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OMB guide 27 · 2027 edition

Business Finance and Semi-Commercial in 2027

How business loans, asset finance, invoice finance and mixed-use property lending work, and how lenders judge your accounts.

Written by the OMB team · reviewed by Akhil Mair, Managing Director, CeMAPUpdated October 2026How we write and check our content

In this guide
  • What business finance is and who it suits
  • Business loans
  • Asset finance: hire purchase and leasing
  • Invoice finance
  • VAT and tax loans, prestige car finance and acquisition finance
  • Government backed schemes
  • Is it regulated? Personal guarantees, security and covenants
  • How lenders assess your accounts
  • Semi-commercial property basics
  • EPC rules, VAT and structure for commercial property
  • Costs and timeline
  • Tips and tricks, common mistakes and a checklist
  • How OMB can support you
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The short version

Business finance covers the loans and facilities companies use to grow, buy equipment, manage cash flow or spread tax bills. This guide explains each option, how lenders read your accounts, and what to know before you sign a personal guarantee. It also covers semi-commercial property, such as a shop with a flat above.

  • Most lending to limited companies is not regulated by the FCA, so you have fewer consumer protections and must read the terms closely.
  • Directors are often asked for personal guarantees, which can put personal assets at risk if the business cannot repay.
  • Matching the product to the purpose (equipment, cash flow, tax bill, property) usually gives a better outcome than a general loan.
  • Lenders judge trading history, profit, cash flow and the quality of your accounts, so tidy figures help.
  • Semi-commercial property is valued and lent on differently from a standard buy-to-let, and EPC rules and VAT can affect the numbers.

Match the product to the purpose

Fund equipment with asset finance, cash flow gaps with invoice finance and property with property security, rather than one general loan for everything.

What the full guide covers

  1. What business finance is and who it suits
  2. Business loans
  3. Asset finance: hire purchase and leasing
  4. Invoice finance
  5. VAT and tax loans, prestige car finance and acquisition finance
  6. Government backed schemes
  7. Is it regulated? Personal guarantees, security and covenants
  8. How lenders assess your accounts
  9. Semi-commercial property basics
  10. EPC rules, VAT and structure for commercial property
  11. Costs and timeline
  12. Tips and tricks (8), common mistakes (6) and a 11 point checklist
  13. How OMB can support you, with a fictional worked example
Illustrative example · not a real client

A bakery owner funds a new oven and a shop with a flat

Illustrative example only. Priya runs a small limited company bakery with three years of steady accounts. She needs a new industrial oven and also hopes to buy the shop she rents, which has a flat above. We suggested hire purchase for the oven so the equipment secured the loan and her cash stayed free. For the shop, we compared semi-commercial lenders, explained that the commercial lease and the flat's tenancy would both affect the offer, and flagged the EPC rating and the VAT position as points for her accountant and solicitor. We also explained the personal guarantee the lender asked for so she could take legal advice before signing. This is not a real client and no outcome is guaranteed.

Names, figures and circumstances are fictional and illustrative only. They do not represent an actual client of Our Mortgage Broker Limited.

Business Finance and Semi-Commercial in 2027 guide cover
Free 2027 guide

Business Finance and Semi-Commercial in 2027

How business loans, asset finance, invoice finance and mixed-use property lending work, and how lenders judge your accounts.

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Want to talk it through?

We compare specialist lenders to match the right facility to your business and its cash flow. A CeMAP-qualified adviser will explain the options in plain English and tell you which are regulated and which are not.

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Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Most buy-to-let and commercial mortgages are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Our Mortgage Broker Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 944663). Registered in England and Wales, company no. 11358646. Registered office: 23 Berkeley Square, Mayfair, London W1J 6HE. There may be a fee for mortgage advice: we may charge up to 1% of the loan amount, and our typical fee is £500. Your fee agreement sets out the exact fee and when it is payable (at decision in principle, application or mortgage offer); fees are not refundable once due. We usually also receive commission from the lender. Protection and insurance products are subject to underwriting and the policy terms and conditions. This guide is general information only and is not personal advice. Case studies are fictional, illustrative examples and do not represent real clients. Rates, tax and regulatory information are correct as at October 2026 and may change, including at the Autumn Budget on 28 October 2026.