Commercial finance covers a much broader range of funding needs than a standard mortgage. Whether you’re purchasing the premises your business operates from, improving cash flow while waiting for invoices to be paid, or financing new equipment and machinery, choosing the right funding solution can make a significant difference to how your business operates and grows.
At Saho Financial Services, we work with a wide panel of lenders, from high street banks to specialist providers, to find commercial finance solutions that genuinely suit your business. Rather than recommending the easiest option to arrange, we focus on securing funding that aligns with your business goals, cash flow, and long-term plans.
Commercial finance is a significant part of how UK businesses grow. Gross bank lending to SMEs reached around £68 billion, according to the British Business Bank, its annual Small Business Finance Markets report. Asset finance new business, covering equipment, vehicles, and machinery, topped £40 billion a year according to the Finance & Leasing Association, while invoice finance and asset based lending supported around £21.2 billion of advances to roughly 34,000 businesses, according to UK Finance. These aren’t niche products. They’re how a large share of UK businesses actually fund growth.
Buy the premises your business trades from, or purchase a commercial investment property, with a mortgage structured around your business.
Unsecured and secured lending for working capital, expansion, or general business needs, from a wide panel of high street and specialist lenders.
Release cash tied up in unpaid invoices, so you’re not waiting thirty, sixty, or ninety days to get paid for work you’ve already done.
Fund equipment, vehicles, and machinery without draining your cash reserves in one go, spreading the cost over the useful life of the asset.
Not all commercial finance works the same way as a regulated mortgage. Lending to limited companies generally falls outside FCA regulation, and lending to sole traders or partnerships is only regulated where the amount is £25,000 or less. The FCA’s guidance on regulated credit agreements sets out exactly where the lines sit. We hold credit broking permissions and will always be clear with you about whether a particular product is regulated or not, so you know where you stand.
Research from the British Business Bank consistently finds that a meaningful share of SMEs avoid applying for finance altogether, often out of a fear of rejection rather than because they wouldn’t qualify. A conversation with a broker who knows the market costs nothing and often uncovers options business owners didn’t know existed.
A small manufacturing business needed new machinery to fulfil a large contract, but didn’t want to tie up its working capital in an outright purchase. We arranged asset finance structured around the contract’s payment schedule, alongside a modest invoice finance facility to smooth out cash flow while the larger invoices were outstanding. Two products, one coordinated plan.
Business loans are one type of commercial finance. The wider category also includes commercial mortgages, invoice finance, and asset finance, each designed to meet different business needs. We’ll help you determine which option, or combination of options, is the best fit for your circumstances.
Not necessarily. Many lenders on our panel work with smaller businesses and sole traders, and products such as business loans and asset finance are often available for relatively modest borrowing amounts. It’s worth having the conversation rather than assuming you won’t qualify.
It varies significantly by product. Asset finance and business loans can sometimes complete within days, while commercial mortgages typically take several weeks, similar to a residential property purchase. We’ll give you a realistic timeline once we understand exactly what you need.
It depends on the product and the lender. Some business loans are available on an unsecured basis, while commercial mortgages and larger finance facilities are typically secured against property or other business assets. We’ll always be upfront about any security requirements before you commit to an offer.
