According to Souri, Ultrapawn.com is making repeat loans to small businesses against anything from an eight carat diamond to fine art, to a John Deere Bulldozer.

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The company, which provides water to 3.7 million homes and businesses in England and Wales, is already facing a fine from regulator Ofwat for missing earlier customer service performance standards.

BBC: NEWS | Business | Water firms boost profit streams

Businesses of all types were affected, from fine dining restaurants in Asia that were unable to receive their foie gras shipments from Paris, to the recipients of U.S.-bound contracts stuck on grounded FedEx planes at Heathrow.

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