Most businesses don’t fail because they’re unprofitable.
They fail because they run out of cash. Working capital is the gap between paying your suppliers and getting paid by your customers, and for most trading businesses that gap is a permanent feature of the operating model rather than a temporary blip.
The right working capital structure absorbs that gap without strangling the business. The wrong one creates pressure exactly when the business needs flexibility, often resulting in the most expensive form of finance: a hurried conversation with a non-bank lender at the worst possible moment.
Our job is to design the facility before you need it, against the cash flow profile of the actual business, with the right mix of secured and unsecured limits to absorb the surprises that always come.
Different shapes for different needs
Most businesses end up with a combination of two or three of these. We work out which mix gives you the right blend of flexibility, cost and headroom.
Business Overdraft
The classic working capital facility. A revolving limit attached to the operating account, used as required, paying interest only on what’s drawn. Best for buffering the day-to-day mismatch.
Line of Credit
Larger working capital limits with more structured drawdown mechanics. Often secured by property or business assets. Suited to businesses that need genuine working capital firepower, not just a buffer.
Trade Finance
Letters of credit, supplier finance, import facilities. The bank pays your supplier on day one; you repay the bank when stock has cleared. Critical for wholesalers, importers and inventory-heavy businesses.
Invoice / Debtor Finance
Lending against eligible debtors, typically 50–80% of invoice value advanced on invoicing. Converts receivables into cash without waiting 30, 60 or 90 days. Suited to businesses with concentrated debtor books.
Seasonal Facilities
Larger temporary limits available during predictable peaks (pre-Christmas retail, harvest, end of financial year). Sized for the seasonal cash flow profile rather than the annual average.
Bank Guarantees
Bank-backed undertakings to a third party (landlord, supplier, regulator). Doesn’t involve drawing cash but ties up balance-sheet capacity. Often structured alongside the working capital package.
Is your working capital working hard enough?
Many businesses are operating on facilities that were sized for what they were three years ago, not what they are now. A 30-minute review costs you nothing and often surfaces real headroom.