Navigating the Waves: FX Risk Management for Small Businesses

Posted on the 19th April 2024 by Hamish Anderson in Founders' blog, SME blog, Business, Finance, Founder Insights

In an era where macroeconomic uncertainties seem to be the only constant, businesses venturing into the global marketplace face a multitude of challenges, not the least of which is managing foreign exchange (FX) risk. However, fear not! By adopting strategic FX risk management practices, businesses can shield their bottom lines from adverse movements and turn a potential threat into a competitive advantage. In this month’s blog, we explore some strategies to master the art of FX risk management.

Unraveling the Xero Effect: A Game-Changer for Accountants and Clients in the International Payments Realm

Posted on the 13th March 2024 by Hamish Anderson in Founders' blog, SME blog, Business, Finance, Founder Insights

For the UK's fintech sector and its users, the emergence in recent years of accountancy platforms like Xero has been nothing short of revolutionary. As a fintech company focused on navigating the intricacies of making payments across borders, we've witnessed firsthand (and experienced ourselves) the transformative impact Xero has had on our partners in the accountancy sector and their clients. In this blog we will delve into the core of this transformation, exploring how Xero has not just solved problems but has also redefined the financial landscape.

Revolutionising the World of Numbers: How Fintech and Digital Tools have Transformed the Accountancy Profession

Posted on the 15th December 2023 by Hamish Anderson in Founders' blog, SME blog, Business, Finance, Founder Insights

The days of crunching numbers with a calculator and manually balancing books are fading into the past. Today, fintech and a plethora of digital tools have emerged as the driving force behind the transformation of the accountancy sector. In this blog post, we'll dive into the exciting ways in which fintech businesses like ours, and digital tools, have reshaped the world of accountancy.

Navigating the Currency Landscape: What Scale-Up Businesses Need to Know

Posted on the 26th October 2023 by Hamish Anderson in Founders' blog, SME blog, Business, Finance, Founder Insights

Navigating the intricate global currency landscape is key for fostering growth and ensuring the success of your business. In this post, we will dive deeper into the essentials that scale-up businesses must grasp when it comes to currency management.

The Vital Connection: Paying Suppliers and Global Commerce

Posted on the 12th October 2023 by Hamish Anderson in Founders' blog, SME blog, Business, Finance, Founder Insights

UK businesses today are, by default, global. Regardless of sector, they operate in a fully interconnected world, compete with international companies, and must reach across borders to find customers, partners, and suppliers.  

In order for all of this to function though, money must always be able to move across borders smoothly, reliably and at low cost.

Fintech Fights Fraud

Posted on the 21st September 2023 by Hamish Anderson in SME blog, Business, Founders' blog, Founder Insights

In the ever-evolving world of international payments, staying ahead of the curve means embracing innovation. However, as quickly as exciting new financial instruments and technologies emerge, so too do new challenges. One of the foremost concerns today is the heightened risk of fraud accompanying these cutting-edge tools. In this blog post, we'll delve into the world of these novel instruments, the real concerns they pose, and how fintech companies like Money Mover are tackling fraud head-on.

The Future of Cross-Border Payments: Bank of England Predicts a Monumental Surge

Posted on the 29th August 2023 by Hamish Anderson in SME blog, Business, Founders' blog, General news, Founder Insights

In the rapidly evolving landscape of international finance, the dynamics of cross-border payments play a pivotal role. As technology continues to redefine our world, the financial sector is no exception. The Bank of England's recent prediction of a significant increase in the value of cross-border payments from $150 trillion in 2017 to over $250 trillion in 2027 is not just a statistic; it's a testament to the power of innovation and global connectivity.

Key Predictions for the Future of Fintech

Posted on the 10th August 2023 by Hamish Anderson in SME blog, Founders' blog, Founder Insights

If the last 10 years have seen remarkable transformations in the way that we all transact, invest, and manage our finances, what will the next ten bring?

“Everyone’s always asking me when Apple will come out with a cell phone. My answer is, ‘Probably never.’” Wrote David Pogue, the then technology correspondent, in the New York Times in 2006, beautifully demonstrating the folly of making public your predictions.

Filling in the gaps

Posted on the 21st May 2021 by Hamish Anderson in Founders' blog, SME blog, Business, Finance

In his latest blog,  Hamish takes a look at the recent explosion in digital banking services, which is a good thing, and how the majority ignore the needs of international businesses, which is a bad thing.

Fortunately, there is a solution, and it's not even necessary to abandon your funky anodised debit card!

Four months of CBILS – what we’ve learned so far

Posted on the 30th July 2020 by Faye McDonough in SME blog, Business, Finance

It seems a lifetime ago, but it is actually only a few months since the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) was announced by the Chancellor as part of a series of government measures to support the UK’s small and medium-sized businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In this month's guest blog, Faye McDonough, Principal at BOOST&Co, recounts her story of the past four months, from the viewpoint of an entrepreneurial business and an independent lender.

Making Sense of the Metro Bank Remedies Bungle

Posted on the 29th February 2020 by Hamish Anderson in Founders' blog, SME blog, Business, Finance, Founder Insights

Do you recall the controversy surrounding the £120m award to Metro Bank from the RBS Capability & Innovation Fund almost exactly a year ago? Eyebrows were raised at the time for several reasons. Firstly, observers and other participants in the process struggled to grasp how committing to opening additional bank branches in the north of England qualified as "developing more advanced business current account offerings", however worthy the intention. Secondly, throwing £120m at an institution which, days before, had owned up to a £900m hole in its balance sheet, had the most open-minded amongst us scratching our heads.

How long do international bank transfers take?

Posted on the 18th February 2020 by Alex Garbutt in Team blog, SME blog, Finance

International bank transfers are a simple and effective way of paying someone overseas. However, there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes and several factors that determine how long it takes for an international bank transfer to arrive with its recipient.

Don’t be a victim - how to beat the scammers

Posted on the 27th January 2020 by Alex Garbutt in Team blog, SME blog, Finance

The amount of money stolen by criminals through ever more sophisticated bank transfer scams is on the rise. In the first half of 2019, £208 million was lost to ‘Authorised Push Payment (APP)’ fraud - scams where customers are tricked into authorising payments to an account controlled by a criminal. This highlights the need always to be vigilant when making a payment, whether domestic or international.

Why banks treat alternatives managers as second-class citizens

Posted on the 20th November 2019 by Hamish Anderson in Founders' blog, SME blog, Business, Finance, Founder Insights

Money Mover has now been an AIMA (Alternative Investment Management Association) partner for just over a year. I was chatting to delegates at its recent Spotlight on Raising Assets event in London and it occurred to me that I hadn’t ever explained why this partnership is so important to us and what we think it brings asset managers.

How crisis can provoke competition

Posted on the 11th October 2019 by Hamish Anderson in Founders' blog, SME blog, Finance

Part 1 - A banking crisis

Good things can sometimes result from the direst situations.

Let’s cast our minds back to September 2007. The financial world was in turmoil and there were queues of anxious customers outside the branches of the most respected names in high street banking.

Under the leadership of its controversial chief executive Fred 'the Shred' Goodwin, The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) had been acquiring competitors aggressively and was briefly the biggest bank in the world. It was the darling of the UK stock market and feted by government and industry alike as a poster child of achievement in the sector.

However, the 2008 financial crisis signalled a dramatic reversal in its fortunes.                         

Looking Back

Posted on the 7th June 2018 by Amanda Nunn in Team blog, SME blog, Finance

The 9th June marks four years since Money Mover made its first customer payment. It’s fair to say that a lot has changed in that time; both in terms of the business and the FinTech landscape.

So here’s our quick snapshot of what’s changed, how we’ve grown and what we’ve learnt along the way.

Daylight Savings? Or is your current provider committing daylight robbery?

Posted on the 27th March 2018 by Giles Hutson, CEO of Insignis Cash Management in SME blog, Business, Finance

Whether saving for a rainy day, a future business purchase or an inevitable tax bill; businesses and individuals can earn better interest on their cash reserves.

Money Mover  invited Giles Hutson, the co-founder and Chief Executive of fellow Cambridge FinTech, Insignis Cash Management to talk about how to generate better returns from excess cash.

Deeds Not Words

Posted on the 26th February 2018 by Amanda Nunn in Team blog, SME blog, Business, Finance

The 6th February 2018 marked 100 years since the Representation of People Act - a watershed moment in history, which allowed women in the UK to vote for the first time.

Amanda Nunn, Money Mover's Partnerships Manager, asks how much has changed in the way of gender equality since then, and whether innovative businesses will be instrumental in leading the way for gender equality in the work place.

David and Goliath - an underdog story

Posted on the 31st January 2018 by Amanda Nunn in Team blog, SME blog, Business

For some 3,000 years, the story of David and Goliath has filled our cultural consciousness. Whatever your literature or film genre of choice, it's likely that somewhere amongst the books you've read or films you've watched, you've come across an underdog story.

One price on the shelf and another at the checkout…

Posted on the 29th August 2017 by Alex Garbutt in Team blog, SME blog, Business, Finance

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is cracking down on Payments and e-Money Institutions that are using currency conversion tools in a “potentially misleading” way.

What makes Money Mover different?

Posted on the 21st August 2017 in SME blog, Business, Founders' blog, Founder Insights

There are a lot of international payments services out there and it’s important to us that people understand why Money Mover couldn’t be more different from old school foreign exchange businesses with their boiler room sales people and low-tech service.

The Dangers for Sterling of Rolling the Dice

Posted on the 9th June 2017 by Hamish Anderson in SME blog, Business, Founders' blog, Founder Insights

As the exit polls predicted that the UK was on course for a hung Parliament, the pound dropped almost 2% against the US Dollar and the Euro in a matter of seconds.

Cambridge round table insights with Claire Ruskin

Posted on the 7th November 2016 by Emily Keates in SME blog

Claire Ruskin, CEO of Cambridge Network talks about startups in Cambridge.

Cambridge round table insights with Greg Law (Talent acquisition)

Posted on the 4th November 2016 by Emily Keates in SME blog

Greg Law, CEO and co-founder of Undo, talks about talent acquisition in Cambridge. 

Cambridge round table insights with Greg Law (FinTech in Cambridge)

Posted on the 2nd November 2016 by Emily Keates in SME blog

Greg Law, CEO and co-founder of Undo, talks about FinTech in Cambridge.

Cambridge round table insights with Goncalo de Vasconcelos, CEO SyndicateRoom

Posted on the 24th October 2016 by Emily Keates in SME blog

Gonçalo de Vasconcelos, Co- Founder and CEO of SyndicateRoom, talks about the future of Fintech in Cambridge.

Cambridge round table insights with Adrian Watson

Posted on the 21st October 2016 by Emily Keates in SME blog

Adrian Watson, Portfolio Finance Director, talks about SME's and funding.

The world of FinTech; a layman’s review

Posted on the 10th October 2016 in SME blog

Financial Technology aka FinTech has remained a blurry subject, parked firmly outside of my understanding! So when Susan asked if I wanted to guest blog for them…I decided it would be a good opportunity to do some extra research and see about shifting that parked car.

Legacy Systems and Legacy Thinking: Fintech and the reinvention of financial services

Posted on the 23rd September 2016 by Amanda Nunn in SME blog

Until relatively recently, it is quite possible that many of you hadn’t ever heard the term Fintech. But, it’s broad sector with a long history. It was British banks that invented many of the current account features that we now just take for granted.

What’s keeping most small business owners up at night

Posted on the 13th September 2016 by Hamish Anderson in SME blog

In the wake of the UK’s impending move out of the European Union, and the uncertainty that has brought about, there are reasons to remain positive.

The challenges and opportunities presented by Brexit

Posted on the 7th September 2016 by Hamish Anderson in SME blog

Brexit is not just about fear, uncertainty and challenges, there will be opportunities too. We are living in astonishing political times, with the unprecedented fallout of the UK’s decision to vote to leave the European Union in June’s referendum still playing out around us. A weakened pound, downgraded national credit ratings and sweeping changes within the heart of government: it’s no wonder business leaders everywhere are feeling anxious and uncertain about their future prospects.

Team GB Olympic Success – Lessons for Business

Posted on the 25th August 2016 by Michael Daly Associates in SME blog

As a nation we have all watched with pride as our Olympic hero's have stood on the podium over the last two weeks to receive their medals at Rio 2016.

In our guest blog Michael Daly from Michael Day Associates explains why businesses can learn from Team GB Olympic success.

Why are bank charges like icebergs?

Posted on the 23rd August 2016 in SME blog

Foreign exchange and international payments are tricky markets to navigate as a business. Whether paying suppliers, accountants or rent, it’s usually obvious exactly how much you’re paying. The foreign exchange market is very different, and here’s why.

What are SWIFT payments?

Posted on the 18th August 2016 in SME blog

More than 25 million SWIFT messages are sent out a day providing transparency and security for international payments. Here's our guide to understanding what SWIFT is and how it can help you.

Guide to managing your cash in uncertain times

Posted on the 9th August 2016 in SME blog

Whether you’re an individual, a company or a charity, it’s in your best interest to manage your cash as efficiently as possible. The problem is, this can be a frustrating and time consuming task. In our period of economic uncertainty, how can anyone be expected to monitor saving rates, which are constantly changing, across multiple banks, on top of your daily business needs.

In this guest blog our friends at Insignis Asset Management give their advice on managing your cash in uncertain times.

Paying and invoicing suppliers overseas - cost efficiently

Posted on the 21st July 2016 in SME blog

One of the biggest challenges faced by many small and medium sized companies (SMEs) which trade internationally is finding the most cost efficient way to pay their overseas suppliers. 

With little control or visibility over when the money will be received and the risk of adverse exchange rate movement in the time it takes from sending the invoice to receiving the payment, cross-border payments can be a real headache and represent a significant impact on cash-flow.

How NOT to become a CFO dinosaur

Posted on the 7th June 2016 by Compleat Software in SME blog

The FSN Modern Finance Forum recently released a Finance Function Survey 2016 suggesting that the role of a CFO is “overhyped and full of contradictions.” The FSN states that the research was conducted amongst the 46,000 members of the FSN Modern Finance Forum on Linkedin and represents one of the largest surveys of its kind.

8 ways to stay on top of your small business finances

Posted on the 19th May 2016 by Hamish Anderson in SME blog

Running a small business is tough. Finding new customers, sticking to budgets, delivering quality products or services, maintaining a happy, healthy workforce and keeping clients satisfied.  It’s a stressful, and often thankless, task at the best of times.

A beginner's guide to Foreign Exchange payments

Posted on the 12th May 2016 by Susan Curtis in SME blog

Foreign exchange terms and phrases can be easy to understand if you’ve worked in the financial sector for many years or are experienced in international payments. 

The challenge of proving your address

Posted on the 5th May 2016 by Susan Curtis in SME blog

Money Mover users based in the UK may never have experienced a problem proving their address. We are so used to entering a postcode on a website then selecting our street address, it’s normally quite simple. But what do you do when your post isn’t delivered to your home address? What proof of residence can you provide?

Anti-Money Laundering – Minimising risks with electronic identification

Posted on the 28th April 2016 by Alex Garbutt in SME blog

Money laundering is a significant threat to the global economy

Due to the very nature of money laundering it is hard to quantify the amount of money that is laundered globally. However studies into the topic have suggested that the figure could be as large as $1.6tn each year, which equates to around 2.7% of global GBP.¹

3 reasons why your small business is spending too much on international payments (and what you can do about it?)

Posted on the 20th April 2016 by Susan Curtis in SME blog

The UK SME sector is growing and is increasingly international in its focus.  For UK SMEs, international trade is worth over £700bn.

The Eurozone is the UK’s largest trading partner, but non-EU trade has also grown rapidly in recent years.  The USA is the UK’s second largest trade partner, accounting for 9.8% of international trade, with China hot on its heels.

Top 3 tips to choosing the best lawyer for SMEs

Posted on the 14th April 2016 by Susan Curtis in SME blog

If you’re running a business, you’re most likely going to need a lawyer at some point. Once you’ve grown to a certain size, there comes a point where you need to stop constructing your legals through downloading a template and actually get professional advice.

5 top international payment tips for businesses

Posted on the 4th April 2016 by Alex Garbutt in SME blog

Each year, hundreds of entrepreneurial and growing companies consider international expansion. As part of this process foreign exchange and international payments will become standard business practice.

5 things to consider when choosing a business bank account

Posted on the 7th January 2016 by Alex Garbutt in SME blog

Whether you’re setting up a new business or looking to switch providers, here are the top five things to consider when shopping around for the best business bank account.

CMA report response and analysis

Posted on the 23rd October 2015 by Alex Garbutt in SME blog

This week the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) released its long-awaited retail banking report. So what did they have to say? Surely after 18 months of research they would be announcing something fairly significant? Well… not really. It seemed a bit… soft, for want of a better word.

Are you leaving your business exposed?

Posted on the 4th March 2015 by Hamish Anderson in SME blog

Just because you manufacture in the UK and only sell your products in the UK, it doesn't mean that you don't have currency exposure.

Hamish Anderson discusses why this is and what you might do about it.