UK SME finance guides
Educational explainers built for UK small business owners. Each guide unpacks how a finance product actually works, who it tends to fit, what lenders weigh, and the common blockers to address before applying. Everything here is general guidance — not financial advice, not a loan offer, and not a guarantee of approval. The goal is to help you understand the route before you spend an application on it.
27 guides covering start-here orientation, product education, eligibility and decline recovery, and sector-specific routing. All UK English, all referenced against the lenders we track.
Start here
Foundational guides for owners who are new to UK SME finance and want a clear overview before they apply.
What documents do lenders ask for?
The exact documents UK SME lenders ask for: bank statements, accounts, ID, VAT returns and management information. With product-by-product variations.
Read the guideHow to improve your funding readiness
A 90-day plan to strengthen your UK SME funding profile: credit, accounts, banking behaviour, documentation and lender presentation.
Read the guideProduct education
Plain-English explainers of each major finance product, how it is priced, who it tends to suit and what blocks an application.
What is invoice finance?
Plain-English guide to UK invoice finance: how factoring and discounting work, who they fit, typical costs, eligibility signals and common blockers.
Read the guideMerchant cash advance vs business loan
Compare merchant cash advances and unsecured business loans in the UK: repayment mechanics, cost, eligibility, speed and the right use case for each.
Read the guideIslamic business finance explained
How Sharia-compliant business finance works in the UK: murabaha, ijara, musharaka. Which UK Islamic banks offer it, who it suits, eligibility signals.
Read the guideBridging finance for property purchase
How UK property bridging loans work: short-term funding for property purchase, refurbishment and auction. Costs, LTVs, exit routes and eligibility.
Read the guideAsset finance for vehicles and equipment
How UK asset finance works for vehicles, machinery and equipment: hire purchase vs finance lease vs operating lease. Pricing, eligibility, providers.
Read the guideCommercial mortgage basics
How UK commercial mortgages work: owner-occupier vs investment, LTV, terms, eligibility, lenders and the full application process explained.
Read the guideComparing UK merchant cash advance providers
How UK merchant cash advance providers structure factor rates, holdback, advance size and renewals. A comparison of typical mechanics, not a recommendation.
Read the guideUnderstanding invoice finance fees
How UK invoice finance fees are structured: service fees, discount charges, minimum fees, drawdown costs and the hidden charges that affect total cost.
Read the guideHow asset finance residual values work
What residual values mean on UK asset finance contracts: how lenders set them, how they affect monthly cost, balloon payments and end-of-term options.
Read the guideRevenue-based finance in the UK
How UK revenue-based finance works: pricing, repayment, eligibility for ecommerce and SaaS, and how it differs from merchant cash advance and term loans.
Read the guideBridging finance exit strategies
How UK bridging lenders evaluate exit strategies — refinance, sale or development completion — and what makes an exit credible at application stage.
Read the guideChoosing between multiple finance offers
How UK SME owners compare multiple finance offers like-for-like: total cost, structure, flexibility, covenants and the questions to ask before signing.
Read the guideWhen not to take on business debt
When UK SME owners should walk away from a finance offer: cashflow stress, structural problems, mismatched product, weak unit economics and signs of distress.
Read the guideEligibility and decline recovery
What lenders actually weigh, why applications are declined, and how to improve your funding profile before applying again.
Business finance with bad credit
UK business finance for borrowers with adverse credit, CCJs or defaults: routes that genuinely consider you, those that don't, and how to improve fit.
Read the guideWhy business loan applications get declined
The most common reasons UK SME finance applications are declined: affordability, credit, trading history, sector, document gaps. With practical fixes.
Read the guideBusiness finance with less than 12 months trading
UK SME finance routes for businesses with under 12 months of trading. MCAs, platform-linked products and asset finance routes that accept new businesses.
Read the guidePreparing management accounts for finance applications
What UK lenders want to see in management accounts: P&L, balance sheet, aged debtors, aged creditors and how to present numbers that strengthen an application.
Read the guideWhen personal guarantees are non-negotiable
Which UK business finance products always require a personal guarantee, which sometimes do not, and how to negotiate PG terms where there is flexibility.
Read the guideUnderstanding business credit files (Experian, Equifax, Creditsafe)
How UK business credit files work at Experian, Equifax and Creditsafe — what each agency tracks, how scores are built, and how to improve a thin or weak file.
Read the guideHow UK lenders treat Bounce Back Loan borrowers
How UK lenders underwrite businesses with an outstanding or recently-repaid Bounce Back Loan, and what makes a strong follow-on finance application.
Read the guideCCJs and business finance: what still works
How UK lenders treat County Court Judgements on company and director files, which finance products remain accessible, and how to rebuild credit after a CCJ.
Read the guideSector guides
Sector-specific guidance on the finance routes that typically fit different UK SME business models.
Business finance for ecommerce
Funding routes for UK ecommerce businesses: revenue-based finance, Shopify Capital, MCAs, working capital and stock finance. With eligibility and pricing.
Read the guideHospitality cashflow finance in the UK
How UK pubs, restaurants and hotels finance seasonal cashflow, fit-out and acquisition. Merchant cash advance, asset finance and working capital routes compared.
Read the guideEcommerce platform finance: Amazon, Shopify, Etsy
How UK ecommerce sellers fund stock and growth on Amazon, Shopify, Etsy and Stripe. Platform-native funding, revenue-based finance and MCA routes compared.
Read the guideConstruction, CIS and business finance
How UK construction firms with CIS deductions, retentions and pay-when-paid clauses access asset, invoice and working capital finance.
Read the guideReady to see which finance types may fit?
Run the two-minute eligibility checker to map your profile against UK SME lender criteria. Educational output, not a loan offer.
Lendrly provides general eligibility guidance only. It is not financial advice, a loan offer, or a guarantee of approval. Provider criteria can change and final approval is subject to lender underwriting, affordability checks, credit assessment, and documentation. Lendrly is not a regulated credit broker; we do not submit applications on your behalf.