West Midlands Businesses are appearing to be increasingly targeted by unscrupulous companies requesting that they are paid upfront for assisting them in trying to help them gain access to business grants.
Some of the most recent calls to our offices are highlighting that whilst some of the general business grant information being offered by such companies to many unsuspecting local West Midlands businesses might be partially correct.
Part of the information which is being saved until such fees (£299.00) have been paid – is what areas of business are actually excluded from such business grants.
One of the most recent cases experienced by a local supermarket based in Wolverhampton was whereby they received a call out of the blue last week from a company who advised them they that there is a particular business grant available to them, aimed at helping existing local West Midlands businesses expand and develop as well helping to secure local jobs.
The supermarket in Wolverhampton was told all they had to do what to pay a £299.00 fee upfront and then the wheels would be put in motion for them to be ‘HOOKED UP’ to a business grant.
Are all types of business grants available to all West Midlands Businesses?
Now all this sounds very easy and appealing, but the sad fact is that whilst there is such a business grant currently available to local West Midlands businesses – unfortunately, the retail sector is one of the areas which is excluded from such a business grant.
This means that any fees paid upfront by the supermarket would have been lost.
The way such unscrupulous companies operate is to either tell the prospective client after they have paid the fee that they have just missed out on the business grant they were talking about.
Or they would say that they are passing the matter direct to an alternative finance company which deals with specific business grants and then let them give the bad news to the unsuspecting client.
Now whilst it is true that there are fees which are charged by finance companies for helping local West Midlands businesses gain access to business finance (including ourselves).
Such fees should ONLY ideally be charged after the successful application and award to the local business of the said business grant.
Are you one the West Midlands Businesses being approached to pay a fee upfront, in return for gaining access to a business grant? If so perhaps you need to think again and before you pay anything – contact us here at Grants WM to see how and what we do for you with No upfront fee.
We’ll tell up upfront if you are a qualifying business, we’ll tell what is available, in most cases we’ll meet you face to face to gain a better understanding of your business – and if all is good then an application for a business grant will be made with a fee being payable then or upon your receipt of the actual business grant (depending on certain circumstances)
We’re only in the game to be paid for the benefit you receive which is ultimately the award of a business grant.