Over the past nine years the firm has grown from a team of 3 to a team of 18, with a team of Partners with over 400 years combined Commercial Banking experience.
Steve and Dan share the SWBF story so far as we celebrate 9 years in business and what’s next for SWBF.
What’s changed since you started out?
We have moved offices to Corsham and the team has grown, taking on new Partners and employees. We have also signed up to the Women in Finance Charter, improved all our internal processes and procedures, updated our websites and developed our social media offering.
Moreover, we have survived the difficult conditions created by the pandemic and completed several mammoth challenges raising lots of money for our charity partners. We have also been proud recipients of Industry Awards over the years.
What’s remained the same?
Our commitment to serve the SME community and find the best possible funding options for our clients. Our values of family, trust, experience and relationships have remained constant throughout as we strive to be the trusted partner for our clients and support them on their business journey.
What have been the biggest challenges?
The last few years have thrown up a few challenges, including adapting our working processes and supporting our clients during Covid, and more recently the context of rising energy prices, interest rates and inflation. The lending landscape is constantly changing and it is our job to stay abreast of these changes and what they mean for the SME lending market.
What have been the biggest learnings?
Our biggest learnings revolve around preparation and business resilience, always trying to stay one step ahead of the competition and be agile enough to respond to any changes in the economic landscape. Our advice to our clients would always be to plan ahead, understand your business funding structures and what you need in place to best achieve your goals.
What have been your highlights?
There have been so many, but the team growing and maintaining our ‘family feel’ and staying true to our values is a real highlight. Our year-on-year growth and tenacity to find solutions for our clients in sometimes very difficult lending conditions also makes us feel proud. Finally, there are the challenges we have completed as a team over the years for our charity partners including a 13-mile walk, 25-mile bike rides, golf days and more recently the Three Peaks Challenge!
What’s next for SWBF?
Continuing to help our clients achieve their goals and making sure we understand the financial landscape in the best detail possible. We will also be planning events to celebrate our 10th anniversary in 2024. Watch this space!