A financial services business that promises to ease client cashflow and credit control headaches is driving up its presence in the county.

Bibby, a 210-year-old company still in family hands, is looking for someone to lead a Kent push, principally to serve East Kent.

With its regional headquarters in Hastings, the global company founded on the shipping industry in Liverpool, sees huge potential in the county.

It already has more that 400 clients here, many of them using its factoring and invoice financing services. Bibby offers an outsourced credit control department that boost cashflow.

Jon Charsley, head of sales for the south east, told Kent Business: "We're looking to expand in Kent. I'm looking to recruit someone in the Kent area, especially in East Kent. We are under-represented in the area. Because there has been a lot of business concentrated in West Kent and Sussex side, we now need to create a presence here. I see it as a growing business area that present real opportunities."

Why factor? Mr Charsley replies: "We see people who are very good at running their business, getting orders, making sure the business is running in the right direction, but they don't have the time to do the credit control."

He says the family ethos - Sir Michael Bibby, chairman, is sixth generation - continues to infuse company culture.

"We are a family business, flexible, and provide bespoke products to fit individual business needs."

Financial services may not be the most popular of institutions at the moment but Mr Charsley insists: "We try and preach good ethics and transparency in the way we support and help grow our local businesses."

He looks after companies with turnover between £50,000 and £15m but is happy to consider customers with turnover as low as £30,000.

Bibby's charges are related to turnover, usually 0.8 per cent, but smaller firms may be charged in a different "bundled" way.