Commercial Finance for UK Businesses — Construction, Hospitality, Retail and More
Summary: UK Business Loans helps UK companies (minimum funding usually £10,000 and above) find the right commercial finance for their industry. We introduce businesses to specialist lenders and brokers across sectors such as construction, property development, hospitality, retail & e‑commerce, manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, agriculture, professional services and sustainability projects. This page explains the typical funding needs by industry, the commercial finance products commonly used, what lenders look for and how to start a quick, free enquiry.
Important: We are not a lender and do not provide financial advice. Submitting an enquiry is a free, no‑obligation way to be matched with lenders or brokers; an enquiry does not affect your credit score.
At a glance: Industries we serve
We work with lenders and brokers experienced in funding businesses across a wide range of UK sectors. Click any industry below for more detail and examples.
Construction & Trades — finance for contracts, materials and plant
Common funding needs: cashflow to cover staged contract costs, retentions, materials and labour, plant purchase or hire, contract deposits and short‑term bridging between projects.
Typical finance options: invoice finance to unlock unpaid invoices; development and contractor finance for larger projects; asset and equipment finance for plant and tools; bridging loans and business loans for short gaps.
What lenders look for: a clear contract pipeline, evidence of client creditworthiness (public or private), profitability on past contracts, and security where required.
Our Business Finance Matching Process
Step 1
Complete Your Details
It takes just 1 minute on average to complete your business and contact details.
Step 2
We Match Your Business
With the best business finance broker or lender most suitable for your needs.
Step 3
You Get Free Quote + Advice
You receive a free quote along with complimentary expert financial advice.
It’s fast and free to get a quote from one of the UK’s leading finance brokers / lenders who will contact you directly with your quote/s.
Complete Our 1-Minute Enquiry Form Now – Get a No-Obligation Quote
Example: A regional contractor used invoice finance to smooth cashflow across multiple jobs and an asset finance deal to replace ageing excavators—allowing new contracts to be taken without draining working capital.
Get a free eligibility check for construction finance
Our Business Finance Matching Process
Step 1
Complete Your Details
It takes just 1 minute on average to complete your business and contact details.
Step 2
We Match Your Business
With the best business finance broker or lender most suitable for your needs.
Step 3
You Get Free Quote + Advice
You receive a free quote along with complimentary expert financial advice.
It’s fast and free to get a quote from one of the UK’s leading finance brokers / lenders who will contact you directly with your quote/s.
Property Development & Commercial Real Estate — land, development and refinancing
Common funding needs: land purchase, build costs, development finance draws, bridging for purchase to refinance, refinance of existing commercial mortgages.
Typical finance options: development loans (based on GDV), commercial mortgages, bridging finance for quick purchases and refinance facilities for completed assets.
What lenders look for: GDV and exit strategy, planning permission, developer track record or experienced directors, valuation and financial modelling.
Example: A small development firm secured a development facility to fund a mixed‑use project, with staged draws aligned to build milestones and a planned refinance on practical completion.
Start your property finance enquiry
Complete Our 1-Minute Enquiry Form Now – Get a No-Obligation Quote
Hospitality — hotels, pubs and restaurants
Common funding needs: refurbishments and fit‑outs, seasonal cashflow, new sites, buying out partners, stock and equipment replacement.
Typical finance options: fit‑out finance, asset finance for kitchens and equipment, short-term business loans, invoice finance for B2B supply lines, and refinance or commercial mortgages for premises.
What lenders look for: trading history, management experience, seasonality plans and realistic forecasts showing how increased capacity or refurbishment will improve margins.
Example: A pub group used a combination of asset finance for brewing equipment and a business loan for a terrace refurbishment timed to peak season.
Retail & E‑commerce
Common funding needs: stock finance, POS upgrades, premises refit, multi-channel growth and working capital to cover delayed supplier payments.
Typical finance options: stock and inventory finance, merchant cash advances (carefully considered), asset finance for POS systems, invoice finance for B2B retailers and business loans for expansion.
What lenders look for: sales history, margins, online metrics for e‑commerce, supplier contracts and stock turn rates.
Example: An online retailer used stock finance to bulk-purchase seasonable inventory and avoided stockouts while preserving cash for marketing investment.
Get Quote Now — retail finance
Our Business Finance Matching Process
Step 1
Complete Your Details
It takes just 1 minute on average to complete your business and contact details.
Step 2
We Match Your Business
With the best business finance broker or lender most suitable for your needs.
Step 3
You Get Free Quote + Advice
You receive a free quote along with complimentary expert financial advice.
It’s fast and free to get a quote from one of the UK’s leading finance brokers / lenders who will contact you directly with your quote/s.
Manufacturing & Engineering
Common funding needs: purchase or upgrade of machinery, working capital for raw materials, export finance and supply chain smoothing.
Typical finance options: asset finance and equipment leasing, invoice finance to speed cashflow from large B2B invoices, term loans for capital investment, and export finance solutions.
What lenders look for: order book, supplier contracts, productivity improvements from investment, and technical valuation of equipment offered as security.
Example: A manufacturer replaced an assembly line using asset finance, increasing capacity without a large initial cash outlay.
Logistics & Transport
Common funding needs: fleet replacements or expansion, warehouse fit-outs, working capital for seasonal peaks and vehicle servicing cycles.
Typical finance options: vehicle and fleet finance, hire purchase, asset-based lending against vehicles or stock, and invoice finance for large B2B contracts.
What lenders look for: fleet age, maintenance records, contracts with shippers/clients and fuel/operational efficiency plans.
Example: A regional haulier upgraded its fleet via vehicle finance, improving reliability for key contracts and enabling new tender wins.
Healthcare & Care Homes
Common funding needs: specialised medical equipment, premises purchase or refurbishment and staffing-related working capital.
Typical finance options: equipment leasing, commercial mortgages for premises, asset finance and working capital facilities tailored to regulated operators.
What lenders look for: regulatory compliance, occupancy levels (for care homes), contracts and demonstrable cashflow to meet ongoing costs.
Example: A clinic funded a new diagnostic suite using asset finance, matching payments to equipment lifecycle and tax allowances.
Agriculture & Food Production
Common funding needs: seasonal working capital, tractors and machinery, storage and processing upgrades, and land or building improvements.
Typical finance options: seasonal overdrafts, equipment finance, asset-based lending and schemes aligned to government or industry initiatives.
What lenders look for: crop/production cycles, contract sales, diversification plans and seasonal cashflow forecasting.
Example: A food producer used short-term asset finance to buy packaging equipment ahead of a major contract, supported by invoice finance to bridge receivables.
Professional Services
Common funding needs: cashflow between billing and payment, premises or IT investment, hiring or expansion capital for fee-earning teams.
Typical finance options: invoice finance, business loans and overdrafts to smooth seasonal revenue cycles and fund growth.
What lenders look for: client base stability, recurring contracts, debtor ageing and professional indemnity arrangements.
Example: An accountancy firm used invoice finance during tax season to cover payroll spikes without tapping owner capital.
Sustainability & Renewables
Common funding needs: installations such as solar PV, EV chargers, heat pumps, insulation and other energy-efficiency projects.
Typical finance options: green/sustainability loans, equipment finance, specialist leasing and commercial grants or incentive-linked lending where available.
What lenders look for: projected energy savings, project payback, warranties and installation standards; many projects can benefit from specific incentive schemes.
Example: A retailer funded EV chargers at multiple stores using a green finance product that matched repayments to energy savings and customer charging income.
Types of commercial finance we connect you to
Across industries we introduce businesses to brokers and lenders offering:
- Business loans — term loans (secured or unsecured) for working capital or investment.
- Commercial mortgages & development finance — for property purchase, development and refinance.
- Asset & equipment finance — hire purchase, leasing and conditional-sale arrangements.
- Invoice & receivables finance — factoring and discounting to free up cash tied in invoices.
- Bridging finance — short-term funding to bridge transactions.
- Cashflow loans & overdrafts — for day-to-day liquidity.
- Sustainability & green finance — products designed for energy and carbon‑saving investments.
For specialist commercial finance such as development lending see our partner product pages and resources on commercial finance, or learn more about commercial finance.
How UK Business Loans helps
Our role is to make it quicker and easier to reach the right lenders and brokers for your sector and funding need. The process is simple:
- Complete a short enquiry form (takes around 2 minutes).
- We match your business with lenders and brokers experienced in your industry.
- Receive contact and indicative quotes — often within hours during business times.
- Compare options and decide — there’s no obligation to proceed.
We’re an introducer: we connect you to finance specialists who will evaluate and, if suitable, progress your application.
Eligibility, documents & what lenders typically ask
Most lenders request similar core information. Typical documents and details you should have ready:
- Business details and recent accounts (if available) — usually last 1–3 years where applicable.
- 3–6 months business bank statements.
- Details of the funding purpose and amount (we usually work from c.£10,000 upwards).
- Contracts, client purchase orders or quotations if funding is contract‑backed.
- Details of assets offered as security (if required).
- Director ID and personal details (for most limited company lending).
What lenders assess: trading history, profitability, turnover, security, contract evidence and sector risk. Submitting an initial enquiry does not affect your credit score; lenders may perform checks later if you progress to an application.
Case studies & typical outcomes
Below are anonymised examples of how our introductions help businesses secure suitable funding.
Case study: Local builder
A building contractor secured invoice finance to release cash tied in retentions and invoices, enabling them to take on a larger tender without cashflow strain. Result: smoother cashflow and an expanded team to deliver the project.
Case study: Independent cafe
A cafe used asset finance to replace kitchen equipment and accessed a short-term working capital loan to cover seasonal slow months. Result: improved service capacity and steadier monthly costs.
Frequently asked questions
- Are you a lender?
- No — we introduce businesses to lenders and brokers. Lenders make the final lending decisions.
- Does it cost to use UK Business Loans?
- No — submitting an enquiry is free. Any fees for lending are agreed between you and the lender or broker.
- Will my credit score be affected?
- Submitting an initial enquiry does not affect your credit rating. Lenders may carry out credit checks later if you proceed to application.
- Which industries do you serve?
- We serve construction, development, hospitality, retail and e‑commerce, manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, agriculture, professional services and sustainability projects — details above with examples.
- What loan sizes do you handle?
- We typically match businesses seeking commercial funding from around £10,000 and upwards.
- Can businesses with poor credit get finance?
- Some specialist lenders consider adverse credit on a case‑by‑case basis. We’ll match you to partners who have experience with more challenging profiles where appropriate.
Ready to get matched to the right lenders?
Submit a short, no‑obligation enquiry and we’ll connect you with finance brokers and lenders who understand your industry and funding need. It takes around two minutes to complete and won’t affect your credit score.
1. Are you a lender or do you provide financial advice?
No — UK Business Loans is an introducer that connects you with trusted brokers and lenders and does not lend money or provide regulated financial advice.
2. How do I start an enquiry and will it affect my credit score?
Complete our short online enquiry form (about two minutes); it’s not a loan application and submitting it won’t affect your credit score, though lenders may carry out checks later if you apply.
3. What loan amounts can I be matched with?
We typically match businesses seeking commercial finance from around £10,000 up to multi‑million pound facilities depending on lender capacity and need.
4. Which industries do you serve?
We work across many UK sectors including construction, property development, hospitality, retail & e‑commerce, manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, agriculture, professional services and sustainability projects.
5. What types of commercial finance can you connect me to?
We introduce businesses to brokers and lenders offering business loans, commercial mortgages and development finance, asset & equipment finance, invoice & receivables finance, bridging loans, overdrafts/cashflow facilities and green/sustainability finance.
6. How quickly will lenders or brokers contact me after I submit an enquiry?
You can often expect a response within hours during business times as we match your enquiry to relevant lenders and brokers experienced in your sector.
7. Does it cost to use UK Business Loans and who pays any fees?
Using our service is free for businesses — any lender or broker fees are agreed separately between you and the chosen finance provider.
8. Can businesses with poor credit or limited trading history get finance?
Yes — some specialist lenders and brokers consider adverse credit or early‑stage businesses on a case‑by‑case basis, and we’ll match you with partners experienced in more challenging profiles where appropriate.
9. What documents and information will lenders typically ask for?
Lenders usually request basic business details, recent accounts (where available), 3–6 months of business bank statements, details of the funding purpose and amount, relevant contracts or purchase orders, asset security information and director ID.
10. Are the brokers and lenders you introduce FCA‑regulated and is my enquiry data secure?
Yes — we work with reputable, FCA‑regulated partners and handle your details securely and confidentially, sharing information only with approved lenders and brokers relevant to your enquiry.