Q&A with the Novuna Business Finance Direct team
We recently sat down with the Novuna Business Finance Asset Finance team to learn more about what they do and what makes them tick. In conversation are Andrew Barnard, Head of Direct Sales, and Regional Managers, Ian Exall and Adrian Carter. Between them, they boast over 63 years of experience in the asset finance industry and have worked with a wide range of industries and business sizes.
Q: Could you tell us a little bit about the Asset Finance team?
A - Andrew Barnard: We’re a small but dedicated team tasked with finding established UK SME’s looking to finance business assets. This involves leveraging existing client relationships, business development through networking, running marketing campaigns, and gaining cross sales from other Novuna businesses such as Vehicle Solutions, Business Cash Flow, and Consumer Finance.
As a direct business, we work really closely with our customers. We strive to act not only as a funder but a trusted business partner with regards to their future business development. Our aim, where we can, is to put in place credit lines for our customers to replace existing assets or invest in new ones, and also to make it as easy as possible for them to deal with us.
We are mindful of the fact that there are many players in the asset finance market and the commodity we all sell comes from the same place. At Novuna Business Finance, we place a strong focus on delivering an exceptional customer experience, as demonstrated by our multiple award wins and service accreditations. Our job, in a nutshell, is to go out and build really close relationships with business owners and leaders and work with them to grow their business and become their lender of choice.
Q: Who are your typical customers?
A - Ian Exall: Our customer base ranges from small businesses to large corporates. We concentrate on sectors that are traditionally asset-intensive, such as Transport and Logistics, Manufacturing and Technology, Green Assets, Construction and in fact most businesses that acquire hard assets.
Q: How do you get the right funding solution for your customers?
A - Adrian Carter: As Andrew said earlier, we try to understand the customer's business, the factors that influence their buying decisions, and, more importantly, what outcome they're looking for. We want to work closely with, and alongside, the customer, always being mindful of the old sales saying 'we have two ears and one mouth and they should be used in that ratio' – i.e. listening is twice as important as making assumptions!
Q: How important is it to support SMEs with funding?
A - Ian Exall: The focus of mainstream business news is usually concerned with UK and global corporate players and not the hundreds of thousands of SME businesses that provide goods and services to both consumers and other businesses. It’s these businesses that will more likely require funding partners in order to grow, and that is of course where we come in.
It’s always important to remember that, as business funders, we have a vital role to play in the performance of the wider economy. In short, we provide essential fuel to the engine room of the UK economy, namely SME business.
Q: What do you enjoy most about your job?
A - Andrew Barnard: I find my role as Head of Direct Sales extremely rewarding. We strive to be a trusted business partner to our customers, and being able to contribute to their success story firing our team's passion and dedication. We celebrate every milestone achieved by the businesses we support, knowing that our efforts contribute to their growth and prosperity.
Let’s talk!
Our team are on hand to support your business whatever step of the funding journey you are on. We'd love to hear from you to see if we can help.