The small business panel of experts

BANKING AND FINANCE

Peter Ibbetson, NatWest Bank

Are you worried about how to bank-roll your business? Problems with your finances?

Peter Ibbetson, head of NatWest Business Banking, answered your questions on starting up, planning, finance and business banking.

Click on the following links to read his answers:

Securing a loan without equity, or with too much debt

Raising finance in Eastern Europe and avoiding bad debts

On how old you have to be to access funding

Using overdrafts and setting up in the catering trade

Finding finding for patents and the best time to approach financiers

Impressing your bank manager and DTI funding

Unsecured lending and raising money for an acquisition

Bank accounts for ex-prisoners and working abroad

Young entrepreneurs and finding security for loans

Costing your business and the ethics of bank managers

Start-up grants and financing your business

Book-keeping software and lending to franchises

Peter has more than 25 years of experience and regularly meets small business owners up and down the country as part of his work. He also maintains a dialogue with trade bodies and support organisations.

In addition, he is the chairman of the British Bankers Association's Small Firms Advisory Panel and chairman of The Princes Trust Cambridgeshire Area Board.