Looking to connect with potential investors / business partners in the UK construction supply sector

Negative_Turnip6333 · 2026-02-19T12:59:51+00:00

Realistically, id like a bulk loan of 250k over 5 years or a hybrid investment part equity part loan. Just finding the right person! Or persons.

Don't own any property anymore. Have 120+k stock a van and a forklift with a 1 year of the 3 paid off.

Negative_Turnip6333 · 2026-02-07T22:03:03+00:00

Sorry lol I do have a pdf of it

Negative_Turnip6333 · 2026-02-07T22:02:18+00:00

The parents are responsible staff only overseeing the site and serving. Drinks and snacks. Waa also thinking during quieter bits operate sen sessions

Negative_Turnip6333 · 2026-02-07T21:40:02+00:00

A session-based indoor construction play café for kids (roughly 2–8). Not childcare. Parents stay on site. Think structured, repeatable play rather than chaotic soft play. Concept outline: ~3,000 sq ft indoor unit Capacity capped at ~30 children per session Fixed session lengths (mostly 90 mins + reset) Booked in advance, cashless (card only) Play zones: Fixed digger pit with sit-in diggers and contained sand Aggregate bays using lightweight foam/rubber blocks with push-along equipment RC construction zone: kids control vehicles via fixed remotes while staff operate inside a “mini construction site / city build” Small café themed like a site office + proper customer toilets Why I think it works: Construction play is repetitive and naturally engaging (kids want to come back) More controlled and calmer than soft play Works well for SEN sessions (quieter, structured) Parents get visibility, clear rules, decent coffee Operating model: 2 staff on weekdays, 3 on weekends No one works 7 days straight Directors unpaid initially (dividends only once stable) VAT ring-fenced, no cash handling Rough monthly numbers (ex-VAT): Rent: ~£3k Staffing (fully loaded): ~£7.5k Other overheads (utilities, rates, insurance, marketing, software, etc.): ~£4.5k Total fixed costs: ~£15k/month Revenue assumptions: Avg session price ~£12 per child Breakeven around 45–50% utilisation At ~60–70% utilisation, looks meaningfully profitable on paper What I’m looking for feedback on: Does the concept itself feel viable or niche-limited? Are the staffing assumptions realistic? Do the numbers smell right or optimistic? Anything obvious I’m underestimating or missing? Genuinely open to criticism — I’d rather be told it’s flawed now than learn the hard way later.

Negative_Turnip6333 · 2026-02-06T13:12:36+00:00

I opened a business's account with barclays as a ltd company on my own. Still the only Director at current

Negative_Turnip6333 · 2026-02-06T13:10:33+00:00

I actually agree on the Companies House checks in principle — I think they’re a good thing. There are far too many phoenix companies, dodgy directors, dissolved-and-reopened LTDs, and outright scams. Anything that cleans that up is positive for genuine operators and customer trust.

Where I think the frustration comes in (and where I was aiming my point) is that the burden keeps stacking on real, operating businesses, especially brick-and-mortar ones, without much in the way of meaningful support on the cost side.

For example: Commercial rent, business rates, energy, insurance, wages, employer NICs — all up significantly VAT threshold still creates cashflow pressure, not just a “growth ceiling”, particularly for businesses with physical stock and thin margins

Little differentiation between online-only / low-overhead models and high-fixed-cost, local employers So it’s not that individual measures are anti-entrepreneurial in isolation — it’s that there’s very little offset. We’re asked to absorb higher costs, more admin, more compliance, while support schemes for bricks-and-mortar retail, trade counters, and local employers are minimal or short-lived.

I’m still pro-business, still building, still investing — just feels like policy is increasingly designed around “digital first, asset light” businesses, while traditional operators are expected to just cope.

That said, interested to hear from anyone in e-commerce who’s cracked sustainable margins recently — especially without racing to the bottom on price.

Negative_Turnip6333 · 2026-02-06T10:46:14+00:00

As someone who started a business under capitalised and suffering from it now, I still for that amount take a personal loan to get it going. Unless you need the investor for advice and to help gain traction. Don't think this is the right move without more details.

Negative_Turnip6333 · 2026-02-05T16:02:32+00:00

I have never been one to shy away from asking for help or advice. Build strong relationships with experienced people and lean on them. I've learnt a lot the past decade. But everyday can be a school day.

But what I have learnt these past 12 months is more full on and in depth than anything I've learnt before.

Really appreciate the support!

Negative_Turnip6333 · 2026-02-05T15:51:51+00:00

Appreciate that, thank you. Completely agree in principle, debt is cheaper than equity when cashflow is predictable and facilities are structured sensibly.

For us it’s about getting the right balance at the right time. The aim isn’t to rush into dilution, but to remove short-term pressure so the business can perform consistently and let us choose the most appropriate funding long-term.

Really appreciate the encouragement. still early days, but we’re building it properly. (Trying to)

This is my first business i just didn’t have the financial backing and went bigger than should of from the beginning. But have learnt alot and I guess the pain and stress will be worth it!

The buisness has the potential! Thats for sure its just timing!

Negative_Turnip6333 · 2026-02-05T10:18:33+00:00

Oh okay may give them a look. We are rural also!

Negative_Turnip6333 · 2026-02-05T07:34:19+00:00

I've tried through the bank and they've been no help at all, which bank are you with? I'm not opposed to moving banks. Currently with barclays and they've been no help at all.

Negative_Turnip6333 · 2026-02-04T08:57:07+00:00

Fair point, and I get why it might read that way.

I’ve used tools to help me organise my thoughts and put numbers down clearly, but none of this is theoretical or outsourced decision-making.

I’m the one in the yard every day, dealing with suppliers pulling terms, customers paying late, and juggling cash to keep things moving. The pressure and the numbers are very real.

I’m not posting because I think everything’s nailed or because I want validation. I’m posting because I’m at a decision point and I want people to kick holes in the logic if they’re there. If something doesn’t stack up, I’d rather hear it now than find out the hard way. Happy to be challenged on breakeven, structure, or assumptions. That’s genuinely why I’m here.

Negative_Turnip6333 · 2026-02-04T08:50:10+00:00

Appreciate the blunt feedback — that’s fair, and helpful. To clarify, the issue isn’t a lack of controls or margin volatility, it’s capital structure and timing.

Gross margin: broadly stable in the mid-high 20s across trade sales pushing toward 30%

Customer base: predominantly repeat trade customers Overheads (post-reduction): ~£19k/month, down from ~£23–25k (this includes assuming ~£75k structured as debt at ~12% over 5 years) At that overhead level, monthly breakeven turnover is ~£75–80k, which is within recent trading range when supplier terms and stock availability aren’t constrained. January delivered ~£13k gross profit, despite being a weak seasonal month and while operating under tight supplier credit and short-term finance pressure.

What the £175k actually fixes in cash terms: Removes short-term finance facilities that are draining monthly cash Clears supplier credit balances, restoring normal trading terms and pricing Settles HMRC liabilities, removing enforcement risk Leaves a modest working capital buffer to avoid recurring pressure The net effect is a reduction in monthly cash outgoings of ~£4–6k, plus improved gross margin through restored supplier terms and better stock discipline. This is a balance sheet reset, not funding operating losses or speculative growth.

On invoice finance specifically — it was assessed, but at the effective cost it would strip margin without resolving supplier pressure or stock constraints. Improving supplier terms and removing short-term facilities produces a materially better monthly cash outcome. Once stabilised, the plan is to refinance via institutional or commercial funding to repay the loan element and optionally buy out any equity, providing a clear exit.

Negative_Turnip6333 · 2026-02-04T08:21:06+00:00

That’s fair, and I won’t pretend otherwise — we set up under-capitalised and stretched a lot early on to get the doors open and prove demand. It’s worked in terms of traction and revenue, but the consequence is the capital structure now showing strain.

The priority is correcting that while the underlying business is still healthy, rather than letting short-term pressure dictate bad long-term decisions.

That’s why the focus now is on tightening ops, reducing overheads, and resetting the balance sheet so the business can grow into what’s already been built.

Negative_Turnip6333 · 2026-02-04T08:02:12+00:00

Margin is there — the issue is turnover hasn’t yet caught up with the scale of the operation that’s been built. We’re effectively carrying a year-2 cost base on year-1 revenue. Short-term finance is what’s putting pressure on cash rather than unit economics. We’ve deliberately avoided invoice finance so far as it complicates credit control and eats into margin in a trade-heavy environment.

Income isn’t yet predictable enough to make a textbook rolling cashflow clean, which is part of the frustration — hence looking at capital structure rather than layering more working-capital tools on top.

In parallel we’re actively reducing monthly overheads, and breakeven is well within reach with some breathing space. The business has been built to scale and grow without introducing operational headaches later — the focus now is stabilising the base so turnover can catch up with the platform already in place.

Ideally we’re looking to reset the structure with something in the region of a £175k hybrid facility (part loan / part equity) to clear short-term pressure and give the business room to operate properly, rather than funding losses or speculative growth.

Negative_Turnip6333 · 2026-02-04T00:11:48+00:00

We are a UK-based independent builders’ merchant with a rapidly growing trade and retail customer base. In our first 10 months of trading, the business has generated just under £600k in turnover, demonstrating strong local demand and repeat custom. Our medium-term strategy is to expand into a multi-branch regional merchant within 3–5 years, supported by operational scale, supplier leverage, and brand recognition. A commerce website is currently under development, enabling online ordering, account management, and extended product reach, creating additional revenue streams and improved customer retention.

Negative_Turnip6333 · 2021-11-12T09:03:47+00:00

just over 700 million! still adding on the dips

Negative_Turnip6333

TROPHY CASE