A Halesowen accountancy firm have created a free online guide for businesses who are struggling to get finance in the current economic climate.

Nicklin LLP, who are also representatives of The Corporate Finance Network in the Midlands, have found that with tightened lending rules even their most successful clients were finding it difficult to gain access to finance and working capital through High Street banks.

So to help they launched a guide detailing alternative options for business owners.

Entitled, 'Financing your business in the current climate', the guide brings together alternative sources of finance that are currently available. It includes information on the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) scheme, which is available until 31st March 2010, as well as more innovative sources of funding, including factoring or invoice discounting, payroll financing and bridging finance.

Harvey Owen, managing partner at Nicklin LLP, said: "We've always helped clients raise finance as and when it is needed, but because of the credit crunch banks are getting more expensive and it's getting harder to borrow.

"What we want to show people is that there are many more alternatives for businesses. Everyone thinks of bank loans or overdrafts, but there are many other methods that business owners may not have even thought of, such as grants from the government, other 'soft' loans and even bringing in investors.

"This guide will give people an insight into what's out there and hopefully help them find the right solution for their business."

The guide is part of Nicklin's business finance section on their website, where even more information is available to SMEs.