Causon Business Finance

Causon Business Finance, a broker for SME funding in the Midlands

Causon Business Finance is a commercial finance brokerage based in Hinckley, Leicestershire, that arranges funding for small and medium-sized businesses. The company presents itself as a credit broker rather than a lender: it does not lend its own money but places client requirements with a panel of funders. Its stated coverage is the UK as a whole, with most clients concentrated in Leicester, Leicestershire, Warwickshire and the wider Midlands.

The firm was founded in 2007 by Richard Causon, who had worked in the asset finance industry since 1996. The company describes its origin as an attempt to close the gap between businesses and suitable financial products, simplifying a process it saw as difficult for many companies to navigate.

Finance options arranged

The brokerage covers a broad set of funding lines, grouped around equipment, vehicles, working capital and corporate transactions:

• Car finance and commercial vehicle funding, including vehicle contract hire.
• Light equipment funding and heavy equipment funding, the latter aimed at machinery, plant and specialist equipment.
• IT assets and software funding.
• Invoice discounting and factoring.
• Unsecured business loans.
• Management buy-out and acquisition finance.
• Aviation and marine finance.
• Vendor finance, aimed at businesses that want to offer funding to their own customers.

The company also explains the practical difference between the main structures it arranges. Under hire purchase, the client pays monthly instalments and owns the asset once all payments are made, with the asset typically serving as the lender's only security. A finance lease involves renting the asset for a set term, with options at the end to renew, return or purchase depending on the lease type. A business loan provides a lump sum for any legal business purpose, repaid with capital and interest.

How the application process works

The brokerage describes a three-stage process. It begins with a conversation about what the business is financing and its goals, including the difficulties it faces. The firm then searches its panel of funders, negotiates terms and handles the lender's follow-up questions on the client's behalf. In the final stage it manages the documentation and keeps the client informed from paperwork through to funding and afterwards.

On lender selection, the company says it reviews the business, its credit history and its objectives, then matches the case against its panel to identify the funder most likely to offer competitive terms. It states that funding options are available across credit circumstances, from strong to challenging credit histories.

Panel of lenders and regulatory status

Causon Business Finance describes itself as a limited panel credit broker working with approximately 25 funders at the time of writing. It states that clients do not pay for the service and that it receives commissions from lenders that vary according to the lender, product or other permissible factors, with the commission model confirmed before proceeding. The firm indicates that details of the lenders on its panel are supplied on request.

The company is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under firm reference number 1040054. It also cites ICO registration ZB897636 and publishes privacy, cookie and complaints policies, including one specific to FCA complaints.

Experience and client base

The firm cites more than 18 years in the industry and says it has helped hundreds of businesses across various sectors. Its lender network is described as vetted, with members of the National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers (NACFB). The company frames its approach around long-term relationships rather than one-off transactions, and presents tailored structuring and dedicated support throughout the financing process as central to its work.

Among the client accounts published on its site are a Wakefield-based workwear supplier, a Derbyshire-based power equipment supplier and a Coventry manufacturer, which describe repeat use of the brokerage, competitive rates on asset finance and regular updates during the process.

Editorial output on business finance

The company maintains a blog that addresses practical funding questions. Recent entries at the time of writing covered ways invoice discounting can ease cash flow when customers take 30 to 90 days or longer to pay, a comparison of invoice discounting and factoring, and the financing of electric vehicles for company fleets.