Chester finance broker lets business owners see matched lenders in minutes

Smart Funding Solutions, a whole-of-market commercial finance broker based in Chester, has launched an online Instant Quotes service that shows UK business owners which lenders are likely to fund them before they make a single application.

The service is aimed at owners who have been turned down by their bank, or who simply do not know where to start. Instead of filling in a long application form, the business owner taps through a short set of questions about their company, how much they need and what the money is for. Their answers are then checked against the published criteria of lenders on the firm’s panel, which covers more than 300 lenders.

Matching on what lenders actually want

Director Simon Palmer said the aim was to take the guesswork out of borrowing.

“Most business owners only ever speak to their own bank, and if the answer is no they assume nobody will lend,” he said. “In reality every lender has its own appetite. Some want long trading histories and strong profits, others are comfortable with newer businesses, specific sectors or a quick turnaround. Instant Quotes applies each lender’s own rules to the business, so the owner sees the routes that genuinely fit rather than a generic list.”

The tool covers the main types of business funding, including unsecured business loans, asset finance, invoice finance, merchant cash advances, VAT and tax funding, and secured lending. The purpose of the money drives the results, so a business buying equipment sees different options to one paying a tax bill or buying out a partner.

A broker in your corner

Once the business owner has seen their matches, they can choose which lenders they would like to go forward with. From there, the Smart Funding Solutions team prepares the case and approaches the chosen lenders on the client’s behalf, handling questions and negotiating terms.

“The technology does the first sift, but funding is still won by presenting the business properly,” Palmer said. “We write each case the way an underwriter wants to read it, and we stay with the client until the money lands.”

Open to businesses across the UK

The service is free to use and is open to limited companies, partnerships and sole traders across the UK. Business owners can try it on the Smart Funding Solutions Instant Quotes page.

Smart Funding Solutions also operates two specialist brands: Professional Practice Loans, which arranges funding for professional firms such as solicitors, accountants, dental and veterinary practices, and Bridge & Build Finance, which arranges bridging and development finance for property investors and developers.

Smart Funding Solutions is a trading style of Smart Funding Solutions Limited (FRN: 972740) who are Appointed Representatives of White Rose Finance Group Ltd (FRN: 630772) who are directly authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.