Borrow more against your business assets
A secured business loan lets you unlock larger sums and longer terms by putting up assets, property or a debenture as security, so you can fund bigger moves without draining working cash. Comparing offers starts with a soft search that leaves no mark on your credit score, and a full check only happens if you choose to proceed with a specific lender.
The asset does the arguing.
A lender holding security is taking less risk than a lender holding a promise, and that is the whole reason a secured business loans tends to reach larger sums, longer repayment periods and keener pricing than an unsecured loan of the same size. You are not being rewarded for good behaviour. You are paying less because something concrete sits behind the borrowing.
Larger sums
Amounts are driven mainly by the value of what you can pledge and by what your trade can comfortably repay, commonly from a few thousand up to several hundred thousand, and higher still where strong property or asset security is available.
Longer terms
Terms are usually longer than on unsecured borrowing, which is one of the main reasons businesses take the secured route: a longer schedule lowers the monthly cost and makes a bigger investment affordable from everyday cash flow.
Keener pricing
Well-secured lending against tangible, easily valued assets tends to be priced more keenly than thinner or more general security. Every rate and fee is set by the individual lender and is subject to approval.
A proportion of the value, capped by the trade.
The lender values the security, agrees a loan amount as a proportion of that value, and registers its charge. Then it checks that figure against what the business can actually service. Whichever number is lower is the one that ends up in the offer.
What is being pledged, and what it is really worth
The lender starts with the security itself: what it is, its current market value, and how easily it could be sold if it ever came to that. A newer, in-demand asset or clean commercial property supports a stronger offer than security that is hard to value.
Whether anything already has a claim on it
Existing charges or finance already secured on the asset sit ahead of any new lender, so they come straight off what is left to lend against. Where a debenture is involved, the whole asset base of the business is looked at rather than one item.
Whether the trade can carry the repayments
Security never replaces affordability. Turnover, trading history and cash flow still decide the size of the offer, and recent accounts and bank statements usually do most of that work.
Who stands behind the loan
Directors are often asked for a personal guarantee, which sits behind the loan as a backstop rather than as the primary security. Business and, where relevant, director credit history form part of the picture without deciding it alone.
The headline figure is only ever an indication until a lender has valued the security and assessed affordability, at which point a firm offer is made. Capvant is a marketplace and introducer, not a lender, so the amount, the term, the rate and the final decision all sit with the funding partner you choose. See every funding type Capvant covers.
Three ways a business can back a loan.
Security might be a specific asset such as plant, machinery, vehicles or commercial property, or it can be a debenture, a charge that sits over the general assets of the business. Each is valued differently, and each puts something different on the line.
One request puts secured offers in front of you, and looking is a soft search that leaves no mark on your credit score.
What is genuinely at stake.
The trade-off on secured borrowing is straightforward and worth stating plainly rather than burying. Cheaper money has a price, and the price is exposure.
The asset can be called on
This is the whole of the trade you are making. If repayments are not met, the lender can ultimately look to the secured asset to recover what it is owed, so the asset can be at risk. Nothing about the lower cost changes that.
A longer term means paying interest for longer
Spreading repayments lowers the monthly figure and can make a larger investment affordable from everyday cash flow. It also stretches the total cost of finance across more years, so the right term balances the two rather than simply going long.
Affordability has to hold across the whole term
Model the repayment against a realistic view of trade, quieter periods included, not just the opening months. Being confident about the back half of the term is the part that protects the asset.
A charge is a matter of record
Where a debenture or fixed charge is involved, the lender registers its charge, often at Companies House. Knowing exactly what is pledged, and to what value, before you sign is the single most important part of taking one on.
Sometimes the security is the wrong question.
Secured lending suits established businesses funding something substantial and long-lived: equipment or premises, a refinance, an acquisition, or consolidating existing borrowing into one longer facility. It is rarely an either-or decision made in the abstract, and one request lines the alternatives up on the same table anyway.
You would rather not pledge anything
Unsecured borrowing avoids putting a specific asset up and can often be arranged faster, at the cost of smaller sums and shorter terms. Compare unsecured business loans.
The asset you want to fund is the security
When the machine, vehicle or kit itself carries the deal, asset finance is usually the cleaner structure, because the thing being bought is the thing being charged. Compare asset finance.
The gap is short and closes on its own
A temporary squeeze does not need a long charge over your assets. A short-term loan clears in months and leaves the balance sheet clean behind it. Compare short-term business loans.
The money is really tied up in your sales ledger
If the pressure is invoices sitting on someone else’s payment run, borrowing against the ledger matches the problem far more closely than charging your premises. Compare invoice finance.
Pick the range you have in mind and see secured and unsecured offers side by side before you decide which structure fits.
Secured lending takes longer for one reason.
There is security to value and a charge to register, so completion usually runs a little longer than on unsecured borrowing. Straightforward cases with clean, easily valued assets and tidy accounts move quickly; property-backed or more complex security naturally takes more time to work through. Getting the paperwork ready early is the biggest thing inside your control.
Exact timescales depend on the funding partner, the type of security and how promptly information is provided, and every timeline is subject to the lender’s own process and approval. The full path is set out on how Capvant works.
- Recent accounts and up-to-date business bank statements
- Clear details of the asset, including its age, condition and current value
- Any existing finance or charges already secured on it
- A view of turnover and how repayments sit inside normal trade
Comparing offers is a soft search that leaves no mark on your credit file. A full credit check only happens if you accept an offer and move forward with a specific funding partner.
Frequently asked questions
What is secured business loans?
Put up business assets or property and you can often borrow more, for longer, at keener rates than an unsecured loan. Through Capvant you compare secured business loans offers from multiple funding partners in one place, then choose what works for your business.
How much can I borrow?
Amounts depend on your trading history, turnover and the offers our partners make. Many businesses access £5,000 to £500,000 and beyond.
Will checking my options affect my credit score?
No. Seeing your options through Capvant is a soft search, so it leaves no mark on your credit file. A lender only runs a full credit check if you decide to accept an offer.
Is Capvant a lender?
No. Capvant is a funding marketplace, we match you with funding partners and you choose the offer that suits you. Funding decisions, rates and terms are set by the lender, subject to approval.
How fast can I get funded?
Once you accept an offer, many businesses receive funds within a few working days, some products fund same day.
Know what the asset unlocks.
One request brings back competing secured business loans offers on amount, term and total cost, and looking leaves your credit score exactly where it is.
No obligation. Checking your offers won’t affect your credit score.
Disclaimers & footnotes
- 1Capvant is a funding marketplace, not a lender. We match business owners with third-party funding partners; we do not make credit decisions, lend money, or set rates or terms. All funding decisions, rates, terms and approvals are made solely by the lenders in our network, subject to their criteria.
- 2Checking your options through Capvant does not affect your credit score. A lender may carry out a soft or hard credit search depending on the product, stage and your consent. A full hard credit check is only carried out where required by a lender before you proceed.
- 3Funding speed, including any reference to funding in as little as 24 hours, is typical for some products and lenders and is not guaranteed. Actual timescales depend on the lender, the product, and how quickly requested information and documents are provided.
- 4Funding amounts and ranges are indicative only and vary with your business profile, trading history, the lender and the market. Figures shown are not an offer of finance and do not guarantee any particular amount, rate or approval.
- 5Any offers, rates or repayment figures shown in illustrations or examples are for demonstration only and are not real quotes. Your actual offers, if any, are provided by lenders and are subject to approval.
- 6Product availability varies by market. Some products are only available in certain countries. Capvant currently serves businesses in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Capvant is not a lender and does not make credit decisions, we introduce businesses to third-party funding providers. Capvant is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Capvant does not compare every lender, broker, funding product or offer available in the market. We only show options from funding partners in our network that may be relevant based on the information you provide.
Capvant may receive compensation from lenders, brokers, funding partners or referral partners when a customer is introduced, approved, funded or takes another qualifying action. This compensation does not guarantee that any lender will approve an application or offer specific terms. Capvant does not charge business owners a fee to compare funding options unless clearly stated otherwise.
If you access Capvant through a partner, introducer or embedded funding page, that partner may receive a referral fee or commission if your request results in funding. This does not increase your cost unless expressly disclosed.
Capvant is intended for business-purpose funding only. Eligibility may depend on entity type, location, trading history, revenue, industry and lender criteria. In the UK, Capvant currently focuses on limited companies, LLPs and plcs, and does not currently support sole traders or ordinary partnerships.
Information on Capvant is general information only and is not financial, legal, tax or accounting advice. You should consider whether funding is suitable for your business and seek professional advice where appropriate.
Calculators, eligibility checkers and funding-readiness tools are estimates only. They are based on limited information and assumptions, and do not represent a credit decision, quote, approval or recommendation.
Company information may be sourced from public registers such as Companies House, or from information you provide. Public register data may be incomplete, delayed or inaccurate and should not be treated as a full credit assessment.
The Business Credit Score by Capvant is an independent statistical assessment based on public register data. It is not provided by a credit reference agency and may differ from scores used by individual lenders.
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Some US commercial financing offers may be subject to state-specific disclosure requirements. Where required, additional disclosures will be provided and must be accepted before a transaction is finalised.