By Paul Morgan, MD Able Commercial Finance
Almost everything can be compared online – from switching energy providers to insuring your car – even buying a house, there’s a website ready to line up your options, pit one brand against another, and serve you the cheapest deal within seconds. It’s quick, it’s convenient, and, for most consumers, it works.
But when it comes to commercial finance, it’s not quite that simple.
Business funding isn’t a standardised product – and there’s certainly no one-size-fits-all. What you can access depends on everything from your trading history and credit profile to the assets in your business, the sector you operate in, and the kind of repayment structure that makes sense for your cash flow. No comparison site can account for all of that nuance – and no business owner I know has the time or appetite to chase ten different lenders, only to be told the same thing each time.
That’s where brokers like us come in. And why I firmly believe that the rise of the independent commercial finance broker is one of the most quietly transformative shifts in UK business finance today.
Navigating a complex and crowded market
Let’s be honest – commercial finance has exploded in recent years. While bank loans and overdrafts were once the go-to, businesses now have access to a huge range of funding options. Asset finance, invoice finance, merchant cash advances, unsecured loans, revolving credit facilities, VAT loans, development finance, bridging loans… the list goes on. Each one comes with its own quirks, criteria and lenders, and each suits different scenarios.
Some lenders want to see strong net profits, others are more interested in your receivables or the strength of your balance sheet. Some like hard asset while others are more comfortable with subscription revenue or e-commerce performance. There’s also a growing pool of funders who’ve moved into niche sectors, offering smarter, faster and often more flexible options than traditional banks can manage.
This is good news for businesses – but only if you know where to look.
And that’s the point – most business owners don’t have the time or insider knowledge to navigate this landscape alone – they’re too busy running their businesses. They need someone in their corner who can cut through the noise, filter out the fluff, and focus on what’s genuinely suitable for them. That’s our role – not as middlemen, but as strategic partners.
It’s important to make a distinction here – not all brokers are created equal – some are tied to a limited panel of lenders. Others are part of insolvency practices, which can lead to conflicts of interest. The difference with an independent broker – and the reason I’m proud to lead an independent firm – is that we have the freedom to match clients with the right lender, not just the most profitable one for us. That means better fit, better outcomes, and better long-term relationships.
We work with businesses of all sizes and sectors – from manufacturers and recruiters to professional services firms and family-run shops – and our starting point is always the same – understand what’s going on in the business, what the immediate pressures are, and what the long-term vision looks like. Only then do we start looking at funding options. Because it’s not about selling a loan, it’s about solving a problem.
Sometimes that’s helping a client spread the cost of a tax bill over the next year. Sometimes it’s about unlocking cash from unpaid invoices to fund payroll. Other times, it’s about refinancing outdated equipment to free up working capital. And increasingly, it’s about making fast decisions in response to supply chain issues, late-paying customers or sudden growth opportunities. The right finance at the right time can be the difference between moving forward and stagnating.
It’s not just about the deal – it’s about the support
One of the things I hear most from our clients is that they were “left in the dark” when dealing with other lenders. Either they were ghosted midway through an application, or passed from one faceless department to another, with no real sense of who was managing the process.
That doesn’t happen with us. From the first conversation to the final repayment (and often long after), we stay close. We explain things properly, we pick up the phone. We work with our clients’ accountants to make sure everything stacks up – and we don’t walk away the minute the funds land. In fact, we’re often the first people they call when the next challenge or opportunity comes around.
In many cases, we’ve gone from a one-off funding solution to becoming a sounding board for wider financial strategy. That’s something we’re proud of – and something we work hard to earn.
Finding the right broker for your business
If you’re thinking about working with a commercial finance broker, my advice is simple, make sure they’re independent. Make sure they’re regulated (we’re FCA-authorised and proud members of the NACFB). But more than that, make sure they understand your business, and that they ask the right questions. That they talk like a partner, not a salesperson.
At Able, we’re not here to push products, we’re here to help you grow, navigate the bumps in the road, and make sure you’re getting the best possible deal – not just in price, but in structure, speed, flexibility and fit.
So if your bank is saying no, or you’re tired of doing all the legwork yourself, give us a call. We might just be the easiest financial decision you make all year.
