Business Principles

1. The client is our number one priority. We believe that serving our clients well is the recipe to our success.

2. We believe we offer the highest class of professionalism. We have an unbending resolve to achieve excellence in everything we undertake. Although we undertake a wide variety of transactions and projects, our priority has always been on achieving the highest quality.

3. Creativity and imagination are at the heart of everything we do. While recognizing that tried and tested techniques may be still be the most productive, we constantly seek out the best solution to a client's problems. We are committed to bringing the highest world-class standards to the work we perform in emerging markets.

4. Our greatest assets are our people and our reputation. We are fully committed to complying entirely with both the letter and the spirit of the laws, rules and ethical principles that govern our operations. Our continued success depends upon our steadfast adherence to this principle.

5. We seek the best for every position within our firm. Operating in a service business, we know that we cannot be the best firm without the best people.

6. At Sterling Merchant Finance we offer our people the opportunity to assume greater responsibility at an earlier stage than in most other organizations. Advancement depends completely upon the level of effort, skill and commitment of the individual and we have been happily surprised by what our people achieve.

7. Our business thrives upon our superior local knowledge of the markets in which we operate. For our success to continue, our men and women must reflect the diversity of these communities and cultures. We seek to attract, retain and motivate people from many backgrounds and perspectives. Being diverse is not an option; it is who we are.

8. Teamwork is the hallmark of Sterling Merchant Finance. Whilst individual achievement is fostered and encouraged, we have found that a positive team effort often produces the best results. There is no place for those who can not work effectively in a team or who consistently put their personal interests first.

9. The dedication of the Sterling Merchant Finance team to the firm and the intense effort they give their jobs are greater than one finds in most other organizations. This superior level of effort is an important part of our success.

10. Our size is one of our most important assets. We are large enough to undertake the biggest projects that our clients may consider, yet small enough to maintain the niche expertise for which we have become known. Our size allows us to retain close, confident relationships with our clients.

11. Using our knowledge of the markets in which we operate we constantly consider new services that may help to better meet the objectives of our clients. It is our objective to understand how our client's needs may be changing and by anticipating these be in better position to meet those needs.

12. The nature of our business means we regularly receive confidential information as part of our normal client relationships. Sterling Merchant Finance would never breach the confidence that is placed in us or to use confidential information improperly or without due regard.

13. In our highly competitive business we actively seek to gain our clients' customary approach to doing business. Yet it would be unthinkable for us to risk losing our valuable reputation by acting in way that might be construed as inappropriate or inhibit competition.

14. It is essential for us to maintain the highest standards of integrity and honesty. It is expected that every member of Sterling Merchant Finance live up to this ideal in every aspect of our business.

15. Our goal is to deliver superior returns for our shareholders. Profitability is crucial in helping deliver superior returns, allowing us to build our capital, and helping us attract and keep our best people.