5 financial business resolutions for 2022

Resolution 1: Review business targets and budgets

Start by reviewing your business strategy alongside your financial targets and budgets. Doing this will help you identify opportunities for driving growth and potential problems.

Resolution 2: Manage your debt

Believe it or not, debt can be a great way to introduce more working capital into your business and improve your cash flow – providing its managed wisely.

It’s not uncommon for business owners to have some form of debt, whether it's from business credit cards, revolving credit facilities, secured or unsecured business loans, asset finance, or merchant cash advances.

Review any debt you have, the interest rates you’re currently paying, and how much you owe. Having this information will be helpful for exploring refinancing options. Debt refinance can lower your repayment costs, leaving you with more cash in hand.

Resolution 3: Improve your business' credit rating

When applying for business finance, having a good credit score can improve your eligibility across a range of products and increase your chances of success.

Credit scores can also impact the amount of interest you pay or even decrease the total cost of the finance you're eligible for. If you have a bad credit score, don't worry, there are a few things you can do to improve it:

• Find out where you stand with your credit rating. Start by getting a credit report from a credit reporting company (CRA) such as Experian, CreditSafe, or Equifax. The credit reporting company (CRA) will conduct a 'soft check' so it won't affect your credit score.

• Be sure to fulfil your financial obligations on time - missing or making late payments can harm your credit rating.

• Establishing credit by taking out a business credit card or a business loan can help you establish a credit history, demonstrating to CRAs that you can responsibly use credit. Of course, it's essential to borrow within your means and meet your repayment obligations every month by paying in full and on time.

• Filing your business accounts promptly with Companies House can also be a way of boosting your credit rating. Always aim to get your accounts in earlier than the deadline to be on the safe side and avoid possible late penalty fees.

• Credit utilisation is one of the things CRAs factor in when determining your business credit score. For example, if you have a business credit card with a £5,000 monthly limit and usually use around £1,000 per month; your credit utilisation ratio is 20%. You should aim to keep your credit utilisation to a minimum.

If your credit score is low, you might still be able to get business finance.

More and more lenders provide finance options for businesses with bad credit; it'll also depend on your particular circumstances and willingness to use different security forms such as a personal guarantee, property or asset. 

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Resolution 4: Identify key tax dates and deadlines for 2022

Get ahead in 2022 by marking key tax dates on your calendar early in the year.

Filing your tax return late could lead to penalty fees and interest charges. Contact HMRC as soon as possible if you know you won't be able to pay a tax bill on time. HMRC may suggest you pay what you owe in instalments (this is called a Time to Pay arrangement).

It may be worth visiting gov.co.uk and talking to your accountant for the latest information.

Resolution 5: Understand your Funding Options

Every business owner knows that working capital is the not-so-secret sauce of any successful business! Think about what plans you have for 2022 and if you'll need additional finance to achieve your business goals.

We can let you know what finance you may be eligible for - all we need to know from you is how much you need and when you need it, and our award-winning algorithm will perform its magic! Knowing what funding options are available will help give you the confidence to drive your business growth in 2022. 

If you want to know more, check out our knowledge pages or explore your funding options.