SMEs flag survival fears as finding finance proves harder Analysis by financial comparison site NerdWallet shows that a third of SMEs in Britain fear their business will collapse if they are unable to access finance, such as a loan or credit, by the end of 2022. The report also shows that 32% do not have a financial plan in place to sustain operations over the next 12 months. Business leaders have voiced concern that securing finance has become more difficult, with 41% saying finance has become less accessible than it was a year ago. While 31% of UK SMEs applied for at least one form of business finance in the first half of 2022, 20% have had a finance application rejected since the beginning of the year despite having a good or excellent credit score.