A UK freight business had accumulated expensive short-term funding that was strangling cashflow. Monthly repayments were unsustainable, and the founder needed breathing room to invest in operations. We restructured the debt, extended the term, and added flexible working capital.

Client snapshot

• Industry: Freight and logistics

• Size: £75k–£300k turnover band

• Years operating: Established operator

• Description: The business provides freight services across the UK, operating in a competitive sector where cashflow timing is everything. They had grown into funding arrangements that no longer suited the business model, and needed a partner who could see past the debt pile to the underlying fundamentals.

• Geography: United Kingdom

The challenge

The founder was caught in a cycle of expensive, short-term facilities that had become unmanageable. Monthly repayments consumed too much income, leaving little room for working capital or investment. The existing lenders offered no flexibility, no early repayment options, and no path out. The business was creditworthy, but the structure was wrong. High rates compounded the problem, and the founder needed a complete reset—not just more money, but the right kind of money.

Why they came to us

• Existing facilities were short-term, inflexible, and prohibitively expensive

• Monthly repayments left insufficient cashflow for day-to-day operations

• No early repayment or overpayment options with current lenders

• The business needed both debt consolidation and ongoing working capital access

• Traditional lenders saw the debt burden, not the viable business underneath

Our approach

We treated this as a structural problem, not a credit problem. The business was sound; the funding architecture was not. We mapped out a full refinance over a longer term to reduce monthly obligations, then layered in a revolving credit facility for operational flexibility.

• Approached lenders offering 60–72 month terms with competitive rates to minimise repayments

• Prioritised facilities allowing early and over-repayments for future flexibility

• Secured a revolving credit line at lower rates than the existing short-term facility

• Targeted Growth Guarantee Scheme-backed lenders to reduce personal guarantee exposure

We presented the business as it actually was: operationally strong, caught in the wrong funding structure. We showed lenders the path to sustainable repayment once the debt was restructured, and emphasised the need for ongoing working capital access. We prioritised lenders who understood freight sector cashflow cycles and who offered flexibility on repayment terms. The refinance consolidated expensive debt; the credit line gave the founder room to operate.

The impact

• Refinanced existing facilities over a longer term, dramatically reducing monthly repayments

• Secured revolving credit facility at lower cost than previous short-term funding

• Obtained early and over-repayment options, allowing future flexibility as cashflow improves

• Reduced personal guarantee liability through Growth Guarantee Scheme backing

The founder now has a funding structure that fits the business, not one that fights it. Monthly obligations are manageable, working capital is accessible, and the business can plan beyond next month's repayment. The debt trap is closed.

Takeaway

The right structure matters as much as the right amount. We fixed both.

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