Even before Covid-19, banks have long struggled to service SME’s lending needs and faced pressure to boost customer service from digital banks entering business banking. Now, the unprecedented demand for the Government’s stimulus packages and Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) has further highlighted cracks in the traditional ways banks offer loans to smaller businesses. Lessons must be learnt from this and banks should embrace and participate in lending marketplaces which offer more flexible ways to connect borrowers to lenders.
