Business lending in the UK pros and cons

Pros and cons of business loans

• A business loan can help a business raise money for day-to-day operations and growth.

• Some lenders offer flexible repayment terms.

• You can keep all the capital in your business. If you fail to repay a secured loan, you may lose your equity.

• When applying for a secured loan, you may have to pay legal and valuation costs.

• Arrears or late payments can have a negative impact on your company's creditworthiness.

• Defaulting on a business loan can affect your company's cash flow and long-term growth.

Types of business loans in the UK

• Secured business loans A secured business loan requires you to provide an asset (e.g. a property) as collateral. Secured loans typically have lower interest rates than unsecured loans because they involve less risk for the lender. They also provide access to a larger loan amount over a longer period of time. However, secured loans involve an additional risk of asset loss in the event of default.

• Unsecured commercial loans An unsecured loan is a form of financing that does not require collateral. The interest rates on these loans are usually higher because the borrower is exposed to a greater risk of loss if he or she fails to repay the debt. Unsecured loans also require a good financial and credit rating to prove that the business is able to repay the loan.

• Domestic business loans The Business Loan Scheme is a government-funded fund that provides loans of up to £25,000 to UK businesses that have been fully operational for less than 36 months. It's free to apply and there are no early repayment fees. If your application is successful, you'll receive free advice for up to 12 months. The public start-up loan has a fixed interest rate of 6% per year and must be repaid over a period of between one and five years

What other options are available in addition to the start-up loan?

• State and local subsidies: programs and grants that provide loans to businesses for various purposes.

• Crowdfunding: creating accounts on crowdfunding platforms to raise money from the public.

• 'Angel investors': encouraging investors to buy shares in a company to raise funding.

• Corporate overdraft: short-term lending of money via a company's bank account. Cash loans to businesses: Business cash loans allow businesses to borrow money from customers for future payments using debit or credit cards.

• Business credit card: the use of credit cards to borrow short-term funds. Private-to-private lending: lending money from private individuals via a private-to-private lending platform

To raise money or get a loan in the UK, it's important to have a trusted partner who can raise capital, prepare funding applications, justify valuations, help develop an operational business model and much more.