Bolton Business Finance is an independent asset finance broker. We arrange funding for the equipment, machinery, commercial vehicles and plant your business needs, whether you are buying new, replacing ageing kit, or refinancing assets you already own to release capital.
We work with around 25 asset finance lenders, drawn from a wider panel of more than 135 UK funders, and arrange facilities from £5,000 to £10 million. Nil deposit and balloon payment structures are available. We do not charge a broker fee on asset finance. We are paid a commission by the lender that provides the facility.
- Facilities from £5,000 to £10 million
- Around 25 asset finance lenders on panel, from a wider panel of 135+ UK funders
- No broker fee on asset finance; the lender pays our commission
- Nil deposit and balloon payment structures available
- Credit decisions often inside 24 to 48 hours; payout typically 2 to 5 working days
- NACFB member, established 2020, over £20 million of commercial finance arranged
What is asset finance and how does it work?
Asset finance is a way of paying for a business asset over time instead of buying it outright. A funder pays for the asset, and your business makes fixed monthly payments over an agreed term, usually one to five years, and longer on high value hard assets.
The asset itself provides the lender’s security. That is the reason asset finance is often available to businesses that could not raise the same amount on an unsecured business loan, and the reason lenders can often look past a patchy credit history.
It is also one of the largest sources of business investment funding in the UK. Finance & Leasing Association members reported record annual asset finance new business of £41.1 billion in the twelve months to May 2026, and NACFB member brokers originated £33 billion of SME lending in 2025, a 25% increase on the year before.
What can you fund with asset finance?
Almost any identifiable business asset, new or used, bought from a dealer or in a private sale. Lenders split assets into two groups, and the group an asset falls into changes how easy it is to fund.
Hard assets
Assets with a long working life and a resale market, which are the easiest to fund and attract the widest lender choice:
- Excavators, dumpers, telehandlers and site plant
- CNC machines, lathes, presses and machine tools
- HGVs, tractor units, trailers, vans and commercial vehicles
- Tractors, combines and agricultural machinery
- Forklifts, cranes and materials handling
- Printing presses, packaging lines and injection moulding
- Waste, recycling and screening plant
- Coaches, minibuses and taxis
Soft assets
Assets that lose value quickly or are difficult to recover and resell. Fewer lenders operate here and criteria are tighter, but funding is regularly available:
- IT hardware, servers and software
- EPOS and card payment systems
- Commercial kitchen and catering equipment
- Gym and fitness equipment
- Dental, veterinary and medical equipment
- Salon and beauty equipment
- Shop and office fit-out, furniture and signage
- CCTV, access control and security systems
- Solar panels, battery storage and EV charging
Types of asset finance we arrange
Four structures cover almost every requirement. The right one depends on whether you want to own the asset at the end, how you want VAT treated, and who you want carrying the risk on what the asset is worth in five years.
| Structure | Who owns it during the term | Ownership at the end | VAT | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hire purchase | The funder | Yours once all payments are made, sometimes on payment of an option to purchase fee | Normally payable in full on the asset price at the start, though some lenders will fund it | Assets you intend to keep for the long term |
| Finance lease | The funder | The funder keeps title; the asset is usually sold at the end of the term or rentals continue at a reduced rate | Charged on each rental, so it is spread across the term | Spreading the full cost including VAT, hard or soft assets |
| Operating lease | The funder, which also carries the residual value risk | The asset is returned | Charged on each rental | Assets you want to use rather than own, often with maintenance included |
| Asset refinance | The funder, until the facility is repaid | Returns to you once the facility is repaid | Depends on how the facility is structured | Releasing capital from assets you already own |
The structure also affects how the asset is treated in your accounts. Ownership based products such as hire purchase generally allow the business to claim capital allowances on the asset, while under a lease the funder owns it and the rentals are usually treated as a business expense. The treatment that suits your business is a question for your accountant, and worth settling before you commit to a structure.
Put your own numbers through it
The table above explains how the three agreement types differ. Our asset finance calculator prices them. Enter the asset cost, the deposit, the term and the rate and it gives you the monthly payment, the total cost and the true annual rate, which matters because asset finance is very often quoted as a flat rate that costs roughly double what it looks like.
It also compares financing against paying cash after tax relief. That comparison can reverse the answer: where the asset qualifies for full relief in year one, owning it tends to win, and where it only attracts a writing down allowance, leasing usually does.
Commercial hire purchase
Your business is the purchaser and takes ownership at the end. The funder holds title until the final payment, at which point the asset becomes yours, either automatically or on payment of an option to purchase fee. The most common choice for plant, machinery and commercial vehicles a business plans to keep.
Finance lease and equipment leasing
The funder buys the asset and leases it to your business over a fixed period, with only a small deposit or none at all. VAT is charged on the rentals rather than up front, which keeps the initial outlay low. Available on soft and hard assets in any sector.
Operating lease
A fixed monthly cost for the use of the asset, often with maintenance included, and the asset handed back at the end of the term. Your business never owns it and never carries the risk on its residual value. Suited to equipment that dates quickly or needs regular replacement.
Asset refinance
Raise capital against plant, machinery or vehicles your business already owns, either to release cash into the business or to restructure existing agreements onto lower monthly payments. We work with a number of specialist lenders that support refinance, including on assets that are part way through an existing agreement.
How much can you borrow, and over what term?
We arrange asset finance facilities from £5,000 to £10 million. What a lender will offer on a particular asset comes down to a handful of things:
- The asset. Type, age, condition and how readily it could be resold. A three year old excavator is straightforward; a bespoke soft asset is not.
- The term. Usually matched to the working life of the asset: one to five years on most equipment, longer on high value hard assets.
- Deposit. Nil deposit facilities are available. Putting a deposit in reduces the monthly cost and can widen your lender choice where there is adverse credit.
- Balloon payment. A larger final payment lowers the monthly figure across the term. Common on vehicles and plant with a predictable resale value.
- Trading history and financials. Smaller facilities are often agreed on the invoice and company details alone. Larger ones need accounts or management figures.
How long does asset finance take to arrange?
Asset finance is one of the faster forms of business funding, because the security is already identified. A typical sequence:
- Quote and indicative terms: same or next working day
- Credit decision: often inside 24 to 48 hours
- Documents issued and signed electronically: same day
- Payout to the supplier: typically 2 to 5 working days from a complete application
It takes longer where the asset is unusual or being bought privately, where an inspection or valuation is needed, or on larger facilities that require full financial information. We will tell you which of those apply at the quote stage rather than at the end.
Asset finance with bad credit, CCJs or as a new business
Because the lender holds security in the asset, asset finance is one of the more accessible products for businesses with an imperfect credit history. Adverse credit does not rule you out, and we work with lenders that assess these cases specifically. What matters is:
- What the adverse is, how old it is, and whether it has been satisfied
- Whether the directors are prepared to give a personal guarantee
- Whether a deposit can be put in
- How readily the asset could be resold if things went wrong
Newly formed and start-up companies can also be considered, usually where a director has relevant sector experience and is willing to support the facility with a personal guarantee, a deposit, or both. We will be straight with you about whether a case is placeable before you spend time on an application.
Why use an asset finance broker rather than the supplier’s own finance?
Dealer and manufacturer finance is a single lender with a single credit appetite. If your business does not fit it, the answer is no and there is nowhere else to go in that conversation. A broker changes the shape of the problem:
- One application, around 25 asset lenders. Including specialist funders that only accept business introduced by brokers and do not deal with the public directly.
- Comparison on total cost, not the monthly payment. Two quotes with the same monthly figure can differ substantially once the term, deposit, balloon, fees and the option to purchase are counted in.
- Structure as well as price. Hire purchase, lease or refinance changes your VAT position and your accounts, not just the cost.
- No fee to you. On asset finance we do not charge the client a broker fee. We are paid a commission by the lender.
- A named contact. You deal with the same person from enquiry to payout, with site visits across the North West when the asset warrants it.
What we need to get you a quote
- What the asset is, whether it is new or used, and the supplier’s invoice or proforma if you have one
- The price, and whether that figure includes VAT
- Your company name and registration number
- Any deposit you want to put down, and whether you want a balloon payment
- Last filed accounts or recent management figures, for larger facilities
At the smaller end of the range that is often all it takes. If you do not have the invoice yet, we can still give you indicative terms to take to the supplier.
Asset finance sectors we cover
We work with clients across all the main UK business sectors, including:
- Building and construction
- Plant and machinery
- Manufacturing and engineering
- Logistics, haulage and transport
- Waste and recycling
- Renewables and green energy
- Agriculture and farming
- Hospitality, catering and leisure
- Healthcare, dental and veterinary
- Print and packaging
- Recruitment and professional services
- Office and IT equipment
Asset finance often sits alongside other facilities. If the pressure is working capital rather than the asset itself, invoice finance or a revolving credit facility may be the better tool, and we can look at both in the same conversation.
Asset finance in Bolton, Manchester and across the UK
Our head office is in Bolton and we arrange asset finance for businesses right across Greater Manchester, Lancashire and the rest of the UK. Clients in the North West get the option of a face-to-face meeting or a site visit to look at the asset, which is genuinely useful on used plant and private purchases. Everywhere else we work by phone, email and video.
You can see the towns and cities we cover on our areas we serve page.
Asset finance FAQ
What is an asset finance broker?
An asset finance broker sources funding quotes from a range of lenders on your behalf, for any type of hard or soft asset requirement. Rather than applying to one funder and taking whatever answer comes back, you make one application and we approach the lenders whose criteria fit your business, your sector and the asset. Many specialist asset lenders only accept business introduced through brokers and will not deal with a company directly.
How much can I borrow with asset finance?
We arrange facilities from £5,000 to £10 million. The amount available on a specific asset depends on its type, age and resale value, the term, any deposit or balloon payment, and your trading history.
Do you charge a broker fee for asset finance?
No. We do not charge our clients a broker fee on asset finance. We are paid a commission by the lender that provides the facility, and we will confirm that arrangement on request.
Can I get asset finance with bad credit or a CCJ?
Often, yes. The lender takes security in the asset, so asset finance is more accessible than unsecured borrowing where there is adverse credit. Lenders will look at what the adverse is, how recent it is, whether it has been satisfied, whether a director will give a personal guarantee, and whether a deposit can be put in.
Can a new business get asset finance?
Yes, in many cases. Lenders that support start-ups usually want to see relevant sector experience from the directors, and will commonly ask for a personal guarantee, a deposit, or both. Tell us the position at the outset and we will tell you whether it is placeable.
What deposit do I need for asset finance?
Nil deposit facilities are available. A deposit is not always required, but putting one in reduces the monthly cost and can widen the range of lenders willing to look at a case, particularly on used assets or where there is adverse credit.
What is a balloon payment?
A balloon is a larger final payment at the end of the agreement. Because more of the cost sits in that final payment, the monthly payments across the term are lower. Balloons are common on vehicles and plant with a predictable resale value, and are available on facilities we arrange.
What is the difference between a hard asset and a soft asset?
Hard assets have a long working life and an established resale market, such as plant, machinery, HGVs and agricultural equipment. Soft assets lose value quickly or are difficult to recover and resell, such as IT equipment, furniture, fit-out and gym equipment. Hard assets attract more lenders and more flexible terms; soft assets are still fundable but the criteria are tighter.
Hire purchase or leasing: which is right for my business?
Hire purchase suits assets you intend to own and keep, and VAT is normally payable on the asset price at the start. A lease spreads the VAT across the rentals and keeps the initial outlay lower, but the funder retains ownership. An operating lease removes the residual value risk entirely and often includes maintenance. The choice affects your accounts and tax position as well as the cost, so confirm the treatment with your accountant.
Can I refinance assets I already own?
Yes. Asset refinance raises capital against plant, machinery or vehicles already owned by the business, either to release cash or to restructure existing agreements onto lower monthly payments. Assets part way through an existing agreement can often be considered.
How quickly can asset finance be arranged?
Indicative terms usually the same or next working day, a credit decision often inside 24 to 48 hours, and payout to the supplier typically 2 to 5 working days from a complete application. Unusual assets, private purchases, inspections and larger facilities take longer.
Is Bolton Business Finance authorised by the FCA?
No. Bolton Business Finance Ltd is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. We arrange non-regulated commercial finance for business purposes only, and do not offer consumer credit or regulated agreements. We are a member of the National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers (NACFB).
Apply for asset finance today
Tell us what the asset is and what you are trying to achieve, and we will search the market and come back with the options that are realistically available to your business. No broker fee, and no obligation to proceed.
More detail on individual asset types is available on our dedicated asset finance site, FinancesAssets.co.uk.
Bolton Business Finance Ltd is a commercial finance broker, not a lender. We arrange non-regulated, business-purpose finance and are not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Nothing on this page is a quotation or an offer of finance, and all facilities are subject to status, lender criteria and the assets offered as security.