Angel investing is undertaken by individuals, or groups of individuals (acting as a syndicate or network), who invest their own money in return for shares (equity) in the business.
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Acquiring a new business asset outright can tie up large amounts of capital up front, so it may not be the most efficient use of a business’ available resources.
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Often associated with invoice finance, asset-based lending is available to businesses that have multiple asset types on their balance sheet.
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An overdraft is a borrowing facility attached to your business bank account that is set at an agreed limit you agree with your bank. It allows you to temporarily spend more than you have in your account to cover short-term financing needs.
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Banks and other providers offer a range of bonds and guarantees which support businesses by guaranteeing their ability to meet contractual obligations. They are tailored to suit particular needs and can be used to guarantee both buyers and sellers of goods or services.
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Business credit cards work in a similar way to a personal credit card: you can buy something now, with access to a revolving line of credit with a set limit.
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Thousands of funding programmes in the UK can help with the costs of setting up or growing your business.
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Loans are one of the most common ways in which businesses raise money. A lender provides money which the business repays, with interest, over a set period of time.
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A commercial mortgage is a type of loan for businesses that want to borrow for property related purposes such as buying property and property development, property investment, and refurbishment of owner-occupied business premises.
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Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs) provide loans and other support, such as mentoring, to businesses that find it difficult to access finance from mainstream sources.
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Crowdfunding means raising money from other people – a ‘crowd’ – for a product, service, project, idea, campaign or cause. Several forms exist including rewards-based and investment-based crowdfunding.
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Equity finance involves raising money by selling a stake of (or shares in) a business, either to existing or new shareholders. This doesn’t mean you have to give up control of the business, as your investor can take a minority stake.
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Invoice finance is a form of flexible commercial finance that is available to businesses that trade with other businesses on credit terms. It is available to businesses in many sectors and across the UK.
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Letters of credit are issued by banks to guarantee to a seller that they will receive payment in full from a buyer by a specified time. They are often used in international transactions to protect both exporters and importers.
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Sometimes called Business Cash Advance, Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) is a product available for businesses that receive a significant proportion of payments for their goods or services through debit or credit cards.
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Mezzanine finance is a hybrid of debt and equity financing and covers a range of funding scenarios (the word comes from the Latin for middle). In certain situations, it can work better for a business than either debt or equity options.
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Private equity providers invest in well-established businesses, by providing finance in exchange for an equity or ownership stake.
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There is a wide variety of external finance and other support available to new and start-up businesses, with options designed for sole traders and freelancers, microenterprises, SMEs, social enterprises and larger businesses. The UK also has a thriving network of business incubation and acceleration programmes.
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Supplier finance or supply chain finance are collective terms normally used to describe finance arrangements where the counter-party (client) is the buyer of products and services.
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When businesses export abroad they need to be sure they can afford to produce and supply the goods or services and be certain of receiving payment for them. Trade or export finance covers a range of solutions to help mitigate financial risks such as default or delayed payment.
Learn MoreA number of UK Government-backed lending and related schemes are available to support businesses.
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