A scale-up business is recognised as a young organisation with at least 10 employees which grows by an average of 20% each year. Scale-ups are of huge importance to the UK economy providing jobs, inward investment and innovation.
However, scale-up businesses often find it difficult to source finance from mainstream funders due to a lack of trading history, asset value or limited management experience.
Grants and regional funding options exist, but many are for very early-stage development rather than growth. Bank Loans are an option for companies with solid cash flow that can support the interest payments. However, new global capital regulations designed to make banking more stable have made it harder for banks to offer large overdrafts, and so alternative options are often required by businesses looking to raise finance.
Invoice finance is a popular way for scale-up business-to-business (B2B) firms to unlock vital working capital as it grows with your business. Working capital finance options for high-growth business-to-consumer (B2C) firms are less obvious. However, a relatively new type of lender is emerging offering merchant cash advances where businesses repay a fixed percentage of revenues.
Many crowdfunding platforms exist, including equity and non-equity options. When it comes to investing in new equipment, there are plenty of options available. Asset finance, otherwise known as asset leasing or lease rental, has been around for many years and for good reason, but not everyone is aware of how it can benefit them.
Asset leasing is a tax-efficient and flexible way to purchase the equipment you need without compromising your cash flow, and is suitable for all industry sectors and any size of business. Terms are available from one to five years with only a minimal deposit required in most cases.
Ultimately, there’s no easy answer for financing a scale-up and businesses may need to share the risk and look at numerous options. It does depend on your approach to risk, your attitude to giving away part of business, and your company’s ability to finance a debt.
To see how we can help you grow your business by providing funding options to suit your needs, contact XL Business Finance today for an initial discussion.
Manchester – 0161 980 0577
London – 020 3301 4540
xlbusinessfinance.co.uk
