Start Up Loans Reviews 

Very happy with the proccess, very quickly and fast updated over the email.

Supported all the way, keeping the process straight forward and relatively simple. Superb.

I spent nearly two months working on my Start Up Loan application, submitting extensive documentation and following every request. Despite initially being told I was eligible, I was eventually declined based on something I was previously assured would not be an issue. It felt like the goalposts were moved halfway through the process.

The communication throughout was very slow.

It’s incredibly frustrating to have invested so much time and effort into an application that, in the end, was never truly viable under their criteria. A process that should have taken no more than two weeks dragged on for nearly two months. I found the overall service to be inefficient, inconsistent, and not respectful of applicants’ time.

I hope this feedback helps others approach the process with caution and encourages the team to improve clarity and responsiveness in the future.

Very happy with the process,wish the process was quicker but still well worth the wait,my mentor Habib was amazing constantly keeping me updated over the phone or email,definitely recommend

Suzy has been exceptional in the time she has given me in order to complete the loan. Her attention to detail, her kindness and her knowledge have been incomparable. She has really helped to relive the stress of the process and it has proven seamless with her help and guidance

I think they understand the process very well and they provide you with all the tools and assistance necessary.

Absolutely amazing team and i thank my business advisor Karl Willetts for being there all the way and he has supported me and my husband with the loan and greatful for the help and i thank everyone else from Biz Bank for the help making this happen for me

Definitely recommend for new startup business who want to build up they new venture 💯

When I applied for a start up loan for my business I did not know what to expect. Nicole Lilley was assigned to me as my Business Adviser and right form the very start her professional way she handled my account and her kind gentle voice made me comfortable to be able to ask her any questions and she really took her time to explain the whole process to me and any queries I had. She always said, just come back to me if you need any help and she was indeed very helpful. I really appreciate the time and effort and support. I especially like the fact that I could contact her at anytime through the portal or if urgent via phone with extension number. All in all the process was made smooth by her and I was successful in getting the start up loan for my business. I was provided with guides, tutorials and excel docs which help me complete my business plan, cash flow etc. I would have struggled without this support from Biz Bank. Thank you very much to Nicole and also to the staff at British Business Bank for making this possible.

Paul Toner was very understanding and informative of the whole process. He offered great advice and clarity on what my best options were. Very responsive via phone calls and Emails and kept me updated on what I had to submit forward on my application. Great stress-free experience and happy to have chosen BSL

Jhaenelle Gray is a superb business advisor/loan officer. The support I received was thorough and very well explained. The guidance and templates were very straight forward, you literally only need to ensure you take the time out to read with understanding and genuinely have a good business plan.

Jhaenelle is a great professional example and I believe is an asset to the company and the experience was educational.

I would like to say Thank You to Jhaenelle Gray, Start-UP-Loans you guys are doing a great job, I can now meet my opening date.

There Is Hope!
Alicia🙏🏾

You have an excellent business advisor with Neil Ballantyne. He was very supportive and constructive from start to finish as he gave me positive, useful and helpful advice throughout the loan application process. Will be happy to recommend Biz Britain to others

The process was relatively quick and easy, we recieved great support and advice from Suzy Lowe, our advisor, who seemend genuinely invested in us. Many thanks!

My business advisor Adam was fantastic and offered great advice and was a point of contact throughout the process. I would highly recommend.

I had a fantastic experience applying for a Start Up Loan through SWIG Finance. The process was clear, straightforward, and easy to follow, thanks to the well-structured business case template provided. It really helped me stay on track and ensure I covered all the necessary details.

A special mention to Suzy, who was incredibly positive, helpful, and supportive throughout the entire process. She kept me updated at every stage, which gave me real confidence in the application. The communication was excellent, and I always felt like I knew what was happening next.

If you’re looking for funding to kickstart your business, I highly recommend SWIG Finance – a professional, efficient, and supportive team that makes the process stress-free. Thank you!

My advisor was Suzy Lowe and the support I received was excellent throughout! Suzy has been a real asset to my journey and her advice and support were invaluable. Suzy is a real credit to the service and I feel very honoured to have worked alongside her on my application. Thank you for all your help and guidance, I am unbelievably grateful!! 5 stars isn’t enough!

Very helpful at all stages. Great mentoring!

My advisor Julia has been excellent, helping me over a period of months to give me advice about my business plan and financial projections.

Rachel has been involved in both my loan applications and both times has been incredibly helpful and informed. She always responded promptly, politely and displayed the upmost respect and compassion when my application had to be paused for personal reasons.

Jamie was my advisor at the beginning of this second loan process was very helpful wherever possible.

This was my second loan application and hopefully my last but I will/have recommended this scheme and service to anyone I meet in a similar situation looking for a financial boost to get their business to the next stage.

It was a smooth process
Polite and helpful staff
Thank you

A stressful shambles

Started my start up application in October. It was to buy a well established franchise business. I passed the initial credit check and thereafter completed the onerous business plan documents. The excel document includes a detailed business plan; personal survival budget; sales assumptions & a cash flow forecast. I spent 3 days completing this document with a level of detail that exceeded the examples provided within the guidance notes. For extra assurance, I also provided a 3 year projection, based on equivalent franchise territories. Other than a slight amendment, my business advisor appeared to be happy with the plan provided. I then confirmed my ID and provided bank statements and was told it would be passed to the underwriters to provide a decision probably within a week or two. Four months later, I’m still waiting….

In that time, i’ve chased for updates and provided numerous additional documents which were requested in drips and drabs. They also requested bank statements from our joint account even though the proposed loan and business would be in my sole name. I’ve answered a ridiculous amount of questions, all of which were unambiguously addressed in the business plan. For example: they asked how I calculated the unit cost yet the calculation was clearly laid out in the plan document. Another time I was asked to confirm the franchise cost, even though this was detailed throughout the business plan and in the draft franchise agreement. The underwriters either don’t read the submissions or they are wilfully delaying matters to buy for time.

I was told from somebody with experience of the process that they play for time because of the way the government fund allocation works. They get a quarterly pot to allocate amongst the approved applications- once it’s gone, it’s gone until the next quarter. They don’t tell you this, so they drag out the application to play for more time. I’m sorry but this is an awful way to conduct any type of business. Beyond the financials, it is people’s livelihoods, hope and dreams that are being played with. There’s no excuse for failing to manage expectations from the outset!

With all the obfuscation and delays, my credit check was due to expire over Christmas and so a further check was completed with updated bank statements. This was again passed but not being content with that, they then demanded an Equifax report as well! Although my credit score is very good, I’m beginning to feel that they’re looking for reasons to decline.

The process is a shambles and suggests the BRITISH BUSINESS BANK is nothing but a government gimmick to give the appearance of supporting start ups and SMEs. While the rates are lower than most high street lenders, the payment term is also much shorter. Overall, I’m not convinced that this backward and stressful process is worth all the headache, so would really recommend others to steer clear!