When running a business, it’s essential to have enough cash to cover your working capital—paying suppliers, employees, and tax—as well as to invest in equipment and fund your growth.

There are many ways to borrow money, and more options today than there have ever been. Borrowing is also more expensive than it was even five years ago, so it pays to understand each route and weigh up the full cost before you commit.

We cover most options in this article, but please note that none of what we discuss comes with any kind of recommendation or endorsement. It’s down to you to undertake due diligence and choose what’s best for your situation.

Here’s what we discuss in this article:

Bank business loans

This is often the first option you’ll think of, and it remains a popular one.

All the banks say they’re open for business, but in practice some doors are more open than others—and the choice now includes app-based challenger banks as well as the high street.

Many lenders will ask for a business plan, and for small and medium-sized businesses much of the decision can still come down to the director’s personal credit profile.

Tips

• Check the likelihood of getting a loan with your bank in advance, so you don’t rack up too many credit checks on your record.
• Create a robust business plan to show you can repay the loan—and to work out how much you actually need.
• Calculate the full cost: not just the interest rate, but arrangement fees, early-repayment penalties, and whether the rate is fixed or variable.
• Approach a few lenders to compare. With a strong credit profile, you may get them to compete for your business.
• If you have to give security, such as a personal guarantee, make sure you understand what it commits you to.

The British Business Bank

If you’ve already researched this topic, you may have noticed several government-backed options, and most of them sit under one roof: the British Business Bank.

This is the UK government’s economic development bank, set up to improve access to finance for smaller businesses.

It’s the body behind many of the schemes we discuss later in this article, such as Start Up Loans and the Growth Guarantee Scheme.

It doesn’t lend to you directly. Instead, it works through accredited lenders and delivery partners, and widens the range of funding on offer.

If you’re not sure where to begin, its Finance Hub is a useful, impartial starting point: it sets out the main finance options and helps you find lenders and schemes you may be eligible for.

Government-backed schemes

If you don’t have the security a commercial loan needs, a government-backed scheme may help you get finance.

You might hear people talk of the Enterprise Finance Guarantee but that has closed to new lending. Its current equivalent is the Growth Guarantee Scheme, the successor to the Recovery Loan Scheme, which launched in July 2024. It’s administered by the British Business Bank.

It supports a range of products—term loans, overdrafts, asset finance, and invoice finance—with the government providing the lender with a 70% guarantee. Crucially, you remain fully liable for repaying the debt. Facilities run up to £2m, it’s open to UK businesses, and you apply through one of the scheme’s accredited lenders rather than the government directly.

If you’re just starting out, the Start Up Loans scheme is worth a look, also from the British Business Bank. It offers personal loans of £500 to £25,000 per founder, comes with free mentoring, and assesses your application on your business plan and cash flow forecast rather than your trading history.

Tips

• Ask lenders whether a government-backed scheme could support your application—not all of them lead with it.
• Remember the guarantee protects the lender, not you: you’re still responsible for the full amount.
• As with any loan, check the rate, fees and term, and compare accredited lenders.

Friends and family

Many businesses get going with funding from friends or family.

It can be quick to arrange and may come at an attractive rate. But think carefully before borrowing this way—all too often these arrangements turn sour and damage the relationship if things don’t go to plan.

If family or friends put money into your business by buying newly issued shares, they may be able to claim tax relief through the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) or Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS).

These schemes provide 50% and 30% income tax relief respectively, plus capital gains tax breaks, as long as the company and the investment qualify.

There’s a catch with family, though: your closest relatives—a spouse or civil partner, parents, grandparents, children or grandchildren—generally can’t claim the relief if they’re “connected” to the company, while siblings and more distant family usually can.

The capital gains (CGT) side has also become noticeably less generous of late. The rules here are detailed and change often, so it’s worth checking the current position with an accountant before relying on any of it.

Tips

• Put a simple written agreement in place covering the amount, term, interest rate and repayments.
• Agree what happens if the business fails—will you repay the money personally?
• Keep them up to date on how the business is doing, the good and the bad.

Invoice finance

If you invoice customers and then wait to be paid, invoice finance lets you borrow against those unpaid invoices.

You may see it called factoring or invoice discounting. It can be arranged fairly quickly, providers have made the process increasingly slick, and more sectors are eligible than used to be the case.

Tips

• Check how long you’re tied in for; some providers offer one-month rolling contracts.
• Make sure you understand the full cost.
• Check how much you can actually borrow—you won’t be advanced 100% of your debtor book.
• Compare providers.

Overdrafts

A business overdraft is a flexible, straightforward way to cover short-term shortfalls—but used over the long term it can become expensive.

Banks have also grown far more cautious about offering them than they once were.

An overdraft is often set as a percentage of your turnover, and it can be reduced or withdrawn, so make sure you understand the terms. If you need flexible borrowing, it’s worth comparing an overdraft with a revolving credit facility or a short-term loan.

Tips

• For long-term needs, compare your overdraft with cheaper options, such as moving the balance onto a loan.
• Try to stay within your limit—charges for exceeding it can be steep.
• Have a back-up plan in case the facility is reduced or withdrawn.

Credit cards

A business credit card can give you interest-free funding if you clear the balance in full when your monthly statement arrives.

Many business cards require you to pay in full each month, so check whether yours does before you rely on it for anything longer term.

Tips

• Shop around for 0% deals, cashback and other incentives.
• Pay on time, and at least the minimum required, to protect your credit score.
• Review your cards regularly to make sure they still suit you.
• If you issue cards to staff, put a robust process in place to prevent misuse.

Online lending marketplaces

When this article was originally published back in 2013, platforms such as Funding Circle matched businesses with lots of individual lenders, who each decided whether to fund your loan.

Sadly, that peer-to-peer model has largely disappeared in the UK. Funding Circle closed to individual investors in 2022, and others, including Zopa and RateSetter, exited too.

The good news: What remains is a healthy market of online business lenders (Funding Circle among them) now funded by institutions rather than individuals.

The appeal is much the same as before: applications are quick, decisions often come within a couple of days, and these lenders will sometimes back businesses the high-street banks turn down. The rates may not be the cheapest but if you have excellent credit, the process is straightforward.

Tips

• Present your business well—show your growth potential and how you’ll repay. Being honest matters.
• Check each lender’s eligibility criteria before applying; they vary, and have changed over the years.
• If the interest rate or arrangement fee turns out too high once you’re quoted, you’re free to decline.

Grants

Various government and non-government organisations regularly offer pots of money to encourage business activity.

See our guide to government grants for small businesses.

Schemes come and go quickly and it’s hard to keep track, so it’s worth asking your accountant, bank or local business support service to flag any you might be eligible for. Training and apprenticeship support are common examples.

The best starting point is the government’s Find a Grant service, which lists current national schemes.

Be cautious when applying, though: grant scams do exist, especially those you might find advertised randomly through social media or even in search results. Always check a scheme is legitimate before you hand over any details.

Local and regional funding

The original version of this article pointed to Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) as a source of regional funding, and you might still hear people talk about them.

Alas, LEPs closed in April 2024, and their work passed to combined authorities, local and county councils (and in London, the Greater London Authority).

The funding hasn’t disappeared. It’s just channelled through these local bodies and the Growth Hub network, which can point you to regional grants, loans and business support.

The government’s business finance and support finder is a good way to see what’s available in your area.

If you have growth plans but are struggling to raise money through conventional routes, your local or combined authority is the place to start.

Tips

• Approach your local or combined authority, or your nearest Growth Hub, to see what schemes are available where you are.
• Have a business plan and a solid proposition ready for any application.
• Make sure you understand the terms fully before you sign.

Equity

Many business owners are nervous about giving away a share of their business.

But equity funding can be a very cost-effective way to fund the early stages, or to take an established business to the next level—through angel investors, venture capital or equity crowdfunding, for example.

This article focuses on borrowing, so we won’t go into detail here, but equity is a valid option well worth considering when you’re weighing up how to finance your business.

Newer options worth knowing about

The borrowing landscape has broadened well beyond the traditional routes. Depending on your business, these may be worth exploring:

• Online and alternative lenders.Fintech lenders such as Funding Circle and iwoca often lend to businesses the high-street banks turn down, and tend to make decisions faster.
• Revenue-based finance and merchant cash advances.Repayments flex with your income—for example, a share of your daily card takings—which can suit businesses with seasonal or variable sales.
• Crowdfunding.Raise smaller amounts from many backers, either in exchange for equity (platforms such as Crowdcube and Republic Europe, formerly Seedrs) or for rewards and pre-orders (Kickstarter).
• Asset finance.Spread the cost of equipment, vehicles or machinery through leasing or hire purchase instead of paying for it all upfront.

Final thoughts

Many businesses end up funded by a mix of the options we’ve outlined here.

As your business grows, review your borrowing regularly—routes that aren’t right at the start can become more attractive, and cheaper, once you’ve built a track record.

Whatever you choose, weigh up the full cost rather than just the headline rate before you commit.

This blog was originally published in August 2013 and has been updated several times since for relevance.

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