How it works
How it works
You tell us what you are buying and what sector it is in. We know the specialists in that sector who fund your kind of purchase day in, day out, and we put you in front of the right one.
They are the ones who can build a better case for you, and a better-built case tends to result in higher lending, better rates and better terms. That is the whole thing, and it is why the introduction is worth having.
The part that matters
Why we ask about the sector first
The first question on the form is what you are buying and where it sits. That is not a filing exercise. It decides who we go to.
An accountancy practice and a facilities management contractor are both service businesses of similar size whose value sits in contracts rather than assets, and they need completely different lenders. Someone who has funded fee blocks knows to ask about clawback and client tenure. Someone who has funded FM contracts knows to ask about contract length, employment obligations on transfer and mobilisation cost. Neither is much use on the other's deal.
So we do not send everything to the same place. We go to the people who have done that sector before, and if we do not know anyone who has, we tell you that instead of guessing.
The match
Not a list. A match, made on the deal in front of us
Every introduction is decided on the same few things, and they are why the enquiry form asks what it asks.
The sector
Accountancy practices, fire and security, HVAC, electrical and M&E, facilities management, pest control. Each has its own specialists, and they rarely cross over.
What you are buying
A fee block, a contract base, a maintenance book, a round, plant and vehicles, a freehold. Each is funded by a different kind of lender and read properly by a different kind of specialist.
Amount and structure
Deferred consideration, vendor finance, working capital from day one, refinancing what is already there. Some specialists build these every week. Others avoid them.
Your position
Buying through an existing company or a NewCo, first acquisition or fifth, what you can put in yourself. It changes who is comfortable with the deal and who is not.
Timescale
A seller with a deadline, a lease event, a retirement date. Some specialists move in days on the right deal. Some do not.
From that, one or two people, chosen for this deal. Not a broadcast to everyone we know.
Why the specialist
The same numbers, two different readings
A specialist in your sector
- Knows which lenders are open to your kind of business before the first call is made.
- Presents recurring income as what it is, with the lender's questions answered before they are asked.
- Builds the structure around the deal: deferred money, working capital, refinancing, in the right order.
- Sets covenants that survive year two, not just completion day.
A generalist
- Reads a fee block or a contract base as turnover from a business with no assets.
- Learns your sector on your deal, at your expense, while the seller waits.
- Asks for security you do not have, or prices in the risk of not understanding you.
- Comes back cautious, slow, or conditional.
The first column is what a better-built case looks like, and it tends to result in higher lending, better rates and better terms. Not guaranteed, and nobody can put a rate on it before a lender has seen the numbers, but it is the difference the introduction exists to make.
Who does what
Three parts, and each of them stays in its lane
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You
Tell us what you are buying, the sector, the rough size and how you expect to pay for it. Ten minutes on the phone or a short note. Then speak to the person you are introduced to, on their terms.
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Reads
Works out who is right for this deal and makes the introduction, usually the same working day. Nothing else. Nothing you tell us goes anywhere except to the specialist you are introduced to.
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The specialist
Assesses the deal, advises you on the options, builds the case, arranges the facility and sets the terms, under their own permissions and in writing.
The formal version
The four steps
Tell us what you need
Whether you're looking to fund an acquisition, improve cash flow, purchase property or equipment, or invest in growth, tell us a little about your business and what you're looking to achieve.
We make the introduction
We'll introduce you to a selected commercial finance broker with the experience and expertise to discuss your particular funding requirements.
Your broker explores the options
Your broker will discuss your requirements with you, assess the available options and, where appropriate, help you through the application and funding process.
Get your funding in place
If you decide to proceed, your broker will work with you and the relevant finance provider to progress the application through to completion.
Reads Commercial Finance acts as an introducer only. We do not provide financial advice or arrange finance. We may receive a commission or introductory fee where finance is successfully arranged following our introduction.
What to expect
The parts people usually ask about
How long does the introduction take?
We come back to you quickly, usually the same working day. The specialist then contacts you directly. From that point the timescale is theirs and it depends on what you are funding: an asset finance decision can move in days, an acquisition facility is more often weeks than months, and a property development facility takes as long as the diligence takes.
Do I have to use the specialist you introduce me to?
No. An introduction is an introduction. If the conversation is not right, tell us and we will say so to them. There is nothing to sign at the introduction stage and no obligation on you at any point before you decide to proceed with the broker's own terms.
What does it cost me?
We may receive a commission or introductory fee from the broker or finance provider where finance is successfully arranged following our introduction. Any fees payable by you are the broker's own, and the broker will set those out to you in writing before you commit to anything.
What do you do with what I tell you?
We share it with the specialist we introduce you to, and with nobody else, for the purpose of discussing your funding requirements. That is what the consent box on the enquiry form covers, and it is set out in full in our privacy notice.
Do I have to be buying through a limited company?
For us to make the introduction, yes. Introducing a company to a lender sits outside the credit broking rules, because an agreement with a company is not a credit agreement. Introducing an individual, a sole trader or a small partnership is credit broking, and it stays credit broking even on larger business borrowing, because the definition reaches agreements that are otherwise exempt. That is regulated work and we do not hold the permission for it.
Most acquisitions are made through an existing company or a newly formed one anyway, so for the majority of buyers this changes nothing. If you are buying personally, or you have not decided yet, say so on the form. We will point you to an authorised firm directly and you deal with them from there.
Will you tell me what rate I will get?
No, and nobody honestly can before a lender has seen the numbers. What we can tell you is which specialist should be looking at it and what they will want in front of them. The terms themselves come from the lender or the broker, in writing, and they are theirs to set.
What if I do not know what I need yet?
That is a normal starting point and it is not a problem. The form has a "not sure yet" option on the amount, and "something else" on the type. Tell us what you are trying to do in the message box and we will work out who should be having the conversation with you.
Ready when you are
Tell us what you are buying and we will make the introduction.