Leading online credit checking service for small businesses, Check that Company, is warning says that UK SMBs are likely to be on the receiving end of any fall-out from the Irish debt crisis. According to reports, major UK banks have significant exposure in Ireland amounting to more than £140 billion, most of which is lending to Irish firms and consumers.

Dennis Scott, Operating Director of Check That Company, says that no-one in the UK can afford to ignore what is happening in Ireland. “It’s a very worrying situation. Our concern is that, faced with the prospect of a much higher level of default on lending to Ireland, or at the very least significantly delayed re-payment, that the major UK High Street bank will start to tighten up on lending again – and that is bound to hit small businesses hard.”

The continuing uncertainty in Ireland and other parts of the euro-zone, demonstrates the fragility of the wider economic picture, says Scott. “With the prospect of a debt crisis in Ireland and other European countries, the impact of government cuts here, the VAT rise and the prospect of rising inflation next year, you could be forgiven for being gloomy. On the other hand, we have seen a return to growth and it there will be some new potential for growth in 2011. What small businesses can’t afford to do is take any chances.”

By using the Check That Company online service (www.checkthatcompany.co.uk), you can obtain detailed credit reports for as little as £2.49 and copies of official documents for just 99 pence. First-time users can get their first report for only £1.99, with a second provided free. Registering takes seconds and the service works on a pay-as-you-go model, so there is no need to make any major up-front commitment.

You can access the accounts of more than seven million companies in the UK and Ireland through on Check That Company and run reports on 9.3 million individual directors. You can also view and print copies of over 400 million original images of financial reports and other official company documentation.

Businesses can register with the service simply by going to www.checkthatcompany.co.uk . The service operates on a pay-as-you-go model so it is very flexible and easy to manage and, after taking up the initial offer, registered users will pay as little as £2.49 for full company reports and just 99p each for document images.

For more information on Check That Company please contact:

Dennis Scott Check That Company Tel: 07860 567940 Email: info@checkthatcompany.co.uk Web: www.checkthatcompany.co.uk