Every Irish B2B business eventually needs outside funding, and the choice usually comes down to two very different structures: a traditional business loan or revenue-based finance. Revenue-based finance vs business loan is a comparison worth understanding properly, because getting it wrong doesn’t just cost you money, it can strain your cash flow at exactly the […]

You’ve done the work, sent the invoice, and now you wait. Thirty days is standard in Ireland. Sixty isn’t unusual. Ninety happens more often than most business owners would like. Meanwhile, wages, suppliers and rent don’t wait for anyone. That gap between doing the work and getting paid for it is one of the oldest […]

When a piece of kit gives up or your business finally outgrows what you’ve got, you’re faced with a decision that shapes your cash flow for years to come: buy the equipment outright, or lease it. The leasing vs buying business equipment question doesn’t have one right answer. It depends on how your business earns […]

B2B companies in Ireland often face a mismatch between when work gets done and when payment lands. Invoices go out net 30, net 60, sometimes longer, while wages, suppliers and overheads still need to be paid on time.  Revenue-based finance has become one of the more practical answers to this gap, offering funding that flexes […]

When Irish SMEs weigh up a business loan vs an overdraft in Ireland, a business loan suits planned investment and larger capital needs, while a bank overdraft works better for managing short periods of cash flow pressure. If your revenue fluctuates month to month, GRID Finance offers a flexible funding model that adjusts repayments to […]

Merchant cash advances are an increasingly popular form of alternative finance for Irish SMEs that take card payments. GRID Finance has been offering this type of funding to businesses across Ireland for over 13 years. This article explains what a merchant cash advance is, how it works in practice, and how Irish businesses can apply. […]

While Irish entrepreneurs are generally aware of what a personal credit score is, you borrow, you pay back, you establish a pattern, and then the lender judges based on that pattern. Something that people are not generally aware of is the fact that your business also has its own credit score, one that is totally […]

Cash flow is by far the biggest area of stress for owners of Irish small businesses. It’s not poor sales, it’s not competition, it’s not even increasing costs. It’s cash flow. The time lapse between outflow and inflow of cash is the biggest concern for the majority of SME owners, and no single issue has […]

If one were to ask any small business person in Ireland what is keeping them up at night, the answer would most probably revolve around the same problem. The problem of cash flow. Not income, nor profit, nor the economic situation, just simply the issue of whether the money is going to come out from […]

Introduction At the end of one year and the start of another, it’s only natural to wonder what lies ahead. The world seems to be in an incredible state of flux. The jury is out on how AI, tariffs and geopolitical uncertainty will pan out. But if history has taught us anything, it’s that periods […]

Introduction Whether it’s a start-up struggling to get off the blocks, or a family firm that’s operated for generations, every business will need external funding at some time or other. Loans or overdrafts can be the automatic go-to options for many Irish businesses – but they’re far from the only choices. In this article, we’ll […]

Introduction  As the old saying goes, ‘Health is Wealth’. But in business, it can be switched around to ‘Wealth is Health’. In other words, a firm will suffer without adequate financial resources. Customer service, product development and expansion plans will all be curtailed – and if any or all of these don’t thrive, the entire […]

Every small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) in Ireland aims to grow. In an ideal world, here’s how this would happen: as time passes, the SME’s reputation builds, more customers appear and cash reserves increase. This is then reinvested to encourage further expansion. All of this is the ideal but as anyone operating a business knows, […]

Introduction Running an SME in Ireland involves constant decision-making. From recruiting high calibre employees to deciding which products or services to offer, success depends on making the right choices. One of the most crucial decisions relates to borrowing. When is it right to seek funding, and which type of loan is most appropriate? In this […]

Introduction Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which employ under 250 people, ensure that countless products and services are available in every corner of Ireland. As such, SMEs are the backbone of the Irish economy. Yet many financial institutions don’t seem to recognise their importance or make allowances for the endless challenges SMEs must overcome to […]

GRID Finance’s new research comparing SME sentiment from early 2023 data shows significant improvement in business health and confidence, alongside growing concerns about government policy understanding. The research reveals an increase in SMEs reporting good financial health – from 60% in early 2023 to 72% today, while those reporting financial difficulty decreased from 39% to […]

Whether to fuel expansion or overcome temporary cash flow dips, almost every business seeks extra funding at some point. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in particular, can find themselves in need of cash injections, especially during their start-up phase. However, financing isn’t always easy to locate or afford. Banks and other finance providers often ask […]

Every day, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) ensure that communities across Ireland remain supplied with essential goods and services. GRID Finance understands the vital contribution made by SMEs – and the pressures their owners constantly experience. In response, we offer a range of financial products specifically designed to help SMEs succeed, whatever their sector. Some […]

In every Irish city, town and village, SMEs provide the essential goods and services that ensure communities survive and thrive. More often than not, this requires working far beyond the 9-to-5. And it means constantly worrying about where orders and customers will come from, next week and into the future. GRID Finance is a business […]

Introduction According to the Central Statistics Office in 2021, 69.2% of all employees in Ireland worked for an SME. This striking statistic underlines the importance of SMEs to Ireland’s economic health. That’s why GRID Finance provides flexible funding advances for both B2C and B2B businesses – built to support SME growth. Once you’ve determined that […]

Introduction to SME Financing For most small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ireland, borrowing or accessing additional funding is a fact of business life. Some may always aim to use business-generated earnings whenever cash is needed. But in a fast-moving world, the ability to seize opportunities or respond quickly to crises can drive long-term success – and […]

Introduction to business finance SMEs are the backbone of the Irish economy. Across the country, and in every community, they provide essential goods and services that enable every dimension of life. GRID Finance understands this, applauds this and exists to help SMEs prosper and grow. In this article, we look at one of the most […]

The Irish business landscape is constantly changing. Every industry is awash with new competition, especially in the financial sector, and particularly in the area of business loans. Today, the funding opportunities for SMEs are vastly different compared to when traditional banks were the only players in the market.  Irish SMEs looking to take out a […]

Every business needs a finance provider they can trust. GRID Finance can be that partner for you. That’s why we’ve put together a helpful guide for Irish-based SMEs that are unsure about which loan or financing option is right for their business.   WHAT TO CONSIDER BEFORE APPLYING FOR A LOAN OR FINANCING When considering applying […]

Merchant Cash Advance A merchant cash advance is a short-term business loan that a business in Ireland can take out against future sales and is repaid on a daily basis as a percent of the daily sales. The business allows the lender to track their sales and take small, continuous payments until the loan has been repaid. […]

What is Business Financing Business Financing is an investment that a business takes out for commercial purposes. This can be to make short term payments, invest in marketing or to create new growth opportunities. Pretty much anything that a business might need to spend money on can be considered as part of the finances, and […]

Today marks 10 years since myself and my best friend Sean O’Riordan signed the incorporation papers for GRID. So I thought it would be a good day to outline the launch of one of our centrepiece initiatives in the GRID Foundation – The National Fintech Awards. The National Fintech Awards will be the first of […]

Following our Day 1 update, it was a fantastic Day 2 here at Money20/20. Absolutely delighted to meet with Andrea Linehan (our former Marketing genius) and the indomitable Colm Lyons from Fire. I also had the pleasure of meeting with UK Cash Advance business 365 Finance. Some reflections from Day 2  Still a general sense […]

Delighted to be here at Money 20/20 for the first time. Sharing some thoughts and notes from the event for those who are interested.  Firstly the event is huge – the largest Fintech event in the world. All the main streams are covered and it is a bastion of everything that is happening in Fintech […]

Please excuse my use of the that classic Family Fortunes phrase! We are delighted to finally have the bandwidth and budget to do our own research on SME Financial Health. We think there is not enough discussion on the financial health and resilience of SME’s in Ireland. We are not expert data story tellers but […]

It is just 10 years since I came back to Ireland to do something about the banking problem. With any plan that is based on a set of ideals (and frankly naivety) the journey is full of ups and downs and twists and turns.  I was reading a Ranulph Fiennes book recently and the quote […]

When you sign up for analytics with GRID or add it to your existing account, we take into account the industry sector you are working in and the size of your business. Similar businesses is a feature that allows you to compare your business’ banking health and spending history with all other Analytics users. By […]

Data analytics is a process of finding meaning in numbers to business’ actionable insights, helping them achieve their goals and increasing efficiencies.   Analytics surrounds our daily lives. Streaming apps use analytics to recommend movies you might like. Shopping apps tempt you into buying more than you intended using analytics. Ever try to cancel a […]

Last week, the Government announced an additional cost-of-living package worth €1.3bn. The main focus of the package was providing additional support to families via a variety of targeted measures due to be paid in April and June. For businesses, the supports announced were extensions of existing schemes rather than any new ones. The most significant […]

Every business owner is feeling rising prices across the board no matter what sector they are in.  So what practical tips can be used to save money and try and keep the costs from spiralling?  With the increased prevalence of card and online payments it may be worthwhile having your payment processer cost and service […]

Like so many over recent days I have been moved by the extraordinary events in Ukraine. I had the pleasure of spending time there in 2019 travelling to Chernobyl, Kiev, Lviv and Ivano Frankivsk. The train from Kiev to Lviv is one of the great train journeys of the world in normal times. Ukraine is […]

During Covid-19, the Government introduced a range of supports to help businesses negatively impacted. One of those was to allow affected businesses to warehouse their tax obligations to the end of 2021 (or April 2022 depending on the sector) interest free to the end of 2022. Any business with outstanding Revenue warehousing at this point, […]

Are you planning to start or grow your business? GRID Finance offers flexible funding solutions designed to help business owners achieve their goals – whether short-term or long-term. You might be wondering: What are the benefits of choosing business funding over a personal loan? In this blog post, we explore the key advantages of using […]

If you’re an SME in Ireland, sole trader, or partnership business, you can access flexible business funding with repayment terms that suit you – with GRID Finance. In Ireland today, small & medium enterprises make up more than 90% of Ireland’s active economy. Many individuals & institutions, both micro and macro, depend on the success […]