This rapidly expanding surveillance and security company offers a comprehensive range of both overt and covert services to the Government, Police, corporate, retail and distribution industries. The company was established in September 1998 and is based in Surrey.

The company's managing director, Emma, recognised a need in the commercial market place for a highly trained, specialist team of individuals capable of gathering both intelligence and evidential information for use in court or tribunal proceedings against corporate fraud. Staff are recruited from Government agencies, Military, Police and key areas within the security industry.

The company has considerable expertise in the application of Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM). This requires specialist knowledge and equipment to counter the deployment of eavesdropping devices by vulnerability assessments, 'sweeping' and 'de-bugging'. The company also provides training services in surveillance, personal safety and situation awareness and information security.

Emma says, "I started this business as a sole trader operation initially. There were no other investors and the business was self-funded. When I decided to create a limited company in July 2002, I wanted to find a finance facility that would allow me to drive the business forward quickly, without diluting equity. I sought advice from Business Link Surrey, who had no hesitation in recommending SME Invoice Finance."

The directors of SME visited Emma to gain a closer understanding of her business. They were immediately impressed with the management of the company and the knowledge and expertise that had been brought to the organisation. SME Invoice Finance took a flexible and pragmatic view on the relatively high concentration of debtors, since they recognised that this was a high quality business with a small blue-chip client base that had realistic plans for future growth.

The Proof of Delivery employed by the company is also highly unusual, due to the nature of the business, since it has implemented an evidential system based on the start-times and finish-times on video surveillance footage.

Furnished with all of the relevant information regarding the business, SME Invoice Finance responded quickly by structuring a £50,000 factoring facility based on a 70% prepayment against invoice values.

Emma feels that SME has a supportive and entrepreneurial approach, "Although 'cash' was the fundamental reason why I was looking for a factoring facility, I also wanted to deal with a finance company that I could work closely with. As principal of a small company, I appreciate being able to thrash around business ideas at senior level and the directors at SME have proved very helpful in this respect. I value the relationship and would say that my overall impression of working with SME Invoice Finance is that they offer a good all-round service designed for small businesses."

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