Are you in the right place?
If You Run a UK Business and Need Finance — Yes.
We work with owner-managed businesses across the UK. Sole traders, limited companies, partnerships. Businesses turning over £250,000. Businesses turning over £25 million. The need is different. The process is the same. If you are not sure which product fits your situation, that is exactly what we are here to work out with you.
What can Pinks actually help me with?
Everything Your Business Needs Under One Roof
We specialise across six areas of commercial finance. Each one has its own lenders, its own structure, and its own approval criteria. We know all of them.
Business Funding
When your business needs capital — to grow, to cover a gap, or to take an opportunity — we structure the right facility. Unsecured loans, secured lending, growth finance. We assess what your business can realistically support and approach lenders accordingly.
Asset Finance
Equipment, machinery, vehicles, technology — if you need it but do not want to tie up your cash buying it outright, asset finance is the answer. Hire purchase or finance lease, structured around the asset and your cashflow.
Invoice Finance
You have done the work. You have sent the invoice. Now you are waiting 60, 90, sometimes 120 days to be paid. Invoice finance releases that cash within 24 to 48 hours. Invoice discounting keeps it confidential. Invoice factoring includes credit control. We find the right facility for your situation.
Vehicle Leasing
Business car leasing, van leasing, and commercial vehicles — structured properly for tax efficiency and cash preservation. Whether you need one vehicle or a fleet, we handle the sourcing, the structure, and the paperwork.
Salary Sacrifice
One of the most tax-efficient employee benefits available — particularly for electric vehicles. Your team gets access to a brand-new car with no deposit, and your business saves on National Insurance contributions. We set up and manage the scheme from start to finish.
Lodge Funding
Buying a holiday lodge is not like buying a property. It sits on a pitch licence, not registered land, and traditional mortgages do not apply. We arrange specialist leisure finance — hire purchase, balloon finance, and secured lending — for buyers across the UK.
Business Finance That Works for Your Business
Independent finance broking for UK SMEs. Funding structured around your business — not a lender’s product menu.
Whether you need to free up cash, fund growth, acquire assets, or get your team into better vehicles, Pinks Associates finds the right solution and gets it structured properly.
We work across business funding, asset finance, invoice finance, vehicle leasing and salary sacrifice. All under one roof. One relationship. One broker who understands your business.
FCA Authorised & Regulated
NACFB Member
Independent — We Work for You, Not the Lender
Access to the Whole of Market
UK SME Specialists
How do lenders actually decide?
FUNDMC — The Six-Point Framework Lenders Actually Use
When you apply for business finance, you are not filling in a form. You are presenting a case.
Every lender — regardless of the product — is asking the same underlying question: Can this business service this debt, and what happens if it can’t?
FUNDMC is the Pinks framework that breaks down exactly what lenders assess. We use it with every client before we approach a single lender. Because the time to find a weakness in your case is before you apply — not after you get a decline.
F — Future
Lenders back businesses with direction, not just history. They want to understand where your business is heading, whether the management team understands its own market, and whether the funding request fits a coherent commercial strategy. A credible plan matters as much as the numbers.
U — Use
What exactly is the money for? Vague answers damage applications. The clearer and more specific the use of funds, the easier it is to match the right facility and make the case to the right lender.
N — Numbers
This is where most applications succeed or fail. Lenders review trading history, profit margins, debtor and creditor days, cashflow forecasts, and management accounts. Clean, consistent numbers that tell a credible story are your strongest asset.
D — Directors
Lenders assess the people behind the company as much as the company itself. Track record, sector experience, personal credit, and whether the directors have real skin in the game — all of it counts. A strong operator with a modest business will often get better terms than a weak operator with decent figures.
M — Means
This is about financial resilience, not just current performance. Does the business have the reserves to absorb a difficult trading period? Is there backing from shareholders, investors, or a parent company? If directors are providing personal guarantees, do those guarantees carry real weight?
C — Commitment / Collateral
How does the lender get repaid — and what backs it up? Repayment structure, security offered, and the exit strategy in a default scenario. Strong collateral can offset weaker financials, but no amount of security makes an unaffordable deal work.
Before we approach any lender, we work through FUNDMC with you. Not as a checklist — as a conversation. If there is a weakness, we surface it early and either solve it or adjust the approach. The result is a stronger application, better lender selection, and terms that reflect the real picture.
Does it matter which broker I use?
Yes. Here is Why.
Most brokers submit applications based on eligibility calculators and affordability checklists. That approach works for simple, low-risk deals. The moment your case involves any complexity — growth ambition, sector risk, structuring concerns, or adverse history — you need a broker who thinks like the credit team.
We are not a volume broker. We do not submit applications and hope. We structure deals, select lenders carefully, and present your case in a way that gives it the best chance of approval at the right rate.
And if something does not stack up, we will tell you. We would rather have that conversation now than put your application in front of a lender who will decline it for predictable reasons — and leave a mark on your credit file.
What happens when I get in touch?
Simple Process. No Jargon. No Surprises.
Five steps, and at every one you know exactly who is doing what. Spoiler: it is mostly us.
We listen first
You: tell us what you need and where the business is today.
Us: run it through FUNDMC, the six-point framework lenders actually use.
We find the right structure
You: ask anything. There are no silly questions.
Us: recommend the right product and facility, and explain why in plain English.
We pick the right lender
You: nothing. Put the kettle on.
Us: search the whole of market for lenders suited to your deal, not whoever is first on a panel list.
We run the application
You: send over the documents we ask for.
Us: handle the paperwork, deal with the lender and keep you updated. You will not have to chase us.
We stay in touch
You: call us when your plans change.
Us: already know your business, so the next deal starts from step two.
Step six? There isn't one. Just your funding in place and a broker who is still there when you need the next one.
Start with step oneWho We Are and How We Operate
Pinks Associates is an independent commercial finance broker based in the UK. We are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and a member of the National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers (NACFB).
That means you are working with a regulated firm held to professional standards — not an unregulated introducer. We have a duty to act in your best interests. That is not marketing language. It is a regulatory requirement.
FCA regulation also means the advice and recommendations we provide are accountable. If something is not right for your business, we will not recommend it.
What We Believe
Finance done well is not complicated. It is clear, structured, and honest. The complexity is our job — not yours.
We believe in protecting your borrowing power, not just closing the current deal.
We believe lender selection matters as much as rate. The wrong lender at a good rate is still the wrong lender.
We believe in explaining things properly, once, in plain English. Not in jargon, not in small print.
We believe a good broker relationship saves you money over years, not just on one transaction.
We believe in telling clients when something does not work — before it causes a problem.
This is why clients come back. And why they refer their own networks to us.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of businesses does Pinks work with?
We work with UK SMEs across most sectors. Our clients range from sole traders and small owner-managed businesses through to companies with multi-million pound turnovers. If you are running a trading business and need commercial finance, we can help.
Do I need to have a perfect credit history?
No. Adverse credit, CCJs, or prior business difficulties do not automatically prevent you from accessing finance — but they need to be addressed correctly. We assess your full picture and identify lenders who are the right fit for your circumstances.
How much can I borrow?
That depends entirely on your business, its financial position, and the type of facility. We do not work to a fixed threshold. We work out what your business can realistically support and structure accordingly.
Are you independent? Do you work for the lenders?
We are fully independent. We are paid by lenders when a deal completes, but our obligation is to you. We access the whole of market and recommend the right lender for your situation — not the one who pays us most.
How long does the process take?
It depends on the product. Some asset finance decisions come back in 24 to 48 hours. Invoice finance facilities can be set up within a week. Larger or more complex funding arrangements take longer. We will be clear on timescales from the very first conversation.
What is FUNDMC?
FUNDMC is the framework Pinks uses to assess every funding case before approaching a lender. It covers Future, Use, Numbers, Directors, Means, and Commitment — the six things every lender evaluates. We work through it with you upfront so your application is structured for the best possible outcome.
Is Pinks FCA regulated?
Yes. Pinks Associates is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. We are also a member of the NACFB — the National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers. You are dealing with a regulated firm held to professional standards.