{"id":17688,"date":"2024-03-01T12:26:41","date_gmt":"2024-03-01T12:26:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/?p=17688"},"modified":"2025-05-07T14:54:26","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T13:54:26","slug":"funding-options-grow-your-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/funding-options-grow-your-business\/","title":{"rendered":"Ready to grow your business but short on capital? Try these 3 funding options"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/category\/money-matters\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Money Matters<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tReady to grow your business but short on capital? Try these 3 funding options\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-8 col-lg-4 entry-header__image\">\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"entry-header__thumbnail js-hero-section\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1290726539-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"entry-header__thumbnail-image\" alt=\"\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1290726539-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1290726539-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1290726539-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1290726539-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1290726539-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\" \/>\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \">Published <time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2024-03-01T12:26:41+00:00\">1 March, 2024<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"Ready to grow your business but short on capital? Try these 3 funding options\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/funding-options-grow-your-business\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__icon social-share-button__icon--share\">\n\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"svg-icon\" focusable=\"false\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"18\" height=\"18\" viewbox=\"0 0 1024 1024\"><path d=\"M768 106.5q-62 0-105.5 44t-43.5 105q0 10 2.5 18.5a268 268 0 0 1 4.5 17.5l-256 128q-21-26-50-41.5t-64-15.5q-62 0-105.5 44t-43.5 105q0 62 43.5 106t105.5 44q35 0 64-16t50-41l256 128q-2 9-4.5 17.5t-2.5 17.5q0 62 43.5 106t105.5 44 105.5-44 43.5-106q0-61-43.5-105t-105.5-44q-35 0-64 15.5t-50 41.5l-256-128q2-9 4.5-17.5t2.5-18.5q0-9-2.5-17.5a268 268 0 0 1-4.5-17.5l256-128q21 25 50 41t64 16q62 0 105.5-44t43.5-106q0-61-43.5-105t-105.5-44m0 64q36 0 60.5 25t24.5 60q0 36-24.5 61t-60.5 25-60.5-25-24.5-61q0-35 24.5-60t60.5-25m-512 256q36 0 60.5 25t24.5 60q0 36-24.5 61t-60.5 25-60.5-25-24.5-61q0-35 24.5-60t60.5-25m512 256q36 0 60.5 25t24.5 60q0 36-24.5 61t-60.5 25-60.5-25-24.5-61q0-35 24.5-60t60.5-25\" \/><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__icon social-share-button__icon--copy\" hidden>\n\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"svg-icon\" focusable=\"false\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"18\" height=\"18\" viewbox=\"0 0 1024 1024\"><path d=\"M698 85.5q-45 0-88.5 17.5T531 154.5l-430 431q-3 2-4.5 4.5t-3.5 5.5q-1 3-1.5 6t-.5 6q0 4 .5 7t1.5 6 3 5.5a54 54 0 0 0 4 4.5q3 3 5.5 4.5t5.5 2.5q3 2 6 2.5t6 .5 6.5-1 6.5-2 5.5-3a54 54 0 0 0 4.5-4l430-431q51-50 122-50t121 50q51 51 51 122t-51 121l-406 406q-26 27-62.5 27t-63.5-27q-26-26-26-62.5t26-62.5l328-328q3-2 4.5-4.5t3.5-5.5q1-3 1.5-6t.5-6q0-4-.5-7t-1.5-6-3-5.5a54 54 0 0 0-4-4.5q-3-3-5.5-4.5t-5.5-2.5q-3-2-6-2.5t-6-.5-6.5 1-6.5 2-5.5 3a54 54 0 0 0-4.5 4l-328 328q-44 44-44 107.5t44 108.5q45 44 108.5 44t107.5-44l406-407q35-34 52-77 17-44 17-89t-17-89q-17-43-52-78-34-34-77.5-51.5T698 85.5\" \/><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/author\/andreareynolds\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/02\/Andrea-Reynolds-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"andrea-reynolds\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/02\/Andrea-Reynolds-350x350.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/02\/Andrea-Reynolds.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 40px) 100vw, 40px\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Andrea Reynolds<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What will it take to grow your business? New premises? New staff? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Perhaps your marketing needs a boost, an acquisition is on the horizon, or a new vehicle, piece of equipment or technology will be a game changer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whatever it is you need, it needs to be paid for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The old way of funding was to put on a suit, visit the bank and hope they said yes. Thanks to open innovations in finance, the number of funding opportunities has grown from a handful to literally thousands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the CEO and founder of <a href=\"https:\/\/swoopfunding.com\/uk\/business-grants\/?utm_source=sage&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=partnerships\">Swoop<\/a>, Sage\u2019s funding partner, I counsel that businesses have three options when it comes to securing the capital they need to grow:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A business owner can either access funding through grants, equity investment, or borrowing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Founders should take a smart approach, make sure they aren\u2019t spending money unnecessarily and consider funding from more than one source to get the best possible deal for the investment they need to make.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let\u2019s look at each of these funding options in slightly more detail.<\/p>\n\n\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><ul><li><a href=\"#h-what-you-need-to-know-about-grants\" data-level=\"2\">What you need to know about grants<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-what-you-need-to-know-about-equity-funding\" data-level=\"2\">What you need to know about equity funding<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-what-you-need-to-know-about-debt\" data-level=\"2\">What you need to know about debt<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-final-thoughts-on-funding\" data-level=\"2\">Final thoughts on funding<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<a\n\t\tclass=\"button button--primary gate-e8fae86a-9444-4657-a009-eba49287d7fd\"\n\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\tdata-button-location=\"content_area\"\n\t\thref=\"#gate-e8fae86a-9444-4657-a009-eba49287d7fd\"\n\t>Get your free cash flow forecast template and use it to project how much cash will be flowing in and out of your business, and when<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-you-need-to-know-about-grants\">What you need to know about grants<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Grants are awarded to businesses to encourage positive social benefits such as sustainability, innovation, research, or at times of adversity (such as during Covid). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They are usually for a specific project or purpose and to win one, you will need to make a strong case for why your business deserves the money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The advantage of a grant is that it does not have to be paid back afterwards and awards can range from hundreds to millions of pounds, depending on the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Every grant has a particular set of criteria which a successful applicant must meet. Using a grant finder tool can make it quick and easy to check your eligibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When you find a grant that is right for your business, it\u2019s important to move quickly: awards are often made before the closing date advertised, which means that, as time goes on, you are less likely to be successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My take is that grants are an incredibly valuable source of funding but the application process can take a long time, there\u2019s no guarantee of success, and the money is often paid in arrears \u2013 so you may need to borrow to fund what you win because the awarding body only pays it back to you after you\u2019ve spent it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There may also be demands to raise match funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-you-need-to-know-about-equity-funding\">What you need to know about equity funding<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you are prepared to give up some ownership of your business, equity funding might be right for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In exchange for a percentage of the business, you will receive a cash injection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To get this kind of funding, you need to put together a pitch to investors, outlining how much money you need, the story of the business you have built, the team behind it and other vital statistics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you have ever seen Dragons\u2019 Den on TV, this gives you an idea of how it works \u2013 although the show is a highly accelerated version of what normally happens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not every business is suitable for equity funding: investors are looking for rapid growth and a substantial return on their investment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Aside from the cash, the right investor will bring expertise and a network of industry contacts who will help you make significant strides in your expansion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bear in mind, however, that the competition is fierce. Investors are there to make money, they are not likely to invest in a good idea on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They will want to know that you are capable of growing a successful business and that their participation is the next logical step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I tell business owners: equity funding means selling a proportion of your business in exchange for capital. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although the government has incentivised this kind of investment through the SEIS and EIS schemes, there are no guarantees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When it comes to landing the right investor, you may have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find a prince.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<a\n\t\tclass=\"button button--primary gate-e8fae86a-9444-4657-a009-eba49287d7fd\"\n\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\tdata-button-location=\"content_area\"\n\t\thref=\"#gate-e8fae86a-9444-4657-a009-eba49287d7fd\"\n\t>Get your free cash flow forecast template and use it to project how much cash will be flowing in and out of your business, and when<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-you-need-to-know-about-debt\">What you need to know about debt<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is the option that gives you the most control over the funding you get. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whatever you borrow must be paid back \u2013 with interest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But you do not have to give up control of your business to somebody else, you have more freedom over how you use your money and you can access the money on your timetable, not just when a grant is available or an investor agrees to invest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before you get into debt, you should ensure that you\u2019re borrowing wisely: interest rates can change, there will be repercussions if you miss payments and you need to be aware of who is ultimately liable for paying it back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some loans require a personal guarantee and affect your personal credit rating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Borrowing is one of the most exciting areas of business funding because there are now so many options. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are specific products for purchases such as vehicles, plant machinery, technology, and other major assets; loan products, which give you an advance on outstanding invoices or successful grant applications; commercial mortgages to buy your premises; there are even options for VAT and corporation tax payments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The market has exploded, with specialised products, more flexible repayment terms and competitive prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many banks are still quite limited in how much they can loan in a given period, and they may say \u201cno\u201d simply because they have reached their limit rather than because there is something wrong with your proposal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Luckily, other lenders on the market are hungry to lend and there is support available for your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My view is that the bank should no longer be the automatic first port of call for businesses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are a huge number of innovative products and disruptive lenders who will be able to provide the funding you need for a specific purpose, often on terms that suit you better than a standard unsecured business loan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-final-thoughts-on-funding\">Final thoughts on funding<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today, there are more routes to funding than ever. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Businesses have a wide range of choices, which enables them to be strategic about how they achieve their goals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If a business wishes to raise equity funding, borrowing to fuel a growth spurt and winning a prestigious grant will be good evidence to investors that your business is ambitious and worth looking at.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you prefer to remain in control of your business, borrowing will give you the capital you need to achieve growth. With so many options on the market, you can seek out the products that are right for your particular needs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The right support should mean you get a \u201cyes\u201d the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Business owners should also consider how they can save money by ensuring they get good rates on must-haves such as insurance, foreign exchange, business current accounts and utilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This has the additional benefit of making the business more appealing to funders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My experience is that a blended approach works for customers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rather than simply borrowing to cover the full amount, smart business owners look to find savings, consolidate existing borrowing and explore available grants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By structuring your finances in this way, you may find you can borrow less to achieve your objectives and put your operations on a stronger financial footing in the long term.<\/p>\n \n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Cash flow forecast template<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Get your free cash flow forecast template and use it to project how much cash will be flowing in and out of your business, and when.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-e8fae86a-9444-4657-a009-eba49287d7fd\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download the cash flow forecast template<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1215\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1303226324-1215x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"Young woman reading in a library setting\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1303226324-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to the Sage Advice newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Join more than 500,000 UK readers and get the best business admin strategies and tactics, as well as actionable advice to help your company thrive, in your inbox every month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-b1a63862-3fa0-4a5e-bb67-c76b88bbc6b8\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe now<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<section class=\"more-topics alignfull has-grey-light-background-color wp-block-sage-post-topics\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-4\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"more-topics__title h2\">Browse more topics from this article<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-8\">\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"post-tags__list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tag\/business-finances\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBusiness finances\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tag\/cash-flow\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCash flow\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tag\/grow-business\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHow to grow your business\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<div class=\"alignfull wp-block-sage-related-posts\">\n\t<section class=\"related-posts card-grid has-dark-background-color\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--featured h1\">Explore more wisdom<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-0 post-32877 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters category-trends-insights tag-business-costs tag-business-finances tag-retail business_type-small-business industry-ecommerce card-post--is-clickable\"\n>\n\t<div class=\"card-post__media-wrapper\">\n\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/11\/AdobeStock_2160430536-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"Is Black Friday worth it for my small retail business?\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/11\/AdobeStock_2160430536-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/11\/AdobeStock_2160430536-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/11\/AdobeStock_2160430536-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"card-post__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__label\">Recommended<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-11-05T10:07:21+00:00\">5 November, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">13 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/black-friday-2026\/\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tIs Black Friday 2026 actually worth it for my small retail business?\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"card-post__description\">\n\t\t\t\tBlack Friday might only be feasible if your margin, stock, and capacity can take the strain. Here&#8217;s the five-question test to find out for your retail business.\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__non-featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--more h4\">More on this Topic<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-1 post-32783 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters tag-bookkeeping tag-business-finances tag-cash-flow tag-freelancers tag-tax business_type-small-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/allowable-expenses-for-creative-freelancers-what-can-you-claim\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/12\/AdobeStock_2236210925-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/12\/AdobeStock_2236210925-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/12\/AdobeStock_2236210925-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/12\/AdobeStock_2236210925-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-11-03T17:04:56+00:00\">3 November, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">8 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tAllowable expenses for creative freelancers: What can you claim?\u00a0\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-2 post-32789 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters tag-bookkeeping tag-business-costs tag-business-finances tag-freelancers tag-tax business_type-small-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/freelancer-tax-amount\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/10\/AdobeStock_2059781250-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/10\/AdobeStock_2059781250-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/10\/AdobeStock_2059781250-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/10\/AdobeStock_2059781250-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-11-03T17:03:50+00:00\">3 November, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">8 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tHow much should a freelancer put aside for tax?\u00a0\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-3 post-32761 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters tag-bookkeeping tag-cash-flow tag-freelancers tag-payments tag-tax tag-work-life-balance business_type-small-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/creative-freelancer-how-much-can-i-spend-when-paid\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/10\/AdobeStock_2200405570-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/10\/AdobeStock_2200405570-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/10\/AdobeStock_2200405570-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/10\/AdobeStock_2200405570-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-11-02T14:34:00+00:00\">2 November, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">9 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tI\u2019ve been paid\u2014how much of the money can I actually spend?\u00a0\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-4 post-32716 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-strategy-legal-operations tag-bookkeeping tag-business-costs tag-business-finances tag-business-performance tag-business-support tag-freelancers tag-payments tag-work-life-balance business_type-small-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/client-invoice-payment-creative-freelancers\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/10\/doubtful-friend-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/10\/doubtful-friend-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/10\/doubtful-friend-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/10\/doubtful-friend-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-11-02T14:28:00+00:00\">2 November, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">8 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tYour client still hasn\u2019t paid your freelance invoice. Now what?\u00a0\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Got goals on business growth but need funds to make it a reality? Learn about three funding options: grants, equity investment and debt.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1773,"featured_media":11658,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_schema_page_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_schema_article_type":"","_sage_video":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"[]","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"[\"\"]","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"6","sage_membership_post_content_type":"article","sage_membership_post_featured_video_id":"","sage_membership_post_video_type":"trailer","sage_membership_post_featured_video_duration":"","post_featured_image_hide":false,"sage_hide_published_date":false,"sage_hide_read_time":false,"sage_hide_share_buttons":false,"_pwl_sage_podcast_buzzsprout_src":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[135,24,15],"business_type":[4],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[73,74,75],"imagine_tag":[109],"coauthors":[653],"class_list":["post-17688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-money-matters","tag-business-finances","tag-cash-flow","tag-grow-business","business_type-small-business"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-gb","author_name":"Andrea Reynolds","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1290726539.jpg","imagine_tags":{"109":"Small business"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice UK","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17688","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1773"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17688"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17688\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/11658"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17688"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=17688"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=17688"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=17688"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=17688"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=17688"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=17688"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=17688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}