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What a lender is really looking at.
A business-finance decision is not a mystery. Strip away the paperwork and a lender is asking a few plain questions about your company. Knowing them in advance turns an application from a guessing game into something you can prepare for.
Can the company afford it?
Everything else follows from this one. A lender wants to see that the business generates enough cash, reliably enough, to meet repayments without being squeezed. That is why recent management accounts and bank statements matter more than a single headline profit figure — they show the rhythm of money in and out, not just the year-end total.
You do not need perfect books. You do need to be able to show, honestly, that the repayment fits comfortably inside your normal cash flow with room to spare. If it only works on your best month, that is a signal to borrow less or choose a different shape.
Is the purpose clear — and is there an exit?
"What is the money for, and how does it get repaid?" A lender is far more comfortable with a specific purpose tied to a clear source of repayment than with a vague top-up. "A deposit to secure a £40k order that invoices in six weeks" answers both questions at once. "Some working capital" answers neither.
The handful of things worth having ready
- Recent bank statements — usually the last few months, showing real trading.
- Up-to-date accounts or management figures — enough to show the trend, not just a year-old filing.
- A clear purpose and amount — what the money does, and how much genuinely covers it.
- Your repayment story — where the money to repay comes from, and when.
- Company details to hand — registered number, structure, and who the directors are.
Because it is a company borrowing
This kind of lending is to the business itself — a UK limited company or LLP — not to you as an individual. That shapes what a lender assesses: the company's trading and cash flow sit at the centre, and a director's personal guarantee may form part of the arrangement. It also means this is business lending, not consumer credit — a distinction with real consequences, which the group site sets out in full.
Prepared, this is a short conversation. The lender's own application walks you through exactly what it needs — the groundwork above just means none of it catches you out.
Ready to start?
Apply on the lender when your groundwork is done
The application, the eligibility detail and every figure live on credicorp.co.uk. Bring the few things above and it is a quick, straightforward process.