A guide to the UK SME commercial and property finance market, written by Marcus Wright.
Where does the money actually come from?
If you run a business or invest in property in the UK, you have probably asked that question. The answers are scattered across hundreds of lenders, a dozen product categories and a great deal of sales patter.
This is the map. Written by a commercial finance broker who began in banking before moving to the other side of the desk, it sets out in plain English what is actually available in 2026, what it costs, what a lender will want to see, and where the traps are.
No brochure language, and no pretending that expensive money is cheap. Where a product is the wrong answer, it says so.
Inside
- Business loans, invoice finance, asset finance and working capital, with real costs
- Bridging, development finance, buy-to-let, holiday lets and commercial mortgages
- The Renters’ Rights Act and EPC deadlines, and what they do to lending
- Personal guarantees, and how to limit what you sign
- Why stacking short-term debt destroys healthy businesses
- Succession, inheritance tax and Employee Ownership Trusts
- A 100-term glossary and the questions to ask any lender or broker
The healthcare chapter
The book covers how lenders view each sector, including healthcare, social care and childcare. In short: it is an area of strong and specialised lender appetite that owners frequently assume will be difficult. Dental practices, veterinary practices, pharmacies, opticians, nurseries and care providers all have dedicated lending teams at several banks, and terms can be markedly better than general commercial lending, sometimes with unusually high loan-to-value or advance percentages against goodwill, reflecting the sector’s low failure rates and regulated income.
What lenders examine closely is regulatory standing: inspection rating and history, registration status, occupancy, staffing ratios and the balance between local authority and private fee income. A recent poor inspection outcome affects your funding well before it affects your revenue.
That thinking runs through this whole site. If you want the wider market context behind the funding advice here, the book is where it sits.
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For current availability, formats and price, get in touch and we will point you to the right place.
About the author
Marcus Wright is founder and Managing Director of Bolton Business Finance Ltd, an independent commercial finance brokerage in Greater Manchester, and a business owner and property investor himself. He began in banking in 2008 as a Bank Manager and Business Banking Relationship Manager before moving into broking, holds a BA (Hons) in Business Studies, and is a member of the National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers.