We’ve had IGF on board since we started and our ten-year relationship has been fantastic for business growth. 
Rostrum Communications Ltd
Situation Analysis
Rostrum Communications, a fast-growing public relations agency based in the City of London, was having difficulty managing its client invoicing and collection as it experienced a period of rapid growth. A significant increase in the number of retained and project client accounts held by the agency meant that the Managing Director was spending more and more time dealing with administrative matters instead of looking after clients, managing the team of consultants and developing the business. As Rostrum Communications is committed to outsourcing as many non-core elements of its operations as possible, hiring a full-time finance person inhouse was not an appealing option.
IGF’s Solution
After a thorough review of the different types of commercial finance provider in the UK market – including discussions with Rostrum Communications’ business banking provider, HSBC, Rostrum appointed Independent Growth Finance (IGF) as its commercial finance provider.
Rostrum’s Managing Director Mark Houlding explains the decision:
“We looked at the market in some detail and decided that an independent commercial finance company with good experience in the SME market and specifically the PR industry – which IGF had – would be the best partner for us. We needed a provider that could be flexible as we grew the business, and IGF convinced us that they could accommodate our finance needs now and in the future.”
After an analysis of Rostrum’s current financial position, debtor book and growth plans, Regional Sales Manager Jon Charsley recommended that the company enter a service-only factoring arrangement with IGF. Under service-only agreements IGF take responsibility for the processing and collection of the invoices raised each month.
Mark Houlding notes:
“Although we’re not actually using IGF to fund our invoices – merely to collect and record them – it’s good to know that we have a funding facility available if we need it. One of the features we really liked about IGF’s offering was the online portal which enables us to check the status of our invoices at any time.
“We pay IGF a monthly fee to handle our invoices and so far, we’ve been very happy with the service we received from them.”
Results
Since appointing IGF, Rostrum Communications has experienced a significant reduction in the number of days the management team spends dealing with sales ledger management and the collection of invoices.
Mark Houlding comments:
“The service has freed up at least two days a month of my time, which is invaluable in terms of developing the business and dealing with our own clients. We’d recommend IGF to any other SME marketing services company that’s looking for an easy way to solve the headache of making sure your customers pay on time.”