Other Established Professional Practices

Finance for Professional Firms

Specialist finance for
established professional firms.

Whatever the profession, the pressures are familiar: acquisitions, partner changes, annual premiums, tax and the gap between work and payment.

For surveyors, engineers, consultants, physiotherapists, chiropractors, landscape architects, patent attorneys and other established professional practices.

Most asked about

The pressures we see

What makes other professional practices different.

  • Growth through acquiring a firm, a team or a client book.
  • Ownership changing as partners and directors join and retire.
  • Annual premiums and tax bills that arrive as single payments.
  • The gap between doing the work and being paid for it.

What we can finance

Funding for other professional practices.

We aren't tied to one lender or product. For every need above, we search the market for lenders who understand other professional practices.

We also arrange finance for

Finance of £25,000 or less for sole traders and small partnerships can be regulated consumer credit. We'll tell you at the outset if that applies to your firm.

Acquisitions & ownership

Buying a firm or a client book?

Whatever the profession, an acquisition is about more than the price: goodwill, deferred terms, integration and working capital afterwards. We help structure the whole transaction before you approach the market.

Finance for Professional Firms

Professional firms outside the largest professions face the same pressures: acquisitions, partner changes, annual premiums, tax and the gap between doing the work and being paid. Professional firm finance can fund buying a firm, team or client book, partner buy-ins and exits, PII premium finance, tax and VAT funding, working capital and equipment. Surveyors, engineers, consultants, physiotherapists, chiropractors, landscape architects and patent attorneys all borrow for these reasons. Lenders who understand professional income exist across the market, and our job as a whole-of-market broker is to find the ones suited to your firm and structure the finance around how you earn.

Questions

What other professional practices usually ask.

Can a surveying or engineering firm get a loan to buy another practice?

Yes. Acquisitions of surveying, engineering and consultancy firms can be funded, typically covering goodwill and working capital after completion. Lenders look at recurring clients, the order book, reliance on key people and the buyer's track record. We help structure the transaction, including any deferred terms, before approaching lenders.

Can a professional firm spread its PII premium?

Often, yes. Premium finance spreads the annual professional indemnity renewal over the policy year rather than taking it in one payment. It can be arranged through your insurance broker or separately. We can search the market and compare options with what you have already been offered at renewal.

Can consultants borrow against invoices or unbilled work?

Some lenders offer finance against invoiced fees, and a smaller number will consider unbilled work in progress. They look at client quality, contract terms and collection history. Where work is billed on milestones, the structure needs more care. We review your debtor ledger and billing pattern before approaching suitable lenders. GOV.UK explains your rights on late commercial payments.

Is a loan to a sole practitioner or small partnership regulated?

It can be. Borrowing of £25,000 or less by sole traders and small partnerships can be regulated consumer credit, and we will say at the outset if that applies. Limited companies and LLPs borrowing for business purposes can be treated differently. We explain how your borrowing would be treated before any application.

Can physiotherapists or chiropractors get practice finance?

Yes. Physiotherapy, chiropractic and similar clinics can fund equipment, fit-out, acquisitions, partner changes and working capital. Lenders look at trading history, patient income, the lease and the practitioners' experience. Appetite varies across lenders, so we search the market for those comfortable with your type of practice.

Let's talk

Talk it through
with a specialist.

Before you approach a lender, speak to someone who understands the transaction. Confidential, no-obligation initial discussion.

Finance of £25,000 or less for sole traders and small partnerships can be regulated consumer credit. We'll tell you at the outset if that applies to your firm.