The initiative centres on offering loans to dealers who have a sound business and solid, well thought out plans for its future development.
Mainline managing director, Andrew Boden, stated: “We’re all too well aware of the ridiculous gambles made by banks in recent times. Now, persuading a bank to help finance the development of a successful, well established business is like getting blood from a stone. They’ve gone from one extreme to the other. Our aim is to help dealers by filling the gap and ensuring sensible, well considered plans are not held up by a lack of funding or by short term cash flow issues.”
Pilot DDF investments have seen Mainline help one SME dealer to open two regional offices and help another dealer to recruit new sales staff.
Director of dealer sales, Gail Hollinshead, added: “We’re an Orange distributor, so we’re looking to secure a dealer’s Orange business in return for a loan. We want to hear from any dealer who has plans to emerge from the current recession fitter, stronger and more successful than before. Although the investments made so far have been to current Mainline dealers in our Business Mobile programme, we will consider DDF applications from any independent who can provide us with a good quantity and quality of business and who can persuade us of the value of their case.”