Access to finance is one of the most important issues facing business today. At the global level, the way in which finance has been secured in many economies over the last decade – has been destroyed. The "wall of money" commonly spoken of two years ago – cash flowing from resource–rich economies to indebted developed nations – is no more. The world economy is now in recession and national economies will suffer to different degrees and over varying time frames. Leverage, the extensive use of debt, as the easiest way to gain access to finance, has gone. Banking institutions are living in fear of lending, and in deep distrust of each other.
At the more prosaic level, for the entrepreneur or for the local authority providing physical infrastructure, access to finance is no longer a routine matter. It has become a tangible barrier to getting things done.
For the accountant as trusted business advisor, devising routes to access to finance is one of the most valuable services he or she can provide. Whether the accountant is employed in house in the business, or externally sourced, there is a key role to be played. Not only must they "keep the books" and maintain control over cashflow but like medical GPs, accountants must increasingly be able to assess when they must refer effectively to the right specialists who will know. And in terms of understanding the routes to access to finance the accountant is arguably in one of his/her highest value adding roles.
This site aims to examine a wide range of issues involved in accessing finance and provide advice on a subject which could not be more topical.
What's new
Survey of Business Angel activity 2008/09
ACCA launch members survey to help influence and improve government policy and support Business Angels in the UK. In order to encourage and support these investors, the UK Government asked a group of select private sector organisations to help promote this work. This survey addressed to business angel investors, is being promoted by that group, which also includes the British Business Angels Association (BBAA), the British Venture Capital Association (BVCA), NESTA (the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) and LINC Scotland, the national association of Business Angel networks in Scotland.
View the survey 
Policy
SME POLICY PAPER: Improving SME access to equity finance
As part of ACCA SME Committee's series of policy papers, this paper considers the increasingly important role played by equity investment in small business and how this can be supported by the Government.
Research
Global SME survey shows cautious optimism but government has a role, say accounting bodies
Governments everywhere must make the interests of small and medium-sized businesses a key priority or put sustained economic recovery at risk, three of the world's leading accounting bodies have warned following a global survey which they commissioned.
ACCA, CPA Australia, and the Certified General Accountants Association of Canada (CGA-Canada), which together represent more than 700,000 accountants and trainees worldwide, sponsored research by the world-renowned Economist Intelligence Unit, which explored the problems facing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in accessing finance from banks and other lenders. Based on that research and other recent studies, the three bodies have created their own report, which includes a series of recommendations for governments, banks and business.