Funding Options is on a mission to help accountants increase their foresightedness when dealing with SME clients and help them spot the funding that could help power their growth strategies or better manage cash-flow.

Accountants spend considerable time and energy advising their clients on how to combat cash-flow problems once they've arrived. But much like the famous idiom about "closing the stable door after the horse has bolted", what if they were able to predict when and where their SME clients might experience financial pressures?

As the market leader in data extraction and business performance analysis reporting for accountants, our partnership with VFD Pro achieves precisely this, with the integration powering comprehensive, time-appropriate insights that flag which clients would benefit from having funding conversations and when. VFD are calling it 'The Client Discussion Model'. Sitting on top of, and seamlessly integrated with, the existing VFD software, the module will populate an accountant's agenda with insight-led discussion points, including detailed funding opportunities, to discuss with clients during meetings.

Accountants will benefit from VFD's unique software and Funding Options knowledge of the SME finance market when assisting their clients, providing them with practical support and assistance, and helping their businesses to thrive, grow and exit successfully.

The game-changing module will enable accountants to speak with authority to their clients about solutions, not just problems, backed by sophisticated insights to proactively identify a client's upcoming cash-flow gap and provide them with the tools to prevent it.

VFD Pro Reporting Suite

VFD Pro completely automates the Funding Cloud(TM) process for clients needing more than just essential bookkeeping. By extracting data and generating highly detailed, accurate management reports in near real-time, accountants and advisory professionals can focus on important things, such as delivering outstanding customer service.

The VFD integration provides:

• A comprehensive suite of Management Information tools
• Automating the process of extracting data
• Pre-populated business growth models
• Analysing and reporting on business performance
• Interactive Business Intelligence (BI) Dashboard

Highlighting when a company can use a cash injection will assist accountants in helping them begin a conversation around funding, explaining in more detail how and why it will lead to a healthier balance sheet.

With more small businesses wanting advice from accountants on improving their financial position, Funding Options has supported 300+ accountancy firms nationwide to help clients pursue suitable finance options in a highly fragmented lending market.

Accountants' value to the application process is apparent as Funding Options data reveals that SMEs are almost ten times more likely to be successful with a funding application when they apply via their accountant.

Funding Cloud Connect

Funding Options is a leading data-driven marketplace for business finance, helping SMEs get the right funding in place so they can trade, plan and grow with confidence. Funding Options has helped over 11,500 businesses across the UK and the Netherlands secure over £650m in funding.

In a highly fragmented SME lending ecosystem, Funding Options is fast becoming the de facto marketplace for business finance, connecting businesses, lenders and partners in a frictionless digital journey.

Funding Options launched its award-winning Funding Cloud(TM) platform in April 2021. It has now reached a record of 20 seconds from loan application to credit approval, with time from application to funds in the bank of just 18 minutes. Launching in February 2022, Funding Cloud: Connect is an extension of this, expanding its offering for intermediaries - accountants and business advisors.

With Connect, accountants can source finance between £1,000 and up to £15M from multiple lenders for clients quickly and efficiently. Advisors can also track the status of clients' applications in real-time through a dedicated dashboard.

As modern customers move towards multi-product ecosystems where they can access products and services in one place, embedded finance partnerships such as this will enable financial services companies to increase their customer acquisition and drive new revenue streams.