Spotting Opportunity Early and Backing It Properly
A few years ago, reformer Pilates was still seen as a niche offering. There were studios around, but it was far from mainstream. Now it feels like every town has at least one dedicated reformer space, and the good ones are fully booked weeks in advance.
The same thing has happened with padel. What started as a relatively unknown sport in the UK has quickly turned into one of the fastest-growing leisure trends. Dedicated facilities are opening, clubs are expanding, and investors are taking it seriously.
These shifts do not happen overnight. There is always a period where something sits between “new idea” and “established market”. That window is where the opportunity usually is.
We pay attention to that.
When we saw pickleball starting to gain traction, we noticed something interesting. There was plenty of noise around it in leisure circles, but very little from a funding perspective. No one was really talking about how to finance courts or equipment. So we created a dedicated pickleball finance page. As far as we are aware, it was the first UK finance page focused specifically on pickleball.
Not long after it went live, enquiries started coming in.
That told us everything we needed to know.
25 Years of Experience Does Not Mean Standing Still
We have been funding businesses for over 25 years. We understand traditional sectors inside out. Gyms, salons, restaurants, fish and chip shops, soft play centres. We know how they operate, what the margins look like and how to structure funding in a way that supports growth without putting pressure on cash flow.
That experience is important. It gives our clients confidence.
But it does not mean we only fund what feels familiar.
Markets change. Consumer habits change. Leisure trends evolve. The businesses that succeed are often the ones that move before something becomes completely mainstream.
We are comfortable in that space.
A More Modern Approach to Funding
Traditional lenders can struggle with newer concepts. If something does not have years of comparable trading history or a long track record in the UK, it can quickly fall outside standard criteria.
We take a more commercial view.
Because we operate as both a broker and an in-house lender, we are not limited to one funding source or one credit appetite.
As a broker, we work with a wide panel of lenders, all with different sector preferences and risk profiles. If one lender is cautious about an emerging trend, another may be actively looking to support it.
At the same time, we can also lend directly ourselves where it makes sense. That gives us the ability to look at the bigger picture and make practical decisions based on the operator, the demand and the long-term viability of the equipment.
In simple terms, it gives our clients options.
Asset finance in particular works well for emerging sectors. It allows businesses to spread the cost of equipment, protect working capital and open properly from day one instead of cutting corners to reduce upfront spend.
For something like Pilates, padel or pickleball, that flexibility can make a real difference.
Backing What Is Proven and What Is Next
We are proud of the industries we have supported for decades. They form the backbone of the SME market.
At the same time, we enjoy being part of what is coming next. There is something rewarding about helping a client build something before everyone else catches on.
If you are looking at a concept that feels early but promising, it is worth having the funding conversation sooner rather than later.
We are open minded. We are commercially realistic. And we understand that growth rarely comes from playing it completely safe.
If you have spotted a gap in your market, we would be interested to hear about it.
