Financial Guides and Articles
Plain-English guides on business banking, insurance and more.
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What Is Invoice Finance?
Invoice finance lets you release cash tied up in unpaid invoices without waiting for customers to pay. It comes in two main forms, factoring and discounting, each suited to different business types and situations. Here is how to work out which one fits yours.
Why Timing Isn't the Whole Story for Startup Finance
James Robson argues the SME finance industry has spent a decade chasing the wrong problem: it's timing, not access. He's right, for established businesses. But for startups and first-year companies with no trading history to time, access is still very much the real issue.
The Comparison Site Now Competing With the Products It Compares
MoneySupermarket has launched its own business bank account. Not a comparison of other banks' accounts. Their own. This is a significant moment for the comparison market, and it raises a question every small business owner should ask before using any comparison site to find a bank account.
How Does a Business Overdraft Work?
A business overdraft is one of the most flexible short-term finance tools available to UK businesses. Unlike a loan, you only pay for what you use and there is no fixed repayment schedule. This guide explains how overdrafts work, what they cost, and when they are the right choice.
Business Overdraft vs Business Loan
A business overdraft and a business loan both provide access to external finance, but they are built for different situations. The right choice depends on what you need the money for, how long you will need it, and how predictable your cash flow is. Here is how to tell them apart.
How Much Does Invoice Factoring Cost?
Invoice factoring costs more than a single headline rate suggests. The total is built from two main components, plus ancillary charges that vary significantly between providers. Here is what a facility typically costs and how to compare quotes properly.
Invoice Finance for Wholesale Businesses
Wholesale businesses buy before they sell and sell before they are paid. Invoice finance releases cash from unpaid sales invoices, so you are not waiting 30 to 60 days for money you have already earned.
Invoice Finance for Healthcare Agencies
Healthcare staffing agencies pay nurses and care workers weekly while NHS trusts and care homes settle invoices on 30 to 60-day terms. Here is how invoice finance closes that gap.
Invoice Finance for Construction Companies
Construction businesses spend money long before clients pay. Materials, labour, and plant costs run from day one; invoices sit on 60 or 90-day terms. Here is how invoice finance closes that gap.
Invoice Finance for Manufacturing
Manufacturers buy materials before they produce, and produce before they are paid. Invoice finance releases the cash tied up in unpaid sales invoices, so the working capital gap does not constrain the next production run.
Invoice Finance for Transport and Haulage
Haulage businesses pay for fuel, drivers, and maintenance before a single invoice is settled. Here is how invoice finance closes the gap between operational costs and client payment terms.
How Much Does Invoice Discounting Cost?
Invoice discounting is typically cheaper than invoice factoring because the lender does less work. Here is how the fees are structured, what a facility typically costs, and how to compare quotes properly.
Invoice Finance for Startups
Most invoice finance providers assess your customers' creditworthiness more heavily than your own trading history. That makes factoring more accessible for startups than most founders expect. Here is how it works and what you need to qualify.
What Is Invoice Factoring?
Invoice factoring advances you cash from unpaid invoices and hands your credit control to the lender. Here is how it works, what it costs, and whether it is the right fit for your stage of business.
What Is Invoice Discounting?
Invoice discounting lets you release cash from unpaid invoices while keeping your credit control in-house and the arrangement confidential. Here is how it works, what it costs, and whether it suits your business.