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Getting Finance Articles
Expert articles and practical legal guides on getting finance for uk businesses.
Internal Finance Risks For UK SMEs: Key Legal Considerations
When you’re running a small business, funding decisions usually come down to one thing: what keeps cash moving without creating bigger problems later. Internal finance (using money generated or already held within...
1 April 2026
Convertible Loan Stock: How It Works And Key Legal Terms For Startups
If you’re raising money for a startup, you’ll usually feel the pressure to move quickly. Investors want to back you while momentum is high, and you want cash in the bank so...
1 April 2026
Negative Pledge Clause: Meaning, Examples And When You Need One
If you’re raising finance, negotiating a loan, or signing a commercial agreement that involves credit risk, you might come across a negative pledge clause and wonder what a negative pledge is - ...
31 March 2026
Share Structures for UK Startups: Pros and Cons for Founders and Investors
If you’re building a UK startup, it won’t be long before shares come up in conversations with co-founders, early hires, angel investors, and advisors. Shares can be a powerful way to raise...
31 March 2026
Debt Investments In The UK: Legal Considerations For Startups And SMEs
If you’re running a startup or SME, there’s a good chance you’ll hit a point where growth is limited by cash flow, hiring capacity, or the timing gap between spending money and...
31 March 2026
Term Loan A: What UK SMEs Should Know Before Signing A Business Loan Agreement
If you’re growing your business and a lender has offered you a term loan A, it can feel like a big milestone. But before you sign anything, it’s worth slowing down and...
30 March 2026
How To Find Venture Capitalists: A UK Startup Guide
If you’re building a startup in the UK, there’ll often come a point where bootstrapping (or even angel funding) isn’t enough to hit your growth goals. That’s usually when founders start searching...
29 March 2026
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”....
29 March 2026Debt 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,...
28 March 2026Can 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...
28 March 2026
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...
28 March 2026PLC 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...
28 March 2026
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...
28 March 2026
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...
28 March 2026
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,...
27 March 2026What 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...
26 March 2026
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...
26 March 2026Key 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...
25 March 2026
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...
25 March 2026
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”...
23 March 2026
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...
23 March 2026
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”....
22 March 2026Franchise 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...
22 March 2026
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...
22 March 2026Loan 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...
22 March 2026
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....
22 March 2026
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...
22 March 2026How 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...
22 March 2026
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...
21 March 2026Short-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...
21 March 2026Right 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...
21 March 2026
How Escrow Works in UK Business Deals
If you’re negotiating a business deal and thinking, “This looks great… but what if the other side doesn’t follow through?”, you’re not alone. Whether you’re buying a business, selling shares, licensing IP,...
21 March 2026
Change In Control Clauses For UK Startups And SMEs
When you’re building a startup or scaling an SME, it’s normal to focus on the exciting stuff first: product, customers, hiring, and growth. But when investment, acquisitions, or even a strategic partnership...
20 March 2026Holding Company Benefits: Pros, Cons And How They Work For Your Business
If your business is growing (or you’re planning for growth), you’ve probably started thinking about how to structure things so you can scale without exposing everything you’ve built to unnecessary risk. That’s...
19 March 2026Advantages Of Debt Financing For UK Startups And SMEs
When you’re building a startup or running a growing SME, cashflow can feel like a constant balancing act. You might need funding to hire your first team members, buy stock, invest in...
19 March 2026New Share Issues in the UK: Legal Steps for Companies
If you’re running a UK company and you need capital to grow, bring in a new co-founder, or reward early supporters, a new share issue can be a really practical option. But...
19 March 2026What Does DD Mean In Business?
If you’ve seen “DD” in an email thread, a contract draft, a finance spreadsheet or a funding deck and thought, “Wait… what does that mean for my business?”, you’re not alone. The...
18 March 2026Paid-Up Share Capital: Meaning And Requirements For UK Startups And SMEs
If you’re setting up (or growing) a UK company, you’ll almost certainly come across the term paid-up share capital. It pops up on Companies House filings, in due diligence requests, and in...
17 March 2026Limited Company vs LLP: Key Differences and Choosing the Right Structure
If you’re setting up (or restructuring) a business in the UK, one of the biggest early decisions is choosing the right legal structure. For many founders, the decision comes down to choosing...
17 March 2026
What Is Paid-Up Capital? A Guide for UK Companies and Startups
If you’re running (or launching) a UK company, you’ll quickly come across “share capital” terms that sound similar but mean very different things. One that often trips founders up is paid-up capital...
16 March 2026Company Equity Explained: What Equity Means For UK Startups And SMEs
If you’re building a startup or growing an SME, “company equity” is one of those terms you’ll hear constantly - from co-founders, investors, accountants, and even potential hires. But equity isn’t just...
15 March 2026Is An LLP A Company? Key UK Legal Differences
If you’re starting a business with a co-founder (or a small team), choosing the right legal structure can feel like a “pick one now, regret it later” decision. One of the most...
15 March 2026Finance Lease Definition (UK): Meaning, Implications And Key Terms
If you’re looking at getting equipment, vehicles, or machinery without paying a big lump sum upfront, you’ve probably come across the phrase “finance lease”. The problem is that the meaning of a...
15 March 2026
Pros And Cons Of A UK Limited Company: Is An Ltd Right For You?
If you’re starting a business (or you’ve been trading for a while and you’re ready to level up), one of the biggest decisions you’ll make is your business structure. For many UK...
14 March 2026How To Work Out Share Price For Startups And SMEs
If you’re running a UK startup or SME, there’ll often come a point where you need to decide what your shares are “worth” - whether you’re raising investment, bringing in a co-founder,...
13 March 2026UK Term Sheet Template: Key Terms, What to Include & Example
If you’re raising investment, bringing in a strategic partner, or negotiating a major commercial deal, you’ll often hear one phrase early on: “Let’s put a term sheet in place.” And it makes...
13 March 2026Public vs Private Companies In the UK: Key Differences
If you’re building a startup or growing a small business, choosing the right company structure can feel like one of those “big, adult” decisions you’re supposed to get right from day one....
13 March 2026
Equity Crowdfunding In The UK: Legal Requirements For Startups
Equity crowdfunding can be an exciting way to fund your startup while building a community of supporters around your brand. But if you’re searching for “equity crowdfunding in the UK” because you’re...
12 March 2026Seller-Financed Business Sale in the UK: Legal Risks and Contract Terms
Finding a seller financed business for sale can feel like a win-win. As a buyer, you might be able to acquire a business without getting a full bank loan upfront. As a...
12 March 2026How To Value A Startup In The UK
If you’re raising investment, issuing shares to a co-founder, or even thinking about selling your business one day, you’ll almost certainly run into the same question: how to value a startup ....
11 March 2026
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