Business expansion funding
A second site, a bigger kitchen, three new hires. Funding matched to the plan and repaid from the revenue it creates, decided by people who read the plan rather than the postcode.
Funding growth without waiting for the bank
Expansion is the point where a healthy business most often finds the bank slowest: a second site needs a deposit, a fit-out and three months of wages before it takes a penny, and the bank wants three years of accounts for the site that doesn't exist yet. We assess the existing business instead. Six months of statements from site one, a simple outline of the plan and its cost, and we size a facility to cover fit-out, equipment, opening stock and the first months of running costs.
Where it fits, repayments can be structured as a percentage of takings so a slow opening month doesn't carry a fixed bill, or staged so you draw as the build progresses and pay only on what's drawn.
How it works
Four steps, with the timings we actually work to.
Apply online
Business name, what you do, roughly what goes through the till, the amount and what it's for. No credit search at this stage.
A specialist calls you back
Confirms it's a fit, tells you which product suits the numbers and what it would typically cost. If it isn't a fit, you hear that now.
Decision in writing
Send six months of bank statements (open banking takes under a minute), card statements if you take cards, and photo ID. The offer shows the amount, the total to repay and how it's collected.
Funds in your account
E-sign, and the money goes to the business account. Repayments start as agreed.
| Fit-out and chairs | £38,000 |
| Deposit and first quarter's rent | £12,000 |
| Opening stock and marketing | £6,000 |
| Three months' wages buffer | £14,000 |
| Total raised | £70,000 |
| Structure | Advance at 12% of combined card takings |
| Factor rate | 1.25 |
| Total to repay | £87,500 |
| Expected extra profit once open | £5,500 a month |
| Payback on the £70,000 | About 13 months |
Illustrative figures using typical market terms; not a real customer. Your offer depends on your trading and our assessment.
Eligibility
- UK limited company or LLP with six months or more at the existing site
- Six months of bank and card statements
- A one-page outline of the expansion and its cost
- Photo ID for a director
- The existing site trading profitably
- Pre-revenue start-ups: nothing to assess yet
- Expansion that doubles fixed costs with no tested demand
- Sole traders and partnerships
Which funding for which expansion
| Expansion type | Usual structure | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second site (hospitality, salon, retail) | Advance on combined takings, or staged loan | £30,000 to £250,000 | Deposit, fit-out, stock, wage buffer |
| Refit or extension of current site | Advance or 12 to 24 month loan | £15,000 to £150,000 | Repayments scale with the uplift in trade |
| Hiring ahead of a contract | Revolving working capital | £10,000 to £100,000 | Weekly draws matched to payroll |
| Equipment to raise capacity | Asset finance | £5,000 to £500,000 | The asset is the security |
| New product line or stock range | Term working capital | £10,000 to £100,000 | Repaid from the first season's sales |
| Buying a competitor or franchise unit | Loan, sometimes with vendor terms | £50,000 to £500,000 | Target's trading history helps |
What owners use it for
What to have ready
Six months of bank statements for the existing business; card statements if you take cards; a one-page outline of the plan with costs (fit-out quote, lease heads of terms, equipment list); and photo ID. A full business plan with five-year projections is not required and won't be read. What we want is the current site's trading and a credible number for what the expansion will add. A director's personal guarantee is standard; applying runs no credit search.
A direct lender, in plain terms
Our own underwriters. Your file isn't sold on to a panel or passed around a market; the people who assess it are the people who fund it.
The total on your offer, nothing before funds are released. No application fee, no broker commission built into your price.
Finance to UK limited companies and LLPs for business purposes is not regulated consumer credit. The legal name of the funding entity is on every offer document.
Questions about business expansion funding
Can I get funding for a second site before it opens?
Yes, if the existing site has six months or more of trading. The new site is funded on the strength of the current one.
Do I need a business plan?
A one-page outline with costs, not a 40-page plan. We assess on the existing site's statements.
How are repayments structured during the opening months?
Where it fits, as a percentage of combined card takings, so a quiet opening month repays less. Otherwise a staged loan with repayments starting after the first draw.
What's a reasonable payback period?
Plans that pay back inside 18 months from the extra profit usually fund comfortably. Beyond 36 months the maths is doing a lot of hoping.
Can I draw the money in stages?
Yes. Staged drawdown means you pay only for what's drawn as the build progresses.
Is there tax relief on the equipment?
Usually: the Annual Investment Allowance covers most plant and machinery up to £1m. Your accountant will confirm what applies; we don't give tax advice.
Is a personal guarantee required?
Yes, from a director. No charge over property.
Will applying affect my credit score?
No. The enquiry runs no search.
Other ways we fund UK businesses
See what your business could be offered
Two minutes to tell us about the business. A funding specialist calls you back, usually the same working day, with a straight answer.