Secured business loans or commercial loans are designed for a wide range of small, medium and startup business needs including the buying, refinance or growth of a company. Business loans are similar to a commercial mortgage in that funds can be borrowed over an extended period of time, usually a maximum of 25 years, and are secured on the property being purchased.

A loan for a business can be secured against many types of freehold or long leasehold buildings, such as factories, shops, bars, care homes, hotels, restaurants, offices, industrial units, blocks of flats and more. A business loan can also be secured against a residential building. The lending criteria is very similar to that of a commercial mortgage except that the usual maximum that can be borrowed is 60% of the assessed Market Value. However, a few lenders will let you borrow up to 75% depending upon the deal and the security available. Interest rates on the business loan are variable and depend upon the status of the borrower and the length of the arrangement.

These percentages are known as the Loan-to-Value ratio, or LTV. The lower the LTV, the lower the financial risk is to the lender. The higher the LTV, the higher the risk to the lender and it is usually the case that a higher interest rate would be levied. Lenders will not generally advance above 75% LTV to try to make sure that there would be sufficient security in the event of a quick sale, often via an auction when it is expected that property will sell at a lower rate of up to 25% below the regular market value.