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Over the past year, I've had countless conversations with business owners looking for their next stage of growth.

Many are facing familiar challenges. Rising employment costs, pressure on margins, increased competition and a wider economic environment that can feel difficult to predict.

What's interesting is that when businesses start looking for opportunities, they often focus exclusively on the UK market.

Yet some of the most significant growth opportunities may exist beyond it.

More than 1,000 businesses across the UK have accessed support from UMi Get Funding since its launch in 2025. The specialist service has helped secure £4.4m in finance, supported hundreds of businesses with funding readiness, and built a £54m pipeline as demand for expert funding guidance continues to grow.

Get to know James Ramsey, Business Funding Adviser at UMi Get Funding. Learn about his 20-year career in financial services and his passion for helping businesses find the right funding solutions.

Get to know Ian Henry, Business Funding Adviser at UMi Get Funding. Discover his journey from commercial banking to helping SMEs across the North West access the right funding.

As businesses grow, finance arrangements that once worked well can become more complex and costly to manage. An established print specialist faced this challenge when preparing to take advantage of a significant new growth opportunity. With support from David Jones, the company restructured its existing finance arrangements, reduced monthly costs and created additional cashflow to support future growth.

Commercial property finance can be difficult to navigate, with lenders offering different criteria, borrowing limits and pricing structures. An established storage company faced this challenge when looking to remortgage its premises. With support from David Jones, the business secured a long-term funding solution that strengthened its financial foundations and supported future growth plans.

When growth opportunities arise, waiting for the perfect grant can sometimes cost more than it saves. James Ryan explores why businesses should focus on securing the right funding at the right time, weighing the benefits of grants, commercial finance and other funding options to support sustainable growth.

Balancing growth ambitions with day-to-day cashflow can be challenging, particularly when existing borrowing limits a business's ability to invest. A growing bathroom showroom retailer wanted to recruit new staff and open an additional showroom, but high repayments on an existing facility were restricting cashflow. UMi Get Funding helped identify a solution that reduced financial pressure and created capacity for expansion.

Managing multiple borrowing facilities can become increasingly complex as a business grows. Different lenders, repayment terms and monthly payments can place unnecessary pressure on cashflow and make it harder to focus on future opportunities. A handcrafted homeware manufacturer in Wales faced this challenge and turned to UMi Get Funding to secure a solution that simplified borrowing, reduced costs and supported growth.