Lack of lending behind the surge in company closures

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to present data on the situation for small businesses during the current recession in terms of financial services support. Design/methodology/approach – A panel of members of the Forum of Private Business (FPB) were surveyed, seeking information about the services and support of financial services. Findings – Whilst some respondents reported a slight improvement in support, the number of insolvencies continues to rise. Research limitations/implications – The panel represents only members of the FPB. Practical implications – The data are very recent and report the current experiences of small businesses with messages to government and the financial services sector of a lack of support for small businesses. Originality/value – Small businesses are hard to access and the article contributes to both policy and practice in the support of an important commercial sector.