Business finance can provide the opportunity to make a long-term goal a reality, writes Michael Moore of Complete Commercial Finance in their first Focus on Finance column of 2026…

How has 2026 started for you? Most experts say January is not the moment to embark on life-changing plans with big New Year’s resolutions, but with the first month almost behind us, February is a far more palatable moment to get going with personal and professional goals.

For many, health and fitness are front of mind when it comes to change, and yet it seems strange to me that so few business owners spend time focusing on the strength and flexibility of their company’s finances. All too often, we hear from businesses when they are facing financial challenges and looking for a quick fix for their cash flow. Yet, like most things in life, a long-term plan will always serve far better than a last-minute bid to shore things up.

In its latest SME Finance Monitor, published in December, UK Finance reported that only 44 per cent of respondents use external finance, with credit cards most commonly used to manage cash flow. Many SMEs said they accept slower growth, rather than borrowing to develop their business.

Inevitably, this approach limits the potential of companies, and by using commercial finance in a planned and structured way, it is often easier to achieve goals more quickly. For some, this means upgrading equipment, investing in staff or premises, or refurbishing to keep things looking fresh. Now is a key moment for the leisure and tourism businesses in our region, as they prepare for the season ahead. Practical financial tools, such as a Merchant Cash Advance, can put funding in place that only needs be repaid as the season starts and the business starts to take payments.

For others, it can mean seizing an opportunity to realise a long-held ambition, and this was the case for Becci and Chris Guy, both already successful business owners, who had a long-term goal to establish a holiday-lettings business. After spotting an existing business, Cranmer Country Cottages, on Rightmove, the couple approached Complete Commercial Finance to organise funding to acquire the site.

With multiple lenders involved, a split purchase between commercial and residential elements, and the need to demonstrate holiday-let experience, the transaction quickly became challenging. Funding the purchase required a complex deal structure with a residential mortgage for the owners’ on-site home and a commercial loan for the holiday-let business.

Navigating and sourcing the right funding for each of these scenarios requires skill and expertise, and a business finance broker can help a company get the right outcome on the right terms. In the same way as we are willing to join a gym and work with a personal trainer or a dietician to get the right results for our own health, it makes sense to work with a broker to assess your business’ financial health and action changes that will strengthen your cash flow for the years ahead.

(CTA) Visit ccf.finance to read more about Cranmer Country Cottages, or call 01553 611619 to speak to Michael Moore and arrange a free business finance review.