About Highland Business Funding
We start every application with one question: how far up are you?
Highland Business Funding helps owners find funding that fits the stage their business has reached.
Why the climb
We are not a lender. Your application goes to our funding partner and through it to a network of lenders and funding providers who decide whether to make an offer. Our part is reading the application for what a lender will read first, which is usually how long the business has been going and how steady its takings are.
That is why a young business and an old one come away with different routes, and why we would rather tell an owner what is realistic now than send them after an offer built for someone ten years further on.
We arrange funding for businesses only, never personal or consumer loans. There is no phone line to queue on: the application is the way in, and a specialist comes back to you.
Where you are on the climb
Know your footing before you pick a route.
Time in business is the first thing a lender reads. Here is what each stretch of the climb tends to look like from their side, and what usually opens up there.
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Under 1 Year
Base camp
There is not much history yet, so a lender leans on what there is: the deposits going through the account, card takings, and the owner's own credit.
- Recent bank deposits
- Card sales so far
- The owner's personal credit
Most often opens up
-
1-2 years
The first ridge
A full year of statements changes the conversation. Lenders can see a seasonal pattern instead of guessing at one, and more doors open.
- Twelve months of statements
- Whether revenue is steady or climbing
- How existing debt is being paid
Most often opens up
-
3-5 years
Open ground
The business has been through a few seasons and come out the other side. A facility that sits ready, rather than one lump sum, becomes a realistic ask.
- Several seasons of revenue
- Business credit, not just personal
- Margins over time
Most often opens up
-
6-9 years
High ground
A long record is the strongest thing an application can carry. It is usually the stretch where a sizeable term loan for a second site or a large contract makes sense.
- A long repayment record
- Assets the business owns
- What the money will build
Most often opens up
-
10+ years
The long view
Established businesses are generally looked at for all six programmes, and for amounts toward the top of each range. The question becomes which shape suits the plan.
- Decade-long financials
- Ownership and succession
- The plan for the next stretch
Most often opens up
These are tendencies, not rules. Lenders decide, and a strong run of sales can count for more than a long history. A business of any age can apply.
The application
Start your application
About two minutes: the amount, your details, how long you have been trading and a rough monthly figure. Free to send, and nothing is agreed until you accept.
The application is the way in, and it takes about two minutes.
