market that is showing encouraging signs is the agricultural sector. Credo has helped farmers plan for more investment and buying extra equipment, new and used. We have a strong working relationship with Anglia Farmers with investment initiatives including renewable energy projects. For instance, fitting solar panels on premises or spare land cuts costs and carbon footprint with free, green electricity; you can even sell spare electricity to the National Grid.

Launching Eco and Motorsport finance

Such is our commitment to a greener future that we launched Credo Eco Finance last year. We had a wealth of experience in sourcing finance for electric vehicles and renewable energy initiatives, but this new specialist division takes the operation to a new level.

Whether buying a single electric car or a fleet of electric vans, our expert team can advise on the best options. We can also finance high-performance EVs such as the Porsche Taycan and Tesla Model S, and can help with chargers for your home or business premises.

Having established relationships in the motoring, electric cars and green energy sectors, we are answering the common questions so many people want to ask through interviews, videos and content on our website.

We are also in pole position with another specialist division, Credo Motorsport Finance.

A lead sponsor of the MINI Challenge, a support package to the British Touring Car Championship, we are also partnered with BTCC team Excelr8 Motorsport, based in Eye, Suffolk. And we are a trade partner with front-running Formula 2 racing team UNI-Virtuosi Racing, based at Attleborough, Norfolk.

The photo below shows: left to right, Declan Lohan (UNI-Virtuosi Racing team co-owner), Ian Tims (Credo MD), Andy Roche and Paul Devlin (UNI-Virtuosi Racing team co-owners) and Fran Brown and Lynne Hall (both Credo)

Covid-19 cast a dark shadow over 2020 but the Credo team is looking to a bright future and feeling positive about this year.

When it comes to customer commitment and working to support a wide range of companies and SMEs, both locally and nationally, a hat-trick of prestigious awards proves we are on the right track.

We have been honoured with a trio of trophies which include: Business Moneyfacts Asset Finance Broker of the Year 2021, Leasing World Gold Awards Broker of the Year 2020 and Broadland and South Norfolk Business Awards 2020 – Excellence in Financial Services and Insurance.

Fran Brown, marketing manager, is delighted with the awards commenting: “We are a local business, started as a bedroom-based independent finance broker by our late founder Simon Gray, and 15 years later that small business has grown to be a winner with these accolades. We were up against big, well-known multi-national companies competing for these titles; that says a lot about our ethos and the way we do things.”

Sadly, Simon (pictured left)  passed away last year after a brave battle with cancer, and it is so sad he never saw Credo’s latest successes, but we honour him with these awards and will carry on his legacy to help many more businesses secure the funding they need to succeed and grow.

I’ll let Ian Tims, our managing director, have the last word. 

“I am very excited about 2021. We are putting more on our own book and that helped get us through the pandemic. That is Credo’s key USP this year. We are still happy to lend to the right people, putting us ahead of banks and other lenders who can’t offer the same five-star service, and that is a positive for us. We offer market-leading rates, give fast decisions and pride ourselves on our award-winning service.”

Main picture shows: Credo marketing manager Fran Brown, right, and Davina Mellon, centre, receiving the Broadland and South Norfolk Excellence in Financial Services award from councillor Jo Copplestone.