Bank sets up online support hub for companies

The support hub, set up with the Forum of Private Business (FPB), has been designed to cover the areas of expertise where it can be expensive to hire specialist staff.

Small firms can access information, tools and helplines in seven areas: finance, law, development, purchasing, HR, health and safety and communications.

They will be able to choose the particular elements needed to help their business grow.

The finance section covers topics such as tax returns, debt recovery, credit control and monthly management accounts.

Some of the tools are free to use with Yorkshire and Clydesdale charging for enhanced support at a monthly subscription ranging from £12.99 to £22.99 per month per subject.

Gary Lumby, director of small business banking at Yorkshire and Clydesdale Banks, said: “We are delighted to launch this new business support hub with the Forum of Private Business, their knowledge and experience is a fantastic resource for small bus- inesses.

“This new service supplements our existing proposition well and underlines our belief that, for small businesses, banking is about so much more than money – it is about knowledge, advice and contacts.”

Phil Orford, chief executive of the FPB, said: “Whether they are start-ups or more established firms, research shows that businesses whose owners seek support are much better able to survive and grow than those struggling along on their own.

“In the modern world it is simply not relevant to prescribe what support we think a business should require.”

Yorkshire and Clydesdale are both owned by National Australia Bank.