Quick answer
How do you choose which funding category to investigate?
Begin with what the money must do, when it is needed and where repayment will come from. Equipment, unpaid invoices, card receipts and property projects create different questions. Use those questions to explore categories, then ask a broker to assess the actual company and proposal.
Key points
- Describe the need without naming a product first.
- Distinguish a one-off cost from a recurring cash gap.
- Use a comparison built around the same requirement.
- A category finder does not establish eligibility.
Describe the business event
Write down what is happening: replacing essential equipment, paying for stock before a busy period, waiting for business customers or buying a commercial property. Add the amount and timing. If several needs are mixed together, separate them so each can be understood.
The British Business Bank’s finance options guidance describes debt and equity as broad routes to external funding [1]. Felix currently explains selected debt-related categories for UK limited companies. That selection is not a statement that borrowing is right for every business or that every route is represented.
Identify what closes the cash gap
A short gap before a known customer receipt has a different repayment story from an expansion expected to grow sales over several years. A property transaction may depend on sale or refinance. A piece of equipment may be productive for a defined useful life.
State the expected source of repayment in ordinary language and challenge its timing. If it depends entirely on a hoped-for event, make that uncertainty explicit. The funding category should help investigate the actual question, rather than giving an uncertain plan a reassuring label.
Use categories as a set of questions
The table introduces topics to discuss, not product recommendations. A broker may find that more than one category deserves investigation, or that the proposal needs to change. Current trading, evidence and provider rules remain important.
| The need | A category to understand | A question to answer |
|---|---|---|
| A defined lump sum | Business loans | Can the business manage the proposed schedule? |
| Eligible unpaid B2B invoices | Invoice finance | Which debts count and what can be drawn? |
| Equipment or vehicles | Asset finance | Who owns and maintains the asset? |
| Card-receipt-linked funding | Merchant cash advance | What cash remains after collection? |
| A property timing gap | Bridging | How and when is it repaid? |
| A construction project | Development finance | How do releases fit costs and the exit? |
Compare the complete commitment
For each realistic route, put net cash, dates, total repayment, fees, security and guarantees in one place. Add product-specific conditions such as invoice eligibility, equipment return standards or project monitoring. A general comparison becomes useful only when it captures the differences that affect your business.
If the plan is to refinance existing debt, include the old settlement and the new net cash. A lower monthly payment may extend the obligation. Ask what improves beyond the immediate bank balance and how the change fits the company’s trading position.
Use the finder for orientation
The Felix finder uses your stated purpose to introduce categories and links to fuller explanations. It does not search lender systems, run credit checks or confirm approval. Read the relevant pages, keep a list of unresolved questions and start an enquiry when you want a conversation.
Your next step can be to refine the project, gather evidence or speak with a professional. A useful first conversation leaves you with a clearer requirement and a defined process. It should not require you to pretend you already know the ideal product.
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers
Does the finder compare live offers?
No. It explains categories from your stated purpose.
Could more than one category be relevant?
Yes. The actual requirement may need a comparison or more than one part, subject to assessment.
Does Felix cover every finance option?
No. The site explains selected funding categories and collects business enquiries.
Sources and further reading
Where the external facts come from
Sources checked on 27 October 2026. Provider links are references; they do not imply a partnership or an available offer.
- British Business Bank: understand finance options ↗
Broad external finance categories.
