Start Up Loans Reviews 

Nearly three months of silence before anyone reached out — an extremely frustrating and disappointing experience.

I would like to follow up on my previous negative experience, in which I mentioned that no one had contacted me for more than a month. My documents remained submitted with no response — no replies to my messages or emails.

After almost three months of complete silence, I was suddenly contacted just a few days before my 90-day application period expired. At that point, my assigned Start Up Loan advisor, Mahdi, began calling several times a day, despite me clearly stating on multiple occasions that I could only communicate via email or outside of my working hours. Unfortunately, it wasn’t possible for me to answer phone calls, and due to time constraints, I couldn’t always reply to emails either.

As someone who works full time, is a single mum, and is trying to build a small business, I spent a lot of time preparing all the requested documents, including a full business plan. That was precious time taken away from my children — and yet, despite all the effort, no one considered it necessary to respond.

It feels extremely disappointing and unfair to be treated this way, for reasons that are unclear and unexplained. I have still not received any response to my previous post — only a request to “get in touch”. However, I believe a public response here is necessary. On what basis are applicants being prioritised? Is there a payment involved, or are people being selected for some other unknown reason?

For anyone interested, I encourage you to read other people’s posts to see how quickly they received responses or updates on their applications.

I applied for this loan as genuine support to start my business. The whole purpose of a start-up loan should be to help people begin, not to rely on their past. Instead, I felt the process was focused more on reasons to decline than to support me.
I have a good credit history, no debts, a credit card, an overdraft facility up to £3,000, and some savings. Yet none of this was seen as sufficient. I was left confused as to why someone with a clear financial record and determination to work is not considered suitable for support.
What surprised me most is that instead of encouraging me to build a business and move forward, I was indirectly encouraged to remain on benefits—when the point of this loan is supposed to be the opposite. The approach taken felt discouraging and dismissive of the potential investment and growth I could create by starting my business.
This experience left me disappointed, as I could not see genuine assistance or support in the process. If these loans are truly meant to help people start working and become independent, the way applications are handled should reflect that mission more clearly

Really horrific experience when as a bootstrapped startup have not received any communication back for 5 weeks.
Promised by the mentor to be contacted multiple times, no response whatsoever.
I am at risk now to loosing 10k in assets because they have taken so long to respond and it's just appalling this is happening in England, where they say that they support startups.

Complete waste of time and nerve-racking, I had to be chasing the application multiple times, no response on emails for 3-4 weeks.

It would be a comedy show, if it's not tragic and affecting actual people's lives and a team of 5 people.
We got innovate grant approved for our innovative project, they have been great, but start up loans has been the opposite so far.

From start to finish, everything was amazing! My advisor, Greg Tipper, was absolutely amazing. If you are thinking about starting your dream business and need somewhere to start, this company is the best!

this by far was the easiest loan application i have ever done, the process was direct and smooth, as far as you have a good business plan, every other thing is easy, they have a good business manager to help you out at stage 3, they respond well without delay. and finally stage 4, that 10 days wait for the panel to make a decision is well worth it. so happy to have gotten the loan needed for my business.

I had a wonderful experience with extremely helpful and caring assistance. Letitia has been truly amazing, very thorough, very detail orientated and all together exceptional.

The Support and help was brilliant. Chris was everytime in touch and open to us. The process from aplication and until the loan being approved, was incredibly easy.
Thank you!!!

Rowan was amazing support and gave all the advice we needed to be approved

Spent many, many hours obtaining paperwork and filling things out. Resubmitting, changing things (dumbing down projected sales to look "more achievable" - they are based on existing sales!?).

To have a rejection for something that was known, disclosed and submitted week's prior.

I was still asked to send in additional bank statements and even my c.v. after the reason for rejection was known.

I actually think even if they know you will be rejected they are still gathering information. For what I'm not sure, but the reason given for rejection should have meant my application and Data gathering stopped week's prior.

They now have a huge amount of my financial and business information. This was all requested after the reason for rejection was known and the approval would not have been given.

Incredibly disappointing experience.

The whole process was extremely easy to go through thanks for the amazing business advisory that offered very helpful information to help me with my proposal.

I would like to appreciate Mr habib karimi sir, he is very helpful and kind person. And this company service is fast and easy.

This is an honest review…If you enjoy being stuck in and pointless endless loop of paperwork even after submitting a fabulous business case that contained all the information they needed…constant repeated requests for the same information, and waiting months for any kind of decision, then go right ahead with this bank!!!! I provided all the evidence they asked for—multiple times—only to be met with more forms and more delays about my startup business. Communication is very slow, and even vague, and unhelpful, leaving you constantly unsure where you really stand or when the questions will end!

Meanwhile, other lenders offered me straightforward, loans at better rates within a few days. I initially considered British Business Bank for the business mentoring support, but after this drawn-out, frustrating experience, I secured a loan in 2 weeks and never looked back!

Everything was perfect and professional and Riaz Badat my advisor was arranged all affires patiently supporting me filing forms, business plan etc.

The ease of the platforms use, and the step by step approach towards gaining finance.

I would like to thank my business advisor Martin, he was very interested.

Met all the criteria for approval and beyond, but they were taking too long, after 2 months of back and forth, they wanted me to re-submit the evidence including a CV. My evidence proved i can afford the loan but they were acting incompetent and longing the process, so i declined it and went else where. My opinion, time wasters, incompetent looking at excel cashflow, not acting to criteria as per the websites info.

Suzy Lowe really defied my expectations about the process - was expecting a headache but instead she made the whole thing clear and straightforward in a really friendly way.

Where to begin?! The process was appalling. Adam our “business advisor” was shocking. Initial call we were told he had everything hen needed and just a few more questions for us both. A few questions turned into months of back and forth of repeated questions! When we threatened to pull out suddenly it went to the panel to approve. What happened next was unbelievable. We had agreed a 6 months capital payment holiday at Adam’s suggestion. When the offer came through it didn’t state any capital repayment holiday. When queried why it wasn’t in there we were informed he had taken it out! No instruction to do so. When challenged a series of contradictory reasons were given before he was instructed to add back the repayment holiday which despite being told wouldn’t be approved it was. Hopefully not all “business advisors” are as shockingly inadequate as Adam

If you’re ever thinking that this would help you I cannot recommend it enough. The process was so simple and the guidance was really helpful and the financial provided was so helpful and on the other end of the phone through the whole process. Could not recommend it enough.

Our loan officer was very helpful, very informative and nothing was too much trouble. Always available through e-mail or phone and quick to reply.