Fairline Boats plots course for calmer seas as Better Capital support brings return to profit

New digs: Fairline has completed a one year manufacturing change programme

New digs: Fairline has completed a one year manufacturing change programme

Despite being located in land-locked Northamptonshire, Fairline Boats is making steady progress and has used its turnaround investment from Better Capital to launch a new manufacturing facility. GrowthBusiness visits the yacht builder to find out more.

The Business Growth Fund: Two years of operation in numbers

Deal activity: The BGF wants to be closing 30-40 investments a year

With two years having passed since the Business Growth Fund was backed by four of the UK's biggest high street banks, GrowthBusiness looks at what the firm has achieved.

Using the power of the community to fund local energy projects

With raising finance for energy projects often being a hard sell for developers, GrowthBusiness meets Abundance Generation to find out how it is revolutionising the process.

Trailblazing sustainability pioneer Ecology Building Society ready for retrofit push

Sustainable development: An Ecology Building Society project

In 1980, a Yorkshire solicitor spoke up at a Green Party conference regarding the difficulty in finding a mortgage for a property needing extensive renovation – the result was the Ecology Building Society.

How mezzanine finance can help ambitious SMEs to grow

Darren Hart, head of growth capital at Santander UK, looks at how mezzanine finance can fit nicely between private equity and angel investments for mid-market businesses.

Pension-led funding to fuel business growth

Fast funds: (CW from left) Tony Curtis, Jan Van Der Velde and Dick Cormack

Despite numerous government initiatives to stimulate bank lending, it appears no easier to secure vital capital for growth. We meet three entrepreneurs who are using their pension pots to fund business development.

Video: Twilio's Jeff Lawson outlines the new Twilio Fund Europe 2013

Jeff Lawson, CEO and co-founder of cloud communications business Twilio, meets with GrowthBusiness to explain the company's new micro fund for start-ups and why it is targeting Europe this time round.

Discounted funding: options there for SMEs

New routes: The Enterprise Finance Guarantee is one of the new funding options

Andy Cutbill, head of products and pricing at Lloyds TSB Commercial Banking, explains why with government schemes designed to make access to finance easier for SMEs, businesses can be confident that funding for growth is widely available – and at a discounted cost.

How new rules could hit venture capital trust investments

In response to new government legislation which could potentially limit the scope of venture capital trusts, Simon Rogerson, CEO of Octopus Invesments, argues the case for the funding method.

How to apply for Regional Growth Fund capital

On site: Business minister Michael Fallon on location at HV Wooding in Kent

To coincide with the fourth instalment of the Regional Growth Fund, GrowthBusiness meets HV Wooding to find out how the business secured capital from the fund’s last round.

Banking on the next generation for finance innovation

As the rate of change in the banking industry accelerates, Holvi founder Kristoffer Lawson shares his thoughts on where there is room to innovate and what this means for next generation banking. 

CrowdBnk's attempt to bridge the crowdfunding divide

Ayan Mitra, founder of crowdfunding business CrowdBnk, tells GrowthBusiness about the platform’s ethos and why he thinks social investing could be the solution to start-up and growth company finance.

More from Growing A Business

Light touch regulation: Friend or foe? 

Business Regulations

Sophia Harrison, director of financial and professional services at Grayling, looks at how a new exchange platform out of Sweden could strike the right chord of regulation for SMEs.

Corporate leaks: How to prevent and investigate if they occur

Business Tools

Bob Mecrate-Butcher, partner at Charles Russell, looks at how corporate leaks can first be prevented and then plugged when they do occur.

Vitesse Events

New Energy and Cleantech Awards 2013

Date: March 21, 2013
Venue: Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square, London

M&A Awards 2013

Date: June 27, 2013

Location: Millennium Mayfair, London

2013 Investor AllStars

Date: September 25, 2013

Location: The Natural History Museum, London

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More from GrowthBusiness

News & Market Deals

Silicon Roundabout: The competition winner will be moving to London's Tech City

Boris Johnson, Seedrs and TCIO rally round to form £1 million prize pot for next big London tech start-up

A £1 million competition has been launched to encourage start-ups to move to London and highlight the capital as a 'prime location' for building global digital and technology businesses.

The Entrepreneur

Bird's eye view: Start-ups can new begin to utilise satellites to build technologies

Space: The final entrepreneurial frontier

Despite it taking until 2013 for the UK to have its first ‘official astronaut’, Britain’s space industry offers many opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Comment & Analysis

Partnering with larger businesses for growth

Building a high-growth business stage three: Choosing to partner with larger firms to collaborate on projects.

Research

Source of growth: There are 64 UK-listed cash shells holding £237.9 million

The rise of cash shells

New research from GrowthBusiness shows that the number of UK cash shells is climbing. We speak to new entrants to the market and those that have recently closed deals to find out what’s driving shells’ increasing popularity.