HARDMAN AVIATION
Reality Finance "took the time to get to know me and get to know my business" and in doing so were able to offer a bespoke solution "rather than it just being an off the shelf product".
Flying enthusiast, aircraft owner, and flying club member Matt Hardman decided to turn his hobby into a small business. He owns several aircraft and rents each of them out to the flying club and its members.
We spoke to Matt Hardman, Director at Hardman Aviation Limited, to find out how Reality Finance has played a key part in the growth of his business over the last three years.
Challenge
In order to expand his business, Matt identified the need to add another aircraft to his fleet. He had already used his financial resources for the first few aircraft, so was looking to finance the next addition. His business was still young and the asset was very specific, meaning he faced challenges when trying to acquire funding.
Solution
Recommended by the owner of the flying club, Matt spoke with Laura, Business Development Manager at Reality Finance, to discuss his business and the expansion he was trying to achieve. Laura reviewed Hardman Aviation’s financial situation and the current market to find the most appropriate funding options. Through further conversations, they discussed the benefits and drawbacks of each option and finally concluded on the best solution for Matt’s business.
“It was quite impressive that [Laura] took the time to get to know me, and get to know my business. It wasn’t as if I was just being sold a standard product. It was bespoke from the beginning. She was able to understand what I needed and why things might need to be different for me specifically, rather than it just being an off-the-shelf product” says Matt.
Benefits
By using Reality Finance to fund his business expansion, Matt was able to continue his day-to-day operations whilst Laura took care of the market research and getting the funding for his new aircraft in place. Matt explained, “the fact that I didn’t have to be involved in any of the setup, repayments, the direct debits, and all the paperwork was taken off my hands and done for me, meant that I could carry on running my business, and carry on looking at how it could be expanded in future.”
Because of the amount of time Laura took to understand Matt, his business, and the business needs, she was able to find an option that suited his cash flow long-term. “The repayment schedule that I’ve managed to have put in place by Reality Finance has really helped, meaning that I can still make a profit, still make those payments, and be sure that the business is safe going forward” says Matt.
We asked Matt if he would recommend Reality Finance to other businesses: “If you’re not sure whether any of the High Street options or the commercially available options are right for you, I’d just say give Reality Finance a go….it worked for me, I’m sure it can work for other people and other businesses as well.”
Laura Day adds “I really enjoyed supporting Matt with his business expansion. Funding weird and wonderful assets can often be a challenge, but it certainly makes the job interesting and enjoyable, especially when I get to witness the difference it makes first-hand.”
Watch the full Case Study in our video below:
