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We speak to print industry finance expert David Bunker about some of the most important issues affecting printers.

When it comes to managing a print business’s finances, the unexpected plays a significant role.

“I think it’s uncertainty that people will stop and focus on. If consumers see bad news, they’ll be minded to lower spending,” David Bunker, Partner and Director at Compass Business Finance Limited, and FESPA UK board member, says.

“Right now, fuel costs are clearly fluctuating and that creates uncertainty. The potential impact of the Middle East crisis along with interest rates, adds some uncertainty for print busineses. Raw material costs are always an issue – we want inflation to be kept under control, as well see interest rates remain low or lower in the medium and long term. And for UK-based businesses, I think the changes in National Insurance contributions and minimum wage thresholds does impact quite significantly on customers’ bottom line.

“But I think the resilience of people in the print and packaging industry has been tested so many times that they’re quite well focused when it comes to technology, replacement investment and what’s needed in the marketplace in terms of products.”

Print expertise

When it comes to that kind of replacement investment – or, indeed, print industry investment of any kind – David and the team at Compass Business Finance are uniquely placed to provide financial advice and assistance. Having spent more than 25 years at Close Brothers Asset Finance – becoming a managing director in the print and packaging sector – David joined Compass in 2019.

“Mark Nelson and Jamie Nelson started the business in 2005, and I bought into Compass in 2019. Compass Business Finance is an independent finance company and that’s quite important because we’re owned by Mark, Jamie and myself – we aren’t part of a bank or a larger organisation. That means we have the sort of freedom and entrepreneurial agility that other lenders don’t have,” David says.
“Our business is based on lending to small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as larger organisations in the UK. We lend our own money, and we have a portfolio of over £100 million. We also broker to about 30 different banks and financial institutions in asset finance, invoice finance and working capital facilities and property, which you can class as asset-based lending, or ‘ABL’.

“We support businesses in all aspects of their…

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