I run a manufacturing business
Ways to pay for machinery, materials, stock and export orders, cheapest first, without selling shares.
Manufacturers need machinery, buy materials before they are paid, and often hold stock and wait for customers on 30 to 90-day terms. That makes asset finance, invoice finance and stock or trade finance the main tools, alongside bank loans.
Tax relief can lower the real cost of machinery. The Annual Investment Allowance lets a business deduct the full value of qualifying plant and machinery from its profits before tax, up to £1 million.
22 routes to look at, cheapest first
Compare the first 4 side by side- L0
Free or nearly free
Little or no cash cost, though most take time and admin. Some bring money in, and a few have small fees.- Own cash and no-cost
Customer prepayments, deposits and pre-sales
Ask customers to pay some or all of the price before you deliver. The cash arrives before your costs, so you borrow less, but you owe customers the goods or a refund until you deliver.
Days - Own cash and no-cost
Statutory late-payment interest and compensation
If another business pays you late, the law lets you add interest and a fixed compensation sum to the debt. It costs nothing to claim and can speed up payment.
Days - Own cash and no-cost
Supplier trade credit (negotiated payment terms)
Agree with your suppliers to pay them some time after they deliver. It works like a short, interest-free loan, but suppliers set the limits and may want a track record first.
Weeks - Grants, tax reliefs and prizes
Capital allowances, Patent Box and creative-industry reliefs
Tax reliefs that cut your tax bill when you buy equipment, earn profits from patents, or make films, TV, games or shows. They do not bring in new money, but they leave more of your own cash in the business.
Months - Grants, tax reliefs and prizes
Local, regional and sector grants
Grants from councils, combined authorities, the devolved governments and sector bodies, often for equipment, jobs, energy saving or exporting. You do not repay them, but they are usually small and come and go.
MonthsUp to £315k
- Own cash and no-cost
- L1
Very cheap or subsidised
Borrowing on better terms than the market, usually because a public body, community lender or large buyer is involved.- Own cash and no-cost
HMRC payment plan (Time to Pay)
If you cannot pay a tax bill on time, HMRC may agree a payment plan so you can pay it off in monthly instalments instead of all at once.
DaysNot a raise - Government-backed and community lending
Community development finance (CDFI) loans
Loans from Community Development Finance Institutions, lenders that exist to support small businesses, start-ups and sole traders that mainstream banks often overlook.
DaysPersonal guarantee likely - Government-backed and community lending
Growth Guarantee Scheme
A British Business Bank scheme that gives accredited lenders a 70% government guarantee, so they can offer loans, overdrafts, asset finance and invoice finance to smaller businesses they might otherwise turn down.
Weeks£1k to £2mPersonal guarantee likely - Government-backed and community lending
UK Export Finance General Export Facility
UK Export Finance, the government's export credit agency, partly guarantees your bank's finance so exporters can get working capital and trade finance facilities more easily.
WeeksUp to £25mPersonal guarantee likely - Supplier and buyer-led finance
Supply-chain finance (reverse factoring)
A large customer sets up a scheme so its suppliers can be paid early by a finance company, at a cost based on the customer's credit rating rather than the supplier's.
Weeks
- Own cash and no-cost
- L2
Mainstream secured debt
Standard borrowing from banks and mainstream lenders, often secured on assets or backed by a personal guarantee.- Bank and mainstream debt
Asset finance (hire purchase and leasing)
Spread the cost of equipment, vehicles or machinery over time through hire purchase or leasing, instead of paying for it all up front.
Weeks - Bank and mainstream debt
Asset refinance and sale and leaseback
Raise cash against equipment, vehicles or property the business already owns, and keep using them. The lender takes ownership until you have paid it back, and can take the asset if you do not.
Weeks - Bank and mainstream debt
Bank term loan
A fixed amount borrowed from a bank or other mainstream lender and repaid in regular instalments over an agreed term, with interest.
WeeksPersonal guarantee likely - Bank and mainstream debt
Business overdraft
A borrowing limit on your business bank account. You pay interest only on what you use, but the bank can usually ask for it back at any time.
DaysPersonal guarantee likely - Bank and mainstream debt
Revolving credit facility
A credit limit you can draw on, repay and draw again, paying interest only on what you use. It is quick and flexible for short-term needs, but usually costs more than a term loan.
DaysPersonal guarantee likely
- Bank and mainstream debt
- L3
Specialist secured debt
Borrowing secured on specific assets such as invoices or stock, with more fees and conditions than mainstream debt.- Asset-based and specialist lending
Asset-based lending (ABL)
A loan or credit line secured on a mix of business assets, such as invoices, stock, equipment, property and sometimes intellectual property, with the amount based on what those assets are worth.
Weeks - Asset-based and specialist lending
Invoice discounting
Borrow against your unpaid invoices while you keep collecting payments from customers yourself, usually without them knowing you use finance.
WeeksPersonal guarantee likely - Asset-based and specialist lending
Invoice factoring
A finance company pays you most of the value of your unpaid invoices straight away, then collects payment from your customers and pays you the rest, minus its fees.
DaysPersonal guarantee likely - Asset-based and specialist lending
Selective and spot invoice finance
Get paid early on just the invoices or customers you choose, instead of your whole sales ledger. Useful for occasional cash gaps and smaller businesses, but each invoice costs more than a full facility.
Days - Asset-based and specialist lending
Stock and purchase order finance
Finance to pay suppliers for stock, or to fulfil a large customer order, repaid when the goods are sold. It lets you take on bigger orders, but fees are high and the money can only be used for those goods.
Weeks - Asset-based and specialist lending
Trade finance (letters of credit, bonds and trade loans)
Bank products that help businesses buy from or sell to other countries: guarantees that you will be paid, bonds your buyer may ask for, and short loans to pay suppliers. They reduce the risk of trading abroad, but they are complex and usually need a track record.
Weeks - Alternative and fast debt
Peer-to-peer business lending
Borrow from many individual and institutional investors through an online lending platform regulated by the FCA, instead of from a single bank.
DaysPersonal guarantee likely
- Asset-based and specialist lending
Worth knowing
- Get quotes for machinery before you apply. Lenders and asset finance providers price against the asset.
- Big customer orders can sometimes be financed on their own. Ask about purchase order and stock finance.
- Ask an accountant how capital allowances apply before choosing between buying, hire purchase and leasing.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Claim capital allowances: Annual Investment Allowance · checked 10 October 2026
Facts about each route are sourced on its own page.