Skip to content

All News and Blogs

Play it safe with personal guarantees

It’s a buzz running a small business, but as a Director of a growing business, I have a fairly good idea of what can keep other small business owners awake at night.  Cashflow.

Whether it’s getting money in, paying it out or finding new sources of investment, managing finances can be a headache.  So when business owners are faced with the challenge of finding extra cash quickly, where do they go?

Personal Guarantee safety

Half of small businesses have never used business finance

As Britain’s top banks reaffirm their commitment to back British business through access to finance, ahead of Brexit[i], Purbeck Insurance Services is urging small business owners not to be deterred by a Personal Guarantee to secure access to funding but to look at ways they can mitigate the risk. In a survey by Purbeck[ii], over 1 in 10 small business owners (12%) said they’d decided against taking out a business loan because it included a Personal Guarantee.  

Purbeck Insurance Services is the UK’s only insurance provider to offer Personal Guarantee Insurance.

Small business finance

Demand for personal guarantee protection on P2P loans up 40%

Demand for Personal Guarantee Insurance from small businesses who have secured finance from Peer to Peer lenders such as Funding Circle rose 40% in the first six months of 2019 compared to H2 2018.    Analysis by Purbeck Insurance Services, the UK’s only insurance provider to offer Personal Guarantee insurance also found that the number of small businesses seeking personal guarantee insurance for unsecured loans has risen 58% in the same period. 

Personal Guarantee protection on P2P loans

Increase in business owners protecting their personal assets

In the first six months of 2019, the number of small business owners and directors who purchased Personal Guarantee Insurance for a Personal Guarantee backed finance deal rose 23%, compared to the previous six months.  Most small business owners buy protection for loans of £25,001-£50,000 and the demand for insurance protection for this bracket has grown 38% in H1 2019.  However, the number of policies for loans of £50,000-£75,000 has risen by 138% over the same half year period.

Business owners and personal asset protection

Belt and braces are best when it comes to P2P Lending | Purbeck

If you are one of the many small businesses that have turned to P2P lending to help fund your business, the news concerning the mixed fortunes of these platforms may be giving you pause for thought.  P2P lending platforms have become a valuable route to cash for small businesses.  However, it appears that the well-publicised collapse of firms such as Lendy is making small businesses more focused on the risks, particularly where a Personal Guarantee has been signed to secure the funding.

Rise in Personal Guarantee Insurance caused by peer to peer lenders Purbeck

Being boss motivates more than money

  • When making a commercial credit application, in order to inject funds into your business, there’s every chance that you’ll be required to provide a personal guarantee. If you’ve never been through the process before you may be unaware of the implications of doing so and therefore unable to make an informed decision.

    By the end of this article, you’ll understand what it means to sign a personal guarantee, why lenders require it and how you can mitigate your risk.

Business motivation

Should you make a commercial credit application with a PG? | Purbeck

  • When making a commercial credit application, in order to inject funds into your business, there’s every chance that you’ll be required to provide a personal guarantee. If you’ve never been through the process before you may be unaware of the implications of doing so and therefore unable to make an informed decision.

    By the end of this article, you’ll understand what it means to sign a personal guarantee, why lenders require it and how you can mitigate your risk.

Make a commercial credit application with a PG Purbeck Personal Guarantee Insurance

How can a SME owner cut the risk of a personal guarantee? | Purbeck

Most small business owners would prefer not to sign a personal guarantee, but when it makes the difference between securing finance and having the door shut in your face what’s a small business owner to do?

If signing the guarantee is the only route to finance, the first priority for any savvy small business owner is a thorough check on what they’re potentially getting into.  Even a thriving business can go through uncertain times and if things do go wrong, that guarantee could mean loss of personal assets including home, possible bankruptcy, tarnished credit rating and damaged future career, not to mention a severe strain on family relationships.

pexels-photo-259165

Reducing the risk of signing a Personal Guarantee

Contact Us for more information

For more information or to speak to one of our underwriters contact us today.