Funding and finance for a business or freelancing

Advice on different ways to collect money and keep the business running
Funding and finance for a business or freelancing

Every company requires money to run its business, and sometimes it is impossible to continue business without injection of cash from time to time.

There are different ways to collect money and keep the business running. Sometimes, a loan from banks and other financial institutions, or they can also take funds from investors in the form of share capital. Retained profits are also utilised for this purpose. No matter what way they use for to collect money, it can be done either by funding or financing.

Generally, funding and financing are interchangeably used in the financial world, but there is a difference between these two terms.

Funding

Funding is actually the money provided by companies or by a government sector for a specific purpose, whereas, financing is a process of receiving capital or money for business purpose, and it is usually provided by financial institutions, such as, banks or other lending agencies.

Funding is an amount of money provided by the organization or government on the basis of an agreement. It is usually free of charge.

There may be certain contractual requirements in that agreement, but there are no requirements to pay back the capital. The most common facilitators that normally fulfil the funding needs of an organisation are the donations made by governments, or philanthropists.

Financing

Financing, on the other hand, is an amount of capital or the sum of money provided to an organisation with the expectation to repay, and organizations are liable to pay back the capital amount along with a certain percentage of interest. Therefore, the repayment also includes an interest component. It is usually provided by financial institutions like banks, or investors like venture capitalists, business angels, shareholders, etc.

We have finance expert 1:1 appointments available to discuss finance and funding - please contact thecube@plymouth.ac.uk to book an appointment.

SWIG Finance

SWIG Finance is an official delivery partner for Start Up Loans UK, which offers an affordable source of finance to help new and early-stage business owners bring their plans to life.

Start Up Loans are available to individuals over the age of 18 who have a viable business idea but no access to finance. This includes businesses that are yet to launch, as well as those that have been trading for up to 36 months.

The programme operates with a fixed interest rate of 6% per annum and the ability to borrow between £500 and £25,000 per co-founder over a 1-5 year period.

Once you’ve submitted your application a member of the SWIG Finance team will be in touch to take you through the next steps.

Representative example (Start Up Loans Company): £10,000 loan repayable over 5 years. 60 monthly payments of £193.33. Rate of interest 6% per annum fixed. Representative APR 6.18%. Total amount of credit £10,000. Total interest payable £1,599.80. Total cost of credit £1,599.80. Total amount payable is £11,599.80.

SWIG Finance is here to guide you through the application process, including advice on creating a business plan and cashflow forecast.

Select the apply now button below to start your application.

Find out more about SWIG Finance

FounderCatalyst

The FounderCatalyst platform quickly and professionally creates all of the legal paperwork and helps manage investor engagement.

Your business journey mapped out.

Starting and running your own business can be both challenging and exciting. You focus and work hard to grow your business, then before you know it you're looking for that all-important funding to catapult you to the next level.

FounderCatalyst was borne out of a desire to help founders with the legal stage of the funding journey, to be a partner you can trust. Our aim is to make your journey as simple and easy as possible; to save you time and money without any compromise on quality. Ultimately, it's about making you stand out from the crowd and boosting your chances of success.

For free you can get:

  • Your own professional tailored company term sheet
  • A secure data room to upload supporting material, such as your pitch-deck, business plan and financial models
  • The ability to invite investors to access your documents and term sheet in your data room in a safe and secure way
  • Non-disclosure agreements signed by investors before they view your company information
  • Watermarked versions of your legal documents which you can check before you commit to pay

Find out more about FounderCatalyst

1st Formations Business Scholarship

1st Formations is offering up to 10 scholarships worth £1,500 each. 1st Formations is the UK’s leading company formation agent, offering comprehensive online company registration and corporate governance services.

As part of our ongoing dedication to supporting new businesses, we are helping to fund the next generation of entrepreneurs in the UK and US. The scholarships are awarded to help students with some of the additional costs involved in studying, such as the cost of course materials, textbooks, and other living expenses.

The scholarship is open to UK and US undergraduate or postgraduate applicants.

We have made the application process for the Scholarship as simple as possible. All you need to do is send us an email including the following:

  • A 500 word supporting statement, explaining one business idea you would like to pursue during or after your studies. This statement should also include the personal circumstances outlining why you need financial support.
  • A letter of recommendation from a tutor or course co-ordinator. Please also include a contact email address or telephone number for your sponsor.
  • A note of recent grades/exam results from your current course.

Submit your scholarship application on the 1st Formation website

The closing date for applications for the academic year 2022/23 is 31 January 2023.