Championing working capital

Any player or coach will tell you the same thing: competing to win a championship is hard. Form, opposition, pressure, and countless moving parts can derail even the most promising campaign. Everyone is looking for a competitive edge.

In business, working capital can be that edge.

In elite sport, the best coaches build systems around people. They remove friction, anticipate pressure, and ensure contingency plans are in place for every situation. In business, talent and working capital make a powerful combination. Even with the right product and a clear opportunity, progress can stall without the cash to keep things moving.

Find your shape

Teams don’t find their shape on match day by accident, they find it through relentless preparation, knowing exactly where everyone needs to be and when. A rolling cash flow forecast serves the same purpose. Tracking inflows and outflows weekly in the near term, and monthly across a 12-month horizon, gives businesses a clear view of their working capital position.

As McKinsey set out in its 2025 article, ‘Gain transformation momentum early by optimising working capital', “making even small changes in three areas – mapping processes across the cash conversion cycle, adopting recent technologies, and deploying performance management capabilities – can help companies generate momentum early on in their transformations.”

Attack when the momentum’s yours

In rugby, the best sides don’t hesitate, they drive forward. In business, that moment might be a major client win, or a timely opportunity to invest in stock, capacity or people. Yet PwC’s Working Capital Study 25/26 found that net working capital days in the UK have risen by 48% since 2015. The UK has seen the most dramatic increase in this metric, meaning that more cash is being tied up in running the business.

Late payment sits at the centre of that problem. The UK Government has confirmed a major package of reforms to tackle it, describing the measures as potentially the toughest late-payment laws in the G7. Proposed changes include a 60-day cap on B2B payment terms, mandatory statutory interest, and board-level accountability for organisations with poor payment performance. Significant fines are proposed for persistent late payers. Implementation is unlikely before 2027, and legislation still needs to pass through Parliament.

Until then, the pressure remains. Waiting 30, 60, or 90 days for invoices to be paid only adds to the pressure. Invoice finance releases cash tied up in the sales ledger, so businesses take advantage of opportunities as they arise.

Play with freedom

In rugby, the best teams don’t hesitate or hold back, they play with freedom, because the structures around them give them confidence. A loan with a fixed funding ceiling sets a limit before the full scale of the opportunity’s visible. As revenue grows and the debtor book expands, that can become a constant constraint. An invoice finance facility that grows alongside the business removes that restriction entirely.

Choose who you surround yourself with

The best teams succeed because the people around them make performance repeatable. The right funding partner champions and understands the business, knows the sector, and operates with short lines of communication, so decisions are made quickly and with the right information to hand.

The result is working capital that works harder for businesses, both for their immediate needs, and the ones the future will bring.

We champion your success.

Important information:

This article is for general information purposes only and should not be used or relied upon as professional advice. It is advisable to contact a professional advisor if you need financial advice. The opinions featured are not to be considered the opinions of Investec.