Bluestar

Bluestar: asset finance and commercial lending for UK businesses

Bluestar arranges funding for companies that need to acquire equipment or raise capital, covering both leasing and asset finance as well as commercial loans. The firm states it has worked with thousands of UK businesses and is partnered with a number of international financial institutions. Its client base spans start-ups through to large organisations, and the service is presented as friendly, professional and personal.

The operation trades as Bluestar, the trading name of Blue Star Business Solutions Limited (company registration number 05083649), and its guidance is aimed at customers based in the UK under the UK regulatory regime.

Financing products offered

The product range is built around several distinct funding routes:

• Hire purchase and finance lease agreements for equipment.
• Operating lease arrangements.
• Commercial loans for general business purposes.
• Corporation tax loans and VAT loans, including a four-month VAT loan.
• Technology loans.
• Invoice finance.
• Refinancing of existing assets to release working capital.
• Supplier finance, designed to help suppliers overcome cost objections and shorten the sales cycle.

Refinancing is presented as a way to unlock equity tied up in assets already owned, with the freed capital usable for cash-flow improvement, expansion or further equipment purchases. The supplier finance programme is offered alongside finance selling tools for vendors.

Assets and sectors covered

Bluestar states it can finance almost any asset or purpose. Among the asset categories it lists are technology, printing equipment, catering equipment, fit-out works, vehicles, renewable and sustainable energy equipment, software, security systems, machinery, furniture, websites and gym equipment.

On the sector side, the firm names brewery finance, healthcare and medical finance, hotel finance, media finance, outdoor and events finance, finance for professions, restaurant finance, retail finance, sports and leisure finance, start-up equipment finance and warehouse finance. Garage finance and beauty finance also appear among its popular asset areas.

How the process works

Prospective clients can request a quote, ask for a callback at a preferred time of day (anytime, morning or afternoon) or submit an enquiry form; the company indicates that a team member will respond within two hours. An online lease calculator produces indicative quotations based on business type (established or start-up), term of two to five years and equipment cost, showing monthly payment and net cost after tax.

The site's terms note that quotations are indicative only, subject to VAT, final underwriting, document fees and conditions, and that additional security may be required. The quoted facility is a finance lease rental, with hire purchase and loans also available. A stated 100% tax deductibility for leasing assumes a 19% corporation tax rate, and the company advises that tax advantages be checked with an accountant.

Eligibility criteria

Finance is described as available only to UK-registered limited companies, PLCs, LLPs and larger partnerships with four or more registered partners. The online application form asks applicants to confirm a minimum of two years' trading for one of the application routes.

Recent funding examples

The site lists recent deals as illustrations of the sizes and sectors involved: £10,000 of IT network equipment financed for an engineering company in Hampshire, a £3,000 coffee machine for a new start café in London, and an £18,000 Ford Transit for a manufacturing company in Dorset.

Location and contact

Bluestar operates from Fourth Floor East, Matrix House, Basing View, Basingstoke, RG21 4FF. Enquiries are handled by phone and email, and the company also publishes a modern slavery statement and a set of company policies covering data protection, fair treatment of customers and complaints handling.