FundBiz Blog
Independent guidance on UK specialty business finance: merchant cash advance, asset finance, commercial mortgages, VAT loans and finance after a decline. Written by Adam Parker. FundBiz is an independent comparison site, not a lender.
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Specialty finance
Auction Finance: Meeting the 28-Day Deadline
Auction finance is short-term property lending built around the fixed 28-day exchange-to-completion window set by auction house terms. For limited compa...
Adam Parker -
Guides
Plant and Commercial Vehicle Finance for UK SMBs
Plant and commercial vehicle finance lets UK limited companies, LLPs and partnerships with four or more partners spread the cost of diggers, forklifts, HGVs and vans over 2 ...
Adam Parker -
Specialty finance
Commercial Mortgage LTV and DSCR: A UK SMB Guide
UK commercial mortgages are priced and sized around two core metrics: loan-to-value (LTV) and debt service coverage ratio (DSCR). Most lenders cap LTV a...
Adam Parker -
Post-decline
Post-Decline Finance: Fixing a Thin File for UK SMBs
A lender decline doesn't close every door, but it does signal that your credit file or supporting documents need attention before the next application....
Adam Parker -
Specialty finance
Construction Retention Release Finance Explained
How limited company and LLP contractors release cash tied up in contractual retentions before the defects period ends, who lends against it, and how to apply.
Adam Parker -
Specialty finance
Corporation Tax Bridge Loans for UK SMEs
How a limited company can borrow a short-term lump sum to meet its HMRC corporation tax bill on time, repay over a fixed term, and keep its compliance record clean.
Adam Parker -
Specialty finance
E-Commerce Inventory Finance for UK SMEs
How online retailers fund stock purchases before sales land, using inventory finance, revolving credit, merchant cash advance and trade finance, and what lenders assess.
Adam Parker -
Finance decisions
HMRC Time to Pay vs Business Loan: Which to Use
When a tax bill arrives and cash is tight, should a limited company negotiate Time to Pay with HMRC or borrow commercially? The trade-offs on cost, speed, scrutiny and risk.
Adam Parker -
Specialty finance
PAYE Arrears Emergency Finance for UK SMEs
How a limited company behind on PAYE can clear the debt quickly and prevent HMRC escalation, the loan types that fit, and how lenders view tax arrears on an application.
Adam Parker -
Specialty finance
Winding-Up Petition Rescue Finance for UK SMEs
A winding-up petition from HMRC or a creditor doesn't automatically end a limited company. The finance routes that can settle the debt, get the petition dismissed, and restore trading.
Adam Parker -
Guides
Sharia-Compliant Business Finance for UK SMEs
How limited companies access interest-free, Sharia-compliant finance through FCA-regulated providers, the Murabaha and Ijara structures used, and how pricing compares.
Adam Parker -
Rates and costs
How the BoE Base Rate Affects UK Business Loan Pricing
How the Bank of England base rate feeds into business loan rates, the bands by lender type, fixed versus variable, and practical steps to reach the lower end of the spectrum.
Adam Parker -
Specialty finance
Development Finance vs Bridging Loans: UK SMB Guide
Development finance and bridging loans both provide short-term property funding, but they serve different purposes. Bridging covers gaps between transac...
Adam Parker -
Guides
Commercial Vehicle Finance: A UK SMB Guide
UK limited companies and partnerships can finance vans, lorries, and HGVs through hire purchase, finance lease, or contract hire, spreading the cost ove...
Adam Parker -
Specialty finance
Auction Finance: Bridging Loans for UK SMBs
Auction finance is a short-term bridging loan drawn within the 28-day completion deadline imposed by most UK property auction houses. It lets businesses...
Adam Parker -
Guides
Balloon Payments in Asset Finance: A UK SMB Guide
A balloon payment is a large lump sum due at the end of an asset finance agreement, designed to reduce monthly instalments during the term. UK SMBs use ...
Adam Parker -
Specialty finance
Bridging-to-Term Refinance: A UK SMB Guide
A bridging-to-term refinance replaces a short-term bridging loan with a longer-term commercial mortgage once a property is stabilised, tenanted or refur...
Adam Parker -
Rates and costs
When an MCA Beats a Term Loan for UK SMBs
A merchant cash advance suits UK businesses with strong card turnover but lumpy revenue, poor credit history, or urgent funding needs. Unlike a term loa...
Adam Parker -
Finance decisions
HMRC Time to Pay vs Business Loan: Which to Choose
When a UK business faces an overdue tax liability, HMRC's Time to Pay arrangement is often the first option considered. However, a commercial loan or sp...
Adam Parker -
Rates and costs
Best UK MCA Lenders for Hospitality, Retail and E-Commerce
Merchant cash advances suit UK businesses with strong card or online sales but lumpy cash flow. Hospitality, retail and e-commerce operators are the mos...
Adam Parker -
Rates and costs
MCA Holdback Rates: How to Negotiate Better Terms
The holdback rate on a merchant cash advance determines how much of your daily card takings the lender collects until the advance is repaid. Rates typic...
Adam Parker -
Finance decisions
HP vs Finance Lease: Tax Treatment for UK SMBs
Hire purchase and finance leasing both spread the cost of business assets, but they differ significantly in how tax relief is claimed, who owns the asse...
Adam Parker -
Specialty finance
Commercial Mortgages: LTV, DSCR and Property Types
Commercial mortgages in the UK are assessed on two primary metrics: loan-to-value ratio and debt service coverage ratio. Owner-occupier and investment p...
Adam Parker -
Post-decline
Post-Decline Finance: Fixing Thin Files and CCJ Paths
A lender decline isn't a final answer. Most UK SMB applications fail for correctable reasons: a thin credit file, a recent CCJ, or a mismatch between t...
Adam Parker -
Guides
R&D Advance Funding: Accelerate Your Tax Credit
R&D advance funding allows UK limited companies to borrow against a confirmed or expected HMRC R&D tax credit before the repayment lands. Specialist len...
Adam Parker -
Specialty finance
Regulated vs Unregulated Bridging Finance Explained
Regulated bridging loans apply when a borrower or close family member will occupy the security property; unregulated loans cover purely commercial or in...
Adam Parker -
Specialty finance
Equipment Refinance: Releasing Capital from Owned Assets
Equipment refinance allows UK businesses to sell owned plant, machinery or vehicles to a lender and lease them back, releasing tied-up capital without l...
Adam Parker -
Post-decline
Declined for a Business Loan? What Specialty Finance Can Still Do
Declined for a business loan? Fewer than half of UK SME bank applications succeed, but specialist lenders fund cases high-street banks reject. Here is how.
Oliver Mackman -
Finance decisions
MCA vs Asset Finance: Which One Fits Your Business?
A merchant cash advance funds against future card takings; asset finance funds a specific piece of equipment. Your choice turns on what you're buying.
Oliver Mackman -
Guides
VAT Loans: When to Use Them and What They Cost
A VAT loan lets a UK business borrow the exact amount owed to HMRC on its quarterly return, repay HMRC on the due date, then settle the lender over a short term.
Adam Parker -
Rates and costs
MCA Factor Rates Explained: Converting to APR
A merchant cash advance uses a factor rate, not an interest rate. Converting it to an APR reveals the annualised cost and lets you compare it directly with a term loan.
Adam Parker
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