Turn unpaid invoices into working capital.
Haslam Consult helps UK businesses understand and compare invoice finance, factoring and invoice discounting, so the money you have already earned is available when the business needs it.
- Initial discussion
- No obligation
- Independent broker guidance
How we work with you
Independent guidance
We work for you, not for a particular lender. Our job is to find a facility that fits, not to fit you to a facility.
Options compared, not just offered
Facility types, providers and terms differ more than most people expect. We help you compare them on a like-for-like basis.
Shaped around your cash flow
Funding is only useful if it matches how your business actually invoices, collects and spends.
Support through to completion
From the first conversation through application and set-up, you have someone who understands the process.
You’ve done the work. Now you’re waiting to be paid.
Most business-to-business sales are made on credit. Thirty, sixty or ninety-day terms are normal, and larger customers often pay later than that. In the meantime, the costs of running the business do not wait.
- Day 0Work delivered, invoice raised
- Day 30Payroll, rent and suppliers due
- Day 60Second month of costs
- Day 90Customer pays
Costs fall due throughout the cycle. Revenue arrives at the end of it.
What long payment terms put pressure on
Payroll
Wages fall due on the same date every month, whether or not your customers have paid.
Suppliers
Paying suppliers late costs goodwill, and sometimes early-settlement discounts.
Stock & materials
You often have to buy before you can sell, and long before you are paid.
Hiring
Taking on staff to service new contracts means funding them before revenue lands.
Growth
Winning bigger customers usually means longer terms and larger invoices to carry.
Day-to-day headroom
Simply having enough working capital to run the business without constant juggling.
None of this means the business is unprofitable. It means the timing of cash is out of step with the timing of costs. That is the problem invoice finance is designed to address.
Invoice finance, in its main forms
Invoice finance allows eligible businesses to access a proportion of the value of outstanding customer invoices before those customers pay. It is available in several structures. The right one depends on how your business runs.
Start here
A way for businesses that sell on credit terms to access a proportion of the value of unpaid invoices before customers pay. Our invoice finance guide covers how it works, what it costs and who it suits.
Read the invoice finance guide- Funding plus collections01
Invoice Factoring
Release cash against unpaid invoices while the provider manages credit control and collects payment from your customers.
- Credit control
- Usually managed by the provider
- Customer awareness
- Typically disclosed
- Provider typically handles collections and credit control
- Usually disclosed to your customers
- Can suit businesses without a dedicated finance team
- Funding, you keep control02
Invoice Discounting
Draw funds against your sales ledger while continuing to run your own credit control, often without customers being aware.
- Credit control
- Retained by your business
- Customer awareness
- Often confidential
- You retain credit control and customer contact
- Can be confidential, subject to provider criteria
- Often suits established firms with sound processes
- Fund what you choose03
Selective Invoice Finance
Finance individual invoices or specific customers as the need arises, rather than committing your whole sales ledger.
- Commitment
- Invoice by invoice, or customer by customer
- Suits
- Occasional, seasonal or project cash-flow needs
- Choose which invoices to fund
- Typically no long-term whole-ledger commitment
- Useful for occasional or project-based cash-flow gaps
Bad debt protection, payroll support and asset-based lending can sometimes be added or combined. We will explain what is relevant to your circumstances.
All solutionsSame principle. Different day-to-day.
Both release cash against unpaid invoices. The difference is who runs credit control, whether your customers know, and what that means for cost and control.
Invoice factoring
Funding plus collections
- Who collects payment
- The provider's credit control team
- Customer awareness
- Usually disclosed
- Control of customer relationships
- Shared with the provider
- Demands on your systems
- Lower
- Service fee
- Generally higher, reflecting the collections service
- Often suits
- Smaller or growing firms, lean back offices
Invoice discounting
Funding, you keep control
- Who collects payment
- Your own team
- Customer awareness
- Often confidential, subject to provider criteria
- Control of customer relationships
- Retained by your business
- Demands on your systems
- Higher: accurate ledger and reporting expected
- Service fee
- Generally lower
- Often suits
- Established firms with strong processes
Not sure which is appropriate?
Most businesses know within one conversation. Some move from one to the other as they grow.
A straightforward process, from first conversation to funding
No forms to decode, no lender jargon to translate. We take you through it in order.
- 01
Tell us about your business
A short conversation about what you do, who you invoice, how your customers pay and where the pressure is.
- 02
We understand the requirement
How much funding would help, when, and what it is for. We also look at any existing facility you may have.
- 03
Explore suitable options
We outline the facility types and providers that appear well matched, and explain the differences in plain terms.
- 04
Choose the facility that fits
You compare the options with our help and decide which, if any, is right for the business.
- 05
Move forward with the provider
We support you through the application and set-up process so it runs as smoothly as possible.
Exact requirements, timescales and documentation depend on the provider and the type of facility. We will tell you what to expect before you commit to anything.
Situations where invoice finance is often worth considering
Not every business needs it, and not every business is suited to it. These are the circumstances in which it tends to earn its keep.
- 01
Customers pay on long terms
You invoice on 30, 60 or 90-day terms, and larger customers often stretch beyond that. The work is done long before the cash arrives.
- 02
Sales are growing faster than cash flow
More orders mean more stock, staff and supplier bills to fund upfront. Growth becomes a cash-flow problem rather than a celebration.
- 03
Seasonal peaks and troughs
Busy periods need working capital before the revenue from them is collected. Quiet periods still have fixed costs.
- 04
A few very large invoices
When a small number of customers account for most of your turnover, one slow payment can affect the whole business.
- 05
Payroll and recruitment commitments
Temporary staff, contractors and new hires need paying weekly or monthly, regardless of when clients settle their invoices.
- 06
An existing facility no longer fits
Your current invoice finance arrangement may have been right once, but fees, service or structure may no longer suit the business.
Sectors where invoice finance is well established
Any business selling to other businesses on credit terms may be a candidate. These sectors use it most, largely because their cost base runs ahead of customer payment.
Recruitment & Staffing
Weekly payroll for temporary staff against clients paying on 30 to 60-day terms.
Manufacturing
Raw materials and production costs paid long before finished goods are invoiced and settled.
Transport & Logistics
Fuel, drivers and vehicles paid weekly; customers paying in 30 to 60 days.
Wholesale & Distribution
Stock bought upfront, sold on credit terms to trade customers.
Engineering & Fabrication
Skilled labour and materials invested in jobs before invoices are raised and paid.
Business & Professional Services
Consultancies, agencies and service providers invoicing monthly in arrears.
Security & Facilities
Staff-heavy operations with regular payroll and contracted clients on monthly terms.
Printing & Packaging
Material and production costs on each job, with customers paying on standard trade terms.
Construction-related Services
Subcontractors and suppliers to the construction sector, where terms and applications vary.
Sector experience helps, but suitability is assessed business by business. Being in one of these sectors does not guarantee a facility, and being outside them does not rule one out.
Going direct gives you one provider’s view. We give you the market’s.
Invoice finance providers differ in appetite, sector experience, pricing and terms. A lender will tell you about their facility. Our job is to help you find the one that fits.
- 01
We start with the business, not the product
Understanding how you invoice, who you sell to and where the pressure sits comes before any discussion of facilities.
- 02
We explain the structures
Factoring, discounting, selective, recourse, non-recourse, confidential, disclosed. We translate the terminology into what it means for you.
- 03
We compare relevant options
Provider appetite, sector experience and pricing all vary. We help you see the options side by side rather than one at a time.
- 04
We explain costs and terms clearly
Service fees, discount charges, minimums, notice periods and guarantees. You should know what you are signing before you sign it.
- 05
We support the application
Providers need information presented properly. We help you prepare and stay involved until the facility is live.
- 06
We review existing facilities
If you already have invoice finance, we can help assess whether it still represents a good fit and what alternatives may exist.
The questions most businesses ask first
Straight answers to the things people want to know before they pick up the phone.
Invoice finance is a way for businesses that sell on credit terms to access a proportion of the value of their unpaid invoices before the customer pays. The provider advances an agreed percentage, then releases the balance, less fees, once the invoice is settled. It comes in several forms, most commonly factoring and invoice discounting.
Providers generally advance a substantial proportion of the invoice value upfront, with the remainder released when your customer pays. The exact percentage depends on the provider, your sector and the quality of your debtors. We will give you a realistic picture before you approach anyone.
In factoring, the provider typically manages credit control and collects payment from your customers, so the arrangement is usually disclosed. In invoice discounting, you keep control of your sales ledger and collections, and the facility can often be confidential. Factoring tends to suit businesses that want collections support; discounting tends to suit those with established processes.
With factoring, usually yes. With invoice discounting, often not: many providers offer confidential facilities where your customers continue to pay you as normal. Whether confidentiality is available depends on the provider's assessment of your business.
Costs typically comprise a service fee, often expressed as a percentage of turnover, and a discount charge on the funds advanced, similar to interest. Some facilities also carry minimum fees or additional charges for services such as bad debt protection. Pricing varies with your turnover, debtor quality and the facility structure. We will make sure you understand the full cost before you commit.
Most commonly, businesses that invoice other businesses on credit terms for completed work or delivered goods. It is widely used in recruitment, manufacturing, haulage, wholesale, engineering and business services. Businesses selling to consumers, or invoicing in stages before work is complete, may find it harder to fund.
Yes, businesses move between providers fairly regularly. Your existing agreement will set out a notice period and possibly exit fees. A new provider will usually manage the transition, including repaying the outgoing provider. We can help you assess whether switching makes sense and how to handle it cleanly.
You tell us a little about your business and what you are trying to achieve. We follow up for a short conversation to understand the detail, then explain what options look realistic. There is no obligation at any stage, and we will tell you plainly if invoice finance does not look like the right answer.
Guides for business owners and finance teams
Plain explanations of how invoice finance works, what it costs and how to choose.
- Explainer5 min read
What is invoice finance? A plain-English explanation
How invoice finance works, the main variants, and the questions to ask before deciding whether it suits your business.
Read the guide - Comparison4 min read
Factoring or invoice discounting: how to choose
The two main forms of invoice finance look similar on paper but suit different businesses. Here is how to tell which fits yours.
Read the guide - Guide5 min read
What does invoice finance cost? Understanding the charges
Service fees, discount charges, minimums and extras: what they are, why they vary, and how to compare quotes properly.
Read the guide
Find out whether invoice finance could work for your business.
Tell us a little about your business and what you are looking to achieve. We will come back to you with a straightforward view of the options.
No obligation. We will tell you plainly if invoice finance does not look like the right answer.