How do business funding brokers work?
Brokers and introducers both sit between your business and the lenders: they compare the market and put your case in front of the lenders that fit. CapExpand is a commercial finance broker. You fill in one form, we do the legwork, and you get offers to compare. It's free (we're paid by the lender, not by you) and there's no obligation.
If you've ever used a comparison site for car insurance or energy bills, the concept is similar. Except we do the comparing for you, because business funding is a bit more nuanced.
Last updated: April 2026
The process, step by step
You fill in a short form
Tell us about your business: turnover, sector, how long you've been trading, how much you need. Takes about 2 minutes.
We match you to providers
We compare your details against the lenders on our panel. Each lender has a different model and specialism. We submit to the ones most likely to suit your profile.
You receive offers
Lenders come back with offers showing the amount, factor rate, and total cost. You might get one offer or several.
You decide
Compare the offers, ask us any questions, and choose the one that works. Or walk away. There is no obligation and no fee.
How is a broker different from a lender?
| Broker / Introducer | Lender (direct) | |
|---|---|---|
| What they do | Compare multiple lenders for you | Offer their own product only |
| Cost to you | Free (paid by lender) | Cost built into the product |
| Number of options | Multiple competing offers | One offer |
| Time investment | One application, 2 minutes | Separate application per lender |
| Obligation | None. Walk away any time. | None until you accept. |
How does CapExpand make money?
We're paid a commission by the lender when funding successfully completes. The lender pays us out of its own fee; ask us to confirm the arrangement for your deal in writing.
We never charge you a fee. If you get offers and decide none of them are right, you walk away and it costs you nothing. That's genuinely how it works.
What one enquiry actually reaches
"We compare the market" is easy to say and rarely quantified, so here is ours. Our panel holds 200+ lenders and 1,800+ products across eight categories, checked September 2026. For unsecured borrowing that is 55 lenders; on property it is 45 commercial mortgage lenders and 53 bridging lenders.
The point of the count is not the count. It is what the count does to a decline. At £25,000 unsecured, 36 panel lenders have a product that covers the amount, over terms from 1 to 72 months, with published rates spanning 4.1% to 70.8% and a median floor of 19.2% (checked September 2026). One lender saying no to that case removes one option, not the option.
We do not send your details to all of them, and any firm that says it does is describing a scattergun rather than a service. Criteria come first. 24 of the unsecured lenders accept minor adverse credit older than 24 months, 21 will look at a business trading under a year, and 39 do not need a director who owns a home (checked September 2026). Those three questions usually cut a panel of 200+ down to a handful worth approaching, and panel composition changes with every pull.
Frequently asked questions
Do business funding brokers charge a fee?▼
Most don't charge the business anything. CapExpand is completely free to use. We are paid a commission by the lender when funding completes. You never pay us a penny.
What is the difference between a broker and a lender?▼
A lender provides the money. A broker (or introducer) compares lenders on your behalf and introduces you to ones that suit your business. We don't lend money or make lending decisions. We save you time by doing the comparison for you.
Why use a broker instead of going to a lender directly?▼
You can absolutely go direct. But each lender only offers their own product. A broker compares multiple lenders at once. You fill in one form instead of five. You get competing offers to compare. And you get help understanding the differences between product types. We don't advise — the decision, and any recommendation, sits with you and the lender.
Is CapExpand regulated?▼
CapExpand Ltd is not directly authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. CapExpand Ltd (FRN 1060885) is an Appointed Representative of White Rose Finance Group Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 630772). That appointment means White Rose Finance Group Limited is responsible for our credit broking, and both firms appear on the Financial Services Register at register.fca.org.uk. We are a credit broker, not a lender. We do not provide financial advice, and we are transparent about our role and how we are paid.
How do you choose which lenders to approach?▼
We don't recommend. We compare. We submit your details to the lenders on our panel whose eligibility criteria your business meets. We then present the offers to you and explain the differences. The decision is always yours.
Real customers. Real reviews.
Verified on Trustpilot
“Friendly and helpful service. Nice to deal with someone in finance that listened and cared. Would use again.”
“Alex is very helpful during the time I needed it most, responding to the need quickly and timely. Helping to analyse things and giving insights on how to choose a better option.”
Curious what you'd be offered?
There's no commitment in finding out. Fill in the form, see what comes back, and go from there.