Gyms and studios have a revenue profile most businesses would envy: memberships recur monthly and churn is measurable. The pressure comes from the cost side — equipment is expensive and wears out, rent is often quarterly, and January demand requires capacity that has to be bought in advance.
Buying capacity before the members arrive
The January surge is real and predictable, which is exactly the problem: the equipment, staffing and marketing required to capture it are paid for in November and December, out of autumn trading. Get the timing wrong and the busiest month of the year arrives with the wrong capacity.
Equipment failure has the same shape as in any physical business, with an added edge: a broken machine is visible to every member, every day, and shows up in cancellations.
What operators in this sector actually fund
- Replacing or expanding equipment ahead of a demand peak
- Fit-out for a studio, additional room or new class format
- Covering a quarterly rent demand in a seasonally quiet month
- Marketing spend before January, where payback is measurable in signups
- Trainer certification and staffing for new class formats
A £30,000 advance, both terms
A gym needs £30,000 to replace ageing cardio equipment before the January intake. On our published rates:
| £30,000 advance | 20 weeks | 26 weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Approved advance | £30,000 | £30,000 |
| Arrangement fee (5%, deducted at funding) | −£1,500 | −£1,500 |
| Paid to your account | £28,500 | £28,500 |
| Factor rate | 1.48 | 1.55 |
| Total repayable | £44,400 | £46,500 |
| Weekly payment | £2,220 | £1,788 |
| Total cost on cash received | £15,900 | £18,000 |
Illustrative, using our published factor rates. Your own rate is set by underwriting and is stated in pounds on your agreement before you sign it.
Whether you qualify
Four minimums. Meeting them is not the same as being approved — it is the point at which applying is worth your time:
- UK limited company or LLP — incorporated and registered at Companies House.
- 6+ months trading — six months is the least we can work with.
- £10,000+ monthly turnover — consistent, and visible in the business bank account.
- Active UK business current account — this is where the underwriting actually happens.
Recurring membership income works in your favour: consistent monthly receipts into a business current account are the clearest evidence of trading underwriting can read.
Why the decision being ours matters here
Fitness businesses are often mid-sized borrowers that brokers deprioritise in favour of larger commissions. We lend our own money from £10,000, so a £30,000 advance is a normal deal here rather than one that sits at the bottom of a pipeline.
Solvo funds £10,000 to £75,000 from its own book, usually within 24–72 hours of final documents. One decision, made by us — your file is not shopped around a panel. Above £75,000 we arrange the facility with a lending partner.
About 3 minutes. No obligation. Limited companies and LLPs only.
Frequently asked questions
Does recurring membership revenue help our application?
Yes. Consistent monthly receipts visible in the business current account are exactly the pattern a revenue advance is priced against.
Can we fund equipment?
Yes, it is one of the most common uses. For a single high-value machine, asset finance secured on it may be cheaper — we will tell you if that is the better route.
We are a small studio. Is £10,000 too small?
£10,000 is our minimum advance and entirely normal for this sector. The criteria are the same: UK Ltd or LLP, 6+ months trading, £10,000+ monthly turnover.
Should we borrow before January?
That is a commercial judgement only you can make. What we can do is price both terms so you can see exactly what the repayments look like against the months you expect the extra members to arrive.
Illustrative only. Solvo Funding is a UK direct lender for limited companies and LLPs and also acts as an intermediary for facilities above £75,000. Advances are subject to underwriting; meeting the minimum criteria is not the same as being approved and we cannot guarantee an offer. Finance for limited companies and LLPs is generally not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.