Business loans Petersfield: funds, figures and lenders for Petersfield firms
Business loans in Petersfield come from the same national lenders as anywhere in England, plus a regional fund and local support that only Petersfield firms can use. This page sets out what is specific to Petersfield: the local business figures, the public funding open to you and which lenders on our panel cover your postcode.
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- Enterprises (ONS 2026)
- 6,485
- Under 10 staff
- 90.5%
- Top sector: wholesale
- 16.3% of jobs
- Regional fund (BBB)
- SEIF
On this page
- Petersfield's business base in numbers
- Small business loans in Petersfield: what the figures mean
- Unsecured business loans in Petersfield
- Government-backed funding for Petersfield firms
- Lenders on our panel that cover Petersfield
- Free business support in Petersfield
- Finance for Petersfield's main industries
- Sources
- Common questions
Petersfield's business base in numbers
Petersfield is in East Hampshire, and ONS publishes these figures for the whole council area. There were 6,485 enterprises registered in East Hampshire in 2026, on ONS UK Business Counts figures (Nomis labour market profile: East Hampshire). 5,870 of them (90.5%) employ fewer than ten people, 525 employ 10 to 49, 75 employ 50 to 249 and 10 employ 250 or more. That is 1.6% of the 412,080 enterprises in the South East. Counting branches, shops and depots separately, the area has 7,145 local business units.
Measured by employee jobs (2024), the largest parts of the East Hampshire economy are wholesale, retail and motor trades (16.3%), education (11.6%), health and social care (11.6%) and manufacturing (10.5%). Compared with Great Britain, the area has more than its share of manufacturing (10.5% against 7.3% across Great Britain). In total the area has 43,000 employee jobs and 130,599 residents (2025).
Small business loans in Petersfield: what the figures mean
- Because 90.5% of enterprises here are micro businesses, many Petersfield applications rest on the directors as much as the company: lenders read the personal credit files and usually ask for a personal guarantee.
- Manufacturing: 10.5% against 7.3% across Great Britain. Manufacturing is a bigger employer here than across Great Britain, and equipment is usually cheaper to fund through asset finance than through a loan.
- Education: 11.6% against 8.6% across Great Britain. Education is a big employer locally; private nurseries and training providers can borrow too, see nursery business finance.
For context, East Hampshire has 6,485 enterprises for 130,599 residents, or 49.7 per 1,000 (our calculation from the ONS figures). Havant has 4,440 enterprises, 34.9 per 1,000 residents, with 90.2% employing under ten; Chichester has 6,870 enterprises, 52.8 per 1,000 residents, with 90.0% employing under ten. Professional, support, digital and finance jobs together are 22.2% of the Petersfield total, against 19.0% in Havant and 18.8% in Chichester.
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Unsecured business loans in Petersfield
Start with the postcode. A gu address rules out 4 of the 45 unsecured lenders on our panel, leaving 41. Then the guarantee: 123 of the 130 unsecured products Petersfield firms can apply for need one from the directors.
| Lender | Amounts | Terms | Indicative rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rivers Leasing | £10k to £50k | Up to 5 years | 21% to 32.5% a year |
| Credit4 | £30k to £150k | Up to 3 years | 24% a year |
| Adelpha Capital | £10k to £100k | Up to 3 years | 2.9% to 5.9% a month |
| Creative Growth Finance | £100k to £500k | Up to 5 years | 10% to 15% a year |
| Mercia Asset Management | £150k to £1m | Up to 5 years | 7% to 9% a year |
| Braemar Finance | £10k to £500k | Up to 5 years | 11.17% to 18.5% a year |
Government-backed funding for Petersfield firms
Petersfield sits inside the area of the South East Investment Fund, a £210 million British Business Bank fund for the South East. It offers loans of £25,000 to £2 million and equity investments of up to £5 million, delivered through appointed fund managers. The fund's page describes it as open for applications while its summary says it is on course to launch, so check the page for the latest position.
Lenders on our panel that cover Petersfield
No business loan provider in our panel data (70 in all) excludes GU postcodes, so a Petersfield business is compared against all of them.
Free business support in Petersfield
Hampshire Growth Hub offers free support to Petersfield businesses: fully funded by the UK Government and free to Hampshire SMEs, with help sourcing finance. Use it for grants, training and local programmes; use a broker when you need the finance itself.
Finance for Petersfield's main industries
The industries that employ the most people in Petersfield, and those that are bigger here than nationally, each have a page explaining how lenders assess them: manufacturing finance, nursery business finance, retail business loans, construction finance, event business finance and care home finance.
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Sources
Every figure above comes from one of these, checked on 18 October 2026. Lender coverage is from the criteria held for each lender on our panel.
We are a credit broker, not a lender. Fees depend on the lender, and there is nothing to pay upfront. This page is general information, not financial advice. Lenders set their own criteria, rates and terms, and all finance is subject to status.
Common questions
Can I get an unsecured business loan in Petersfield?
Usually, if the business has been trading and can show it can repay: 41 lenders on our panel offer unsecured loans to Petersfield businesses, from £10k.
Which sectors are bigger in Petersfield than nationally?
Manufacturing (1.44 times the Great Britain share), Education (1.35 times the Great Britain share) and Wholesale, retail and motor trades (1.19 times the Great Britain share), on ONS employee jobs for East Hampshire.
Do you have an office in Petersfield?
No. Smart Funding Solutions is based in Chester and works with Petersfield businesses by phone, video and email; lenders do not need you to be local to us.
What our clients say
“Simon was fast, kept us updated at all stages and was a real pleasure to work with on our asset finance. I highly recommend this company: excellent service all round.”
“Spoke with Simon, who managed to get me the loan I needed promptly. The whole process was very smooth and was completed within a few days.”
“Getting a business loan can feel like a bit of a minefield, but everything was broken down for me in great detail. Will use again in the future!”
“Simon was a pleasure to deal with and helped us find a business loan that matched our growth goals and future expansion plans.”
“I couldn’t source funding for my business, but the team got in touch within an hour and had it sorted within 24 hours. Fantastic service, and I would definitely use them again.”
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Our clients say
Trusted by UK businesses across every sector.
“Simon was fast, kept us updated at all stages and was a real pleasure to work with on our asset finance. I highly recommend this company: excellent service all round.”
“Spoke with Simon, who managed to get me the loan I needed promptly. The whole process was very smooth and was completed within a few days.”
“Getting a business loan can feel like a bit of a minefield, but everything was broken down for me in great detail. Will use again in the future!”
“Simon was a pleasure to deal with and helped us find a business loan that matched our growth goals and future expansion plans.”
“I couldn’t source funding for my business, but the team got in touch within an hour and had it sorted within 24 hours. Fantastic service, and I would definitely use them again.”
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