Learning Centre
Learning Centre
Guides written to be read before you borrow. Each one answers a single question that business owners ask about debt consolidation, refinancing, cash flow and business finance, in plain English and without a sales pitch.
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How to use these guides
Start with the question you are actually asking
Business finance is full of terms that sound alike but mean different things. Consolidation, refinancing and restructuring are often used interchangeably, yet they lead to very different outcomes. The guides below are grouped so you can find the right starting point quickly, then follow the links within each article to the service pages and tools that go deeper.
Every guide is general information, not advice. Figures used in worked examples are illustrative and are not quotes or offers. Where a topic touches on arrears, enforcement or insolvency, we point you to free, impartial sources such as Business Debtline and GOV.UK. If you would like to talk through how any of this applies to your business, you can make an enquiry at any time.
Debt consolidation
Combining several business debts into one
What consolidation is, whether your loans qualify and the risks that a lower monthly figure can hide. The service page for this topic is business debt consolidation.
What is business debt consolidation?
A plain-English guide to replacing several business debts with one facility, who uses it and what it is not.
Read the guideCan you consolidate multiple business loans?
Usually yes, subject to affordability. Which loans can be combined, how providers view stacked borrowing and when they decline.
Read the guideThe risks of consolidating business debt
Longer terms, new security, personal guarantees and the habit problem. What can go wrong and how to avoid it.
Read the guideRefinancing
Replacing an existing agreement on new terms
How the process runs, how it differs from consolidation, what happens when credit history is imperfect and what paperwork to prepare. See also business debt refinancing and business loan refinancing.
How does business debt refinancing work?
From settlement figure to completion: the steps, the costs that appear along the way and the mistakes to avoid.
Read the guideBusiness debt consolidation vs refinancing
Two terms that sound similar but solve different problems. A side-by-side comparison to help you tell which you need.
Read the guideCan a business refinance with bad credit?
What providers look at, how past problems affect cost and security, and the steps that can improve the position.
Read the guideDocuments needed to refinance business debt
Bank statements, accounts, settlement figures and more. What each document is for and how to get it ready.
Read the guideCash flow management
Easing the monthly pressure
Practical steps for lowering repayments and improving the flow of cash through the business, with the trade-offs made explicit. Related help: high loan repayments and cash flow problems.
How to reduce business loan repayments
Six realistic options for lowering a monthly repayment, with the cost of each trade-off shown in numbers.
Read the guideHow to improve business cash flow
Ways to speed up money coming in, slow down money going out and build a buffer before finance is needed.
Read the guideBusiness finance explained
Understanding the products before you compare them
The building blocks of business finance and a method for comparing offers on total cost rather than the headline rate. The finance solutions hub describes each product in detail.
Secured vs unsecured business finance
How security changes cost, speed, amount and risk, and how to decide which approach fits your business.
Read the guideHow to compare business finance offers
Rate, fees, term, security and flexibility. A step-by-step method for putting offers on a like-for-like footing.
Read the guideBusiness debt
When repayments cannot be met
What actually happens after a default, for limited companies and for sole traders, and why acting early keeps more options open. For free, impartial help, see our business debt help section.
Tools and answers
Put the numbers to work
Reading about consolidation is one thing. Seeing how a different rate or term would change your own repayments is another. Both tools are educational estimates, not quotes.
Debt Comparison Tool
Enter your existing facilities and test a consolidated or refinanced alternative. See the monthly figure and the total repaid side by side.
Open the toolFinance Options Guide
Answer a few questions about your business and its borrowing to see which categories of finance may be worth exploring.
Try the guideFrequently Asked Questions
Short answers to the questions we hear most often about eligibility, costs, personal guarantees and what Finance Business Debt does and does not do.
Read the FAQsReady to understand your business finance options?
Share a few details about your business and its existing borrowing. We will explain which options may be worth exploring and what to consider before you decide.