Why I Love #FRAwards - Gary Bailey, Blemain Group

We spoke to Gary Bailey, director of Blemain Group, about responsible lending and celebrating success.

FR: What impact has winning a Financial Reporter award had on your business?

It’s fantastic for the dedicated work of our team to be recognised by industry peers. Winning Best Commercial/BTL Lender has been great for our business; it’s an accreditation we can showcase to our broker network and clients.

FR: What advice would you give to this year's potential winners?

Don’t hide your success, shout about your win. Celebrate winning with your team, partners and clients. Use it as a new business tool.

FR: Why is it so important to recognise good practice within the industry?

Secure and responsible lending needs to acknowledged, it’s the backbone to our economic recovery and helping businesses grow. We’ve worked hard as an industry to develop good practice and trust and we should be very proud of that.

FR: Why should you win an award again this year?

2014 was a great year for the Blemain Group, our most successful year to date in fact. As a group, our loan book grew by £82m in the final quarter of 2014 (Oct 14 - Dec14) and now stands at £1.2bn. We’ve been able to provide our clients and network of brokers with more fast, flexible and fair finance than ever before.

FR: Any advice for Winners’ Party attendees?

Enjoy yourself, and use it as a great networking opportunity to build relationships with others in the industry.