According to the Asset Based Finance Association (ABFA), the UK currently leads Europe in the support asset based finance provides to businesses.
A recent survey has revealed that asset based finance now supports 15% of all UK company turnover which is 5% more that the average for economies across Europe. The trend towards asset based finance as an alternative to other finance continues to be positive with significant growth in Germany and France tow of the EU’s leading economies.
Both, however, continue to lag behind the UK with France having 11% of business turnover supported by asset based finance and Germany even further behind at 7% less than half the level in the UK.
Invoice finance where companies secure their funding against unpaid invoices continues to make up the biggest proportion of asset based finance in Europe with asset based lending against things like machinery and other assets accounting for 20% and this is an area that continues to grow strongly.
The other countries that are supporting business turnover at a level of asset based finance that is higher than average are Belgium (14.5%) The Republic of Ireland (13%) and Portugal (12%).
The UK is seen as one of the biggest innovators when it comes to alternative finance and now the rest of Europe are beginning to wake up to the obvious benefits it provides to businesses.