Little Business Loans review: small short term loans for limited companies

Little Business Loans is a specialist lender that focuses on the smallest end of business borrowing: short-term loans of a few thousand pounds up to around £20,000 for limited companies. Many lenders will not look at amounts this small, which is the gap it sets out to fill. Smart Funding Solutions is an independent broker and is not part of Little Business Loans. It is one of the lenders on our panel, so we can show you how its offer compares with other short-term options. You can read more on Little Business Loans's own website.

01About Little Business Loans

Little Business Loans is a trading name of The Buyback Service Ltd and is based in Birmingham. Its message is simple: small businesses are the backbone of the economy, and most companies do not provide short-term loans under £5,000. It says it has funded around 8,000 businesses and lent more than £42 million in total.

The lender works with business owners directly and also runs a portal for brokers, where applications and bank statements are uploaded and underwriters can be messaged about each case. That tells you something about its approach: decisions are made by underwriters looking at a short, focused file rather than a long application pack.

02What Little Business Loans funds

There is one core product: a short-term business loan for working capital and cash flow gaps.

The security point is worth understanding. The lender takes security over business assets but lets you carry on using them as normal while the loan is being repaid. That is different from an unsecured loan, and it is one reason to read the agreement carefully before signing.

The lender is clear that the loan is not designed to pay off other debts. It is meant for a business that has a temporary cash need and is confident it can repay within the term.

03Who Little Business Loans suits (and who it may not)

It may suit you if:

• You run a limited company registered in England or Wales and need a modest amount quickly.
• The need is short and specific, such as covering a supplier bill before a customer pays, or bridging a quiet month.
• You would rather not compile accounts, forecasts and a business plan for a small sum.
• Your business has a debit card on its main account and enough money coming in to meet regular repayments.

It is less likely to be right if:

• You are a sole trader or partnership. The lender's FAQs say you need to be a limited company.
• You need more than £20,000 to £30,000, or want to spread repayments beyond a year.
• You plan to use the money to clear existing debts.
• Frequent daily or weekly collections would put pressure on your cash flow.

Our guide to short-term business loans explains how these products compare with longer facilities.

There is one core product: a short-term business loan for working capital and cash flow gaps.

04What Little Business Loans looks at

The paperwork is deliberately light. The lender says it needs a completed application form and a copy of the last three months of business bank statements. Its FAQs set out the other basics:

• Each director must be over 21, live in the UK and have access to the main business bank account.
• The business needs a debit card linked to that main account.
• The business must have enough money coming in to cover the repayments, and enough assets to secure the loan.
• The lender runs a credit check on the business and a soft search on each director, which it says does not affect personal credit files.
• Directors are asked to give a personal guarantee.

Because the decision leans heavily on your bank statements, underwriters will be looking at regular income, the balance pattern, returned payments and any existing finance repayments already going out.

05Pros and cons

Pros

• Will look at very small amounts that many lenders turn away.
• Minimal paperwork: an application form and three months of bank statements.
• Fast decisions and quick payout once approved.
• Choice of daily, weekly or monthly repayments.

Cons

• Limited companies only, in England and Wales according to its FAQs.
• Short terms of up to 12 months mean larger individual repayments.
• Secured on business assets and backed by a personal guarantee.
• Short-term finance of this kind can cost more overall than a longer, mainstream loan, so compare the total repayable.

06Applying through a broker vs going direct

For a small, urgent need it is tempting to apply to the first lender you find. The trouble is that short-term products vary a lot in how they are repaid, what security they take and how much you end up paying back. A five minute comparison can make a real difference on a loan you will repay within the year.

We search the market for you, looking at short-term lenders, flexible credit lines and merchant cash advance providers, then approach the ones that fit your trading pattern. You make one enquiry, and we present your case to suitable lenders rather than you filling in form after form. It is free to enquire; any broker fee is disclosed separately before you proceed.

Start with our Instant Quotes tool to compare lenders in minutes.

07Alternatives to Little Business Loans

• iwoca: a flexible online lender for small businesses, often a good comparison point when you want to draw and repay small sums.
• Capify: offers loans and sales linked finance, which may suit a business with strong card takings.
• Cubefunder: another short-term business lender worth comparing for small working capital needs.

If you are not sure which type of borrowing fits, our page on small business loans walks through the main options, and our guide to emergency business loans covers what to do when cash is needed within days.