Private Ambulance Financing

With over 200 private providers already operating in the UK, private ambulance services offer a unique opportunity for people looking to run a business. But whatever the scale of your ambitions, vehicles, staff, equipment and everyday operating costs all require capital and cash flow to facilitate the running and growth of your business. 

There are two types of private ambulance businesses:

• Emergency Ambulance Services transport accident victims and people with other emergency health issues to the hospital as quickly and safely as possible. They demand expensively-equipped vans that are on round-the-clock standby and ready for dispatch and are staffed by certified medical personnel. Equipment like defibrillators and monitors, oxygen and drugs will all need to be carried.
• Non-emergency medical transportation requires far less equipment and crew skills. These vehicles often transport patients between medical facilities or take patients to and from appointments.

At Rangewell, we understand the challenges of setting up, buying or growing your business, because we work with both types of private ambulance operators across the UK – and we help find a wide range of solutions for them. 

Understanding the available financial services for ambulances

As a private ambulance owner, you fall into a number of different business categories. Which type of finance you need will be affected by your current status in business, such as whether you're new and setting a company up from scratch or you're a seasoned operator looking for private ambulance for sale to expand your fleet. 

Business needs may include:

Start your own business

• Buying an existing ambulance business
• Buy-ins and buyouts
• Set up a business
• Franchise Purchase

Premises

• Leasing premises
• Buying Freehold property to operate from
• Buying the premises you operate from
• Refurbishing your premises

Equipment

• Buying New Assets
• Buying Second-Hand Assets
• Hire purchase
• Leasing
• Vehicle Purchases

Working Finance

• General Expansion and Growth
• VAT and Tax Loans
• Partner buy-ins and buyouts
• Goodwill Loans

All of these requirements can be served via finance provided by some of the UK's most established lenders, as well as by challenger brands. Rangewell can help you navigate the lender's market, establish the right deal for your needs and negotiate it on your behalf to help you get the ambulance finance you need. 

Starting your own ambulance business

There are several ways to start working as an ambulance operator. Each one will carry its own financial demands.

Buying in

Buying an existing business or buying in as a partner will generally require a major investment. You will need to study the historical performance of the business to understand its current value. The patient base, the premises and equipment, and the value of any NHS or other contracts need to be taken into consideration.

The lender will also scrutinise the proposed business, so ensure the valuation you are given is reflected by the lender's own, or you may face a shortfall in finance or even have your application refused. 

Several solutions exist which can help provide the level of funding required.  These include loans secured on the business premises or other property. Secured Loans are often used to borrow large sums upwards of £250,000, and are ‘secured’ because the lender will take the security if you cannot pay the loan back. Terms of up to 20 years are common. You can also enjoy lower interest rates than with other types of lending, meaning monthly repayments can be lower and easier to fit in with your cashflow.

Buy-ins and buyouts

If you are thinking of buying into a large business, you may need to do so as a partner - or buy out a partner who may be retiring. Buy-in and Buyout finance recognises the challenges and provides funding tailored to help you make full use of the opportunity. Visit our MBO and MBI hub to learn more. 

Setting up a new ambulance business

Setting up an ambulance business could mean less outlay but more significant risk. There will be vehicles to pay for, medical staff, a receptionist and a secure depot. Electricity and business rates will have to be paid for. You will need to budget for advertising your presence and to keep afloat while you build a patient list. You need to invest in marketing, establishing a local presence and setting up a website.

Both Secured and Unsecured loans could provide the answers you need, perhaps in combination with other types of funding.

Buying an ambulance franchise

Franchising is starting to become a factor for ambulance operators in the UK, and can offer a proven business model and often guaranteed contracts in return for a substantial investment. Along with a substantial initial franchise fee, there will be the usual costs for vehicles and equipment staff costs. Conventional business lenders, such as banks, may not be able to help, as your business is technically a start-up, lacking a business history.

A specialised Franchise Loan package may be essential.

Funding for your premises

Ambulances can wait on stand-by almost anywhere, but your business will need reliable and secure parking for off-duty vehicles, restocking, and maintenance. Security for vehicles and drug supplies will be essential and locations with a high density of doctors, hospitals, nursing homes, and senior citizen housing might offer the best prospects.

You may need to borrow with an Unsecured Loan for the deposit on a long-term lease. Alternatively, you might want to consider a Commercial Mortgage. Commercial Mortgages can help you buy your premises or even an existing business. It is uneconomical to borrow less than £50,000, and some lenders stipulate a minimum of £75,000 or more with a Commercial Mortgage, but there is no set upper limit and you can have 25 years or more to repay.

Buying your equipment and vehicles

Modern medical equipment makes emergency ambulance service vehicles very capital-intensive, requiring a range of diagnostic equipment and triage facilities. On the other hand, non-emergency services may only require lightly-outfitted vans with a focus on accessibility. You’ll also need all the essential items for running a business.  A desk, a chair and a computer are the minimum you will need to budget for, and if you are serving vehicles yourself, you may need to consider a range of garage tools.

At Rangewell, we can help arrange Asset Finance plans. We can help you find a range of funding solutions to reduce the costs you pay when you buy a private ambulance or other type of vehicle. Find out more here. 

Asset finance could make it easier to purchase ambulances or lease private ambulance hire for long term usage. These vehicles may be new, although you may be able to save by buying some second-hand. You might also consider leasing essential equipment and medical supplies. 

In all cases, the lender will have security over the loan thanks to the value of the asset. This de-risks the prospect and makes it easier for some businesses to secure asset finance rather than other more demanding finance agreements. 

Let's take a quick look at the other forms of asset funding available: hire purchases and leases. 

Hire Purchase

If you need equipment that you want to go on giving service for years, hire purchase plans can provide a simple solution. Hire Purchase is the simplest type of Asset Finance. You pay a deposit plus monthly instalments over a fixed term, between 12 and 72 months, after which the equipment becomes yours. Payments are fixed, making it easy to plan ahead and to arrange an agreement tailored to your monthly turnover and budget.

Leases

If you want to use the latest equipment without the responsibility of owning it, leasing will give you the freedom and flexibility you need. There is usually no upfront cost to find, meaning that you can bring the latest equipment to your ambulance business without delay.

Leases can make higher-cost items, such as ECC equipment, more affordable by spreading the cost across their economic life. You pay a monthly rental charge to use the asset, which will cover all the costs such as maintenance and repairs. A lease may ideal for sophisticated technical apparatus which has a limited life, or that you may want to replace when new technology becomes available – helping you keep ahead of your competitors, and letting you offer your patients the latest treatments.

New or used?

Good quality used vehicles and equipment can be a sound investment, especially if you are setting up a new business and funds are tight. However, many professionals miss out on the potential savings because they believe they need to find the cash to pay for it.

At Rangewell we can help you spread the cost of used as well as new equipment with Asset Finance. The terms and rates we can secure are often better than those offered by vehicle and equipment suppliers, and we may be able to help arrange a single agreement to cover all your equipment needs.

Tax Loans

Tax is an issue for every business. A large quarterly VAT or annual tax demand can cause problems with your cash flow, particularly when it falls at the same time as other costs. Tax Loans help you to spread the cost of your tax demands into affordable monthly payments, ensuring that your business does not have to go through a cashflow drought.

Benefits of a Tax Loan include:

• Better control of cash flow
• Fixed monthly payments
• Quick and simple to arrange
• Avoids issues with HMRC and potential penalties

Working Capital Finance for your ambulance business

Working Capital Finance is designed to boost the working capital available to a business. It's often used to provide cash to pay staff and suppliers while business is slow during the early weeks and months of a new business, or during a period of growth. It is usually designed to be repaid in the short- to medium-term, once your business is fully operational and bringing in an income.

Growth Finance

Large-scale finance can be vital if you have major plans such as acquiring a competitor. Growth Finance is a special type of funding designed to fund your growth plans. Lenders may require an established trading history and record of profits, but it may be possible to arrange Growth Finance based on your profit projections, rather than on your trading history.

Why ambulance operators need Rangewell

Not all lenders will offer the most competitive terms. Looking for the most competitive deal across the entire market takes time and expertise. We know the lenders who can offer the most competitive rates for the profession, and we find solutions for all types of finance including Professional Loans, Unsecured and Secured Loans, Invoice Finance, Asset Finance, Growth Finance and more.

As well as conventional loan products, we can help you find Alternative Funding, using new loan providers and styles of funding.

Whether you have a straightforward, small-scale funding need, or require a complicated ‘Jigsaw’ Funding plan made up of a combination of financial products, we can work with you to find the answers

Call us now to get our experts working for you.