Whether you are starting up your business or expanding it you will need finance in order to do so. This is especially relevant to new businesses that are just starting up. There are numerous avenues that you can approach in order to gain this start up finance and there are many different forms of it open to you; choosing the right finance that will benefit your business most is the important thing.There is a saying that states ‘it takes money to make money,’ this applies so much to new business ventures. For your business to become a success you will need a large amount of money to start off with that can be used to get your business set up. This money will be used to buy equipment, pay the rent on your business property, employ your staff and ensure that you have enough stock to get your business going as well as being used to pay the first few months of all your bills.Two of the main reasons why many new businesses fail to get anywhere beyond the starting point are due to inadequate business capital and poor management skills, which is why raising money is so important in the early start-up stages of business.Some ways in which people choose to fund their business idea is by using savings, but realistically not many of us have that sort of cash tucked away, which is why we require outside help. You could opt to borrow money from friends or family if they have the financial resources to help you or you could take out a credit card for the specific use of funding your business. All of the financial options that are open to you can be split into two sections, either debt finance or equity finance. Debt finance is classified as being money that is borrowed from varies different aspects. This is finance that is required to be paid back.Some examples of debt finance include:o Bank loanso Credit cardso Overdraftso Leasingo Asset financingAll of these are the borrowing of money in one form or another and they will require monthly repayments that will have added interest. Most people however use their bank as the first call of gaining start up finance regardless of the fact they are going to end up paying more money back.There are disadvantages and advantages of using a bank loan to fund a new business idea. However the disadvantages of having a bank loan to fund your business start up far out-weigh the advantages. The benefit of using a bank loan for business finance include being able to organise a repayment holiday meaning you only have to pay interest for a certain amount of time and you don’t have to turn over a share of your profit. The disadvantages however are that bank loans have strict terms and conditions and can cause cash flow problems if you are unable to keep up with your monthly repayments. Also bank loans are often secured against assets and you may be charged if you decide you want to repay your loan before the end of your loan term.
The other form of finance; equity finance, is often more overlooked than it should be when in fact equity finance could be just the answer that your business is looking for. The main forms of equity finance come from business angels and venture capitalists. Equity finance is money that is invested into your business in return for a share of the business. With equity finance the advantages out-weight the disadvantages and equity finance is a lot more helpful to small businesses than bank loans are.Some of the advantages of equity finance include your investor being committed to your business and intended projects, they can bring valuable skills, contracts and experience to your business and they can assist you with strategy and decision making as well as often being prepared to follow up funding as your business grows. Two disadvantages of equity funding are your business may suffer as you are spending time securing your investor deal and the investor will own a share of your business.The one thing that you must do when choosing your business start up finance is to use a finance option that is most suited to your business needs.

Asset finance allows companies to collect funds for the purchase of assets they might need to make their businesses run successfully. At times, paying a huge amount of cash at one time for buying assets can be really hard to manage. Moreover it would significantly affect the company’s working capital. With asset finance one can raise the capital to buy assets and the money can be returned to the finance company through regular payments over an agreed period of time.Asset finance can be used for purchasing new and used cars, coaches, light and heavy commercial vehicles, plant machinery and office equipment. With the help of asset finance solutions, you can buy equipment for your business without spending a large sum in one go.In other words, it saves you from the trouble of arranging a large amount of capital for buying much needed assets.Major Types of Asset Finance Available in the UKHire PurchaseThis typical credit facility is readily available where the financier allows the hirer the right to possess and use an asset in return for regular payments. Here, the hirer first finds the asset he wants and negotiates the purchase price with the supplier.After the hirer pays a deposit of 10-20% to the finance company, he can take the asset directly from the supplier. After a balloon payment is made at the end of the term, the title of the goods is transferred to the hirer.Lease PurchaseLease Purchase is often confused as a regular lease. It is similar to a hire purchase agreement with the only difference being that in a Lease Purchase the hirer needs to pay a deposit of 10-15% as a multiple of the repayments. The payment for the remaining balance and interest is done in instalments.Moreover, a Lease Purchase agreement is based on either a fixed or variable rate. The monthly instalment can be reduced by the inclusion of a balloon.Contract HireIn Contract Hire, a rental agreement is made between the supplier and the customer. Here the customer hires the asset for a fixed period of time and after the completion of the period, he returns the asset to the supplying dealer. With contract hire, the customer gets the chance to use the new asset without the risks associated with ownership.Finance LeaseWith finance lease, one can get up to 100% finance for the acquisition of plant equipment required in a business. Here, the ownership of the goods remains with the finance company which rents the goods to the hirer over a predetermined period. Initially, the hirer needs to pay the documentation fee and an initial payment of a multiple of rentals. The remaining cost of the asset is paid back over the agreed time period.Operating LeaseHere an agreement is made to rent the asset for business purposes for a predetermined period. At the expiry of the agreed lease, the asset is either returned to the financier or an offer to purchase it for a mutually agreed price is made. One major line of difference between an operating lease and a finance lease is that the primary rental period for an operating lease does not cover all the capital costs and the hire charges.Looking at these various types of asset finance, it would not be tough to choose one for buying expensive equipment without forking out a huge sum of money at one go. But it is essential to understand asset finance and its various types properly before applying for it.There are many finance companies that can help one to get competitive and tailored asset financial solutions to suit one’s personal and business requirements. It is advisable to take professional help to avoid any sort of complications in the future. One can take help from any reputed asset finance based consulting company to get a better deal for one’s business.