Independent financial services broker Midlands Asset Finance has expanded into new premises following a successful 2016.

The move is to accommodate its ongoing growth and the launch of an online asset finance division.

In 2016 the firm increased its employee headcount from 11 to 19.

It has taken on a unit adjacent to its head office at The Village business park, South Normanton.

The firm has also launched a new online platform, www.assetfinancecompared.co.uk, which is set to transform the asset finance market in the UK. The website compares a wide panel of funders in three easy steps to offer a competitive, instant quote at the touch of a button.

Unlike other comparison websites, www.assetfinancecompared.co.uk manages the whole process of applying for finance from start to finish on behalf of a client, rather than redirecting them to the funder to tie up the deal once a quote has been accepted.

Dave Chapman, director of Asset Finance Compared, said: “The new website and business model is an industry first, which will completely transform the way that businesses source and secure asset finance.

“Our team has many years’ combined banking and asset finance experience with an aim to deliver an unparalleled service and to make asset finance simpler and more accessible to clients across the UK.

“The three simple steps to finance, and the handling of everything in-house, will save the customer valuable time and resource which can be diverted elsewhere.

“Asset finance remains an essential part of the UK’s investment recovery and we are striving to support businesses in increasing their capacity to invest. Technology is also evolving at a rapid pace and being able to trade digitally is essential to support our clients’ growth and investment plans.”