Our first panellist is Robert Johns. Robert is a Chartered Accountant who has had over a decade of experience working at the UK’s largest accountancy and consulting firms, most recently EY and KPMG. He has a passion for SMEs and has provided financial and operational advice to growing businesses that has helped them raise funding and streamline operations to turn strong sales into cash profits.
Read on to find out a little bit more about our panellist.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you are up to right now?
Having spent most of my career working at large consultancy firms, six months ago I founded Arjay Consulting, which provides financial and operational strategic advice to SMEs. Right now I am working with some of the most exciting brands in the SME market including CRU Kafe, Punchy Drinks and Quarter, as they have successfully navigated the last twelve months and now seek to capitalise on an increasingly positive business environment.
What does the year ahead have in store for you?
I am looking forward to continuing to work with dynamic, creative and inspiring people as they look to invest in and scale up their businesses. I provide financial expertise to business owners and directors who do not have necessarily have a financial or accounting background so that they can focus on what they’re good at. Through this I hope my clients can take their businesses to the next level.
What have you been most impressed with in the SME lending world and its’ response to the pandemic?
The clarity of offerings and efficiency of putting together packages that worked for SMEs is what has impressed me the most. The number of businesses that were able to access bounce back loans and CBILS relatively quickly through multiple lenders, allowed these businesses to both survive and thrive when otherwise they may not have been able to do so.
What do you think the year ahead holds for the alternative lender market as we exit the pandemic?
The alternative lender market has a pivotal role to play as SMEs invest in their businesses and drive economic growth in the UK. There is a strong appetite amongst SMEs for this investment with many needing external finance in order to do so.
What do you think the year ahead holds for the SME world as we exit the pandemic?
It’s an incredibly exciting time for SMEs that have demonstrated resilience throughout the pandemic, identified new sales channels, often online or with new products and services, and now look to capitalise on the easing of government restrictions. The challenge and opportunity for them now is to maintain and accelerate the sales channels developed during the pandemic, while their pre-pandemic channels return. I work with a number of clients in F&B, hospitality and the wider consumer market and there are exciting opportunities out there for all of them
Find out a bit more about Arjay here.
Stay tuned for the announcement of the winners of the SME Funding Awards, and take a look at the full list of nominees here.
