How Much Business Funding Can I Get? A Realistic UK Guide

The most common question we hear from business owners is simply "how much can I borrow?" The honest answer: it depends mostly on your revenue, how long you've been trading and how predictable your income is.

The four things lenders look at

• Turnover — many unsecured lenders cap offers at roughly 10–25% of annual turnover.
• Trading history — two years of accounts opens up the widest range of term loans.
• Card sales — revenue-based finance is sized on your monthly card takings, often around one month's volume or more.
• Credit profile — of both the business and the directors giving a personal guarantee.

Typical ranges by funding type

• Unsecured term loans — Funding Circle lends £10,000 to £750,000 to limited companies trading 2+ years. See unsecured business loans.
• Revenue-based finance — YouLend offers from £1,000 up to £2 million, repaid from daily card sales. See merchant cash advance.
• Business credit cards — limits usually start from a few thousand pounds and grow with use. See business credit cards.

How to get a bigger offer

Keep bank statements clean, file accounts on time, and only ask for what you can show you can repay. Applying with a clear purpose ("£40,000 for a second oven and fit-out") tends to land better than a round number.

Not sure where to start? Our free AI funding matcher suggests the providers most likely to fit your situation — no credit check.