Declan Burton-Clark, Founder at Plutus Business Finance – Daily Business

Declan Burton Clark
Image courtesy of Plutus Business Finance

Tell us about yourself

I’m Declan Burton-Clark, Founder at Plutus Business Finance. I’m originally from Australia, where I studied International Business at Macquarie University in Sydney. 

My career started at a brokerage in Sydney. When I joined, there were about 10 people in the business, when I left, it had grown to several hundred. At the time, I was running their sales operations and doing what I do now: matching businesses to finance.

After that, I moved to the UK, where I spent time as Head of Sales at a specialist trade finance lender, which gave me experience on the other side of the desk. I saw how credit decisions get made, what a lender actually needs to see, and why deals get declined. That lender was subsequently acquired by Shawbrook Bank. 

At that point, I saw a genuine gap for a company that specialised in trade and supplier finance, which is why I decided to start Plutus. 

Why did you start Plutus?

Being in business is hard enough. There are a lot of people in this industry who look to exploit SMEs –  upfront fees, high margins, products that don’t quite fit – and I don’t think that’s right. 

SMEs are the backbone of the economy and too many of them are getting a raw deal from the people who are supposed to be helping them. I started Plutus because I wanted to build something where the client’s outcome was genuinely the priority and where I could give people a straight answer about what their options are and what it’ll cost. 

Ultimately, at Plutus, I strongly believe that long-term relationships matter more than any single transaction.  

What do you think makes Plutus Finance stand out?

At Plutus, our clients know that with us, they are getting experience and specialism, combined with a structure that keeps costs low. 

I’ve been in this industry long enough to have seen a time when very few alternatives existed to high street banks. But now, with the rise of non-bank fintech and specialist lenders, businesses have a lot more choice. The problem is that choice brings options, and it can be hard for businesses to know what the best option for them actually is. 

At Plutus, I understand what each of these lenders are actually designed for, which makes it easier for me to broker deals for my clients. Combine that with the fact that I’ve worked as a lender and it means that I know how to structure and present deals in a specific way.

And because I run a lean operation, I can operate at the scale of a much larger business while keeping costs low, which ultimately benefits the borrower.  

How has the company evolved over recent years?

The company has evolved alongside the industry as a whole. As more lenders come to market, businesses have more choice, but they also need more guidance.

We’re also seeing deals that are multi-layered. Trade finance might not be the right product for every part of the journey, so we help clients structure their loans in a way that genuinely supports how the business trades and scales.

What do you help businesses with primarily?

The core of our business is trade and supplier finance. We focus on structuring working capital around how a business actually trades; matching the financing to the stock cycle, the supplier payment window, the debtor terms. That’s the specialism we bring to the table. 

Beyond that we also help clients with term loans, invoice finance, asset finance (the full range) but trade finance is the main differentiator.  

How do you stand out against competitors?

Most finance brokers are generalists. 

They’ll recommend a term loan or an invoice finance facility to a company because that’s the product they know. 

Very few have genuine depth of knowledge in trade and supplier finance. Understanding import cycles, supplier payment terms and how to present a complex multi-part deal to a bank is all part of what makes a great broker. 

When a deal like that lands on a generalist’s desk, they either decline it or force it into the wrong product. Businesses that come to us know they are being matched with the best product for them, not just a best guest fit.

That’s the gap Plutus exists to fill.  

Why is your offering a good one for businesses?

Because it’s built around how businesses actually trade. 

Trade finance, when structured properly, allows businesses to grow without worrying about cash flow all the time. It means being able to take on bigger orders, negotiate better supplier terms and scale without worrying about financial security. 

But it only works if it’s done properly with a broker that genuinely understands how businesses work. 

At Plutus, I believe our offering is a good one because our clients get straight answers about the best option for them, at the best costs. 

And in a market that’s growing all the time, it’s this level of clarity and expertise that businesses actually need. 

PERSONAL CHECKLIST 

Age: 32
Education: BCommerce International Business, Macquarie University, Sydney
Career highlights: £14.5m trade finance deal with HSBC; instrumental in scaling Valiant Finance (Sydney) from startup to 200+ people; head of sales at a UK trade finance lender subsequently acquired by Shawbrook Bank
Key quality of a leader: Integrity when no one is watching. Most leadership decisions are easy when people are looking. The ones that define you are the ones made when there’s no audience.
What makes you angry: Businesses being sold the wrong product because the person advising them didn’t understand their situation well enough to recommend the right one. It’s more common than it should be and it’s expensive for the people who can least afford it.

Interests outside work: Tennis, surfing, travel

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