Private security and facilities management businesses operate on razor-thin margins, often waiting months for client payments while shouldering upfront payroll and operational costs. When one provider faced a cashflow gap that threatened service continuity, traditional lenders saw only risk. We saw a business doing the work.

Client snapshot

• Industry: Private security and combined facilities management

• Size: Revenue band not disclosed

• Years operating: Established operator

• Description: The business provides manned security and integrated facilities services to commercial clients across multiple sites. Like many in the sector, they balance contract delivery with the realities of extended payment terms and variable project timings.

• Geography: United Kingdom

The challenge

The business was caught between contract commitments and delayed receivables—a common pinch point in security and FM work. They needed working capital to cover payroll, site costs, and operational overheads while waiting for invoices to clear. Banks require security and lengthy approvals. Time was the constraint, not the business model.

Why they came to us

• Traditional lenders demanded collateral the business could not provide

• Cashflow timing did not reflect the underlying contract strength

• Speed mattered—operational continuity was at stake

• This was their second funding round with us, a return built on trust

• We understood sector dynamics that banks treat as red flags

Our approach

This was our second engagement with the business, so we already understood their trading pattern and contract pipeline. We moved quickly on an unsecured basis, reading past the cashflow snapshot to the delivery capability beneath.

• Approved unsecured funding in the £50k band without asset backing

• Structured terms around their receivables cycle, not arbitrary timelines

• Leveraged existing relationship knowledge to accelerate decision-making

• Kept process lean—minimal paperwork, maximum speed

Because we had already backed this business once before, we could move at pace. We reviewed current contract status, payment forecasts, and immediate obligations. The unsecured term loan was structured to bridge the gap without burdening the business with unsuitable security requirements. Funding was deployed within days, not weeks.

The impact

• Working capital secured to meet payroll and operational costs on time

• Service delivery maintained across all client sites without disruption

• Business preserved relationships and contract renewal prospects

• Founder avoided distressed borrowing or equity dilution

The business weathered the cashflow gap and continued trading smoothly. Client contracts remained intact, and the team kept working. Sometimes the most important funding is the kind that keeps the lights on while better days catch up.

Takeaway

Cashflow gaps are not failures. We fund businesses through the lag, not around it.

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