bizbritain guides
The guide library
Every article we’ve published, newest first. Filter by topic or search for the question in front of you. Cited, dated, and quietly updated when policy or rates change.
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Can a sole trader get a business loan in 2026?
Many self-employed people assume business finance is only for limited companies. It is not. Here is what a lender actually looks at.
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How much does it cost to open a restaurant in the UK in 2026?
How much does it cost to open a restaurant in the UK? A realistic £25,000 breakdown, from kitchen kit to licences, based on a founder who did it.
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The personal survival budget for a Start Up Loan, explained
The personal survival budget shows you can live while the business grows. What it covers, the fourteen categories to prepare, and how myplan builds it.
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Your cash flow forecast for a Start Up Loan, without a spreadsheet
A cash flow forecast for a Start Up Loan is built from your sales assumptions. What myplan automates, what you prepare, and the mistake that gets workbooks returned.
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Your business plan for a Start Up Loan: what it must cover
A business plan for a Start Up Loan covers seven set sections. What each one needs, the standard it is assessed against, and how myplan builds it for you.
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Start Up Loan or a grant? How to choose in 2026
Start Up Loan or a grant? The UK grants that exist for new businesses in 2026, how they compare with the scheme's 7.5% fixed loan, and when to use both.
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Start Up Loan vs business loan: which fits your business?
Start Up Loan vs business loan: rates, security, personal guarantees and amounts compared, and how to tell which route fits a business under five years old.
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Can I get a Start Up Loan with bad credit?
Can I get a Start Up Loan with bad credit? Often yes. What the scheme's credit check weighs, the situations that stop an application, and how to prepare.
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Can I get a second Start Up Loan? The rules for 2026
Yes, if your first loan is six months past drawdown with three months of on-schedule repayments. The second Start Up Loan rules, including the £25,000 cap.
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How to apply for a Start Up Loan in 2026, step by step
How to apply for a Start Up Loan: the four steps, the three documents the scheme assesses, and how long each stage takes in 2026.
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Am I eligible for a Start Up Loan? The 2026 checklist
Am I eligible for a Start Up Loan? The 2026 checklist: age, residency, the 60-month trading rule, excluded business types and the second-loan route.
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UK Start Up Loans 2026: The 7.5% rate, five-year rule and second-loan option most guides get wrong
Two rules changed on 6 April 2026, and most of the guides still ranking were written before that. Here is what the scheme itself says in 2026.
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