Getting Finance Articles
Expert articles and practical legal guides on getting finance for uk businesses.
Loan Note Meaning: What Loan Notes Are And How They Work
If you’re raising money for your startup or SME, you’ll quickly run into a lot of funding jargon. One term that often pops up (especially in early-stage deals) is the “loan note”....

Debt Facility Explained: How It Works And What Businesses Should Watch For
If you’re running a growing business, it’s normal to hit a point where cash flow (not ambition) becomes the limiting factor. Maybe you need to buy stock ahead of a busy season,...

Can I Loan My Business Money? Director Loans And Tax Risks In The UK
If you run a small limited company, there’s a good chance you’ll hit a point where cash flow feels tight (even if the business is doing well on paper). Maybe you’re waiting...

Equity vs Debt Investment: Key Differences for UK Startups and SMEs
Raising money is exciting - but it can also feel like a fork in the road for your business. Do you take on an investor, give away a slice of ownership, and...

PLC vs Ltd: Key Differences For Growing Businesses
If your business is starting to scale, it’s normal to wonder whether your company structure is still the right fit. One of the most common “next stage” questions we hear is the...

Business Purchase Finance: Legal Essentials In The UK
Buying a business can be one of the fastest ways to grow - you’re acquiring customers, staff, assets, systems, and (hopefully) steady revenue in one move. But if you’re using business purchase...

Sweet Equity Shares In The UK: A Startup And SME Guide
If you’re building a startup or growing an SME, you’ll probably hit the same question sooner rather than later: how do we reward the people who are helping us grow, when cash...

Fully Diluted Shares: What UK Startup Founders and Investors Need to Know
If you’re building (or investing in) a UK startup, there’s a good chance you’ve heard someone say, “What does that look like on a fully diluted basis?” It sounds like finance jargon,...

What Is an Ordinary Share? UK Startup Equity and Shareholder Rights
If you’re building a UK startup, at some point you’ll probably hear someone say: “We’ll just issue ordinary shares.” It sounds straightforward - but in practice, ordinary shares can shape everything from...

Redeemable Preference Shares: How They Work And When To Use Them
If you’re raising money for your UK startup (or planning ahead for the next round), you’ll quickly run into the question of shares. Not just “ordinary” shares, but different classes of shares...

Key Benefits Of A UK Holding Company For Growing Businesses
If your business is growing (or you’re planning for growth), you’ve probably started thinking beyond day-to-day trading and into bigger questions like risk, investment, and how to structure new ventures. That’s where...

VC Funding Rounds Explained: Each Startup Fundraising Stage
If you’re building a UK startup with big growth plans, you’ll probably hear people talk about VC funding rounds pretty early on. And while it can feel like everyone else already knows...

How To Value A Company: Common Valuation Methods For Startups And SMEs
If you’re running a startup or SME, valuing your business can feel like trying to hit a moving target. Your revenue might be growing, your product might be evolving, and your “real”...

Equity Lawyers: Shareholders, Vesting And Cap Tables For UK Startups
If you’re building a UK startup or growing an SME, equity can feel like the exciting part of the journey - bringing on co-founders, rewarding early team members, and raising investment. But...

UK Investor Agreement: Key Terms Founders Need Before Taking Funding
Taking investment can be a huge moment for your business. It can help you hire faster, build product, scale marketing, or simply give you enough runway to stop “bootstrapping by sheer willpower”....

Franchise Costs in the UK: What to Budget Before You Sign
Buying a franchise can feel like a shortcut to running a proven business model - you get a recognised brand, established systems, training, and (in some cases) an existing customer base. But...

What Is A Convertible Loan Note? Key Terms For UK Startups
If you’re raising money for a UK startup, you’ll quickly run into a familiar funding question: what is a convertible loan, and is it the right way to bring in investment without...

Loan Facility Agreements: Key Terms And Legal Risks For UK SMEs
If you’re running a small business, getting access to funding can be the difference between “we’re growing” and “we’re stuck”. A loan facility can be a practical way to manage cashflow, invest...

What Is Crowdcube? Equity Crowdfunding for UK Startups
If you’re building a startup in the UK, there’s a good chance you’ve come across equity crowdfunding as a way to raise capital without relying solely on angel investors or venture capital....

Share Classes In The UK: A Guide For Startups And SMEs
If you’re building a UK startup or growing an SME, you’ll probably reach a point where issuing only ordinary shares stops being enough. Maybe you’re bringing in an investor who wants some...

How To Value A Private Company In The UK: Methods, Pitfalls And Legal Risks
If you’re a founder, there are plenty of moments where you’ll need to work out how to value a private company - raising investment, offering shares to a co-founder, bringing in a...

Equipment Leasing In The UK: Key Terms, Risks And Pre-Signing Checks
Leasing equipment can be a smart move for small businesses. Instead of tying up cash in expensive machinery, vehicles, IT hardware or specialist tools, you can spread the cost and (in many...

Short-Term Debt: What UK SMEs Should Know Before Borrowing
Short-term debt can be a smart way to cover a cashflow gap, take on a big order, or bridge the time between paying suppliers and getting paid by customers. But it can...

Right Of Pre-Emption In The UK: What It Means For Shareholders And Founders
If you’re building a UK company with co-founders, early investors, or an employee share scheme on the horizon, your cap table can change quickly. That’s exciting - but it can also get...
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