At the Business Funding Show on 2nd – 3rd February we will be connecting 100 exhibitors in the UK funding space from areas as diverse as grant and angel investment, to alternative loan financing, factoring and peer to peer to lending, with over 800 micro and Small and Medium Enterprise owners. The year gone by, 2015, was a great year for financing, with a swathe of new government legislation improving conditions for start-ups and small and medium enterprises. 2016 will see a lot of this legislation coming to fruition. One of the most important moves by the government was the passing of the Small Business Enterprise & Employment Act in March 2015 which mandates that major banks must refer businesses refused credit to alternative finance platforms. Work is underway to introduce this measure in 2016 and roll it out across the country in the new year. Additionally, the Government solidified its support for SMEs by the appointment of a Small Business Minister, Anna Soubry, in the 2015 general elections and a late payment tsar, all measures that are helping to give a voice to small business issues, including funding. With the expected roll out of these new schemes expected by 2020 we will have seen a big, big correction – people and businesses will simply not be able to access the money that is available now. There will be efficiency in assessing what is a good deal, which will lend itself to more responsible platforms serving a more knowledgeable base. By connecting experts and small and medium business owners at the Business Funding Show we will be able to further educate the UK business landscape on new movements in UK funding. Furthermore, going forward further in time, banks will no longer be the default solution for funding and we’ll instead see massive collaboration between FinTech players and traditional institutions, as those businesses with superior technology are sought out by those businesses with funds to lend – whether that’s white labelling or sharing technology to better serve business – and consumer customers. By 2020, I think there will be an increase in online funding schemes large and small, together with Government backed grants and loans – in order to aid the development of the UK and wider EU economy. It could even be the case that from as early as 2016 some providers might start to respond and distribute all business financing application below £100,000 online with minimal human interaction. To find out more about advances in business financing in 2015 and beyond be sure to attend the Business Funding Show from 2nd – 3rd February at Old Billingsgate.