MYnd the Gap: Bridging Loans

Matthews Yard opened in the heart of Croydon´s old town over four years ago. Started by a local entrepreneur, with no financial backing, the business has had a roller coaster ride. 

You can find out more about where we came from and where we are headed in the numerous media coverage about us and our founder that is online. Our personal favourite is this piece , which explains the story in some depth. 

Our new concession based approach has been an overwhelming success and we are looking forward to expanding so that more and more would be start-ups are given the opportunities we missed. A safety net, support and the chance to launch their business in an environment that gives them the best possible chance of success. 

Unfortunately, in the last financial year, we encountered more than £40k in unexpected costs ´which have stretched our cash-flow to breaking point , despite the founder selling a large number of his own shares and lending the proceeds back to the business. 

In all the years we have operated we have always faced an uphill struggle with finances. Every crowdfunding campaign we have launched hasn´t quite raised enough money to give us the full reset we needed. So we have always had to work double as hard to make the books balance. 

We have now turned a corner and our cash flow projections for the second half of the year are very healthy. We expect to turn a profit of more than 18k this financial year, but between now and December our cash flow vulnerability puts us in serious jeopardy for the short term.

We are looking for significant loan funding to help restructure our finances once again and put us in a position where we owe funds to friendly creditors. We can pay a 20% premium on top of any funds lent to us over three years.  With a minimum loan amount of £1k.  

If you prefer, you can choose from a growing range of rewards, depending on the pledge you make. See the list on the right of this page for details. Everyone who pledges support will be included on our online supporters wall at matthewsyard.com unless you choose to remain anonymous.  

Thank you for your attention, for spreading the word and for any support you can offer to help us ensure Matthews Yard is in a stronger position to continue to operate.

I would be happy to field any q´s on FB, Twitter, here or by email direct. If you are interested in significant funding or obtaining equity in the business then please contact by email to arrange a conference call or face to face meeting. 

If you are interested in perpetual rights to a city, town or another region, then please also contact us by email in the first instance. 

PLEASE NOTE: We cannot offer the rewards AND the loan repayments with interest. If you select a reward the money you pay will not be returned. If you don´t select a reward and enter "LOAN" in the comments field, you will be repaid in full + 20%. 

Thanks again

Saif