A team of Staffordshire business banking experts are supporting jobs and growth in the county by ensuring companies seeking external funding get the right results.

In the last 12 months Beta Commercial Finance has issued total funds of nearly £24million and has helped companies either sustain or create around 85 FTE jobs. Around £15million of that was to companies based in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire.

Beta, which was launched in 2017, was included in the influential 2023 Credit 500 index.

It has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Best Company to Work For category at the national Credit Awards, the flagship awards for the credit and financial services industry, with the winner to be announced imminently.

Former business banker Tom Wilkinson founded Beta in his home village of Alton after identifying that many companies struggled to get the advice needed to allow their business to grow.

Beta CF now has a team of five experienced finance professionals and is currently looking to recruit a Senior Commercial Finance Manager and an apprentice.

Tom said: “In the past, many company directors would have had a regular relationship with a business bank manager, perhaps based at their local branch. That’s rare in 2023 and we believe Beta fills that gap, with the added advantage of being able to search the whole of the market and find solutions from more than one lender.

“By building relationships with the lenders we can negotiate the best pricing and funding packages.”

Beta works across many business sectors including working with Hewitt & Carr to develop the Daisy Bank House Business Centre and working on a finance deal to support the purchase of the historic Eagle Works in Cobridge as a headquarters for C2 Construction.

Tom even put together a package to help his local village shop to be bought out and thereby ensure it stayed as a vital lifeline for residents.

Tom is Chair of Alton’s successful community pub, The White Hart. The historic inn is thriving after been bought by around 60 local shareholders headed by Tom.

He added: “We value our culture and the ability to enjoy each and every day at work and have fun along the way.”

Beta Commercial Finance Ltd has entered the Small Business of the Year and Team of the Year categories of the Staffordshire University Business Awards.