News

New data shows surge in directors using personal assets to fund their businesses. Construction firms and manufacturers lead the charge.

For many SME directors, signing a personal guarantee is a standard part of securing finance. Whether it’s for a loan, lease, or property agreement, lenders often require individuals to stand behind the business with their own personal assets.

Recent comments from Stuart Machin, the M&S CEO, suggesting that bosses shouldn’t really forget about work while on holiday have reignited a familiar debate: should leaders ever truly switch off?

London, April 2026 As Stress Awareness Monthⁱ⁾ shines a spotlight on mental wellbeing this April, Purbeck Insurance Services a specialist provider of Personal Guarantee Insurance to SME owners and directors has partnered with Andy’s Man Club, a UK-wide men’s suicide prevention charity that provides free peer-to-peer support groups and online sessions. Andy’s Man Club is committed to ending the stigma surrounding men’s mental health through the power of conversation, under its message: #ITSOKAYTOTALK. Purbeck will donate £5 from every Personal Guarantee Insurance policy sold to support the charity’s work.

London, March 2026 – Purbeck Personal Guarantee Insurance, the UK’s only provider of personal guarantee insurance, has become a major partner of the FUEL Roadshow, a UK-wide initiative designed to help SMEs become investor and funding ready. Purbeck will join other major partners, NatWest, British Business Bank, CO4CH, CBI, and regional partner FW Capital.

London, 2 March 2026 – As International Women’s Day approaches, new data from Purbeck Insurance Services, the UK’s only provider of personal guarantee insurance (PGI), uncovers a sharp 51% rise in borrowing activity among female SME business owners in 2025. Even so, only 1 in 10 entrepreneurs using external funding and seeking insurance from Purbeck is female, underscoring the ongoing challenges female founders face in accessing and managing finance.

London, February 2026 - New data shows a late surge in demand for personal guarantee insurance (PGI) among SME manufacturers in Q4 2025, highlighting growing caution as firms navigated funding decisions at the tail end of the year.

For many SME directors, signing a personal guarantee has long been part of securing business finance. Whether it’s to fund growth, manage cash flow, or invest in property and equipment, lenders frequently require directors to put their personal assets on the line to move a deal forward.

London, January 2026 – New analysis of small business loan activity in Q4 2025 shows overall demand for funding levelling off despite diverging trends in construction and manufacturing. This is according to Purbeck Insurance Services’ latest data on personal guarantee insurance (PGI) applications. Directors/Managers of small businesses typically apply for Personal Guarantee Insurance when securing new personal guarantee backed funding for their business.