Asset Finance & Invoice Finance in West London
Two powerful tools for business growth — funding the equipment you need and releasing the cash tied up in your outstanding invoices.
Introduction
What Are Asset Finance and Invoice Finance?
Asset finance and invoice finance are two distinct but complementary forms of business funding, both designed to improve cash flow and support business growth without requiring significant capital outlay or traditional bank lending. West London Property & Let arranges both through our commercial finance panel, providing West London businesses with access to a wide range of solutions tailored to their specific needs.
Asset finance allows businesses to acquire, upgrade, or replace equipment, machinery, vehicles, or technology by spreading the cost over time — rather than tying up working capital in a single upfront purchase. Common structures include hire purchase, finance leasing, operating leasing, and sale-and-leaseback. The financed asset itself typically acts as security, which can make asset finance accessible even to businesses with limited borrowing history.
Invoice finance (also known as debtor finance) allows businesses to unlock cash tied up in outstanding trade invoices — typically receiving 80–90% of the invoice value within 24–48 hours of raising the invoice, rather than waiting 30, 60, or 90 days for customer payment. This dramatically improves cash flow and provides the working capital needed to take on more contracts, pay suppliers on time, and grow.
Who is it for?
Is Asset or Invoice Finance Right for Your Business?
These products suit a wide range of businesses, including:
- Businesses looking to acquire equipment, vehicles, or machinery without upfront capital expenditure
- Construction, manufacturing, logistics, and technology businesses with high equipment requirements
- Businesses experiencing cash flow pressure due to long invoice payment terms
- Companies looking to grow by taking on larger contracts but lacking the working capital to do so
- Businesses considering a sale-and-leaseback of owned assets to release cash
Why Choose West London Property & Let?
Whole-of-Market Access
We compare asset and invoice finance products from across our commercial lending panel, identifying the most competitive facilities for your business.
Improving Business Cash Flow
Both products are fundamentally about putting cash where it can work hardest for your business — whether that is funding growth or smoothing out income gaps.
No Property Security Required
Unlike commercial mortgages or bridging loans, asset and invoice finance are typically secured against the assets or invoices themselves — meaning your business property is not put at risk.
How It Works
Business & Funding Review
We understand your business, the assets you wish to fund or the invoice book you wish to leverage, and your overall financial position.
Product Matching
We identify the most suitable asset or invoice finance structure and lender for your requirements.
Application
We manage the application process, coordinating with lenders and providing any required financial information.
Facility Activation
Your facility is activated — funds are available and your business cash flow improves.
Frequently Asked Questions
What assets can be funded through asset finance?
Almost any business asset — from vehicles and plant machinery to IT equipment, medical equipment, commercial catering equipment, and solar panels. The key criterion is that the asset has a demonstrable value.
What is the difference between hire purchase and a finance lease?
With hire purchase, you own the asset at the end of the agreement. With a finance lease, the finance company retains legal ownership but you have full use of the asset — and there may be an option to extend or sell at the end of the term.
What is the difference between factoring and invoice discounting?
Factoring involves the finance company collecting invoices directly from your customers (disclosed to them). Invoice discounting is confidential — your customers are unaware of the arrangement and you collect payment as normal.
Does invoice finance work for all business sectors?
Invoice finance works best for B2B businesses with a spread of creditworthy trade debtors. It is less suitable for businesses that receive payment in advance, consumer-facing retail businesses, or those with very small or concentrated invoice books.
How quickly can an invoice finance facility be set up?
Typically two to four weeks from initial enquiry to facility activation, though in urgent cases some lenders can move faster.