Time Finance is urging UK small and medium-sized businesses to make better use of specialist finance, arguing that many continue to rely on traditional bank loans and credit cards when alternative funding could better support their needs.
UK Finance figures show SME lending increased 24% year on year to £5.3 billion in the second quarter of 2026. Separate research from Purbeck Insurance Services recorded a 63% increase in small business borrowing, with average loan sizes exceeding £300,000 for the second consecutive quarter.
Despite increased borrowing, businesses are not always choosing the most appropriate funding.
Time Finance Chief Executive Ed Rimmer says businesses often turn to high-street banks for loans and overdrafts without considering specialist options designed around their requirements.
Asset Finance can spread the cost of purchasing machinery and equipment over its useful life, preserving cash for other business requirements. Invoice Finance allows companies to release funds tied up in unpaid customer invoices, helping manage cash flow and longer payment terms.
Asset Based Lending provides another option, allowing businesses to borrow against assets such as machinery, property, stock and invoices to access working capital.
Time Finance says specialist lending can provide more flexible funding arrangements that reflect individual business requirements and support expansion.
Time Finance plc (LON:TIME) is an AIM-listed business specialising in the provision or arrangement of funding solutions to UK businesses seeking to access the finance they need to realise their growth plans. Time Finance can fund businesses or arrange funding with their trusted partners through Asset Finance, Invoice Finance, Business Loans, Vehicle Finance or Asset Based Lending.
