Be in no doubt - we always advise that a communicative and constructive relationship with your bank is to be encouraged, particularly when the going gets tough. However, in many cases, a business insolvency will be triggered by the company's bankers coming to the conclusion that they are not happy with the account, for whatever reasons. In some cases, this only happens after the bank has explored every other avenue - or when the bank has completely lost confidence in the company's management. There are also many proprietors of failed businesses who talk of the bank's umbrella being taken away when it started to rain. By the nature of the game, in these circumstances, the banks are in the driving seat.

We make the point to directors and proprietors that they should remember that a bank's first duty is to its depositors and shareholders. No matter how well meaning or fairly phrased, a banker's first instinct in a crisis will be to look to the interests of the bank. You, as a director or proprietor should strongly consider taking advice from someone like us, who will advise you on what is best for you, and its effect on all the stakeholders in your business - employees, shareholders, family, suppliers and pensioners. The directors and proprietors of businesses need to know that they to have rights to defend their business's position.