Using payments activity to plan your 2027 growth. Published in: Blog As the last quarter of 2026 gets underway, business growth ambitions for 2027 move into sharper focus for small businesses across the UK. Yet many merchants overlook one of the most practical starting points for that planning: their own payments activity. Payments data isn't just about processing sales. It's a live record of how a business actually performs, and it holds signals that can shape a stronger, more realistic growth plan for the year ahead. The stakes are real. The five-year survival rate for UK businesses born in 2019 is 38.4%, according to ONS Business demography, UK: 2024. And access to finance remains a persistent barrier to growth: 72% of SMEs say they will defer their growth plans if they can't obtain finance via traditional routes. Closing that gap starts with understanding what a business's own data is already telling it. Reading your payments activity as a growth signal. * Transaction volume and patterns reveal cash flow trends that business owners can act on directly, from seasonal peaks and troughs to which products or services are driving the most consistent revenue. * Consistent payments data builds a picture that investors and lenders want to see when assessing whether a business is a sound prospect for funding, not just something useful internally. * SMEs preparing for investment increasingly think like VCs when reviewing their own numbers, scrutinising trends the same way an external investor would before committing capital. * Cash flow issues are widely cited as a leading cause of SME failure, reinforcing why payments data matters for growth planning, not just day-to-day operations. A business that understands its own cash flow patterns is better placed to plan around them, rather than being caught out by them. Turning payments data into working capital. Understanding your payments data is only half the picture. The other half is knowing what financing options exist to act on it, and this is where many SMEs fall short. The latest report from British Business Bank shows 69% of smaller businesses report a lack of awareness of the finance options available to them, up from 60% the previous year, a gap that is widening rather than closing. Payments-linked financing offers one route to bridge that gap. It ties borrowing directly to sales performance, not fixed loan terms, meaning access to funding is shaped by how a business actually trades rather than by rigid repayment schedules designed for a different kind of business entirely. Trust Payments' partnership with YouLend allows eligible merchants to access a business loan, funded by YouLend, repaid via a percentage of the payment volumes processed with Trust Payments. No collateral is required, and approval is based on real trading data rather than conventional credit metrics alone. Repayments flex with trading activity, easing pressure during quieter periods and scaling naturally when sales are strong, which is a meaningfully different proposition to a fixed monthly loan repayment that doesn't move with the business. How a payments provider supports growth ambitions. A payments service provider can help fund and shape growth plans by combining transaction insight with access to finance in one place. Merchants gain a clearer growth roadmap by pairing payments data with financing options, rather than treating the two as separate considerations handled by different providers at different times. Getting the right funding at the right time is often what turns growth ambitions into action. A well-timed injection of working capital, whether for stock, staffing, marketing or expansion, can be the difference between a growth plan that stays on paper and one that gets delivered. Start planning now, not in January. Payments activity and business growth are more closely linked than most SMEs realise. The data is already there, quietly building a picture of trading patterns, cash flow and financial health, whether or not a business is actively using it. Now is the time to plan 2027 ambitions, not wait until the new year, when the same data could already be informing decisions about funding, timing, and where to focus growth efforts first. The final quarter of the year is also when this data is most valuable. Trading activity through Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the pre-Christmas rush gives a clear read on true peak-season performance, information that's far harder to reconstruct once the new year begins and momentum has moved on to other priorities. SMEs that pair this real-time picture with the right financing conversation now can walk into January with a plan already in motion, rather than starting from scratch. Take the guesswork out of planning 2027 with financing that moves with your sales. Explore Trust Business Financing.

Two months' revenue, unlocked today: ANNA and YouLend launch embedded finance for small businesses. Eligible small businesses and sole traders can now access up to 2 months' worth of revenue - from marketplace sales and payment provider flows from providers such as eBay, Just Eat Takeaway.com, Teya and Dojo - to fund growth today, instead of waiting weeks for it to land. ANNA, the UK business account that handles your admin so you don't have to, has partnered with embedded finance provider YouLend to bring this funding into the ANNA app. Rather than applying for a loan and waiting weeks for a decision, the funding works as an advance on a business's own trading history. Businesses receive funding in as little as 24 hours, against their projected revenue, and it is settled automatically from a share of revenue as it continues to come in - adjusted to seasonality and slow days in your business. The launch comes as small businesses report increasingly tight cash flow more broadly. Analysis from the Credit Protection Association found 42% of small firms were paid late in the past year - more than double the rate from summer 2024 - while appetite for traditional external funding has fallen to a record low of 40%, down from 63% in 2023. Businesses are using the funding to stock up before a busy season, cover payroll during a slower month, or fund the kind of investment that turns a good month into a better one. This could mean taking on new inventory ahead of anticipated high demand to paying rent on a new site or refurbishing an existing shop or restaurant. The partnership also reflects demand ANNA was already seeing organically. As of today, over 1,531 ANNA customers have already signed up to use YouLend with a total funding volume of £44.8m. This equates to an average of £29,300 per business, as part of their working capital solutions. The existing appetite for merchant cash advance among ANNA's customers was a core driver behind the two companies partnering up to fully embed this financial product into the ANNA customer experience and enable businesses to get access to funds almost instantly. The partnership reinforces ANNA's strategy to connect customers with trusted, market-leading providers of essential business services, all in one place. Boris Diakonov, Co-CEO of ANNA, said: "Most small businesses aren't short on revenue, they're short on timing. The money's coming, it's just not here yet. This isn't about waiting for a bank to say yes to a loan, with YouLend it's about putting the revenue your business is already generating to work now, today - instead of waiting for it to land sometime next week. We built ANNA to get admin out of people's way - waiting for your own money to arrive shouldn't be one more thing on that list." "Partnering with ANNA means we can meet businesses where they already manage their finances, rather than asking them to go looking for funding elsewhere," said Dan Sinclair-Taylor, Country Head UK & ROI at YouLend. "ANNA customers already trust the app to handle their admin, so embedding funding into that same experience just made sense, it's one less relationship for a business to manage, not another one to set up." Eligible ANNA customers are pre-qualified for funding based on their trading history and guided seamlessly through the application process within the app. Rather than relying solely on assets or credit history, funding amounts are calculated using revenue the business is already generating including income from marketplace sales and payment provider flows. YouLend, which provides the funding, claims 80% of pre-qualified customers go on to be approved (eligibility criteria apply).

ANNA & YouLend team up to offer business funding in as little as 24 hours. Your most requested feature, finally delivered. ANNA has partnered with YouLend so you can access up to 2 months' worth of revenue in as little as 24 hours Open a business account with ANNA and get your taxes sorted With ANNA you get a debit card, automated bookkeeping, a personal payment link, up to 40% cashback and 24/7 customer support If you've ever sat staring at your cash flow thinking, "I know the money's coming, but I'm stuck until it arrives", this one's for you. Absolutely No Nonsense Admin Ltd. has teamed up with YouLend, an embedded finance provider, to offer funding straight from the ANNA app. No finding a separate lender, no weeks of waiting to hear back. If you're eligible, the cash is there - usually within 24 hours. Absolutely No Nonsense Admin Ltd. know you wanted this service, not only because you've repeatedly asked Absolutely No Nonsense Admin Ltd. for it, but also because 1,531 ANNA customers were already using YouLend with a total funding volume of £44.8m (£29,300 per business on average) as part of their working capital solutions. So Absolutely No Nonsense Admin Ltd. listened, Absolutely No Nonsense Admin Ltd. got busy behind the scenes, and Absolutely No Nonsense Admin Ltd. has now embedded this service for ANNA customers to make accessing finances even easier. In this post, Absolutely No Nonsense Admin Ltd.'ll cover: * What this funding actually is (and why it's not the same as a conventional loan) * How it settles * How it's different from going to a bank * What business owners are actually using it for * Why now - and why you're not imagining that cash flow feels tighter than usual * How to check if you're eligible So what is this way of getting access to capital, exactly? Think of it as an advance on money you've basically already earned. Eligible small businesses and sole traders can now access up to 2 months' worth of revenue - from marketplace sales and payment provider flows from platforms such as eBay, Just Eat, Teya and Dojo - to fund growth today, instead of waiting weeks for it to land. YouLend can look at that trading history and advance you up to two months' worth, usually within 24 hours. And how does it settle? It settles automatically as a small share of your revenue comes in - so if you have a quiet week, less is settled that week. No fixed monthly payment sitting there whether you've had a good month or a shocker. It's officially called a "merchant cash advance" or "revenue-based funding" if you want the technical term for it. In practice, it means accessing money tied up in revenue you're already generating without the usual wait. Why is this different from a bank loan? A few reasons: * No lengthy application. If you're eligible, ANNA already knows because it can see your trading history - you're not filling out forms from scratch. * No long wait for a decision. Traditional loan applications can drag on for weeks. These funds usually land in your account within 24 hours. YouLend claims that 80% of applications are successful. * Settlement flexes with your sales. Instead of a fixed amount every month regardless of how business is going, a percentage of revenue is settled as it comes in. So it adjusts automatically for slow days, quiet seasons, and the general unpredictability of running a small business. What are people actually using it for? However you like, but the most common things Absolutely No Nonsense Admin Ltd. is seeing are: * Stocking up on inventory before a busy season hits * Covering payroll during a slower month * Taking on a new site, or refurbishing an existing shop or restaurant * Improving cash-flow or refinancing existing debt Basically funding the kind of investment that turns an okay month into a genuinely good one. Why now? Because cash flow has genuinely become harder for small businesses lately, and it's not just a feeling. Analysis from the Credit Protection Association found 42% of small firms were paid late in the past year - that's more than double the rate from summer 2024. At the same time, appetite for traditional funding has dropped to a record low of 40%, down from 63% back in 2023. People aren't applying for loans less because they need money less, they're applying less because the process is slow and the odds aren't always great. This is part of a bigger shift, too, not just an ANNA thing. The British Business Bank's own research found smaller businesses increasingly turning to flexible finance to manage cash flow. So more small businesses are now choosing revenue-based funding over loans that are slower to arrive and harder to get approved for. That trend was already well underway before Absolutely No Nonsense Admin Ltd. partnered with YouLend. As of today, 1,531 ANNA customers had already signed up to use YouLend independently (with £44.8m total funding), which tells you there was real demand here before Absolutely No Nonsense Admin Ltd. made it official. How do I know if I'm eligible? * Eligible customers are pre-qualified within the ANNA app based on their trading history, then navigated through the application flow * Funding is calculated from revenue a business is already generating - from marketplace sales and payment provider flows from platforms such as eBay, Just Eat, Teya, Dojo, and other e-commerce players, or regular payments against invoices - rather than assets or credit history alone * YouLend claims that 80% of pre-qualified customers get approved * YouLend provides the funding; eligibility criteria apply As its Co-CEO Boris put it: "Most small businesses aren't short on revenue, they're short on timing. The money's coming, it's just not here yet. This isn't about waiting for a bank to say yes to a loan - with YouLend it's about putting the revenue your business is already generating to work today, instead of waiting for it to land next week. We built ANNA to get admin out of people's way, and waiting for your own money to arrive shouldn't be one more thing on that list." Funding is provided by YouLend, not ANNA. Eligibility criteria apply - check the app to see if you qualify.