Month: July 2019

Tips for protecting your farm against rural crime

31st July 2019 / / Comments Off on Tips for protecting your farm against rural crime

As the cost of rural crime continues to soar, it’s important that farmers take steps to secure their valuables from criminals.

Agricultural crime is a widespread problem faced by farmers up and down the country. Criminals and organised gangs target farms due to their large size and remote location, stealing valuable farm tools, equipment, vehicles and even livestock, with devastating consequences for farmers during what is already a difficult time for the industry.

Take these five basic steps to help prevent your farm from becoming a victim of rural crime.

Lock all valuables away securely– All valuables including tools, equipment, machinery and vehicles should be locked away out of sight when not in use. Large machinery and vehicles should be kept in secure farm buildings, and valuable tools should be kept in a locked toolbox. To ensure that they are secure, farm buildings should be regularly maintained, and doors and windows should be kept closed and locked to prevent easy access and protect from opportunist criminals.

Install security systems to all farm buildings– Farm buildings that contain valuables should be fitted with security lights and systems including CCTV and intruder alarms to deter criminals.

Mark and register all your valuable machinery, equipment and vehicles– Clearly marking all your valuable assets can deter criminals and improve the chances of your items being identified and returned to you if they are ever stolen. There are a variety of different marking solutions available including UV marking pens, engraving, etching, and labels. Once you have marked your property, register it on the Immobilise website. Immobilise is used by police forces up and down the country to return stolen items to their rightful owners.

Immobilise or lock vehicles– Immobilise farm vehicles using wheel clamps, steering locks or ground anchors when they are not in use to make them more difficult to steal.

Secure boundaries– The remote location of many farms leaves them particularly vulnerable to criminals. Securing your boundaries and making access difficult using high fences, earth banks and ditches, or reinforced gates can make your property more private and secure to deter criminals.

Security systems, durable gating and heavy duty padlocks are all relatively small investments when you consider what is at stake without them.

If you require agricultural financeto help replace stolen farm equipment or vehicles, get in touch with our team here at Richmond Asset Finance by calling 0113 288 3277 to discuss your requirements.

Hard assets and soft assets explained

21st July 2019 / / Comments Off on Hard assets and soft assets explained

Assets can be roughly divided into two categories, hard assets and soft assets, do you know the difference between each?

Asset finance helps businesses of all shapes and sizes to acquire the assets they require to grow and be prosperous. 

The types of assets that your business requires to move forward will depend on a variety of factors including your industry, your business plan, and how established the business is.

Generally, assets are said to either be hard assets or soft assets.

Hard assets

Asset finance is most commonly used to acquire hard assets. Hard assets are usually physical, high value items that are essential to a business’ operation. This could include the following:

  • Commercial vehicles
  • Manufacturing equipment
  • Printing presses
  • Machinery
  • Construction vehicles
  • Plant equipment
  • Engineering equipment
  • Agricultural machinery

Financing hard assets provides finance companies with good security as the assets tend to retain value for many years, even at the end of their lease.

Soft assets

Soft assets may be more difficult to obtain with asset finance as they pose a bigger risk to the finance company. Soft assets are lower value items and have little or no value by the end of their lease. Examples of soft assets include:

  • Computer hardware and software
  • Office furniture
  • Security systems
  • Air conditioning systems
  • Electronic Point of Sale systems

If you require soft assets, then you may still be able to acquire them using asset finance by providing some additional security. This could include a deposit towards the asset, a director’s guarantee, or securing the asset with another existing asset to offset the risk. However not all asset finance companies will provide funding for soft assets. 

Find out more about our asset finance solutionshere at Richmond Asset Finance by giving our team a call on 0113 288 3277 to discuss your requirements in more detail.

Asset finance market continues to show signs of growth

15th July 2019 / / Comments Off on Asset finance market continues to show signs of growth

After a record-breaking year for asset finance in 2018, the flourishing industry continues to show signs of growth for 2019.

In 2018 the asset finance market grew by 3%, hitting a new record level, with new business totalling over £33 billion.

As we entered 2019 the financial insecurity of Brexit was looming and it seemed uncertain whether this growth was sustainable, but statistics so far this year have shown continued growth.

Figures recently released by the Finance and Leasing Association (FLA) show that asset finance new business, for deals of up to £20m, grew by 6% in May compared to the same month last year. New finance for plant and machinery grew by 8%, as did commercial vehicle finance.

This follows the news that new business is up by 8% for the industry in the first five months of 2019.

It appears that more businesses than ever are turning to the asset finance industry this year for help growing their business.

In fact, according to the FLA, in the first quarter of 2019 the percentage of UK equipment investment being funded by asset finance stood at 38%, the highest it’s been for more than a decade.

It’s easy to see the appeal of asset finance to businesses. Acquiring assets and repayment is affordable, fast and uncomplicated when compared to applying for a traditional bank loan or overdraft.

Asset finance is currently the third most popular form of business finance after bank overdrafts and loans, helping thousands of businesses to obtain the assets that they require to develop and grow.

Here at Richmond Asset Finance, we provide a variety of flexible finance solutions including asset financeand refinance. For more information about any of our services, or to discuss your requirements in detail, give our team a call on 0113 288 3277.

Advantages of asset finance…

8th July 2019 / / Comments Off on Advantages of asset finance…

…when compared to traditional bank lending

Businesses that cannot afford to pay large costs up-front can use asset finance as an affordable and flexible means to acquire the assets they require to drive growth.

So, why choose asset finance over a traditional bank loan? 

Asset finance has several key advantages over a bank loan, let’s take a look at them in more detail.

Asset finance does not require a perfect credit history– Banks usually have strict lending requirements and will not always accept new businesses that lack credit history or have a poor credit rating. Unlike banks, asset finance lenders do not require a perfect credit history, each applicant will be considered on their own merits.

Applying for asset finance is generally quicker– Applying for a bank loan can be a lengthy and time-consuming process involving examining your financial history, performing credit checks and even creating a business proposal. Applying for asset finance is generally much quicker and more straightforward.

Cashflow benefits– Unlike bank loans, asset finance payments are usually fixed, so there’s no need to worry about rising interest rates. Payments can be spread out throughout the asset’s useable life, making paying for the asset affordable and reliable, and freeing up your working capital to improve cashflow.

Little or no security required– Asset finance is generally less risky than a bank loan or overdraft, so less security is required in order to attain it, making this type of finance particularly useful for start-up businesses. Usually the assets you are acquiring as part of the deal are security enough. If you cannot make payments at any point, then the finance company will simply take back the asset.

Asset finance companies often specialise– Asset finance companies often specialise in working with businesses within particular industries. This gives them a deeper understanding of how the businesses they work with operate and the challenges they face, allowing them to offer the most suitable solutions.

Here at Richmond Asset Finance we help businesses to gain the assets they need to succeed and flourish. Just some of the type of assets we will consider financing include commercial vehicles, engineering equipment, plastic and woodworking injection equipment, packaging and labelling machines and agricultural machinery and vehicles.

To discuss your requirements in more detail, give our team a call on 0113 288 3277.

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