Working Capital Finance for UK SMEs

Cash flow gaps kill good businesses. Whether you are funding a contract, bridging seasonal demand, or replacing an expensive overdraft, we find the right working capital facility and get you the best possible terms.

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Revolving credit • Overdraft alternatives • Short-term loans • Trade finance

Free Consultation

Tell us what you need.

What Is It?

Working capital finance keeps your business moving when customers are slow to pay.

Working capital is the lifeblood of any trading business. When cash is tied up in stock, debtors, or long payment terms, you can have a profitable business that still cannot pay its suppliers, make payroll, or take on the next contract.

Working capital finance solves this by giving you access to a revolving pool of funds you can draw on and repay as your cash cycle turns. The right facility is sized to your actual need and structured around your business model, not a generic template.

Revolving Credit Facilities

Draw and repay as needed. Only pay interest on what you use. Ideal for businesses with fluctuating working capital needs.

Overdraft Alternatives

Better rates, higher limits, and less restrictive terms than a traditional bank overdraft. Challenger and specialist lenders often outperform the high street.

Short-Term Business Loans

Fixed-term capital for specific working capital requirements: bridging a contract mobilisation, funding a large purchase order, or covering a VAT or tax payment.

Trade & Supply Chain Finance

Finance the purchase of goods from suppliers before you receive payment from customers. Particularly useful for importers, wholesalers, and product businesses.

Who Needs This?

If any of these sound familiar, we can help.

Slow-Paying Customers

Your customers pay on 60 to 90-day terms but your suppliers want payment in 30. The gap is strangling your cash flow.

Rapid Growth

You have won new contracts but need cash to mobilise. Growth is consuming more working capital than the business generates organically.

Seasonal Demand

Your revenue is lumpy or seasonal. You need a facility that flexes with your trading pattern rather than a fixed monthly repayment.

Large Contract Won

You have just won a significant contract but need to fund the upfront costs before you receive the first payment.

Bank Said No

Your bank has refused to increase your overdraft or has withdrawn a facility. There are many alternatives we can approach on your behalf.

Too Expensive

You have a working capital facility but the rate is too high, the terms are too restrictive, or the facility is simply too small for where the business is today.

Our Approach

We get you Lender Ready before we approach anyone.

Diagnose

We understand your cash flow cycle, your numbers, and where the gaps are.

Prepare

We model your working capital requirement and build the lender pack that tells your story.

Source

We approach the right lenders from our network of 40+ active providers.

Negotiate

We negotiate the best terms and manage the process through to drawdown.

FAQ

Common Questions

Facilities typically range from £50,000 to £5 million for SMEs. The amount is driven by your turnover, your cash conversion cycle, and the quality of your debtors. We size the facility to your actual need rather than what a lender might offer as a standard product.

For straightforward revolving credit and invoice finance facilities, indicative terms can come back within days of a well-presented application. Drawdown typically follows two to four weeks after credit approval, depending on the lender’s onboarding process. The Lender Ready preparation we do upfront significantly reduces delays.

There are many alternatives to a bank overdraft, including revolving credit facilities from challenger banks, invoice discounting, supply chain finance, and merchant cash advance products for businesses with card revenue. We assess your situation and recommend the most appropriate structure rather than defaulting to the nearest available product.

This depends on the type of facility and the lender. Revolving credit facilities typically require a debenture over business assets and a personal guarantee from directors. Some facilities, particularly invoice finance, are largely self-secured against the debtors ledger. We map out the security position clearly before you commit to anything.

Get Started

Tell us what working capital you need.

No obligation. ICAEW-regulated advisers. Response within one business day.

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