Who We Help
Situations we see most often
- Growing businesses
Winning larger contracts and new customers usually means longer payment terms and higher upfront costs. Invoice finance can let the funding available grow in step with sales rather than lagging behind them.
- Businesses under seasonal or contract-driven pressure
Peaks in activity need working capital before the revenue from them arrives. A facility linked to the ledger flexes with those peaks rather than being fixed at last year's level.
- Businesses replacing an existing facility
If your current invoice finance arrangement has become expensive, restrictive or poorly serviced, we can review it against the wider market and help manage a switch if one is warranted.
- Businesses new to invoice finance
If you have never used it before, the terminology can be off-putting. We explain it plainly, help you understand the commitment involved and tell you honestly whether it is worth pursuing.
Honest indicators
Likely to be a good fit
- You sell to other businesses or public sector bodies on credit terms
- Invoices are raised once goods are delivered or work is complete
- Your customers are established and generally pay, even if slowly
- Your sales ledger is reasonably well kept and reconciled
- Cash flow, rather than profitability, is the constraint on the business
- You expect to keep invoicing at a similar or growing level
Less likely to fit
- Most of your sales are to consumers rather than businesses
- You invoice in advance, or in stages before work is complete
- A single customer represents nearly all of your turnover and is financially weak
- Invoices are frequently disputed or subject to retentions and contra-charges
- The need is really for long-term capital rather than working capital
Cash-flow situations invoice finance is designed for
- Customers pay on long terms
You invoice on 30, 60 or 90-day terms, and larger customers often stretch beyond that. The work is done long before the cash arrives.
- Sales are growing faster than cash flow
More orders mean more stock, staff and supplier bills to fund upfront. Growth becomes a cash-flow problem rather than a celebration.
- Seasonal peaks and troughs
Busy periods need working capital before the revenue from them is collected. Quiet periods still have fixed costs.
- A few very large invoices
When a small number of customers account for most of your turnover, one slow payment can affect the whole business.
- Payroll and recruitment commitments
Temporary staff, contractors and new hires need paying weekly or monthly, regardless of when clients settle their invoices.
- An existing facility no longer fits
Your current invoice finance arrangement may have been right once, but fees, service or structure may no longer suit the business.
Sectors where it is commonly used
Inclusion here does not mean every business in the sector qualifies. Suitability depends on the individual business, its customers and the provider’s criteria.
- Recruitment & Staffing
Weekly payroll for temporary staff against clients paying on 30 to 60-day terms.
- Manufacturing
Raw materials and production costs paid long before finished goods are invoiced and settled.
- Transport & Logistics
Fuel, drivers and vehicles paid weekly; customers paying in 30 to 60 days.
- Wholesale & Distribution
Stock bought upfront, sold on credit terms to trade customers.
- Engineering & Fabrication
Skilled labour and materials invested in jobs before invoices are raised and paid.
- Business & Professional Services
Consultancies, agencies and service providers invoicing monthly in arrears.
- Security & Facilities
Staff-heavy operations with regular payroll and contracted clients on monthly terms.
- Printing & Packaging
Material and production costs on each job, with customers paying on standard trade terms.
- Construction-related Services
Subcontractors and suppliers to the construction sector, where terms and applications vary.