A new survey of SMEs in the UK that was conducted by the Competition and Markets Authority asked which bank offers the best account for businesses, with a Swedish bank emerging as the winner.

The survey spoke to the owners of close to 17,000 smaller firms in the UK and the results saw Handelsbanken, which is based in Sweden but has over 200 branches across the UK, come out on top in four of the five survey categories. The winner in the remaining category was Barclays Bank.

Handelsbanken was rated the best bank in terms of overall quality of service, with 79% of SMEs that took part voting for it. An even higher 86% named it the best for management of accounts and relationships, 78% rated it the best for loan and overdraft options for smaller firms and 73% picked it as the top bank for business centre and branch services. The sole category in which it lost to Barclays was mobile and online banking.

Speaking to Small Business, Handelsbanken UK CEO Mikael Sorensen stated that:

“We are particularly pleased to see this response coming from our SME customers, many of whom we have been working closely with to provide a range of tailored, flexible support.”

Finding a suitable small business bank is just as important to SMEs as securing the right accountant. Many opt for a small business accountant in South Yorkshire or the region they are located in, because they know such a firm will prioritise them.